Heading to Santa Barbara for the holidays? Lucky you!
Santa Barbara gets extra festive at this time of year with a wide array of Holiday Events. Here are some of my favorites:
- If you’re looking for lights, you can book a ride on the Santa Barbara Trolley of Lights to scope out the best houses around town.
- Or you can plan a DIY tour and drive yourself around. The one place you absolutely must visit is known around these parts as The Miracle on East Quinientos Street. The private residence is so bright that you might want to bring sunglasses! Check out the picture in this blog.
- Visitors who like live performances will be thrilled to know they can catch the Nutcracker Ballet at either the Granada Theatre or the Arlington Theatre. Both of these historic venues are stunning, with dozens of amazing restaurants nearby.
- For family fun, look no further than the brand new ice rink in Goleta. Ice in Paradise is an indoor rink, complete with a casual restaurant. Take a lesson, catch a hockey game, and watch a holiday ice show or skate with your friends.
- Architecture enthusiasts should visit Montecito’s Casa Del Herrero when it’s all dressed up for the holidays. Enjoy a cup of hot-spiced cider as you tour the amazing gardens and get a glimpse of how a Montecito Christmas might have looked like in the 1920s and ’30’s. Completed in 1925, this gorgeous Spanish Colonial Revival home is the collaboration of owners George and Carrie Steedman and a coterie of designers, architects, and horticulturists. Painstakingly conceived, built and furnished, the estate is a stunning Moorish and Mediterranean unification of art, gardens, and space. Boasting European treasures and intricate tile work, Casa del Herrero (“house of the blacksmith”) pays tribute to its owners’ machinery industry.
- Two of Santa Barbara’s most enduring Christmas traditions take place at El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park every December. “Una Noche de Las Posadas” commemorates Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. There are songs, refreshments, and activities for the kids. “La Pastorela” is the tale of the shepherd’s journey to Bethlehem to witness the birth of Christ. Both events celebrate local heritage in a traditional setting where many of Santa Barbara’s earliest buildings have been restored or rebuilt on original foundations.
Now that you know about these festive holiday events in Santa Barbara, it’s time to get out those jingle bells and get going! If you are considering spending next Christmas in a new home in Montecito, Hope Ranch or any of Santa Barbara’s upscale communities, I’m here to help. Please take a look at my comprehensive website then call me at 805.886.9378 or email me at Cristal@montecito-estate.com. There are some amazing properties available right now. I can’t promise they’ll fit under your tree, but I can guarantee your tree will fit in your beautiful new Montecito or Santa Barbara home – and you’ll love living here!