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Downtown Business Spotlight
Downtown Business Spotlight is a virtual interview series hosted by the Santa Barbara Independent and Downtown Santa Barbara, where we chat and get to know our Santa Barbara business owners every Thursday at 3pm Live on Zoom. Check out past and upcoming talks here.
Calling All Bookworms!
We are hosting a 2021 Reading Challenge. Where we challenge you to read one book per month that fits into a specified theme. We have partnered with the Santa Barbara Public Library, which will have extra copies of each chosen book available at the library. Click here for more information about the Indy book club, our 2021 reading challenge, and to see our current read!
Best Of Santa Barbara®
You nominated them, now VOTE for them in the 2021 Best of Santa Barbara® Readers’ Poll. Tell us who you think is the leader of the pack in 2021. Vote for your favorites now on our online ballot. The voting period ends on September 1.
Get involved in the Indy community.
Pints for Press
Pints for Press
Listen and learn from our editorial staff as they go “behind the pages” of our cover stories. Events will be held regularly. Proceeds from the event will go towards supporting journalism.
PAST
Thursday, October 3
5:30p.m. – 6:30p.m.
@ Satellite S.B.
Join the cover story’s author Ninette Paloma as she leads a panel about natural wine at Satellite SB on Thu., Oct. 3, 5:30 p.m. with guests Peter Work of Ampelos Cellars, Drew Cuddy of Satellite, Anna deLaski of Solminer Wine Co., and sommelier/winemaker Rajat Parr of Domaine de la Cote. The event is part of The Independent’s Pints for Press series, with $1 off each drink sold going to directly to supporting our journalism.
PAST
Wednesday, August 14
5:30p.m. – 6:30p.m.
@ Night Lizard Brewing Company
Join senior editor and author, Tyler Hayden, as he dives further into this week’s cover story with a panel of State Street experts. Buy a pint and $1 goes to supporting our journalism.
PAST
Wednesday, July 24
5:30p.m. – 6:30p.m.
@ Night Lizard Brewing Company
End the Indy Read-A-Thon with us with a book talk and a book exchange! Bring a book to give and leave with your next read. Buy a pint and $1 goes to supporting our journalism.
PAST
Wednesday, April 24
5:30p.m. – 6:30p.m.
@ Night Lizard Brewing Company
Join senior editors Tyler Hayden and Matt Kettmann to discuss the reporting and writing of this week’s cover story, “The Fight For the Frozen Head.” Buy a pint and $1 goes to supporting our journalism.
PAST
Wednesday, March 27
5:30p.m. – 6:30p.m.
@ Night Lizard Brewing Company
Join senior editor Michelle Drown and and the Santa Barbara Zoo’s Rich Block and Liz Beem for pints and a brief conversation where they’ll discuss the zoo’s lone Asian elephant, Little Mac, and what her future holds.
PAST
Wednesday, Jan 16
5:30p.m. – 6:30p.m.
@ Night Lizard Brewing Company
For our first event, join our senior editor Matt Kettmann and “agave evangelist” Doug Richardson of the Drylands Farming Company for pints of ale and a brief conversation about the potential for growing and producing distilled agave spirits in Santa Barbara County and beyond. Click here to read the cover story.
Backyard Brunch
Backyard Brunch
Eat and drink from over 30 of Santa Barbara’s hotspots as they dish out brunch under the trees. Proceeds from the event go towards supporting the Santa Barbara Gives! campaign.
POSTPONED
Saturday, April 4
VIB: 11:30a.m.
GA: 12:30p.m.
@ Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Santa Barbara’s food and drink hotspots will bring out the best of their brunch fare for you and fellow brunch lovers to devour. Are you serious about your brunch? Be a V.I.B. (Very Important Bruncher) to get early access to all the food, drinks, music, and lawn games. The next Backyard Brunch will be held April 2020. Find out more about Backyard Brunch here.
Best Fest
Best Fest
Mingle and boogie with with some of the finest folks in town as we celebrate the winners of our annual Best of Santa Barbara® Readers’ Poll.
PAST
Thursday, Oct 17
5:30p.m.
@ Santa Barbara Carriage and Western Art Museum
Mark your calendars and join us at our 4th Annual Best Fest on Thursday, October 17, 2019. Enjoy sips and bites from many of the winning restaurants, wineries, and breweries featured in our Best of Santa Barbara® issue, publishing October 17. Tickets on sale August 29, 2019.
Burger Week
Burger Week
To kick off summer, we team up with eateries all over Santa Barbara County to bring you 7 days of $7 burgers. Vegans, meat lovers, and everyone in between can find something delicious and up their alley. Burger Week 2019 ran from June 27 – July 3. You can read all the juicy details here. Burger Week 2020 dates TBA.
St. Patrick’s Day Stroll
St. Patrick’s Day Stroll
Get out your green and join The Santa Barbara Independent for our 13th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Stroll! Tuesday, March 17, 2020 @ 5pm. We start at Indy HQ – 12 E. Figueroa St. and stroll down State St. Kids are welcome!
Santa Barbara Gives!
Santa Barbara Gives!
Santa Barbara Gives! is a year-end giving campaign for Santa Barbara nonprofits born from a partnership between the Santa Barbara Independent and The Fund for Santa Barbara. The goal is to create a new network of donors for participating nonprofits, make it easy for people to donate via SBGives.org, and inspire first-time donors to support a wide variety of causes in Santa Barbara. A project-based program, Santa Barbara Gives! donors are motivated by both the overall mission of an organization and a specific social change project. The Santa Barbara Gives! 2019 Campaign launches on Thursday, November 14.
Local Heroes
Local Heroes
Local Heroes is our annual celebration of our fantastic neighbors. In 1986, the first-ever issue of the Santa Barbara Independent was dedicated to showcasing the amazingly selfless people who call Santa Barbara home. We christened those honorees as our “Local Heroes,” and a Thanksgiving week tradition was born. Our 2019 Local Heroes issue will be publishing November 27, 2019.
Indy Awards
Indy Awards
The Indy Awards is our annual celebration of Santa Barbara’s fantastic theater and dance community. On May 20, we honored performers, directors, and more at our 26th annual Indy Awards. Click here for the full list of 2019 Indy Award honorees.
Quizzes & Contests
Quizzes & Contests
Test your Fiesta Trivia or win a pair of tickets to see the Santa Barbara Foresters! We host a variety of fun quizzes and contests throughout the year. Click here to explore our most recent line up. Stay up to date on all quizzes and contests we are running by signing up for our Extra! newsletter.
Interested in partnering with us on a quiz or contest? Email us at contest@independent.com
Hutton Parker Foundation Media Grant
Hutton Parker Foundation Media Grant
The Santa Barbara Independent and Hutton Parker Foundation have partnered to create a unique Media Grant opportunity to benefit local area nonprofit agencies by providing a professionally produced newspaper insert specific to selected applicants.
Applicants apply to Hutton Parker Foundation using the online Media Grant Application. Applications will remain current through the end of the year in which they are received. All applications will be reviewed quarterly with applicant notifications made by Foundation staff. Once applicants are notified of approval, they will work directly with The Santa Barbara Independent staff to create their insert. Click here for more details on how to apply.
Santa Barbara Independent Tickets
Santa Barbara Independent Tickets
The Santa Barbara Independent Tickets is a free self-service ticketing system, backed by marketing muscle and sales expertise.
Email tickets@independent.com to learn more about Santa Barbara Independent Tickets or visit sbindytickets.com to see upcoming events in Santa Barbara.