What’s Happening in Downtown Santa Barbara: May 21-27

The Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (DSBIA) invites residents and visitors to enjoy Memorial Day weekend happenings throughout downtown, featuring markets, outdoor art shows, live performances, artist talks, community events, and more.

The full list of events can be found in our weekly e-newsletter here: conta.cc/49cdFxn

Featured Events:

• 2026 Santa Barbara County Economic Summit at The Granada Theatre (Thursday, May 21, 4:30 PM)
• Sespe Wilderness: Backcountry Wonders at the Intersection of Nature, Adventure, and Politics at the Santa Barbara Public Library (Thursday, May 21, 6:30 PM)
• Outdoor Art Show at La Arcada Plaza (Saturday, May 23, 10:00 AM)
• 1st Year Anniversary Celebration at Mevra Kamaci (May 23-24, 10:00 AM)
• Makers Hive Market at Paseo Nuevo (May 23-24, 12:00 PM)
• EVERWILD: Earth/Water/Air/Fire presented by SBCC Fashion Club at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (Saturday, May 23, 4:00 PM)
• Club Canary IV at the Kimpton Canary Hotel (Saturday, May 23, 6:00 PM)
• This & That at Restaurant Roy (Saturday, May 23, 7:00 PM)
• Santa Barbara Symphony Youth Ensembles: Season Finale Concert at the Lobero Theatre (Sunday, May 24, 4:00 PM)
• Positively State Street: A Bob Dylan Tribute at SOhO (Sunday, May 24, 8:00 PM)
• TEDxSantaBarbara Salon with Victoria Riskin and Sigrid Wright at CEC’s Environmental Hub (Wednesday, May 27, 6:30 PM)
• Craig Shoemaker Santa Barbara Comedy Show at Speakeasy Comedy Bar (Wednesday, May 27, 7:00 PM)

Upcoming & Ongoing Initiatives:

• Downtown Kickin’ Country Line Dancing (Every Wednesday in May): Enjoy free country line dancing lessons in front of Best BBQ and Apna (716 State Street).
• NEW DAY Exhibition Opening (Thursday, May 21, at 5:00 PM): Celebrate the opening of the Goleta Valley Art Association’s vibrant group showcase featuring landscapes, abstracts, and mixed media from over 20 local artists at Art & Soul.
• “Shapes of Surrealism” Exhibition at Seimandi & Leprieur Gallery (On Display until May 31): Six contemporary artists ignite surrealism as a living, breathing field of perception.
• “The Gift: New Additions to our Story” Exhibition at Santa Barbara Historical Museum (On Display until May 31): Highlighting community gifts that illuminate local history.
• “Ludmilla Pilat Welch: Serene Santa Barbara” Exhibition at Santa Barbara Historical Museum (On Display until May 31): Historic plein air renderings of Santa Barbara’s iconic adobes.

View the complete What’s Happening e-newsletter here: conta.cc/49cdFxn

Sign-up for the What’s Happening e-newsletter here: www.downtownsb.org/subscribe

Interested in highlighting your event on the “What’s Happening Downtown” e-newsletter? Email your downtown happening to Maria@downtownsb.org.

The Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (DSBIA) is a nonprofit dedicated to providing enhanced services to make downtown a vibrant place for visitors, investors, and residents. For more information on DSBIA’s events, programs, and a directory of businesses, visit.