Honoring those from Santa Barbara County who died during the Vietnam War will be the mission of the five-day visit of The Moving Wall, the original replica of the national memorial designed to honor the sacrifice of the more than 58,000 men and women who died in that conflict.
In Santa Barbara through October 3, Visitors can go to The Moving Wall 24/7 during the five-day stay and UCSB ROTC members will stand guard at The Moving Wall, as it will be illuminated throughout the night and volunteer docents will be on hand to help guide visitors locate a name and provide information on the memorial itself.
Gowen’s latest body of work brings a new concern for texture and pattern to her landscape paintings. The large color forms that once defined her hills now bear more than the painterly traces of their creation; they are now formed by daubs of harmonic colors that suggest the texture of wavy grasses bathed in afternoon sun and enlivened by summer breezes.
Gowen was the first contemporary artist to show with Sullivan Goss and this will be her sixth solo show at the gallery.
This year’s SOL Food Festival on Saturday, October 1 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Plaza Vera Cruz Park will feature a variety of educational workshops including backyard poultry, food security, beer brewing and compost making, as well as the popular SOL Chef Competition where some of our regions most talented chefs who will be cooking up a storm with food procured from the Santa Barbara Farmers Market.
Also featured will be the kid-approved “Hungry Caterpillar Crawl” and dozens of exhibitors representing the breadth and depth of the Santa Barbara County food world. Renowned chefs Bradley Ogden, who has been awarded Chef of the Year by the Culinary Institute of America and has appeared on the Today show, Good Morning, America, AM/San Francisco, Dinner at Julia’s and the Discovery Channel’s Great Chefs of the West series, will join Ventura Chef Adrien Nieto to participate as a judges in the SOL Food Chef Competition. Chef Nieto, who was a finalist in FOX Network’s reality television program, MasterChef Season 2, will also serve as emcee for various cooking events from the main stage.
In addition, SOL Food will shut down Cota Street between Anacapa and Santa Barbara Street to connect the Farmers Market directly to the SOL Food Festival. The street will be filled with food vendors paired with local farmers, farm equipment including tractors and plows, a free bike valet and more.
The Garden of Eatin’ is the festival’s food court which will feature only the freshest and most local ingredients. Each of the food vendors will be paired with a local farm in order to highlight seasonal, local items from that farm. This allows a direct connection between producers and consumers, directly linking farm to fork. There is also a wine and beer garden featuring local favorites such as Alma Rosa, Buttonwood, Carr, and Martian Wineries and Firestone-Walker and Telegraph Brewing Companies. Regional experts will offer workshops about beer brewing, winemaking and more.
Children’s activities will include the ‘Hungry Caterpillar’ and live farm animals including chickens, goats and turkeys; the Santa Barbara Independent’s 2nd Annual Foodie Awards recognizing local food heroes; a panel discussion with local elected officials entitled “Making Local Food the Easy Option” introduced by Congresswoman Lois Capps and including Santa Barbara’s Mayor Helene Schneider, the County Agricultural Commissioner and other notable officials; a free bike valet and more.
Have you ever wondered how Santa Barbara County wines would fare in head-to-head competition with wines from Napa Valley?
Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café will have the first-ever Santa Barbara vs. Napa Valley “Blind” Wine Dinner on Friday, October 7. Starting at 6:30 p.m., Executive Chef Chris Joslyn will prepare a gourmet five-course meal highlighting the fresh, local ingredients of the Central California Coast—each course paired with two wines—one from Santa Barbara County and one from the Napa Valley.
The wines will be served “blind” and not identified until the end of the evening.
The menu:
First Course (Sauvignon Blanc):
Scallop Ceviche with Citrus, Hearts of Palm, Fennel, Mache and Verjus Vinaigrette
Second Course (Chardonnay)
Tart Fourme d’ Aumbert: Blue Cheese and Puff Pastry; Frisee, Herbs
Third Course (Pinot Noir)
Smoke Roasted Salmon with Chanterelle Mushroom, Bacon, Crispy & Roasted Celery Root; Pinot Soubise
Fourth Course (Cabernet Sauvignon)
Sirloin Chateau with Salsify, Winter Greens, Bone Marrow Flan and Shallot Veal Jus
Dessert Course (Syrah)
Chocolate Fondant with Spiced Poached Pears and Creme Caramel
Is your mouth watering already? Mine sure is.
Seating is limited and reservations are required. The price is $89 per person excluding tax and gratuity. Call 805/688-7265 ext. 203 or email jon@buysantabarbarawine.comto reserve your place at the table.
31 Days and 75+ Ways to Celebrate Cuisine, Libations & Culture
This October, Santa Barbara serves up another edition of epicure.sb. The region’s top restaurants, wineries, gourmet purveyors and galleries present food and wine festivals, cooking classes, winemakers’ dinners, seasonal menus, epicurean-inspired art exhibits and many more ways to taste the very best of The American Riviera®. For the full event line-up and special epicure.sb lodging packages, visit www.epicuresb.com.
Santa Barbara’s abundant natural bounty brims during the month of October, and harvests from the fields, orchards, vineyards and sea are the essential ingredients of this deliciously rich month. Mix in the community’s focus on sustainability, add a dash of ideal “Indian Summer” weather, serve against a stunning Santa Barbara backdrop, and epicure.sb presents a unique culinary festival experience celebrating a tastefully refined way of life.
CUISINE: Seasonal dishes, tasting events and winemakers’ dinners are on the menu at dozens of participating restaurants. Tackle the “Eat Local Challenge,” presented by Edible Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Certified Farmers’ Market, and brush up on sustainable living with educational events including cooking demos presented by Whole Foods and gardening classes at Fairview Gardens’ Center for Urban Agriculture. The second annual SOL [Sustainable-Organic-Local] Food Festival (Oct. 1) features exhibitors and vendors representing every aspect of the food system, a farm animal petting zoo, inspiring workshops and a chef competition. Join in more lively, food-centric fun at the California Avocado Festival (Oct. 7 – 9), Harbor & Seafood Festival (Oct. 8), California Lemon Festival (Oct. 15 – 16) and Santa Barbara Chowder Fest (Oct. 23).
LIBATIONS: Wine, microbrews and spirits take center stage at dozens of special tasting and pairing events throughout October. Join the wine-country buzz during the Celebration of Harvest (Oct. 8), or stay downtown and go car-free with Santa Barbara Pedicab, offering special rates for Urban Wine Trail tasters all month. Celebrate the season with Oreana Winery’s Rocktoberfest (Oct. 1) or Carr Winery’s Italian Sunday (Oct. 2). Sample regional microbrews at the Santa Barbara Beer Festival (Oct. 15), and learn the craft at WholeFoods’ DIY Beer Making Class (Oct. 8). Please the palate at Margerum Wine Company’s “Wine & Chocolate Pairing Classes,” and get loose at Wildcat Lounge’s 3rd Annual Mai Tai Tasting (Oct. 20). Sip, swirl & save with discounted tastings and special wine pairings at area restaurants throughout October.
CULTURE: Feed your mind and soul with epicurean-inspired art exhibits, live performances and cultural events. Discover “Julia Child’s Santa Barbara” on Road Scholar’s multi-day, educational tour. Uncover Santa Barbara’s “dry” past at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum’sSpeakeasy & Stills: Prohibition in Santa Barbara exhibit highlighted at a scandalous reception with whiskey and wine (Oct. 13). Let the artistic juices flow at with Pies & Paint, a pie-tasting and painting session (Oct. 15). Get out of your gourd at the Contemporary Arts Forum’s Pumpkin Carving Contest and Fall-Themed Wine Tasting (Oct. 28). Sip & stroll through downtown Solvang on Third Wednesday & Wine Walk (Oct. 19). Gallery hop at 1st Thursday (Oct. 6), a monthly evening of art and music that takes a special focus on the culture of food and drink in October at more than 30 participating downtown venues.
Reserve your seat at Santa Barbara’s table with special epicure.sb hotel packages which combine accommodations and discounts on dining and wine tasting. For the complete list of offers, visit SantaBarbaraCA.com/epicuresb/hotels.
Take a walk around Santa Barbara’s Bungalow Haven neighborhood with writer Cheri Rae, who wrote the cover story “Grounded in Tradition, Inspired by Nature” in the fall issue of Santa Barbara SEASONS.
Opening September 25, the Museum of Ventura County‘s long awaited Agriculture Museum features Insects: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, spotlighting the museum’s own beehive and magnified images of bees taken with a scanning electron microscope by artist and photographer Rose-Lynn Fisher. The exhibit also focuses on the threat posed to farmers by the tiny but frightening Asian Citrus Psyllid insect. Eight vintage tractors, dating from 1914 to 1955, are found throughout the building, including one upon which children can sit. The machines are part of a rotating display of the museum’s nationally recognized collection of farm implements. display of the museum’s nationally recognized collection of farm implements.
Permanent exhibits using rare historical photographs and interactive elements, tell the story of Ventura County’s farming and ranching tradition. Starting with Mission times, visitors can trace the county’s evolution into one of the nation’s most productive growing regions, and learn what innovations are in store for an industry that presently employs more than 30,000 county residents.
The museum is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, with admission $4 adults, $3 seniors, $1 children 6-17, and children under 6 free. Membership in the Museum of Ventura County includes free admission to both their Agriculture Museum and the Museum of Ventura County’s primary location at 100 East Main Street in Ventura. For more information, go to www.venturamuseum.org.
Courage to Lead, the wonderful nonprofit that supports nonprofit leaders (featured in the summer issue of Santa Barbara SEASONS), has a new video with testimonials from lots of local nonprofit leaders that readers will recognize.
For more information about Courage to Lead click here.
It’s Vintages Week in the valley for the first time ever! From from September 17-25, visitors will enjoy many options such as wine flights at participating tasting rooms, the 75th annual Danish Days in Solvang from September 16-18;
the 65th annual Los Alamos Old Days Celebration of western heritage from September 23-25; and the 2nd Annual Buellton Vintage Trailer Bash on September 24-25 . All events are open to the public and most are free (except where noted). A brand new “Vintages” map that includes antique &thrift stores, museum and historical sites around the Valley will also be available along with more specific events and details at www.VisitTheSantaYnezValley.com/vintagesweek.
Want to see more of the beautiful bungalow featured on the cover of the Fall issue of Santa Barbara SEASONS? Here’s a peek inside the home and lives of the Bock family and their impeccably restored home.
Have you ever wanted to shape your own surfboard? Read about one writer's experience in the next issue of SB SEASONS. Meanwhile here's a great video about surfboard shaping from Progressive Surfboards.
