We walked down State Street on a whim, not realizing what we were about to see. But in the distance, there was music. And people wearing colorful, strange getups. It was all very festive and fun. Slowly, it began to sink in. We were in Santa Barbara for summer solstice week.
Summer Solstice in Santa Barbara is always a party
Santa Barbara started celebrating the summer solstice in 1974. The festival officially began on Friday, but as you can see, the party was gearing up on Thursday evening! While the Santa Barbara summer solstice parade now draws about 100,000 people, the party goes on all week long.
Everyone in the act
Santa Barbara closed off State Street (the main drag through downtown) at the beginning of the pandemic. Without vehicle traffic, the restaurants set up shop in the street, and celebrations like this became possible. It didn’t matter where we looked, young and old alike were out enjoying the weather, the music, and the vibes.
The funny part is, we weren’t even aware it was summer solstice week until we got to town. And it was when we went to a downtown restaurant for dinner that we realized Santa Barbarans have seized the opportunity and appropriated State Street for their party pleasure. Personally, I think closing off State Street was a brilliant move and hope it becomes a permanent thing. I also wish more towns would do the same.
A street fair on steroids
With only pedestrians (and a few bicyclists who ignored the rules), we were free to wander aimlessly and check out vendor displays as we passed. At one point, I spotted a display for candles. Bright and colorful, they just looked like fun. It wasn’t until after we were home and I was preparing the photos for this post that I realized those were all mermaid candles.
Because all the restaurants can now serve food out in the street, we tried a gluten-free bakery called Lilac Pâtisserie for breakfast the next morning. Holy cow! I’m in love! I’m ready to move back, profess my love for their food, and spend every morning at that bakery until I’m dead broke!
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