After pandemic-related closures and limited access, Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) and the City of Santa Barbara are pleased to welcome the public back at La Playa Stadium for the holiday season.
The stadium’s track and stairs—popular with fitness-inclined locals for walking, running, and stair-running—were closed to the public for much of the COVID-19 pandemic, though the public have had daily access to the stadium stairs since summer 2021.
Both track and stairs will be open to the public on weekends and holidays beginning Saturday, November 20, 2021. The public will have daily access to the track and stairs during SBCC’s winter break, from Saturday, December 11, 2021 through Sunday, January 9, 2022.
SBCC will announce spring semester public access hours for the track and stairs closer to the start of the semester. This decision will be based on their evaluation of COVID-19-related health and safety needs, which will prioritize protecting SBCC students and employees.
Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) operates and maintains La Playa Stadium, the 10,000-seat sports complex located at 721 Cliff Drive across from Leadbetter Beach Park. The City of Santa Barbara owns the stadium and adjacent parking area, so a partnership agreement between SBCC and the City govern stadium use. This benefits the Santa Barbara community by providing for free public use of the stadium on scheduled days and times. Works Progress Administration funds built the stadium in 1938, and SBCC pays for all stadium maintenance, including this year’s $2 million improvement project to replace the field’s synthetic turf and the damaged drainage system underneath it.