Yep, it's happened again. Somehow, when you weren't looking, the calendar flipped a few pages forward and now the Santa Barbara holidays are nearly here again! The really wonderful thing, however, is this year you have planned ahead and have already booked your Paradise Retreats vacation home. Christmas is going to be a destination holiday this year, and you are relieved and excited to get out of the normal chores that totally exhaust you, while you sit back, relax, and regain that holiday spirit that has been missing over the last few years. And as your reward, we are compiling this list of holiday activities in the Santa Barbara area that are destined to help put that jolly smile back on your face!
This night time street parade features thousands of twinkle lights, acrobatic dancers, colorful floats, and Santa Claus himself! Occurring downtown on December 2, this popular parade will bring your spirit back quicker than you can say Merry Christmas!
Because you can NEVER have enough parades over the holidays, the Santa Barbara Parade of Lights, held December 11 starting at 5:30, begins at Stearns Wharf and features a Wild West themed holiday celebration: a parade of brightly lit boats dressed in their best holiday finery! Fireworks, snow, treats, and a Christmas village make this party more fun than a barrel of eggnog!
Watching the Nutcracker is a time-honored tradition that can be continued today at the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara. Built in 1931, history and tradition collide to create a memory making night for your entire family.
There's really no way to avoid the last-minute Christmas shopping expedition, but if you time it to happen during the La Arcada Christmas Walk, you may leave the mall feeling merrier than when you arrived! Carolers singing, the smell of hot buttered popcorn wafting through the air, the sounds of happy children and the sight of charmingly decorated stores can't help but get you excited about the pending arrival of Jolly St. Nick.
There is no better place in Santa Barbara to view Christmas Lights. The owner of this private residence (yes, it's just one house) puts on a show that shames the rest of the neighborhood and warms the cockles of our hearts! Everywhere you turn, you will find a light display that thrills and awes. Not one square inch of this holiday spectacular is left dark!
If you haven't planned ahead, there is still time right now to book your luxury Paradise Retreats vacation home and celebrate the Santa Barbara holidays in style. And if not, there's always next year!
