ARTOBER

Join us for our 17th Annual Asian American Neighborhood Festival! Held in the heart of the Presidio Neighborhood, this free, family-friendly outdoor event celebrates Santa Barbara's AAPI communities, cultures and history with live performances, walking tours, artisan vendors, hands-on activities, and educational booths.

What to Expect:
– Live traditional and contemporary performances
– Cultural crafts and hands-on activities for all ages
– Local Asian American artisan vendors and food trucks
– Exhibits, demonstrations & guided walking tours sharing Asian American history in Santa Barbara

Stay tuned and follow @sbthp for more information on this year’s performance lineup, vendors and offerings!

This event is made possible thanks to the generous support of the George H. Griffiths and Olive J. Griffiths Charitable Foundation.

Sullivan Goss is pleased to announce the gallery’s third solo exhibition for realist painter MARY-AUSTIN KLEIN.

With a keen eye for atmosphere, light, and the unmistakable character of the Southern California landscape, Klein paints places that feel both immediately recognizable and somehow suspended outside of time. Most of her work exhibits a blue-skies-ahead vibe, but occasionally storm clouds appear over the desert or the fog rolls onto the shoreline, putting the kibosh on a perfect beach day.

Uncanny in their clarity, Klein’s skies and horizons possess an almost impossible depth. The usually hazy atmosphere of the horizon is rendered perfectly visible. Mary-Austin lets us see all the way to infinity.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara is bringing back the Calenda on October 25. We begin at 1130 State St towards La Guerra St, where The Space will host a Mercadito of food vendors, artesanía, and more. Join us for a celebration of ancestral remembrance, traditional dance and music, and the living Indigenous Oaxacan traditions that make this day sacred. Let's remember those who are gone, and celebrate life. Come honor, celebrate, and be part of it. This event is free for the community!

REH Contemporary is alive with curator, Bonnie Rubinstein’s whimsical portraits by Kaoru Mansour, and 3D abstracts by Chenhung Chen, of LA; Cats and dogs by Larry Vigon. Also, local’s Mike Blaha, Valori Fussel, Wrona Gall, Paola Lima and Hung Viet-Ngyuen.

Currently in the Studio: solo show by Ken Waxman , and work-in-progress owner/artist Ruth Ellen Hoag.

Special Event: October 10th - Drop-In Saturday Class "come-as-you-are!" Open for practice, individualized help; critique; painting demonstrations in watercolor and acrylic; and group discussions over coffee and snacks. 9 to noon $40. Contact Ruth ruth@ruthellenhoag.com, or text 805 689-0858.

The Grand on State has quickly become Santa Barbara’s hottest new music destination, known for exceptional performances in an elegant, acoustically treated space. The club presents live jazz in an intimate setting, complemented by an internationally inspired menu featuring dinner, small plates, and desserts.

Accomplished professional musicians from Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and beyond take the stage, along with special appearances by celebrated names from the world of jazz. A sophisticated night out awaits you at The Grand on State.

Live jazz with dinner and small plates available:
Thursdays, 5 to 9:30
Fridays, 5:30 to 10:30
Saturdays, 5 to 7:30; 8 to 11

Special events:
—October 9, award-winning singer Janis Mann
—October 16: Tamir Hendelman Trio: “A Tribute to Bill Evans”

This fall, State Street once again transforms into an open-air gallery and stage as Pianos on State celebrates its 17th year. From September 29 through October 19, 2026, the community is invited to experience this beloved interactive public art and music installation, where painted pianos become canvases for both visual art and spontaneous performance.

Each piano is hand-painted by a local artist, turning the instruments into vibrant works of public art. Once placed along State Street—and at the Santa Barbara Airport—they invite everyone to play, from seasoned musicians to curious passersby. Student recitals and pop-up performances will animate downtown throughout the two-and-a-half-week exhibition, while spontaneous street music adds to the city’s cultural heartbeat. A full performance schedule and map will be available in late September at pianosonstate.com.

Stunned by the Moment
Capturing glimpses of inspiration

Artists: Emily Thomas MaHarry, Duane Dammeyer, Sophie Cooper, Jo Merit, Madeline Garrett, Rick Doehring, Stephanie Hubbard, Karen Zazon, Joseph Castle, Patrick McGinnis, Pamela Grau, Michael O'Guinn

Santa Barbara, Show Us How You Rach!

This Artober, don’t just experience the arts—become part of them.

The Santa Barbara Symphony is teaming up with Pianos on State, organized by the Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative, for #RachOnState—a playful community-wide piano and social media challenge inspired by Rachmaninoff’s beloved Piano Concerto No. 2. The challenge kicks off October 1 at 5 PM at Piano #4, Anapamu & State Street, where Santa Barbara Symphony Maestro Nir Kabaretti will show Santa Barbara how he “Rachs.”

Want to join in? Find a Pianos on State piano (www.pianosonstate.com/map) and make Rachmaninoff your own. Play a favorite Rachmaninoff passage—or put your own spin on one—then record your performance and share it on Instagram @sbsymphony or Facebook with @SantaBarbaraSymphony and #RachOnState.

Classical, jazzy, dramatic, funny, beginner or virtuoso—there’s no wrong way to Rach.

And there’s even more reason to play: five lucky participants will each win a complimentary pair of tickets to the Santa Barbara Symphony’s Season Opening concert, Rachmaninoff’s Second Concerto, where they’ll hear GRAMMY Award-winning pianist Michelle Cann show Santa Barbara how she Rachs!

The AD&M Performance Group, directed by Carrie Diamond, is creating dances for two sections of an upcoming performance of Henry Purcell's, Come Ye Sons of Arts, by The Santa Barbara Master Chorale. We invite guests to spend a little time with us at The Dance Hub and catch a glimpse of what we will be dancing. Two dancers and one actor.

The Master Chorale Performance will be on October 24th at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church.

The 3D Studio Gallery is the official home for the largest collection of Charles Fazzino’s artwork worldwide. Step inside to experience his colorful, whimsical cityscapes, pop culture moments, and sports masterpieces, each brought to life through his signature hand-assembled 3D layering technique. Whether you’re a long-time collector or discovering Fazzino for the first time, the gallery offers an unforgettable journey into his vibrant world.

Santa Barbara, Show Us How You Rach!

On October 24 & 25 at The Granada Theatre, Cann joins Music & Artistic Director Nir Kabaretti and the Santa Barbara Symphony for Rachmaninoff’s soaring Piano Concerto No. 2. The program also features Shostakovich’s powerful Symphony No. 5, for an Opening Weekend filled with longing, triumph, courage, and unforgettable music.

First, hear how Santa Barbara Rachs on State. Then hear Michelle Cann and The Symphony bring Rachmaninoff to life at The Granada.

#RachOnState
October 1–19 | Downtown Santa Barbara thesymphony.org/concerts-events/rach-on-state/

The Symphony’s Rachmaninoff’s Second Concerto
Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, October 25 at 3:00 PM
The Granada Theatre
Tickets available now!

Solo Exhibition - IN STUDIO

Chicago-based artist Julie Anderson Mathias creates large-scale abstract paintings shaped by a lifelong engagement with structure, and color. Her distinctive approach brings together an early fascination with building and spatial design, her training as an interior architect, and decades of experience as both a muralist and painter.

While studying interior architecture at Syracuse University in the early 1970s, Mathias discovered the work of Abstract Expressionist and Color Field painters, including Morris Louis and Helen Frankenthaler, artists whose exploration of color continues to inform her practice. After graduation, she founded a mural company and began painting on a monumental scale. Working directly on buildings required her to translate smaller images into vast compositions through scaffolding, grids, and modular planning, principles that remain central to her paintings today.

Her subsequent career as an interior architect, including at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, further developed her sensitivity to scale and spatial experience. Mathias begins each painting with sketches, color studies, and carefully constructed geometric frameworks. Yet the finished work often moves beyond the parameters of what she first imagined.

“Color is always the subject matter of my work. No matter who we are or where we live, we make color decisions every day. That is part of the art of being human.”

Circa
Sunday, October 18, 2026 | 4 PM
Presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures

Combining breathtaking physicality, contemporary energy and cheeky humor, Circa’s Duck Pond reimagines Swan Lake as an unforgettable circus spectacular.

Akram Khan Company
Tuesday, October 6, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures
Pronunciation: Akram Khan (AH-krahm KAHN)

In Thikra, renowned choreographer Akram Khan unites an international cast of female dancers from contemporary dance and Bharatanatyam traditions in a vivid meditation on ritual, ancestry and collective memory.

Bernadette Peters
Thursday, October 15, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures

Tony Award-winning Broadway Legend
In this magical evening of song, the incomparable Bernadette Peters, critically acclaimed star of stage and screen, performs celebrated selections from Rodgers & Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman and more.

Lang Lang, piano
Friday, October 9, 2026 | 7 PM
Presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures

With a program ranging from the brilliance of Mozart to the radiant colors and rhythms of Granados, superstar pianist Lang Lang returns to showcase the piano at its most orchestral, expressive and spectacular.

You Should Be Dancing: A Tribute to the Bee Gees
Saturday, October 3, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Presented by You Should Be Dancing LLC

You Should Be Dancing delivers the most explosive Bee Gees experience in North America, capturing the iconic sound, style, and charisma of the legendary group with electrifying precision. Dance and sing along to classic hits from the disco era and beyond in this high-energy tribute.

Dracula, A Dark Shadow
Friday, October 30, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Saturday, October 31, 2026 | 2:00 PM
Presented by State Street Ballet

State Street Ballet’s Dracula, a dark shadow unleashes a cinematic tale in a newly commissioned ballet. Nicolas Blanc’s choreography meets Philip Glass’s iconic score performed live onstage by the incredible Kronos Quartet. Join State Street Ballet for a spectacular performance as dancers and musicians unite onstage for a visceral, unforgettable experience.

Production Sponsor Cheryl Goldberg

Choreography by Nicolas Blanc
Music by Philip Glass
Featuring Kronos Quartet

Rachmaninoff’s Second Concerto
Saturday, October 24, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Sunday, October 25, 2026 | 3:00 PM

Presented by The Santa Barbara Symphony
Conductor: Nir Kabaretti
Michelle Cann, piano

OPENING WEEKEND: RACHMANINOFF'S SECOND CONCERTO
Rachmaninoff | Piano Concerto No. 2
Shostakovich | Symphony No. 5

Rickie Lee Jones on Sunday October 4, 2026 at 7 PM. The American musician, storyteller, two-time GRAMMY® winner and eight-time nominee has been inspiring pop culture for decades, beginning with her star-making self-titled debut and the seminal Pirates. Named the “premiere song-stylist and songwriter of her generation” by The New Yorker and “The Duchess of Coolsville” by Time magazine, Jones released her GRAMMY® nominated album Pieces of Treasure in 2023.

$50 - $115

Santa Barbara Vocal Jazz Foundation presents Journey through Jazz with SB Charter School on Monday, October 19, 2026 at 7:15 PM. In our ‘Journey through Jazz!’ residency program, students are taken on a musical and narrative trek from early Dixieland to today’s Fusion jazz, while learning basic singing and performance skills, jazz terms, American jazz history, and ethnic/music diversity. The residency closes with a school assembly and performance, and a FREE public performance at the historic Lobero Theatre!

FREE

Martin Media presents Gary Gulman’s 7th Hour: An All-New Standup Show on Monday, October 5, 2026 at 7:30 PM. An eminent performer and peerless writer, Gulman is one of the most popular touring comics, selling out theaters around the country. Most recently, Gary made his off-Broadway debut with a 5-week sold out run at The Lucille Lortel Theatre of his critically acclaimed one man show “Grandiloquent.”

$79 - $129

Lobero LIVE and Terry Hill present Milt Larsen’s It’s Magic! on Sunday October 11, 2026 (2 shows) at 2 PM & 6:30 PM. The country’s longest running magic and variety review is now celebrating its 70th anniversary! A dazzling all new revue featuring award-winning magicians, It’s Magic! brings to the stage the finest stars of magic, comedy, sleight of hand, and stage illusions. Featuring David Zirbell & Company, Christopher Hart, Ron Saylor & Co, Ice McDonald, and Tina Lenert. Sponsored by Parsonics Studio in association with Barbara White Design

$26 - $107

Lobero LIVE presents AJ Lee and Blue Summit, with special guest Salty Strings on Friday, October 9, 2026 at 7:30 PM. The award-winning, energetic band–made up of AJ Lee on mandolin, fiddler Jan Purat, Sullivan Tuttle on guitar, and Sean Newman on bass–has been quickly rising on the national roots music scene. After almost a decade on the road, they’ve established themselves as one of the most exciting and dynamic groups in Bluegrass.

$30 - $75

West Coast Performing Arts Concerts presents Shine On – A Tribute to Pink Floyd on Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 7:30 PM. This show features innovative stage design and lighting which enhance the timeless music of Pink Floyd, complete with female backup vocalists. Enjoy your favorite songs from The Wall, Dark Side of the Moon, Meddle, A Momentary Lapse of Reason and more!

Lobero LIVE presents Ingrid Michaelson's Cozy Fall Trio Tour, featuring Allie Moss & Hannah Winkler, on Friday, October 16, 2026 at 7:30 PM. The GRAMMY® and Emmy nominated singer-songwriter/composer is a force in the music industry, known for her distinctively soulful folk-pop style. Her music is released on the label she founded, Cabin 24 Records, including her latest studio album For the Dreamers, as well as her gold and platinum hits, "The Way I Am," "Girls Chase Boys," and "You and I."

$67 - $239

EARL MINNIS PRESENTS and Lobero Theatre Foundation present The Wallflowers – 30th Anniversary Tour for Bringing Down the Horse on Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 7:30 PM. The band’s classic album was a critical and commercial triumph. Having peaked at number four on the Billboard 200, it was certified quadruple platinum, cementing their place in ‘90s rock history. They'll be playing the album in its entirety, in sequence, as well as paying tribute to the 50th Anniversary of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ by playing Petty’s 1982 album Long After Dark.

$65 - $115

Beacon Productions presents Lucy Darling –All That and More on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 5 PM & 8:30 PM. Award-winning performer Carisa Hendrix stars as the charming socialite and cocktail enthusiast Lucy Darling as she continues her vivacious vagabond voyages with her new touring solo show, featuring her razor-sharp wit, unquestionable advice, and inconceivable magic. Lucy is joined by The Great Kaplan, a modern-day vaudevillian master with an infinite assortment of unique skills, coupled with impeccable comedic timing.

$45.75 - $154

Lobero LIVE presents Sarah Jarosz: 10 Years of Undercurrent, with special guest Sean Watkins, on October 21, 2026 at 7:30 PM. The six-time GRAMMY® Award winning singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has released seven solo albums and two albums with I’m With Her, her band with Sara Watkins and Aoife O’Donovan. In addition to her multiple GRAMMY®, Americana Music Association, and Folk Alliance awards, her work has received widespread critical praise from publications including Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and USA Today. Featured Sponsor: Noozhawk

$60 - $110

Jazz at the Lobero presents Julian Lage Quartet feat. John Medeski, Jorge Roeder, Kenny Wollesen on Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 7:30 PM. In late 2024, prolific guitarist Julian Lage embarked on an intense writing sprint that led to Scenes from Above, a new project forged for a special quartet featuring bassist Jorge Roeder, drummer Kenny Wollesen, and keyboardist John Medeski — close collaborators who had never before recorded together. The music emphasizes interaction, restraint, and real-time discovery over virtuoso display. A Brubeck Circle show.

$50 - $100

Lobero Theatre Foundation presents A Beyond The Stage Campaign Event – Melissa Etheridge: RISE on Friday, October 23, 2026 at 7:30 PM. The Academy Award and GRAMMY® Award-winning artist will be performing stripped-down versions of her greatest hits on guitar, harmonica, and piano – allowing her vocal power and storytelling to take center stage. Celebrating the release of her 17th album Rise on Sun Records, she will also include many of her new songs during this very special performance.

$102 - $287

Outback presents Fortune Feimster on Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 5 PM & 8:30 PM. The actress, comedian, writer, and host is continuing her Takin’ Care of Biscuits Tour with 16 new shows, bringing her signature warmth and razor-sharp wit to audiences across the country. Feimster continues to balance her booming stand-up career with an impressive slate of projects on screen.

$47.75 - $207.75

Spotlight Santa Barbara presents Free Speech Under Fire: Greg Lukianoff on the New Age of Censorship on Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 7 PM. The New York Times best-selling author, lawyer, and free speech warrior has appeared on CNN, Fox News, CBS News, The Today Show, and HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher. Topics include
the rise of our “Call Out Culture” and “Mob Censorship,” the dangers of “Safetyism” and “Paranoid Parenting,” when protected “Speech” crosses the line, Trump’s law firm crackdown, and much more.

$49 - $99

Emporium presents The Rush Tribute Project on Monday, October 12, 2026 at 7:30 PM. This electrifying immersive tribute, performing “Moving Pictures” in its entirety, brings to life beloved hits as well as deep cuts with vintage instruments, multi-camera projection, lasers, and spectacular lighting. The ultimate homage to one of the most enduring & influential bands in rock music!

$44 - $74

Lobero LIVE presents Toad the Wet Sprocket Rings: The Acoustic Tour with Willy Porter on Tuesday, October 6 and Wednesday, October 7, 2026 at 7:30 PM. Few bands have earned the kind of devotion Toad the Wet Sprocket inspires. Don’t miss this intimate, once-in-a-lifetime fan event celebrating four decades of songs that trace the band's musical journey with grace, depth, and hope. Featured Sponsors: Katie DeWitt 10/6 & Boone Graphics 10/7

$82 - $256

Welcome everyone to the Fourth annual Fall event for the ARTS District of Santa Barbara.

The ARTS District was created to promote cultural, economic and community vibrancy in our upper 4 blocks of downtown state Street and the surrounding side streets.

This year the ARTS District is supporting local artists who have participated in Pianos on State, a program allowing local artists to creatively re-envision pianos, which are then placed throughout the downtown for ANYONE to play.

The ARTS District will directly support the Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative and their programming by donating a gift basket of generous contributions from many of its members for SBAC's fundraiser, Upcycle Couture, this October. Upcycle Couture is a fashion show of one-of-a-kind clothing created from recycled materials by emerging and established designers to bring awareness to fast-fashion and its detrimental effect on the environment. This fundraiser will help support the Arts Collaborative's programming which includes Pianos on State. 

Additionally, as part of the ARTS District support for Pianos on State, for all of October 2026, opal will donate 20% of sales of its most popular appetizer, our Shredded Phyllo Wrapped Tiger Prawns, and a special cocktail created for this occasion, our Piano Man-Hattan, a Basil Hayden Manhattan with a large cube and brandied cherry.

Pianos on State is a project of the Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative. To know more about the wonderful work they do in our community, go to www.sbartscollaborative.org/.

To find out more about the ARTS District, go to www.artsdistrictsb.org.

The highly anticipated Masq(p)arade! returns to downtown Santa Barbara for its sixth year on Friday, October 2, 2026, presenting a variety of piano-based performances every fifteen minutes from 5:30pm to 8:00pm.

Kicking off the annual Pianos on State installation, this lively, family-friendly event brings together a roster of accomplished regional performing artists for a series of whimsical and inventive 15-minute shows—each staged at a different artist-designed piano along the city’s main corridor. The audience is invited to move from piano to piano, experiencing the full lineup as a roving, interactive celebration of creativity and community. Admission is free, and participants are encouraged to wear theatrical masks as they join in the festive atmosphere.