CRISTAL’S PICKS: SANTA BARBARA EVENTS IN JULY 2022

The Celebration of Independence and Sunshine Edition

July is the month to celebrate independence and sunshine in the coastal enclave of Santa Barbara. Start the day by unwinding at the beach and end with a concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl. Discover new biking or hiking trails, get out on the water, enjoy a spectacular sunset, soak in the summer sun by dining al fresco at your favorite local eatery, spend the afternoon imbibing at tasting rooms along Santa Barbara’s Urban Wine Trail or by exploring wine country proper, the Santa Ynez Valley, only a 30–40 minute drive from downtown. There’s so much to do here in July that you might find it difficult to plan accordingly. That’s why I’ve put together this list of not-to-miss summer fun in this Santa Barbara events in July 2022 post.

Fireworks over the water in Santa Barbara

Photo by OC Gonzalez on Unsplash

Fourth of July

It’s time for the City of Santa Barbara’s annual Fourth of July beachfront celebration. Head to Stearns Wharf—Independence Day central—for a full day of festivities including food vendors, arts and crafts, local musicians, and more. Revelers will channel the spirit of the day with a historical cannon firing at noon, face painting at 2 pm, live music at 4 pm, wine tasting and more. The fun is followed with a concert at 5 pm at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden. Another stage for live music will be set up at West Beach, the epicenter for the evening.

One of the highlights of the day is the 4th of July Parade that begins downtown at 1 pm at Micheltorena and State streets and continues down State to Cota Street. For a less crowded small-town parade, head to the Montecito Village Annual 4th of July Parade. The fun begins at 11:30 am at Upper Manning Park, heading to Lower Manning Park, and ends with a community Independence Day celebration filled with good food and live music.

After a full day of fun, the biggest and most popular fireworks show in Santa Barbara lights up the sky at 9 pm at West Beach. The show will be choreographed to classic hits and patriotic music. If you can’t make it in person, no worries. The show will be streamed live on 92.9 KjEE.

There will be another professional 4th of July fireworks show at Santa Barbara City College right next to the Santa Barbara waterfront. Claim your viewing spot at the Great Meadow on West Campus or on the Maxwell Overlook at East Campus. This show starts at 6 pm.

The Rotary Club in nearby Goleta is hosting its own annual 4th of July fireworks festival starting at 5 pm at Girsh Park. The family-friendly event offers a variety of activities for all ages, including live music, bouncies, face painting, and more.

A group of adults with wine glasses at CA Wine Tasting event

California Wine Festival
Enjoy some of the best wines the golden state has to offer at the California Wine Festival. This two-day event starts with a Sunset Rare & Reserve Tasting on July 15 at Chase Palm Park’s Carousel House. Oenophiles will appreciate the extremely limited reserve-level wines, matched with gourmet appetizers from top local chefs, artisan cheeses, fresh fruits, olive oils and more, all accompanied by live music. On the 16^th, enjoy a full-day feast for the senses with hundreds of fine wines accompanied by regional craft brews, a dizzying array of foods to sample, live music and more. The 2022 California Wine Festival - Santa Barbara will benefit Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.

Birds eye view of santa barbara with the red tiled roofs of downtown out to the ocean

Photo by Yifan Ma on Unsplash

Courthouse Film Series
Locals and visitors alike enjoy the annual UCSB Arts & Lectures Summer Courthouse Film Series, which kicks off its first screening on July 8 with the fan-favorite, American Graffiti. Enjoy the fresh sea air as the sun goes down and watch popular films for FREE in the famous sunken gardens of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. Other movies featured during July include Dirty Dancing (July 15), Thelma and Louise (July 22) and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (July 29).

Woodies at the Beach
On July 23, everyone is invited to take a step back in time at the 22^nd annual Woodies at the Beach, a celebration of vintage classic cars from all across the U.S. Come and enjoy the artistry and craftsmanship that made the Woodie legendary, at Santa Barbara City College overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

A bee apiarist shares knowledge with people on an experience and honey tasting

Photo credit: Ojai Valley Inn

Beekeeping and Honey Tasting at the Ojai Valley Inn
Santa Barbara events in July 2022 include a unique experience: exploring a day in the life of an apiarist. Meet with the Ojai Valley Inn’s resident beekeeper for an introduction to our most vital pollinators, the European honeybee. Once you reach the apiary, you’ll be outfitted in a protective beekeeping suit.

Enjoy bee-utiful Ojai vistas while you experience firsthand how it feels to be inside an apiary and learn about the extraordinary life of the honeybee. The excursion concludes with a honey tasting of local, raw honey in a beautiful and serene setting. Beekeeping experiences are available Tuesday - Saturday by appointment.

You might be ready to celebrate Santa Barbara events in July 2022 by creating your own event: making a move to or within any of the Santa Barbara area communities. Please give me a call at (805) 886-9378 or email me at Cristal@montecito-estate.com for a free consultation regarding selling or buying a new home or home away from home. Now get outside and celebrate independence and sunshine in our coastal paradise!

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Client Reviews

“Cristal Clarke has conducted numerous real estate transactions for me beginning 13 years ago with the purchase of a Lemon Ranch. She has handled both large and small purchases and sales with equal dedication. As a negotiator, you can’t find anyone better. Her transactions are always conducted in the most appropriate and professional manner. Cristal has considerable knowledge of the Santa Barbara market.”

- S.N. Decker Ph.D.

“Living in Europe, we were to say the least, unaccustomed to the nuances of Real Estate acquisition in California and Cristal steered us through the process with absolute professionalism and personal attention to detail at every turn. Her in-depth knowledge of the market place combined with enthusiasm and drive was the only reason we secured the property of our dreams and will be forever grateful. If you are looking for personal discrete and private representation of the highest quality we suggest you look no further than Cristal Clarke.”

- Johan and Paula van den Berg

“Cristal is very straightforward, cheerful, helpful, professional and trustworthy….we felt very lucky to work with her.”

- John and Lacey Williams

“After considering our many choices, we are grateful it was Cristal Clarke of Sotheby’s International who represented the sale of our Montecito cottage. We are familiar with Cristal’s reputation of hard work and dedication to clients, but it was her attention to detail that made our experience so positive. She offered suggestions for staging the property, worked in harmony with potential buyers and was even able to secure back up offers. The sale of our cottage was completed much sooner than we expected, due in great part to Cristal’s professional skills and support. We highly recommend Cristal as a first choice for anyone needing representation with real estate.”

- Michael & Nancy Lee

“Our experience in working with Cristal Clarke resulted in the successful and discrete acquisition of a property which was not yet on the open market. Her knowledge of the Montecito/Santa Barbara area and vast expertise blended with her passion for real estate and architecture, provided us with the very highest level of professionalism and personalized services. Cristal exhibited a rare combination of excellent communications, attention to detail, creativity and patience.”

- Richard and Catherine Frinier

“Cristal really breaks the mold. She knows every nook and cranny of this real estate market, understands value, and follows up on everything, all the time. She was incredibly patient with our two year quest to find the perfect house. Every house hunting trip from across the country was well planned, and our time was never wasted. On top of her professionalism and expertise, she is delightful to spend time with. We are thrilled with the home we purchased, and grateful to Cristal for so wisely advising us through this process, right through to the close and beyond.”

- Laurie Siegel

“We met Cristal first in the course of renting a winter home (for three years), then buying a house using her as our agent. She was amazingly good at listening to our wants and showing us homes that fit our needs. Her mastery of the paperwork was perfect. Most importantly, there was never a situation where we doubted her straightforwardness or integrity. If we do another real estate transaction in Montecito (which I doubt, we’re happy with what we purchased), without question we’d use Cristal again.”

- Ken Saffir

“Susan and I just want to thank you for your efforts in the sale of our home. You are really quite amazing. Your competence, persistence, optimism and humor made the entire process effortless. Every problem that arose, you somehow fixed; any obstacle, you overcame. We have bought and sold many homes. It has never been such a painless and enjoyable process!”

- Michael & Susan Marquart

“A little something about “our” realtor, Cristal Clarke. My wife and I came to Santa Barbara about fifteen years ago looking for a seasonal home from which to enjoy the weather and amenities of the central coast. Being in the real estate business myself I was familiar with agents and brokers so entered the market with open eyes. We “flipped” a few houses in the early years, dealing with various agents and finally ended up in Montecito. That’s when good fortune put us together with Cristal. To say we were impressed is to put it mildly. Cristal really knows the market. She is familiar with the area, its history and trends. When we have questions about a particular property she either has the answers immediately or gets back to us by phone or email. There is no waiting or wondering with Cristal. She is an agent who is “on top of it.” Her recommendations as to price points, contractors, inspectors and title agents have proven to be exceptional, showing great insight and the highest professional standards. We consider ourselves exceedingly fortunate to say that Cristal Clarke is our realtor and would recommend her services to any serious buyer or seller.”

- Rob & Judi Kelch