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Santa Barbara Wine + Food Festival 2025

June 5, 2025

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If you're looking to experience the Santa Barbara lifestyle at its finest, mark your calendar for Saturday, June 28, 2025, when the Santa Barbara Wine + Food Festival® returns to the scenic Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. From 2:00 PM (or 1:00 PM with Early Entry) to 5:00 PM guests can sip, savor, and stroll in one of the region’s most picturesque settings. Tickets to the event, one of Santa Barbara’s most anticipated summer traditions, are expected to sell out quickly.

People enjoying themselves at a wine festival outside.
Photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

What to Expect at the Santa Barbara Wine + Food Festival

The Santa Barbara Wine + Food Festival is an essential event for food lovers and wine enthusiasts alike, offering an authentic taste of the region’s distinctive flavors, and celebrating creativity and laid-back sophistication. Benefitting the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the festival is nestled on the revered institution's scenic grounds, which are the perfect natural backdrop for savoring tastings from more than 80 Central Coast wineries and enjoying seasonal offerings from some of the region’s most celebrated restaurants. Every sip and bite celebrates the Central Coast's outstanding winemaking -- from bold reds to crisp whites.

The front of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History with pink flowers in the foreground.
Photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

A Setting Like No Other: The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Located in the city’s tranquil Mission Canyon, just behind the iconic Old Mission Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History offers one of the most serene and enchanting event venues in the region. This location evokes a strong sense of place—one that’s not only visually stunning but deeply meaningful. Hosting the festival here adds a layer of authenticity and connection you won’t find elsewhere, providing a natural backdrop where Santa Barbara’s wine culture, culinary talent, and community spirit come together under one shady canopy.

The museum landscape winds gently along Mission Creek, where the sound of flowing water mingles with the rustle of leaves in the breeze. Dappled sunlight filters through the canopy of trees, casting soft patterns between the curated tables of wine and food pairings. The setting creates an atmosphere that feels worlds away from city life—yet it’s all just minutes from the heart of downtown Santa Barbara.

During the gourmet Santa Barbara Wine + Food Festival, guests are invited to explore the meandering garden paths and charming footbridges that connect tasting stations throughout the museum’s outdoor campus. Unlike traditional wine events held in vineyards or indoor spaces, this venue offers a more intimate, immersive experience with nature, perfectly suited to the Santa Barbara lifestyle.

And for families or those who appreciate a deeper connection to science and education, the museum itself is a treasure all year long. Home to exhibits on local wildlife, marine life, paleontology, and Chumash culture, it reflects Santa Barbara’s deep-rooted respect for the natural world and its ongoing commitment to learning.

A delicious looking plate of sushi.
Photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Local Flavor with a Central Coast Focus

Its hyper-local focus sets the Santa Barbara Wine + Food Festival apart from other wine events in the golden state. The festival is designed to spotlight the incredible talent found right here in the Santa Barbara and Central Coast wine region. Culinary stations elevate the wine-tasting experience by showcasing seasonal dishes crafted by some of Santa Barbara’s most celebrated culinary talents. Each bite reflects the artistry that defines our community’s thriving food scene with its commitment to fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

Two women surrounded by trees holding winer bottles at a wine festival.
Photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

This is your chance to engage with the artisans who shape the local wine scene—and to discover new favorites you’ll want to enjoy long after the festival ends. Expect to taste wines from acclaimed labels like Au Bon Climat, Fess Parker Winery, Foxen Vineyard & Winery, and many others.

The Santa Barbara Wine + Food Festival will showcase a selection of the finest culinary talents, too. Here are a few standout food purveyors to look forward to:

  • Finch & Fork: Known for its inventive, locally inspired California cuisine, Finch & Fork is a standout in Santa Barbara’s dining scene. Their participation in the festival offers attendees a chance to sample their signature flavors.
  • Blackbird Restaurant: Located in the heart of Santa Barbara, Blackbird offers a modern dining experience with a focus on locally sourced ingredients and innovative cuisine.
  • Bob's Well Bread Bakery: Hailing from Los Alamos, this artisan bakery is renowned for its handcrafted breads and pastries, made using traditional techniques and the finest ingredients.
  • Convivo Restaurant: Situated at the Santa Barbara Inn, Convivo serves up coastal Italian dishes that celebrate the flavors of the Mediterranean, all enjoyed with stunning ocean views.

These esteemed establishments, among many others, will offer delectable bites that perfectly complement the festival's extensive wine selections.

Support for Local Education

Not only does this festival showcase the best in Santa Barbara food and wine, it also supports a worthwhile cause. One hundred percent of the net proceeds go directly to the Museum’s education programs, which serve thousands of local students each year.

The annual Santa Barbara Wine + Food Festival and Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History are two of the many reasons why living in one of this area’s exciting communities is a dream come true. So, if you’d like to fulfill that dream with a new home here, call me at (805) 886-9378 or email me at Cristal@montecito-estate.com for access to exclusive listings, private showings, and expert insight. I’d be honored to help you discover the perfect place to call home and can make the transition even easier by including your current property among my portfolio of exceptional estates. With summer in full swing, now is the ideal time to begin your search. Let’s raise a glass to your real estate journey at the celebrated Santa Barbara Wine + Food Festival!

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“It was an emotional experience selling our mother’s home in Montecito that we all loved so much but Cristal made the process easier on our whole family by guiding us through the transaction every step of the way. She knows the market so well and everything she recommended was on point including the asking price, painting, and staging the home, which looked beautiful and helped the buyer envision her new home. We sold it the first day it hit the market with an offer above asking! Cristal did an incredible job communicating with us and the buyer to ensure that the transaction would run smoothly. We highly recommend using Cristal, she was a pleasure to work with! ”

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

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“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.”

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“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.”

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“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.”

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“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.”

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“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.”

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