Tag archives: Christmas

This year’s Holiday Window Decorating Contest on Coast Village Road brought a new level of vibrant energy and festive creativity to the community, with businesses decking their windows with amazing elements – from shimmering lights to nostalgic touches of music and lyrics, and even a few nods bringing 5th Avenue NYC vibes!  The judges were […]

The ballet, The Nutcracker, is a perennial holiday favorite for its recognizable melodies and a touching storyline set during the Christmas season. This story is an introduction to a multisensory concept that I just put to the test, and with delicious results: Does pairing Tchaikovsky’s sweeping music with wine heighten your enjoyment of it? Or […]

It’s Merry and Bright at the San Ysidro Ranch now through New Year’s, with festive décor, music, and twinkling lights from the resort entrance and throughout the restaurants, cottages, and outdoor gardens. Holiday trees colorfully decorated were placed in key locations and the Speakeasy has an array of 2,500 twinkling ornaments cascading from the ceiling.  […]

Santa Barbara’s holiday season shimmered to life at “A Glamorous Holiday Affair,” a dazzling celebration hosted by Michele Janin, Tom Linebarger, Jamie (our own Montecito Journal wine columnist) and Joel Knee. Their 3rd annual Montecito holiday soirée brought together over 70 of Santa Barbara’s beloved residents for an evening of elegance, style, and festive cheer […]

Quire of Voyces under founder and musical director Nathan Kreitzer was in fine form at St. Anthony’s Chapel for its annual Yuletide concert. Traditional favorites like “Away in a Manger” and “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” were on the menu with the 11-part concert wrapping with “Silent Night.” A joyous afternoon full of Christmas spirit.

The Santa Barbara Rescue Mission (SBRM) Women’s Auxiliary held its annual Bethel House Christmas Tea for its women in recovery program on Wednesday, December 11 at the home of Susan Hughes. Organizing the event were newly appointed SBRM Women’s Auxiliary President Cindy Anderson,with Auxiliary members Dianne Davis, and Kirsten Walters. This beloved holiday celebration for […]

The holiday cards are (hopefully) in the mail and the easy gifts have been checked off, wrapped, and lovingly crammed under the tree. But what to do about those harder-to-gift people in your life? Well, here are some options. Happy hunting.  Books are the gift that keeps giving. A literary favorite can be read until […]

Montecito Association Hosts 4th Annual Parade of Lights, Cars, and Holiday Spirit The Montecito Association’s 4th Annual Holiday Car Parade took place on Saturday, December 14 at 5pm. The celebration started at 3 pm in the Upper Village with a Sip ‘n’ Shop and live music by Maitland Ward. Signing up to be in the […]

Starring as the Duchess in The Ghosts of Haddon Hall – the 2024 production of “The Christmas Revels: A Winter Solstice Celebration” this weekend – is a real full circle moment 11 years in the making for Gillian Conway. The Montecito native saw her first Santa Barbara Christmas Revels as a family outing back in […]

Santa Barbara Historical Museum had more than 300 lunar-tics at the Members Holiday Soirée under a full moon, which also marked the opening of two new exhibitions: The Chair, featuring seating through the ages, and J. Walter Collinge, displaying the photographer’s images of our Eden by the Beach before and after the 1925 earthquake. The […]

Social gridlock reigned when Santa Barbara Beautiful threw its annual Yuletide bash at the Voice Gallery in La Cumbre Plaza with 100 guests. Since its founding in 1965 the organization has planted 13,000 trees in our Eden by the Beach as well as placing colorful murals in the Library Plaza and the area at the […]

Lobero Associates hosted its annual holiday tea at the University Club while collecting toys for CALM, which fights child abuse. Established in 1972, the associates have raised more than $1.5 million – purchasing a Steinway grand piano, updating the historic theater’s bathrooms and replacing the theater’s ancient curtain, and undertaking innumerable other tasks. Paula Bottiani […]

For the past 15 years, the nonprofit organization Mothers’ Helpers has supported low-income families in Santa Barbara county by providing them access to essential baby items. This holiday season, the organization is hosting a Christmas program that allows community sponsors to purchase and wrap gifts for selected families, bringing a bit of magic and cheer […]

The college kicked off the Christmas season with its annual lighting of Kerrwood Hall in a festive event, Let There Be Light, on Dec. 3 as the Westmont community gathered on Kerrwood Lawn. Santa posed for pictures inside the holiday-decorated Kerrwood Hall lobby.  Brad Elliott, campus photographer and Your Westmont contributor, was named the special […]

Christmas day of ‘68 began like most days; with a guy bellowing singsong prayers in the dark from a mosque somewhere just off base. The mounted lo-fi bullhorn gave the already mysterioso liturgy a surreal 1930s radio feel – think “Libyan Rudy Vallee” if that helps. If that doesn’t help, I get it.  Though we’d […]

The annual tradition of decorating the Hathaway Tree at Manning Park was held by the Montecito Association and its Montecito Beautification members, in collaboration with Montecito Fire, on Wednesday, December 4, in the afternoon. There were at least 30 adults, a handful of kids, and two doggies on hand to help, along with water and […]

It was cannons and gun powder and planks to walk – aye aye the pirates have arrived! this year for the 38th Annual Boat Parade of Lights, held on Sunday, December 8. Our proud sailors, boaters, and commercial fishermen took this year’s theme, “Yule Tide Pirates” to the next level with their spectacular boat lighting, […]

Your Society gal shares with you that Montecito is always the best for parties. Our little town is looking more like Rodeo Drive with our exclusive shops and restaurants, and now with the holiday lights and décor, including a tree and soon a menorah. This year marks the 2nd Annual Coast Village Association’s Holiday Tree […]