Parks and Rec NewsParks & Recreation

La Playa Stadium Track and Stairs to Open for Public Use Starting This Weekend

La Playa stadium now open to the public on weekends and holidays, and daily during SBCC winter break

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.

La Playa Stadium access information

Dates

• Weekends and holidays only: Saturday, November 20 – Thursday, December 9, 2021 (see below for usual hours)
• Every day: Saturday, December 11, 2021 – Sunday, January 9, 2022 (see below for usual hours)
• Bonus days: Friday, December 3 and Friday, December 10, 2021 from 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Hours

• Weekends and holidays, usual hours are 6:45 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
• Weekdays, usual hours are 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Notes about Public Access to La Playa Stadium

• Public use of the track is limited to lanes not being used for a scheduled SBCC activity
• Public use of the stairs isn’t allowed during an SBCC-scheduled or -permitted activity at the stadium
• Group graining programs, private instruction, and any public use of the field are not allowed without a facility use permit from SBCC Community Services
• Post-season athletic competitions in early December may reduce public access to the track’s open hours. Signs will be posted with adjusted hours should these events occur

About La Playa Stadium

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.