Summer in Santa Barbara Al Fresco Adventures Abound

Santa Barbara is by no means unique in taking advantage of the warmer temperature and sunny weather to bring music and movie entertainment to the masses in the great outdoors. But, at least for our size, we sure do have a plethora of places to put up performances, each with its own flavor. Read on for a round-up of our outdoor opportunities that are all free of charge. 

Chase-ing the Blues Away 

Concerts in the Park, the granddaddy of free music series, still hasn’t returned to its full two-month glory that went by the wayside even before the pandemic put a pause on the performances. But folks still come in droves for the danceable beats and waterfront vibes at the gently rolling hills of Chase Palm Park. There’s a huge dance “floor” (aka patchy grass patch) in front of the stage, and it’s the perfect place to bring the young ones; if they get bored, the playground and the beach are just steps away. Here’s the lineup for the four successive Thursdays in July: Paradise Kings make their CPP debut with swing-blues on July 6, followed by three perennial favorites in The Molly Ringwald Project (‘80s dance hits) on July 13, Captain Cardiac and the Coronaries (kitschy ‘50s & ‘60s rock ‘n’ roll) on July 20, and Mezcal Martini (Latin jazz) on July 27. 

Visit https://sbparksandrec.santabarbaraca.gov/activities/community-events/concerts-park

Wailing on the Wharf

Just a few blocks away from Chase Palm Park, and situated actually over the ocean, the Wharf Wednesdays concert series brings bands to Stearns Wharf once a month. Offering perhaps the most picturesque panoramic view of Santa Barbara (Lizard’s Mouth lovers might disagree), the wharf hosts live music performances 6-8 pm on the first Wednesday of the month through October. Up next is the Double Wide Kings, featuring Granada Theatre executive director and Montecito philanthropist Palmer Jackson, Jr., jamming on July 5, followed by Tequila Mockingbird on August 2, The Academy on September 6, and Down Mountain Lights on October 4. 

Visit https://stearnswharf.org/events

Rockin’ Out at the Ranch 

The tree-lined, lake breeze-cooled gorgeous grounds at Rancho La Patera & Stow House is the site for the terrific Music at the Ranch Tuesday night concert series that takes place every summer in the historic spot adjacent to Lake Los Carneros in Goleta. Family fun, frolicking festival-style, and dancing (albeit mostly on concrete) are all encouraged for the July 11 to August 22 events, as are picnics and, yes, even alcohol is allowed. Bring your own foodstuff and beverages or buy them from the food trucks (Sassafras, Mony’s, and Elubia’s alternate) and the historical society that runs the place. The Nombres kicked things off on July 11, with Out of the Blue, Tony Ybarra, Americana Cats, King Bee, Moneluv, and Down Mountain Lights to follow. 

Details at https://goletahistory.org/music-at-the-ranch

UCSB Arts & Lectures’ Free Summer Cinema Screenings Are Out of This World

Could there be a more appropriate venue for seven nights of space-inspired movies screened under the stars than at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Gardens? The free summer series of films focuses on sci-fi adventures, an intergalactic lineup that ranges from spinetingling alien encounters to family-friendly otherworldly antics. Programmers not only managed to balance a bunch of variables but also arrange the schedule to screen the movies in chronological order of their release. 

“We figure out a theme that works, and then curate it to bring things where there is representation of all ages, sexualities, races, and different walks of life and other demographics,” said Meghan Bush, A&L’s Associate Director. “There’s a variety of different genres of sci-fi, too, not just spaceships or monsters, some that are PG and others that are R-rated, all great films across time periods from the 1970s to 2022.”

Of course, in the streaming era, the series is about much more than just watching a movie on a giant inflatable screen, which is why the Sunken Gardens is such a spectacular setting for the exceedingly popular get-togethers that begin in the evening, with the screenings starting just after dark every Friday night through August 25, save for August 4 due to Fiesta.

“It’s about the experience, and it has been a big community event right from when it first started,” Bush said. “It’s beloved. When we brought it back after the pandemic last year, there was an overwhelmingly positive response, with just thousands of people coming each week, so we’re so happy to keep doing it.” 

The 2023 series launches on July 7 with the Spielberg classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind and closes with Nope, so start putting together picnic ideas and gather up your friends plus breathable blankets and low-back chairs (so as not to kill the grass or block fellow filmgoers’ view), and mosey on down for the movies.  

Details at https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu