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Morning

Santa Run

Charity race will benefit Kidz for a Cure, fighting pediatric cancer.

8 a.m., La Cumbre Plaza (Free)

Habitat Restoration and Trail Keeping

Become a volunteer for the Arroyo Hondo Preserve.

9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Arroyo Hondo Preserve (Free)

Chinese Qigong Levels 1 & 2

With instructor Eva Wong.

9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Carpinteria Women's Club ($150 - $180)

Sierra Club Buena Vista Bench Hike

Take a short but steep three-mile round-trip morning walk.

9 a.m., Bank of America - State Street at Hope Avenue (Free)

Elephant Plant Sale

Elephants Umbrella Fund will host their annual Christmas sale to benefit Asian Elephants.

9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 2121 Mount Cavalry Rd., Santa Barbara. (Free)

Arroyo Hondo Preserve Guided Nature Hikes

Hike through oak woodland and chaparral habitats and observe diverse wildlife and vegetation.

10 a.m. to noon, Arroyo Hondo Preserve (Free)

Seaside Gardens Holiday Celebration

Kids can visit Santa in his grotto on Saturday, adults can take part in a succulent table centerpiece workshop Sunday. Sale prices on all items both days.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Seaside Gardens (Free - $45)

Point Concepción and Cargasacchi Wines Holiday Open House

Rare opportunity to taste newly-released wines, stock up with your favorites for the holidays, and chat about wine growing and making with winemaker Peter Cargasacchi.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Point Concepción and Cargasacchi Wines, 1601 W. Central Ave., Unit F, Lompoc (Free)

Folk & Tribal Arts Marketplace

Shop around the world for whimsical, practical, and exotic treasures and enjoy tantalizing cuisine at the Tribal Arts Café.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m., S.B. Museum of Natural History (Free)

Holiday Music Train Day Trip

Ride a restored 1949 club-lounge car along the coast and enjoy acoustic guitar music by Bill Prince.

10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Amtrak Station ($60 - $76)

Afternoon

Solvang Holiday Wine About

Twelve tasting stops will be pouring their vintages, and some will also be offering beer tastings.

Noon to 3 p.m., Multiple locations in Solvang; register for more information ($40)

A Simple Purification Retreat

Featuring special teachings on the practices of purification from the "Meditation and Recitation of Solitary Vajrasattva."

Noon to 1 p.m., Mahakankala Buddhist Ctr. ($5 - $15)

Native Gardens

Barbara Savage and other ecologically-minded experts lead an afternoon of educational and ecological talks and workshops.

1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Private Residence ($20)

20th Annual Candy Cane Train

Year-end fun featuring a ride on a festively-decorated miniature train, holiday favors, and more.

1 p.m. to 4 p.m., South Coast Railroad Museum ($4)

Alastair Greene Band Memphis International Blues Challenge Fundraiser

Plus a silent auction. Presented by the S.B. Blues Society.

1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., SOhO ($5)

The Wizard of Oz

Fly over the rainbow with Dorothy as she rides a twister into the merry and troubled land of Oz.

1:30 p.m., Marian Theatre ($29.50 - $32.50)

A Simple Purification Retreat

Featuring special teachings on the practices of purification from the "Meditation and Recitation of Solitary Vajrasattva."

2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Mahakankala Buddhist Ctr. ($5 - $15)

Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus

The famous 1897 New York Sun editorial reassuring an 8-year-old girl about Santa Claus provides the background for playwright Andrew Fenady’s stage adaptation of his 1991 TV production.

2 p.m., Ojai Center for the Arts ($15 - $18)

A Taste for Business and the Business of Taste: A Collector and his Dealer in Late-Ming China

Lecture by Timothy Brook, Republic of China chair professor of history, University of British Columbia.

2:30 p.m., S.B. Museum of Art (Free - $10)

Death Takes a Holiday

Classic comedy by Alberto Cassella finds the Grim Reaper taking on a human form to pass as a visiting prince, and falls in love with a beautiful girl.

2:30 p.m., Santa Paula Theater Ctr., 125 S. 7th St., Santa Paula

The Last Wild Places

Award-winning photographer Mattias Klum discusses his unique perspectives on some of the planet's natural wonders.

3 p.m. to 5 p.m., UCSB Campbell Hall ($15 - $20)

The Nutcracker

The Goleta School of Ballet and Goleta Ballet Theatre will present a holiday family classic ballet.

3 p.m., Marjorie Luke Theatre ($18)

A Christmas Carol

The Plaza Playhouse presents this classic holiday tale.

3 p.m., Plaza Playhouse Theatre ($7 - $12)

Winter Wine Experience

Lompoc Wine Ghetto will host a craft fair, bringing in artists and restaurants to share the festivities.

3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Lompoc Wine Ghetto, Sobhani Industrial Park, Lompoc (Free)

Advent Organ Series 2012

Kevin Rose launches the first concert in the series with a program featuring baroque, French romantic, and 20th-century composers.

3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Trinity Episcopal Church (Free)

A Simple Purification Retreat

Featuring special teachings on the practices of purification from the "Meditation and Recitation of Solitary Vajrasattva."

4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Mahakankala Buddhist Ctr. ($5 - $15)

Fall Showcase of Contemporary Music

Music Teacher's Association will present a seasonal concert by young area musicians.

4 p.m., First Congregational Church ($5 - $10)

Winter Solstice 2012

Original acoustic holiday music, performed by some of Windham Hill's finest.

5 p.m., Ojai Valley Woman's Club ($20 - $23)

Hambo and Schottis Dance

Learn popular Swedish dances from the ground up, followed by general Scandinavian dancing.

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Carrillo Recreation Ctr. ($3)

29th Annual Light Up a Life

Celebrate the lives and memories of loved ones by hanging a star with a personalized tribute on a tree illuminated by hundreds of lights and stars.

5:30 p.m., Lobero Theatre (Free - $10)

Evening

BYOB Wine & Dine

An evening of food, wine-tasting, and sharing, featuring Buttonwood Winery winemaker Karen Steinwachs. RSVP.

6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Max's Restaurant ($50)

A Simple Purification Retreat

Featuring special teachings on the practices of purification from the "Meditation and Recitation of Solitary Vajrasattva."

7 p.m. to 8 p.m., Mahakankala Buddhist Ctr. ($5 - $15)

Bell, Book, and Candle

A delightful holiday romantic comedy with a Beatnik sensibility, the play conjures up "Bewitched" for the stage.

8 p.m., Alhecama Theatre ($30 - $60)

Night

I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival

The first festival of its kind in North America features ... Read More

ALSO TODAY

• I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival
• Art in the Park
• Carpinteria Museum Marketplace
• Group Golf Classes with Don Parsons

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