Film Threads: ‘Scilla and Savings on SBIFF

UCSB Arts & Lectures’ Hot Fun in the Summertime free film screening series presents The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the 1994 Australian road comedy that became a certified cult classic about two drag queens and a transgender woman (Terence Stamp!) journeying across the Australian Outback in an old tour bus. Showtime is 8:30 pm Friday, July 29, at the County Courthouse Sunken Garden before the site goes dark for a week in favor of Fiesta. 

SBIFF has announced that prices for its Cinema and State Street passes for the 2023 fest – which finally moves back to a mid-winter week-plus on February 8-18 – are not increasing despite the insane inflation in America. Even better: you can still get 25% off regular pass prices on six different options (though not the $6,000 Concierge Pass, understandably) in SBIFF’s annual early bird special through this weekend (July 31). Visit sbiff.org. 

Venturing to Ventura 

There’s no better bang for your buck than the Ventura County Fair, the massive oceanside 11-day event that finally returns to Seaside Park August 3-14. Activities include everything from 4H competitions to crafts show, exhibit halls, belly-busting fair food, art shows, and a huge carnival as well as a bevy of classic rock and country acts. Entry to the concerts – al fresco in the grandstand, a big plus as the pandemic persists – costs absolutely nothing more than the price of admission, a mere $15 per day, $10 for kids and seniors. The lists of headliners include several that have played local venues just in the last couple of years, boasting country’s Martina McBride and Clay Walker plus KC & The Sunshine Band, The All-American Rejects, Cheap Trick, and the perennially popular Beach Boys, who have a bunch of Montecito and Santa Barbara connections. Visit venturacountyfair.org for everything related to the fair, which carries the smart tagline of “A country fair with ocean air.”