Downtown Business Spotlight is a virtual interview series, where we chat and get to know our Santa Barbara business owners. Join us for this interview series in collaboration with the Santa Barbara Independent, each Thursday at 3 PM.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 3 PM

TOPIC: Italian Food

Join Matt Kettmann in conversation with Elaine & Alberto Morello (Olio e Limone RistoranteOlio Bottega & Olio Pizzeria) and Guido Oppizzi (OPPI’Z Bistro and Natural Pizza) in this week’s Downtown Business Spotlight.
Did you miss the last Downtown Business Spotlight?
Watch it below!

TOPIC: Downtown Boutiques

Join Robin Elander in conversation with Erica Brown (Dylan Star) and Robin Baron & Grace Paulette (Salt Boutique) in this week’s Downtown Business Spotlight.
The Best of Santa Barbara® Scavenger Hunt – presented by Downtown Santa Barbara

The Best of Santa Barbara® Scavenger Hunt – presented by Downtown Santa Barbara – will take place from Saturday, October 23 at 9 a.m. – Sunday, October 24 at 8 p.m.. We invite you to put your Santa Barbara knowledge to the test. You’ll have 35 hours to solve as many of the 35 clues as you can. And if the thrill of solving clues isn’t enough of an incentive to join in on the fun, the winning team will win a $1,000 cash prize.

How it Works:

1. Register your team below – Deadline to Sign Up: Friday, October 22 @ noon
Teams can have up to 4 people, and it costs $25 per team to register.

2. Decide on a team name and an object to keep with you throughout the hunt.
This object can be a lucky rabbit’s foot, your favorite issue of the Santa Barbara Independent, or even a banana. Whatever you decide on should be easy enough to carry around, but also recognizable in photos.

3. Know what to expect.
On the morning of Saturday, October 23 all teams will receive the clue packet in their inbox. We recommend printing out a copy to take with you on your hunt. Every clue is worth a different amount of points based on the difficulty of the clue. At the end, the team with the most points will win. You do not need to solve every clue. Do as much as you can to earn as many points as possible.

4. Get solving!
As your team solves clues, you’ll be taking photos at the different locations with your team object. Your team object and all but one team player must be present in all photos. Your team must stick together!

5. Submit your answers.
Be sure to save your photos all in one spot, because you will be submitting them to our server by 7:59 p.m. on Sunday. (Instructions will be sent out to all teams on how to do this.)

Winners will be contacted directly and announced in the November 4 print issue of the Santa Barbara Independent.

May the BEST team win!

Questions? Email at emily@independent.com
State Street Promenade Market
Every Thursday, 3:00 - 7:30 pm
State Street between Canon Perdido & Figueroa
We invite you to join us Thursday evenings at the State Street Promenade Market to help support local businesses, restaurants, artisans, and performers.

The market is located between Carrillo and Figueroa streets every Thursday. 
Come see local participating artisan vendors, stores, and restaurants along with LIVE performances!

This week we will be welcoming to the market stage Stacked! Make sure to stop by from 5:30 - 7:30 pm to hear their set.

This week will be the first week that we will be welcoming food vendors to our market as well so make sure to come to enjoy local goods, eats, and performers!

See you at the market!

Email amy@downtownsb.org for questions and inquiries!
Downtown Trick-or-Treat
Sunday, October 31, 3-6 pm

We are excited to be bringing back the Downtown Trick-or-Treat and Halloween Window Decor Contest. Fill out the form below if your businesses is interested in participating in either of these events!
Pianos on State
October 5-24, 2021

PIANOS ON STATE is an annual interactive musical experience that takes place during Arts & Humanities Month each October. Each piano becomes its own interactive piece of art as painted by local emerging and established artists. Many thanks to all of our community sponsors for helping to make this project possible for its 12th year!

2021 piano artists:

Giovanna Alyssandra; Jennifer Chan; Christian Hali; Mina Haitsuka; Katreece Montgomery; Mountain View Elementary School (with artist Mandy Philips); Permatint Collective: Alexis Zofia Kubicki, Aaron Latham, Shannon Nicholson, Scott Sanderfer, Sol Smalls, James Voyles, Dark Winterfire; Dez "Deadstxle" Porter; Brittany Ragan; Irene Rinta; Rik Stokes

. Community members will also be invited to submit videos of themselves playing to the Pianos on State Facebook page.


play. listen. enjoy.
Cork and Fork Radio Live at Pascucci
Friday, October 15, 12:05 pm

Cork And Fork Radio 805 will be live on Friday, October 15, 2021 at Laura Knight’s Pascucci Restaurant with seating opening at 11:30am. Show begins at 12:05pm.

Delicious Italian food, great guests, networking, and free wine tasting from George Fakinos of Santa Barbara Winery for everyone seated at a table, buying lunch, and supporting a great local 805 business.

This is the only show 100% dedicated to supporting greater Santa Barbara local 805 businesses.

RSVP to 805-963-8123

Trunk or Treat
Friday, October 29, 5-8 pm

Brough to you by SBPAL, City of Santa Barbara Parks & Rec and the Santa Barbara Youth Council

Trunk or Treat is a free, family-friendly, outdoor event open to the public! With the support of the Santa Barbara Police Department, community agencies, we will be able to offer a safe alternative to your traditional Halloween trick-or-treat! We encourage you to wear your costumes and your masks! Please be advised that COVID-19 safety measures will be enacted and enforced. 
CALM Flags on State Street
October 13-20
From early prevention to intensive family services, CALM’s mission is to prevent childhood trauma, heal children and families, and build resilient communities throughout Santa Barbara County. With offices in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Lompoc, CALM reaches nearly 10,000 individuals with therapy and family strengthening services in our clinics and in the community.
Volunteers Wanted!

The City of Santa Barbara is seeking individuals to serve on the various City Advisory Groups. Currently the City has 43 advisory groups and the members of these groups play an important role in shaping our community. The City is an equal opportunity employer and adopts practices that value and include diversity at all levels of the organization as an essential step to developing strategies that meet the needs of a diverse community. If you are interested in making a difference in your community, contributing ideas, and being part of the City team, you are strongly encouraged to apply.

The City has the following vacancies to fill. Individuals selected by the City Council to serve on these advisory groups will begin their term in January 2022.
 
Historic Landmarks Commission (2 vacancies)
Members may be non-City residents. Members must represent one of the following categories: licensed architect; professional architectural historian; licensed landscape architect; public at large.
 
Planning Commission (2 vacancies)
Qualified electors of the City.
 
Sign Committee (2 vacancies)
One member must be a qualified elector* of the City; remaining member may be a qualified elector of the County. Members must represent the public at large. Professional experience in the following fields is desirable, but not required: landscape architecture, architecture, building design, structural engineering, graphic design, business owner, or real estate professional.
 
Single Family Design Board (2 vacancies)
Members must be residents of the County of Santa Barbara. One member must represent the public at large; and one member must have professional qualifications.


Applications may be submitted as follows:
  • Email: CityAdvisoryGroupApplications@SantaBarbaraCA.gov
  • US Mail: City Clerk's Office, PO Box 1990, Santa Barbara, CA 93102-1990
  • In Person: City of Santa Barbara, City Clerk's Office 735 Anacapa St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101
  • Facsimile: (805) 897-2623

Additional information concerning the function of these Advisory Groups, meeting times, and the application for appointment may be obtained from the City Clerk's Office at City Hall, 735 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 564-5309.
BUSINESS NEWS: Luxury real estate brokerage welcomes a new highly-experienced management team.

Engel & Völkers Santa Barbara welcomes Jerry & Gayle Boren from Sonoma County.

Santa Barbara, CA (October, 2021) – Engel & Völkers today announced its Santa Barbara real estate shop will be managed by veteran luxury real estate team Jerry and Gayle Boren, strengthening its existing presence in Southern California and bringing even more industry knowledge and experience to the local real estate market. With more than 40 years experience in luxury real estate, both nationally and internationally, there isn’t much that Jerry and Gayle haven’t seen or done in the real estate industry. Joining Engel & Völkers in 2018, the Borens were instrumental in the brand’s growth within Northern California, recruiting and managing well respected real estate advisors in Sonoma, Mendocino and Marin Counties. During their tenure from 2018 to 2021, the company’s Northern California advisor count increased 300% and its sales volume increased 450%. They also headed international referral sales of celebrity properties which ultimately led to a local independent brokerage becoming Engel & Völkers Mendocino. “We are fortunate to have Jerry and Gayle lead our growth in the Central Coast. The Santa Barbara region is important for us as it offers the quintessential California lifestyle everyone loves, from beach bungalows to Montecito estates. I am sure we have the perfect fit to lead our team in these important markets with the Borens,” said Paul Benson, Licensed Partner and CEO of E&V Gestalt Group. Engel & Völkers Santa Barbara serves the markets of Santa Barbara, Montecito, and greater Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. The shop location is centrally located on State Street next to the historic Arlington Theatre. Engel & Völkers continues to strengthen its global presence as well, in real estate markets across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, with planned openings in several new markets in the coming months. For more information, visit https://evrealestate.com.
Candidates Forums: Mayor & City Council Election
October 18 & 20

The American Institute of Architects Santa Barbara Chapter and partners from Downtown Organization of Santa Barbara, Coastal Housing Coalition, and American Planning Association Central Coast Section have collaborated to organize two virtual forums on two separate evenings – one for Mayoral Candidates and one for Districts 4, 5, and 6 Candidates.

The purpose of the two Forums is to give the community the opportunity to ask questions and hear final words from candidates on important community issues such as Housing, Homelessness, Economic Vitality, Climate Crisis, and more before making final decisions and sending in ballots. Questions from the audience will be collected and posed to the candidates as determined by the moderator. given time available.

Moderator: Brian Johnson, President of the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors

Mayoral Candidates
Monday, October 18, 2021, 5:00pm - 6:30pm

City Council Candidates Districts 4,5,6
Wednesday, October 20, 2021, 5:00pm - 6:30pm

The following candidates have confirmed attendance:

Mayor:
David Matthew Kilrain
Mayor Cathy Murillo
Randy Rowse
Deborah Schwartz
Mark M Whitehurst
James Joyce, unconfirmed

City Council:
Jason Carlton, Dist 6
Eric Friedman, Dist 5
Meagan Harmon, Dist 6
Nina Johnson, Dist 6
Barrett Reed, Dist 4
Kristin Sneddon, Dist 4
Zachary Pike, unconfirmed, Dist 6

Ballots arrive the week of October 4th. Vote by November 2nd.
We urge everyone to attend these Forums. Please register below to attend each Forum.
City of Santa Barbara 2021 Election Candidates Forum Committee
Supporting Partners