For the second consecutive year the One805LIVE! fundraiser at Oscar winner Kevin Costner’s Carpinteria estate was by royal appointment with Montecito resident Prince Harry, who celebrated his 40th birthday last week, presenting an award to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office helicopter pilot Loren Courtney. The Duke of Sussex, a former chopper pilot himself in the […]
Michael Baker, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara County, definitely made a splash when he participated in the 9th annual Rally4Kids when 63 cars, ranging from Porsches to Ferraris, traveled a 142-mile route starting and ending at the Santa Barbara Polo Club, culminating in the Black and Gold Gala emceed by […]
How appropriate that a Funk Zone locale dubbed the Bakery Block raised a lot of dough when the Community Environmental Council hosted its annual Green Gala for 250 guests raising more than $100,000 to help its work in protecting California’s Central Coast from the climate crisis. The boffo bash, co-chaired by Carolyn Fitzgerald, Katy Powers, […]
A crowd of 80 guests descended on The Voice Art Gallery for a celebratory book lunch of the A History of Psychology Through Symbols, a two-volume set of textbooks written by local psychologist Dr. James Broderick and illustrated by Montecito artist Dr. Danuta Bennett. The curious crowd included Peter and Kathryn Martin, Brendon Twigden, Keith […]
Santa Barbara’s popular State Street Ballet kicked off its 30th anniversary year with a reception at the Riviera Bar downtown for 40 guests, including Brooks and Kate Firestone, Dan and Meg Burnham, Barbara Burger, Deborah Bertling, Tigran Sargsyan, Leila Drake, Jennifer Whalen, Cecily MacDougall, Scott Reed, and Jonathan Bishop. “It has been an extraordinary history,” […]
Four months ago, Rick Porter and his wife, former chanteuse Libby Aubrey-Porter, celebrated ten years of marriage with a bountiful bash at the Rosewood Miramar’s Manor Bar for 50 friends. The fun fête at the same venue was repeated when Libby, accompanied by her 14-year-old prize-winning West Highland terrier, Blessings, sang the songs of Cole […]
Lucy Firestone, Gregory Fuss, and Greg Giloth have been appointed to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Board of Trustees for a three-year term. Firestone is a producer, transformation coach and co-founder of Firestone Sisters’ natural perfume line, with more than 20 years’ experience creating content that inspires healing and growth. A Princeton graduate, […]
A third of U.K. residents support Prince Harry returning to the country on a permanent basis, a poll in the country’s Mail on Sunday has revealed. This represents a significant increase over the past six months, and suggests the Duke of Sussex, 40, has managed to turn the tide of public opinion. While more than […]
Esbee, the fashion brand, whose name comes from the initials of our Eden by the Beach, is the creation of dynamic duo Andrew Schmoller and his business partner Eli Gill, both of whom attended UCLA. Montecito-based Andrew described the enterprise as a “direct to the consumer and wholesale company” that designs and manufactures clothes in […]
Two of Santa Barbara’s great dames were lauded for their exemplary work at the venerable century-old Granada Theatre’s Legends Gala. The capacious stage was socially gridlocked when 240 guests, marking the 8th anniversary of the popular event, honored Joan Rutkowski, who was a founding board member in 1997, starting the multi-million dollar renovation project the […]
A record crowd of 215 guests turned out for the 8th annual Heart of New House lunch at the Hilton, raising around $150,000 for the popular nonprofit which has helped men with drug and alcohol problems for the past 69 years. The organization, which has an annual budget of $1.2 million, has three homes in […]
The Heroes of Hospice of Santa Barbara – Legacy of Compassion lunch at the Rosewood Miramar, celebrating half a century of service to the community, attracted a record 330 guests and raised around $250,000 for the volunteer organization headed by CEO David Selberg. “When we opened our doors in 1974, we were at the forefront […]
Montecito’s eight-year-old Apples to Zucchini Cooking School hosted a Sip and Savor donor appreciation sunset soirée for 45 guests at the home of board president Dianne Duva and her husband Robert. The organization, founded by Nancy Martz in 2015, brings people together by teaching children, teens, and adults how to prepare delicious, nutritious and affordable […]
Murray W. Ray, a former Chief People Officer at QAD with extensive global business and leadership experience, is joining the ShelterBox USA board of directors. “ShelterBox believes that shelter is a human right – that shelter from the chaos of disaster and conflict is vital,” says Ray, a Santa Barbara resident. “When you suddenly have […]
A tidal wave of generosity swept over the 149-year-old Santa Barbara Yacht Club for the 20th anniversary Yachts of Love regatta which was expected to raise $120,000 for 113-year-old VNA Health – formerly known as Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care. More than 400 guests attended, many taking to the cooling waves on members’ yachts. The […]
The party animals were out in force when the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network hosted A Wild Night Out at the Rockwood Woman’s Club. 200 creatively garbed guests raised around $150,000 for the popular Goleta-based organization, which has an annual budget of $1.8 million. The fun fête, emceed by auctioneer Nick Di Nieri, also featured […]
It was paws for thought when Santa Barbara Humane hosted its second annual gala The Great Gatsby FurBall at the Hilton, with 250 guests raising around $200,000 for the 136-year-old organization which, in its illustrious history, has helped more than one million animals find homes and has provided low cost veterinary care, their two campuses […]
The Belmond El Encanto hosted a champagne-fueled bash for 150 guests to promote a forthcoming auction in connection with the One805Live concert at Oscar-winning actor Kevin Costner’s Carpinteria estate on Friday, Sept. 20. Star of the show was a Ferrari LaFerrari prototype, which has a reserve price of $2.1 million; safaris to South Africa, Botswana […]
Orlando Bloom, British actor fiancée of singer Katy Perry, took his body to the limit while filming The Cut, about a retired boxer returning to matters pugilistic. The new movie premiered at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this month and Bloom told People he “literally thought I was gonna die” because the role was so […]
Social gridlock reigned supreme when more than 4,000 equestrian fans descended on the Santa Barbara Polo Club for the biggest match of the season – the NetJets Pacific Coast Open. Grant Palmer, son of Los Angeles real estate tycoon Geoff Palmer, and his team Antelope led right from the opening chukker against real estate investor […]
Mallets were changed for golf clubs when the Santa Barbara Polo Club’s Polo Training Center held its fifth annual tournament at the Sandpiper Golf Club with 76 players raising around $50,000 for the Carpinteria-based facility. A total of 19 foursomes played in the Farmers & Merchants Bank sponsored event, organized by Mindy Denson, though a […]
My trusty shutterbug, Priscilla, who just celebrated a major birthday, was lauded at the historic Santa Barbara Club when Maria McCall, founder of Montecito Bank and Trust’s MClub, recounted Priscilla’s most impressive career – including being chosen as Saint Barbara during Fiesta celebrations and, as a licensed pilot, ferrying vital medical aid between the U.S. […]
Behati Prinsloo, wife of Montecito rocker Adam Levine, has gone back in history for her latest modeling assignment for the new Victoria’s Secret collection. Behati and fellow model Candice Swanepoel posed up a storm at Longleat House in Wiltshire as they promoted the lingerie brand’s Dream collection. Behati, 36, looked stunning in a white mini […]
Our tony town’s party animals were out en masse for Santa Barbara Zoo’s sold-out 38th annual Zoofari “Jungle After Dark” with more than 750 guests converging on the 30-acre hilltop menagerie housing more than 600 animal inhabitants and raising around $700,000. Like fireflies in the night, the creatively costumed guests – covert camouflage, jungle jewels, […]
The battleground is now set after a closely fought quarter final game in the biggest polo tournament on the Left Coast, the NetJets Pacific Coast Open on Sunday. Billionaire film producer Sarah Magness’ Bentley Estates team beat Santa Barbara developer Justin Klentner’s Klentner Ranch 11-8, while Grant Palmer’s Antelope won a real squeaker against real […]
The lunar-tics were out in force when bubbly Brenda Blalock and Alan Porter hosted 70 friends on a two-hour cruise on the 70-foot cruiser Azure Seas from Stearns Wharf. The occasion was a rare, blue super moon, a four-time-a-year occasion when the planet is closest to Earth due to its elliptical orbit. Among those putting […]
Mega restaurateur Sherry Villanueva, founder of Acme Hospitality which owns The Lark and Loquita in the Funk Zone, has added another spot, The Pearl Social Cocktail Club – just a tiara’s toss away – and 100 guests turned out to celebrate the lustrous occasion. Interior designer Nathan Turner, who resides in Ojai and Los Angeles, […]
Prince Harry and his former-actress wife Meghan Markle have done a new CBS TV interview about cyber abuse, with the Duke of Sussex paying homage to first responders. During the interview with Jane Pauley, the Riven Rock twosome spoke about how parents need to protect children from online harm – reflecting on their experiences with […]
Billionaire Rick Caruso’s oceanside hostelry, the Rosewood Miramar, went to the dogs at the weekend when it hosted its third annual Best in Show event with 50 cuddly canines of all shapes and sizes strutting their stuff with their proud owners on the blue carpeted runway on the Great Lawn! Judging the entrants were The […]
The Great White Way was on the great blue wave when Condor Express owner Hiroko Benko hosted her eighth annual Broadway musical cruise at the weekend for more than 70 guests. The two-hour coastal cruise featured soprano Deborah Bertling, now president of the Community Arts Music Association, and baritone Brian Hotchkin, accompanied by pianist Renée […]
It wasn’t quite Monte Carlo, but roulette wheels, blackjack and craps tables abounded on the hallowed Holden Field at the Santa Barbara Polo Club as the lush Carpinteria equestrian facility held Casino Night for nearly 100 guests. “As the NetJets Pacific Coast Open, the biggest polo match on the West Coast, looms large, we try […]
After four years as manager of the tony 92-cottage Belmond El Encanto, Janis Clapoff, has passed the torch to new manager Pedro Dias, who is moving to our Eden by the Beach after running the hotel group’s 113-room Cap Juluca in Anguilla. Janis is taking over as manager of the historic California Club, founded in […]
Prince Harry and his actress wife Meghan Markle, now back in our rarefied enclave after a four-day quasi royal tour to Colombia, certainly got the VIP security the Duke of Sussex has so publicly craved. More than 3,000 police, snipers and even a bio-terrorism van trailed their every move, despite hardly anyone turning out to […]
Social gridlock reigned at the Ensemble Theatre Company’s New Vic when it staged a sold-out Play It Forward: Legends of Broadway which raised more than $50,000 for the theater’s education and outreach programs. The celebratory concert, featuring the music of the greatest musical theater composers of our time, and veterans of the Great White Way […]
Democracy has spoken. Montecito comic Steve Martin, 78, has been deemed the perfect person to portray Vice President Kamala Harris’ recently appointed vice president candidate Minnesota governor Tim Walz, 60, on NBC’s Saturday Night Live this fall, when it celebrates its 50th anniversary. Social media was instantly abuzz noting the physical resemblance of the two […]
To the Ritz-Carlton Bacara to indulge in an evening of culinary delight at Angel Oak, the tony hostelry’s oceanside eatery, with my trusty shutterbug Priscilla. In the fall Costa Rican chef Diego Seitour is introducing a new three-course tasting menu for a nominal $95. Although wine is at extra cost, I chose a Far Niente […]
Two new members have joined the board of the Santa Barbara Choral Society – Dr. Lawrence M. Schecter and singer Susan Renehan. Schecter, a teacher, mentor, innovator and humanist, has added coaching and consulting to his impressive career in the healthcare industry. He was chief medical officer in hospitals in Santa Monica and an associate […]
Ellen DeGeneres and actress wife Portia de Rossi have sold their sprawling Carpinteria spread for a hefty $96 million. The dynamic duo purchased the 20-acre property in 2022 for $70 million, at the time one of the largest real estate deals in Santa Barbara County. Property records obtained by the Wall Street Journal show they […]
The 100th anniversary of Fiesta came to a glorious close with the 25th anniversary of the Fiesta Finale when 170 guests descended on the historic El Paseo restaurant raising around $100,000 for the John E. Profant Foundation for the Arts which helps musicians, dancers, artists, actors and authors chart their career paths. More than $250,000 […]
Santa Barbara winemaker Doug Margerum celebrated the launch of his new sauvignon blanc with a boffo bash fieldside at the Santa Barbara Polo Club where the new label is being sold. His “all white” party for 150 guests at the weekend, featured all of his labels, including his popular Rhône varietal M5 and a host […]