Best of Santa Barbara® 2023
by Tyler Hayden | Photos by Ingrid Bostrom
See the rest of our Best of Santa Barbara® 2023 winners here.
Annual Event
Old Spanish Days Fiesta
La Fiesta Pequeña, August 2, 2023 | Photo by Ingrid Bostrom 
From left: Junior Spirit of Fiesta Olivia Nelson, El Presidente David Bolton, Primer Caballero Gonzalo Sarmiento, and Spirit of Fiesta Jack Harwood at La Fiesta Pequeña, August 2, 2023 | Photo by Ingrid Bostrom 
Old Spanish Days Fiesta S.B. Digs at the Santa Barbara Zoo, August 3, 2023 | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Old Spanish Days Fiesta S.B. Digs at the Santa Barbara Zoo, August 3, 2023 | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Old Spanish Days Fiesta S.B. Digs at the Santa Barbara Zoo, August 3, 2023 | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom
“Fiesta is such an important part of our community,” said David Bolton, El Presidente 2023. He’s not kidding. Every year, Santa Barbara’s biggest jamboree brings together family and friends to celebrate history and culture in a way few other cities can match. It’s hard to imagine the place without it, the grand music-, dance-, and food-filled event now fully entwined in our DNA. “Old Spanish Days is proud to continue providing this unique and much-loved event for our community as we enter Fiesta’s 100th anniversary celebration,” Bolton said.
Runner-Up: Summer Solstice Parade & Festival
Beach
Place to Watch the Sunset
Hendry’s Beach (Arroyo Burro Beach)
countyofsb.org/810/Arroyo-Burro-Beach
Hendry’s Beach — named after a cantankerous lima-bean farmer who once owned the land; and no, you do not pronounce the “n” — is rarely referred to by locals by its Christian name. Perhaps it’s that air of casualness that makes it feel like Santa Barbara’s collective backyard, a place to goof off and unwind among leash-less dogs and giggling kids. Walk in either direction and you’re bound to bump into some friends, or ditch the landlubbers and dive into the ocean where the dolphins and pelicans play.
Runner-Up (Beach, Place to Watch the Sunset): Butterfly Beach
Classical Ensemble
Santa Barbara Symphony
“The symphony is for EVERYONE!” said Kathryn Martin with the Santa Barbara Symphony. “Symphonic music is inspired and influenced by diverse cultures, and an expansive range of contemporary musical genres.” This season, Martin said, audiences will “traverse jazz, pop, opera, film scores, and more” while also celebrating classical favorites. “Every month, October through May,” she said, “the community is invited to concerts that, through extraordinary artistic collaboration, create moments of awe, connection, and joy!”
Runner-Up: Santa Barbara Strings
College Night
Dance Club
Wildcat Lounge
“You’re dead in this business if you aren’t always looking for a new trick,” said Wildcat Lounge owner and downtown Santa Barbara fixture Bob Stout. “Gotta keep it fresh, man!” Stout and his team mixed it up this year with a silent disco on their back patio and Glitter Brunch drag shows on Sundays. But whatever they do, they seem to have the magic touch, because the affectionately nicknamed “Shitty Kitty” has been our readers’ pick for moving, grooving, and gyrating the night away for as long as we can remember.
Runner-Up (College Night): Sandbar
Runner-Up (Dance Club): SOhO Restaurant & Music Club
Dance Company
State Street Ballet
“We feel so lucky to live in a city with such a vibrant and supportive performing arts community!” said Megan C. Philipp, artistic director of the State Street Ballet. The company has a full season ahead of local performances as well as a national tour, she said, beginning with Giselle at The Granada Theatre with the Santa Barbara Symphony October 21-22. “We will be back at the Granada on December 16 and 17 for our traditional performance of The Nutcracker,” Philipp said, and in the spring, “we will be performing Cinderella at the Lobero Theatre on March 23 and 24, and our season will close with Other Voices on May 10 and 11.”
Runner-Up: Santa Barbara Dance Arts
Family Fun Spot
After-School Program
Kids’ Summer Camp
Santa Barbara Zoo
“My favorite part of working at the Zoo, which I know is shared by many of my colleagues, is simply the joy and wonder we see from our guests every day,” said Director of Marketing Kevin Nuss when asked why he digs his job. “We are all about helping people make meaningful connections to animals and the natural world, and we know we get it right when we see guests being excited about seeing a fascinating species or getting inspired to help save the planet through an education program. We truly could not exist without the ongoing support of the Santa Barbara community, so a giraffe-sized THANK YOU to everyone for voting and continuing to visit the Zoo!”
Runner-Up (Family Fun Spot): Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Runner-Up (After-School Program): Boys & Girls Club
Runner-Up (Kids’ Summer Camp): UCSB Summer Camp
Funk Zone Spot
Lama Dog Tap Room + Bottle Shop
[See Drinking: Beer Selection on Tap]
Runner-Up: S.B. Biergarten
Gallery
Sullivan Goss, An American Gallery
Credit: Ingrid Bostrom
Nathan Vonk loves connecting with people over a shared appreciation of art. “And for those who don’t have that love before they come into the gallery,” he said, “I hope they can leave here with a bit of it.” Vonk’s downtown gallery ― which holds more than 3,000 works by 19th- to 21st-century artists ― draws big-time buyers from L.A. to San Francisco. It also hosts approximately 20 local exhibitions each year and showcases beloved Santa Barbara artists such as Hank Pitcher, Phoebe Brunner, Meredith Brooks Abbott, and Lockwood de Forest, among others. “In general, Santa Barbara is full of people who love to patronize the arts and the artists who call this place home,” Vonk said. “It gives me great joy to play a part in that interaction.”
Runner-Up: Waterhouse Gallery
Makers Market
Mujeres Makers Market
“Winning Best Makers Market for the second year in a row is an incredible honor! We are filled with gratitude and thankful for our community,” said team member Maritza Flores, suggesting you save the date for the group’s annual Día de los Muertos event. “Join us as we celebrate this beloved holiday and commemorate our departed loved ones on Sunday, November 5, at El Presidio de Bárbara State Historic Park,” she said. “Come learn the history of this colorful Indigenous and Latinx holiday. There will be over 70 vendors, face painters, workshops, a deejay, dance performances, Catrina contest, Lotería game, photo booth, arts and crafts, and a community altar, where everyone is invited to pay their respects to our ancestors by leaving a photo.”
Runner-Up: Santa Barbara Arts & Crafts Show
Movie Theater
The Arlington Theatre
“One of the best aspects of our job is interacting with our guests at The Arlington Theatre,” said representative Natalie Eig. “It could be simply coming in to enjoy a movie with family, or for a guest to experience a live show with a group of friends, or for a celebration event such as a wedding in our courtyard. The Arlington is an historic venue, and it’s a wonderful feeling knowing that our guests’ experiences will be magnified by the originality and charming aspects of the theatre. The Arlington is a magical place, and it’s a thrill to see the smiles on everyone’s face when they enter, as each visit is extremely special.”
Runner-Up: Camino Real Cinemas
Museum
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
“The Museum embodies some of the best features of Santa Barbara — we’re fun; we’re smart; we care about the natural world,” said Museum President and CEO Luke Swetland. “In an area where we’re spoiled for choice by the array of wonderful museums, SBMNH uniquely combines a significant scientific collecting and research institution with a delightfully approachable cultural destination. And our longevity — over 100 years — makes us part of the fabric of family memories across generations. We’re in Santa Barbara’s DNA, so to speak.”
Runner-Up: Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Place to Hear Live Music
Santa Barbara Bowl
“Thank you, S.B. Independent readers! The Santa Barbara Bowl is a magical place for our community to gather and enjoy world-class concerts,” said Executive Director Rick Boller. “Everyone at the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation, from the Board to ushers to staff to contractors, proudly works to bring events to life and create unparalleled experiences.” Boller said two new projects will start this winter that will make the already-spectacular venue even more enticing. “Bowl outreach and greening initiatives will deepen their commitments to funding youth performing arts education and lowering concert impacts on the local environment,” he said.
Runner-Up: SOhO Restaurant & Music Club
Place to Make Art
Art From Scrap
exploreecology.org/art-from-scrap
“Your votes and support have made Art From Scrap the Best Place to Make Art in Santa Barbara. We are truly grateful,” said spokesperson Jill Cloutier. “Thank you, readers of the Santa Barbara Independent, for honoring us for two years in a row.” And, she said, “We have some exciting news! Our Art From Scrap workshop has been transformed and is now the EE Makerspace, a hub for creative reuse in downtown Santa Barbara. The redesigned space is filled with new equipment, like a Glowforge laser printer, updated tools, sewing machines, and more. Watch for an announcement about our Grand Opening event. We can’t wait to celebrate with you and see what you create in the new EE Makerspace!”
Runner-Up: The Painted Cabernet
Restaurant/Bar to Watch Sports
Shalhoob’s
Runner-Up: Finney’s Crafthouse
S.B. Tour Company
Land & Sea Tours: Land Shark
“Our sincere gratitude to everyone who voted us ‘The Best’ again this year,” said Andre Manoux, captain of the one and only Land Shark. (The company actually has two of the amphibious Hydra Terra vehicles full of happy guests roaming our seas and shores, but you know what we mean.) “This year, Land & Sea Tours achieved some milestone successes, including celebrating 20 years in business and carrying our one millionth guest!” said Manoux. “We look forward to another year of providing a fun and unique experience for locals, their families, and the many visitors to our beautiful city.”
Runner-Up: Santa Barbara Adventure Company
Theater Company
The Theatre Group at SBCC
A hybrid relationship between the city college’s Theatre Arts Department and Santa Barbara’s acting community, The Theatre Group at SBCC both teaches and entertains. The company produces four plays a year and “is proud to be able to bring affordable, quality, community theatre to the Santa Barbara audience,” said Theatre Manager Pamela Lasker. “We strive to make our shows accessible to everyone and welcome our audience with a great venue, friendly staff, and exceptional productions featuring talented community and student actors, professional designers, and an all-student technical crew.”
Runner-Up: Ensemble Theatre Company
Whale-Watching Tour
Condor Express
Whale migrations vary slightly from year to year. That’s why you need an experienced crew like the one aboard the Condor Express, to give you the best chance at spotting the big boys as they bob and weave through the channel. The Condor spots whales year-round, but the calendar is split into two seasons: from the second week of February to the second week of May, the boat runs 2.5-hour “coastal” trips in search of gray whales migrating from their feeding grounds in Alaskan seas to their breeding grounds in Baja California lagoons. From the second week of May to the second week of February, the Condor offers 4.5-hour “open channel” trips in search of humpback, blue, and fin whales, who show up to eat krill.
Runner-Up: The Double Dolphin, Santa Barbara Sailing Center
See the rest of our Best of Santa Barbara® 2023 winners here.
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