Parks and Rec News ArchiveParks & Recreation

Welcome, Earth Day visitors!

Here at the City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department, we’re all about environmental stewardship, enjoyment of nature, and promoting health and wellness. We’re happy to tell you about just a few fun things we offer.

If you see tree work being done around town, here's why! The Parks and Recreation Department has contracted with Tierra Verde Tree Care to provide tree removal services over the next several weeks.

Summer camp registration starts April 1 this year!
Don't miss out on getting into your kids' favorite camps with proven COVID-19 safety measures: registration opens right at 9:00 a.m. on April 1.

Spring break camp registration starts March 1

A comprehensive list of changes to services and Parks and Recreation Department site closures related to COVID-19.

The City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department will be opening a RFP (Request of Proposal) for fitness/dance providers to submit their proposals for group classes in anticipation of the reopening of the Carrillo Recreation Center.

News about what will be closed over the usual City of Santa Barbara holiday closure period this year.

The U.S. Forest Service has updated their closure status and all of the Santa Barbara Front Country Trails are now open!

Bohnett Park is scheduled to close beginning Thursday, October 15 for the construction of a park improvement and storm water treatment project.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Santa Barbarans have sought ways to get some healthy exercise without endangering themselves or the community, and the City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department has stepped in to help fill this need.

Need to request a tree removal? Use our online forms to submit your application easily, all from home.

There has been an overwhelming demand for the limited swim times at Los Baños, so when you log into Sign-Up Genius at https://bit.ly/LosBanosSignUp the Los Baños schedule will look a little different.

Parks and Recreation staff will reopen Los Baños del Mar Pool for lap swimming starting Tuesday, May 26th. This modified reopening is in accordance with recent Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health orders issued that provided new guidance for essential businesses and recreation facilities.

The Municipal Tennis Center will reopen tennis and pickleball courts starting tomorrow, Tuesday, April 28. Court time slots must be booked in advance; to reserve a spot, please visit https://bit.ly/SBMuniTennisSignUp. This modified reopening is in accordance with the Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health order issued on Friday, April 24 that provided new guidance for essential businesses and recreation facilities.

Due to reduced staff availability and increased need for staff in parks that see higher use, Franceschi Park, Hilda McIntyre Ray Park, and Skofield Park are now closed. At this time, all other City of Santa Barbara parks remain open during their normal hours of sunrise to a half hour after sunset.

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, the Parks and Recreation Department has closed all playgrounds in City of Santa Barbara parks until further notice. Skater’s Point skatepark and all outdoor exercise equipment in City parks are also off limits until further notice.

Skaters! Join us to review design plans for the future Ortega Park skatepark at a meeting the evening of Wednesdsay, March 4.

Training and refreshments provided. Volunteers should bring a pair of garden gloves and pruning shears with them to the event. The garden is located just opposite the Santa Barbara Mission, on Plaza Rubio between Laguna Street and Emerson Avenue.

Most City administrative offices, libraries, and facilities will be closed from Monday, December 23,2019 through Wednesday, January 1, 2020. Offices will reopen on Thursday, January 2, 2020.

The Garden Club of Santa Barbara and the City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department will celebrate the planting of five olive trees at Mission Historical Park. This planting commemorates the 100th anniversary of the first olive trees planted by the Garden Club in 1919 to honor those who gave their lives in World War I.

On Saturday, September 14, the United Way’s Day of Caring community volunteer workday brought a fresh look to Skater’s Point, the City of Santa Barbara’s 14,600 square foot waterfront skate park.

Parks and Rec fall activities open for registration at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 15.

The 20th season of Concerts in the Park will kick off its summer concert series on Thursday, July 11. Opening night will feature Santa Barbara’s favorite dance band Area 51.

The City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department opened a new off-leash dog area at MacKenzie Park today, Monday, June 24, 2019.

This year's Children's Fiesta Parade (Saturday, August 3, 2019) is now accepting applications for participants!

Please join us at one of our upcoming community workshops!

Skaters! Join us in an exciting and interactive community workshop where you can share your ideas, suggestions, and favorite images to guide the development for a new skate park as proposed in the Ortega Park Master Plan.

There’s a new fitness program in town, the City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department announced today. Fitness at the Rec, a partnership between the Department and Sweat SB Fitness, will be a membership-based program at the Carrillo Recreation Center in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara.

Join us for a volunteer workday on State Trails Day—Saturday, April 6—that will focus on restoring areas of our trails network damaged by the Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flow and rains. This year’s rains have added to continued wear on the trails. The trail work this year will be at Hot Springs Trail and Romero Trail.

Parks and Rec summer camps open for registration on Friday, March 1!

The Dwight Murphy Field Master Plan will be reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission next Wednesday, December 12 at 4:00 p.m. in City Council chambers at City Hall, 735 Anacapa Street.

The Off-Leash Dog Area at MacKenzie Park will provide a new recreation area for residents and their dogs to socialize and exercise within a fenced enclosure. The Off-Leash Dog Area will be located at the eastern end of the park near State Street.

Please join us on Thursday, November 8 for a community meeting at Ortega Welcome House.

Por favor acompáñenos con nosotros el jueves, 8 de noviembre para una junta comunitaria en el salón de Ortega.

With our affordable prices and so many convenient locations to choose from, you’re sure to find just the right party spot with us.

September 22, 2018 is National Public Lands Day! Join us for a volunteer workday that will focus on restoring areas of our trails network damaged last winter by the Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flow. The trail work this year will be at San Ysidro, Buena Vista, and Cold Springs Trails.

A new playground and tennis patio are open at the Municipal Tennis Center, the City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department announced today. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on site on September 19.

The Parks and Recreation Department is once again hosting its annual Free Classes Week at the Historic Carrillo Recreation Center. A wide range of activities for all ages will be free from Monday, September 10 through Saturday, September 15.

Cabrillo Ball Park will reopen after a $1.5 million dollar renovation project, the City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department announced today. A ribbon-cutting will be held September 10.

Please take our surveys on the future for Dwight Murphy Field and Ortega Park!

Maintenance work on the pond at Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden is extended through July 6, 2018.

Oak Park Wading Pool will be open today at Noon!

Thank you for your patience as we worked to install a new pool pump.

Please join us on Saturday, June 30 at Manning Park; we'll work on many of the community trails in Montecito that were damaged by fire and debris flows last winter.

Santa Barbara is an official Bee City USA, so we’re celebrating Pollinator Week this week by posting pollinator facts on social media and providing information about how all of us can become more bee- and pollinator-friendly in our daily lives.

The City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department will be doing maintenance work on the pond at Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden from June 11 – 24, 2018. This maintenance work will repair the pond liner and remove debris from the pond, which will improve water quality, make the pond a more pleasant place for park visitors, and create a more hospitable environment for the many wildlife species—such as turtles, ducks, and koi fish—that live in the pond area.

The playground at MacKenzie Park will be closed for replacement June 6 through approximately June 29.

The Parks and Recreation Department is seeking community input for developing the Dwight Murphy Field Master Plan. Please join us on May 31 to share your thoughts!

The Parks and Recreation Department is seeking community input for developing the Ortega Park Master Plan. Please join us on June 2 to share your thoughts!

Join us to discuss the future of Bohnett Park!

The Parks and Recreation Department is seeking community input about a project to replace the leaking West Beach Wading Pool with a spray-ground park (splashpad)

For 59 years, the Saturday morning before Easter has been a time for local children to look forward to. Each year, the City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department presents a fun, active sprint and search for candy and prize-filled eggs in the park.

This meeting is postponed due to poor weather. Please join the Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department for a brief presentation of proposed repairs to Thousand Steps.

Join us on March 22, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. to learn more about the Parma Park Trails Restoration Project.

We have a new online registration system we think you'll love, but all participants need to set up a new account at http://bit.ly/SBParksAndRec-Login starting today.

There's still time to make your spring about 83% better by signing up for the City Basketball League. We have a few spots available in Tuesday night's B-division; click that "Read More" link to find out how to sign your team up!

This year, our summer camp registration starts on March 21. Summer camp listings will be available online starting March 8 (new date).

Applications are now being accepted for the 2018 Harriet Miller Youth Leadership Awards Scholarship, the City of Santa Barbara and the Downtown Organization announced today. The scholarship, established in honor of former Santa Barbara mayor Harriet Miller, awards $500 to one outstanding local high school senior, in recognition of achievements in leadership and community service.

Kids World, the unique wooden playground in Alameda Plaza, reopened on Tuesday, January 23, 2018, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the reopening on Thursday, January 25, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.

If you want to visit your favorite Parks and Rec locations before the end of the year, here's what's open.

Now that all Santa Barbara evacuation orders have been listed, we know you’re looking forward to getting back to normal. Getting rid of the Thomas Fire ash is part of that, so we want to let you know that we’re working on a plan to clear Parks and Rec Department locations of ash.

Most Parks and Recreation Department parks and facilities remain open as of today, Tuesday, December 12, 2017. Details are listed in the full article.

There is never a perfect time to close Los Baños pool, and staff acknowledges the disruption to your workout schedule; however, this closure provides the opportunity to complete an extensive list of projects to improve and maintain Los Baños del Mar Pool for the benefit of all users.

UPDATE: Los Baños del Mar swimming pool will be closed all day today and tomorrow due to extremely poor air quality in the area.

The pool will then close for previously-scheduled maintenance December 9 through January 2.

We are opening Los Baños Pool today (Wednesday, December 6), as the power is on and all equipment seems to be running smoothly.

Please be aware that poor air quality from the Thomas Fire smoke is still an issue.

Los Baños del Mar pool (401 Shoreline Drive) is closed today due to power outages.

The City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department and the Santa Barbara Rose Society are calling all gardening enthusiasts for the Annual Mission Rose Garden Pruning event on Saturday, January 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Three teen-focused organizations will join together to host a forum for Santa Barbara mayoral candidates on October 16.

The Parks and Recreation Department is once again hosting its annual Free Classes Week at the Historic Carrillo Recreation Center. Many activities for children, teen, adults, and seniors will be free from Monday, September 11 through Saturday, September 16.

Are you signed up for this year's Day of Caring? We'll be working at the Pilgrim Terrace and Yanonali Community Gardens this year, and we hope you'll join us!

One of the African Fern Pines in Alameda Park is officially the largest known specimen of its species (Afrocarpus falcatus) in California.

De-stress and make friends with City of Santa Barbara adult sports leagues. Registration open now!

The Children’s Fiesta Parade, part of Santa Barbara’s annual Old Spanish Days celebration, will be held on Saturday, August 5 at 10:00 a.m.

This year’s parade will feature over 3,000 human in 100 groups... plus a few four-legged friends!

Join us from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. for light weeding and deadheading the rose bushes at the A. C. Postel Memorial Rose Garden, 420 Plaza Rubio.

The City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department is proud to announce that the 18th season of Concerts in the Park 2017 will kick off its summer concert series on Thursday, July 6. Opening night will feature national touring act The PettyBreakers, a tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

The Neighborhood Health Fair and Family Fun Day is a free annual event that serves to increase access for comprehensive healthcare for low to moderate income children and families in the Santa Barbara area.

Each year, the City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department presents a fun, active sprint and search in two local parks.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please open this article for new developments regarding parking for the Chase Palm Park EGGstravaganza.

The City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department is pleased to announce the installation of five automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in key, high-traffic recreation areas.

Calling all nonagenarians! If you or a friend or loved one is 90 years old or older, please join us for the 90+ Birthday Party on Thursday, April 20. There is no cost to attend, and we’ll have lunch (and birthday cake!), live music, a singalong, and our delightful emcee, local news personality John Palminteri. This fun collective birthday party celebration is presented by HUB International and the City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department.

Applications are being accepted for the 2017 Harriet Miller Youth Leadership Awards Scholarship.

The Parks and Rec Summer Camp Guide has all the information you need to help you plan a wonderful Santa Barbara summer for your family. All summer camp listings are here--and don't forget, summer camp registration starts March 15 at 9AM!

To celebrate the launch of our new event venues website at santabarbaraparksandrec.com, we're offering up to 50% off on rental fees at four of our most popular venues: the Historic Carrillo Ballroom, the Cabrillo Pavilion, Casa Las Palmas, and the Chase Palm Park Center.

The 90-Plus Birthday Party is one of the Parks and Recreation Department's most beloved community events, and it's back! Sponsorship opportunities are available for this year's bash, which is scheduled for April 20 at the Carrillo Recreation Center.

Registration for all Parks and Recreation Department summer camps begins March 15 at 9:00am.

The City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department announced today it has published a map, podcasts and video to encourage education and exploration of Santa Barbara’s scenic coastline.

We’re happy to announce that Los Baños will soon have a larger bike rack area next to the sidewalk near the front entrance. The new area will have more than double the current bicycle parking available, allowing for 20 bikes.

Hours for Adult Lap Swim at Los Baños Pool will change on October 28, 2016, effective until April 2, 2017.

On October 24, the Santa Barbara Youth Council will host Youth Speak Out, a youth-focused panel discussion. Youth Speak Out seeks to foster a healthy debate and thoughtful discussion of the political issues surrounding Proposition 64, the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative.

Mark Warkentin, head swim coach for the Santa Barbara Swim Club, writes that learning how to swim is a lot like learning a new language.

With our affordable prices, numerous amenities, and seven convenient locations to choose from, you’re sure to find just the right party venue with us.

The Andrée Clark Bird Refuge is home to something new—the City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department has installed an adult exercise equipment area.

Young skateboarders will love the Parks and Recreation Department’s Skate Saturdays kids-only skate time and free skateboarding clinic, every Saturday from 9:00-11:00AM.

Join the Parks and Recreation Department for an excellent party featuring Rio Olympics women's beach volleyball medal matches on a giant LED viewing wall, appetizers, drinks, and great company.

Join us for four free Thursday night concerts this July.

A new Google 360 tour, which works just like Google Street View, is now live for the Chase Palm Park Center.

Bohnett Park playground opens this afternoon with all-new equipment!

Taste the best of Santa Barbara's Funk Zone wineries this Sunday at Magic on the Urban Wine Trail. Find out more at our Facebook Event.

We are asking community members to help direct our outreach programs by taking our Storm Water Outreach Survey at the link below. Five respondents will be randomly selected to WIN a Creeks Division prize pack!

The playground at Bohnett Park will be closed for replacement through early May. Find a new playground to visit during the project with our map, or download our complete Playgrounds Checklist!

Over 250 Parks and Recreation Department summer camp sessions will open for registration at 9:00am on Tuesday, March 1. With options from full-day outdoor adventure camps to part-day sports, dance, and education camps, Parks and Rec summer camps offer enriching, memorable summer camp experiences for children of all ages and interests.

Registration is now open for our superfun spring break camps, including Star Wars-themed Engineering with Lego Camps and Beach Volleyball Camp!

Summer camp registration starts at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 1, 2016!

Join us at the Louise Lowry Davis Center for midday movies on Wednesdays, once a month.

The newly-replaced playground at La Mesa Park is now open. Come play!

The City of Santa Barbara Parks & Recreation Department is calling all gardening enthusiasts for the Annual Mission Rose Garden Pruning Event on Saturday, January 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Parks and Recreation Department activities for January 2016 are open for registration, to help you with that new year's resolution checklist.

After conducting a nationwide recruitment, the City Council has confirmed the City Administrator’s appointment of Jill Zachary as Parks and Recreation Director.

Winter break camp registration now open at SantaBarbaraCA.gov/Register.

The City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department has put a proposed Douglas Family Preserve (DFP) trail renovation project on hold until further notice.

Los Baños del Mar Swimming Pool, the City of Santa Barbara's popular swimming and workout facility at 401 Shoreline Drive, will close from Friday, December 4 through Sunday, December 6 for maintenance.

Santa Barbara area parks are the subject of an upcoming gallery show by local artist Nina Warner, to open this Friday, October 16.

The public is invited to two upcoming public meetings to provide input on the Cabrillo Ball Park renovation project, plans for which are still in the preliminary stages.

On Thursday, October 22 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the historic Carrillo Recreation Center, the City of Santa Barbara, the PARC Foundation, and HUB International will present the 90+ Birthday Party.

The City of Santa Barbara took the drought-conscious action of resuing the water from the Oak Park wading pool rather than discarding the water into the sewer. The Parks and Recreation Department and Fire Department worked together to pump approximately 16,000 gallons of dechlorinated water from the wading pool, using the water to irrigate many of the large oak trees in Oak Park.

The City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department has announced the launch of the 2016 Neighborhood Enhancement Program (NEP) which will award small grants to civic and religious organizations for small local improvement projects.

The Parks and Recreation Department's tennis program has been expanded, with all-new classes for adults, kids, and teens at the Municipal Tennis Center.

The Parks and Recreation Department is again hosting its annual Free Classes Week at the historic Carrillo Recreation Center. Many activities for children, teen, adults, and seniors will be free from Monday, September 14 through Sunday, September 19.

New map from the Parks and Recreation Department provides useful and fun community resource.

Concerts in the Park 2015 will kick off its summer concert series on Thursday, July 2. Opening night will be a tribute to the Eagles from Los Angeles band the Long Run.

The City of Santa Barbara’s Parks and Recreation Department will hold a neighborhood meeting on Wednesday, June 10 at 6:00pm to discuss design options for the development of a new playground and site improvements at the Municipal Tennis Center.

Registration for 2015-2016 sessions of RAP!, the Parks and Recreation Department's popular after-school program, is now open.

The City of Santa Barbara’s Parks and Recreation Department is currently accepting entry forms for participation in the Children’s Fiesta Parade. The parade, to be held on Saturday, August 8, is now in its 85th year, and has been a community tradition for generations of children.

The Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Show will celebrate our milestone 50th Anniversary with a series of events including an art exhibition, an anniversary weekend with shows on both Saturday and Sunday, and a free concert for the community featuring local favorite Spencer the Gardener.

The Adapted Recreation Program announces the start of a new program for developmentally disabled youth ages 14-22 in partnership with community organization Reid's Gift.

Parque de los Niños has reopened after the completion of a playground replacement project. The park now features a three-area playground, with a play structure for children ages 2 - 5, a swing set, and a larger play structure for children ages 5 -12.

The biggest egg hunt in town is back on April 4, 2015 at 10am sharp! Come bring your children for the best egg hunt this year, and let yourself feel like a kid again!