Cover Stories
September
UCSB Arts & Lectures is set to launch another vibrant season.
Historical shift on stage, with three women at the helm.
August
David Valentine discusses discovering a DDT dumping ground in the waters off Catalina Island and charting a new course at UCSB.
Santa Barbarans stare down Father Time and live their lives to the fullest.
The rise and self-inflicted fall of the ‘Santa Barbara News-Press.’
Squeeze in some last-minute memories before school begins with these 11 activities and 11 events.
Get the most out of this year’s Fiesta using S.B.’s most complete guide to Old Spanish Days Fiesta 2023.
July
Keeping the beat, with heart: This supportive program brings much more than music to the community.
Are the remnants of a 1942 Japanese submarine attack lodged in the Timbers restaurant?
The godfather of climate fiction sounds off on his latest work.
CEC’s new space is a focal point and incubator for climate activism and awareness.
June
From Belgian ales to defiant pales, beer aficionados offer a toast to their imbibing passion.
From CAW to completion, Santa Barbara’s annual Solstice festivities take place June 23-25.
Pickleball takes over!
Here’s our annual Blue & Green ode to outdoor adventure in Santa Barbara.
May
Capturing the moment of last shadow and first light with artist Robin Gowen.
Eight small Santa Barbara businesses to make your place shine.
The man who taught America how to shake it comes to town.
The Taste of Santa Barbara is hosting a week-long series of food and drink experiences.
Sharon Allen, cofounder of World Telehealth Initiative, on envisioning a world where all people have access to quality healthcare.
April
Enjoy $10 glasses of wine from 33 establishments around Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley for the next seven days.
This Earth Day, we recognize those safeguarding Santa Barbara’s backyard and the planet.
Rakesh Bahadur readies for his 37th Santa Barbara Kite Festival.
Freddy Janka brings an optimistic, energetic, and inclusive spirit to the rebirth of the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara.
March
The perfect summer experience from the arts and sports, outdoor fun and sleeping away, to special needs and spiritual camps, await your kids.
“Pelota mixteca,” a sport with ancient roots, thrives in Santa Barbara.
From wildlife rescue to dog training to birth control for rats.
Jazz great Charles Lloyd — who has performed more on the Lobero stage than any other single artist — celebrates his 85th birthday as part of the historic theater’s 150th anniversary.
Here are the 15 restaurants serving $10 burgers from March 2-8.
February
Widely respected and still wildly inventive and active at age 87, Joan Tanner brings her distinctive work to SBMA’s McCormick Gallery.
All you need to know about planning for your big day with inspirational stories and the list of businesses in our 2023 Wedding Resource Guide.
The 38th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival returns in all its screened and live glory.
Zooming in on opening night, the poster creator, cinematic landmarks, and S.B. documentaries.
January
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Acclaimed mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato returns to Santa Barbara with her ambitious, multimedia, multi-period concept work ‘EDEN.’
Bestselling author Rachel Ignotofsky on sharing the wonders of art and science through design.
Conservation, education, restoration, and more initiatives are being planned for this historic slice of the Gaviota Coast.
December
Here’s a look at the Santa Barbara that was, through the lens of our photography team.
Roke Fukumura: baseball star, internment camp survivor, hardworking hometown hero.
Our readers speak out on the struggles of renting in Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara artist Jane Gottlieb infuses her work — and her life — with joy and energy through the lens of color.
November
Find the perfect seasonal experiences using Santa Barbara’s most complete guide to holiday happenings.
The Independent’s annual nod to our incredible neighbors.
Riding a wave of medical promise, magic mushrooms and other hallucinogens have gone mainstream.
Our annual guide looks at happenings and trends in the world of Santa Barbara education.
UCSB Professor Peter Alagona’s book “The Accidental Ecosystem” reveals where the wild things really are.
October
How a local man emerged from personal loss in one piece.
Here are the results of our annual reader survey.
An interview with astrologer-psychologist Jennifer Freed on her journey toward living deeply.
A look at the past and present of one of California’s last working wooden piers.
September
The days may be getting shorter, but our list of excellent entertainment offerings keeps getting longer and longer.
Here’s how to celebrate our second annual seven-day stretch of $7 burritos.
The storied, historic theater — the second opera house in California — celebrates 150 years.
Groundbreaking show brings entertaining, compassionate focus to mental health issues.
August
Five families explain how they are navigating local childcare.
Santa Barbarans are living their lives to the fullest.
Filmmakers, firefighters, and a nurse find ways to help Ukrainians at war.
This late-blooming artist finds fruitful inspiration in “The Place of Hidden Things.”
Plan the perfect experience for this year’s Fiesta celebration using Santa Barbara’s complete guide to Old Spanish Days.
July
Find just the right activity from arts, sports, STEM, building community, collaboration, and more in Santa Barbara’s After-School Activities Guide.
Santa Barbara’s veteran party royalty Spencer the Gardener prepares for its annual Fiesta duties, with a film and album in the offing.
SadBoy Loko speaks on his new label, album, and life after lockup.
Dr. Eliot Jacobson reflects on a one-of-a-kind career.
June
What do Supreme Court rulings on abortion and guns mean for Santa Barbara?
See the magic underway at the Community Arts Workshop to prep for the June 25 parade.
The joy of Black culture will shine at weekend festivities across the county.
Here’s our annual Blue & Green ode to outdoor adventure in Santa Barbara.
The wave-riding champ Shaun Tomson and philosopher-poet Noah benShea penned a pandemic pick-me-up called “The Surfer and the Sage: A Guide to Survive and Ride Life’s Waves.”
May
Santa Barbara’s beloved street-painting festival returns to the Mission refreshed.
Here’s our annual issue dedicated to ideas and design, both indoor and out, featuring Lotusland, sustainable gardening, electrified houses, and more.
The Santa Barbara Culinary Experience combines restaurant week with the event-packed Taste of S.B. weekend from May 16-22.
Unique ideas to fix our flailing world.
April
From their “Oprah” debut to signing-day ceremonies, the Goodmans reflect on their journey.
Here’s an Earth Day update, five years after this 25,000-acre Gaviota Coast ranch was saved.
From the Bowl to the beach, businesses keep it real on the Eastside’s main street.
The Chicago-born, SoCal-based artist gives Afro-Cuban orishas the Renaissance treatment in her art show at UCSB’s AD&A Museum.
March
Let the our complete guide to summer camp help you choose the ideal experience for your kids from over 150 camps.
This multi-year project produces concerts to celebrate the Music Academy’s 75th anniversary.
Relief efforts ramp up, and a Russian-American talks about Putin’s war.
These 14 restaurants are serving $7 burgers for seven days in our fifth-ever indulgence event.
SBIFF hosts more films and Oscar nominees than ever before.
February
The new major exhibit “Through Vincent’s Eyes: Van Gogh and His Sources” tracks the artist and his influences.
Start planning your big day from catering to venues and everything in between in the 2022 Wedding Resource Guide.
The Brazilian athlete is unofficially representing Santa Barbara.
UCSB Arts & Lectures Series features pathbreaking writers and activists.
January
Here are ways to get fit, stay well, and be mindful as the pandemic persists in its third calendar year.
The tides have turned against ExxonMobil, Cat Canyon, and offshore platforms.
Santa Barbara’s afterlife expert William Peters pens a new book.
The Turner Foundation Music and Imagination program uses jazz and blues to teach life.
December
The “Santa Barbara Independent” presents its annual year in photographic review.
Underground Scholars offer support for academic success.
Inga Guzyte’s art of recycled skateboards takes off at Sullivan Goss Gallery.
His photos are a love story to his hometown.
Make plans for your holiday season using Santa Barbara’s most complete guide to all seasonal happenings.
November
The Independent’s annual nod to our incredible neighbors.
The famous band’s lead guitarist Chris Shiflett inducted into Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame; ceremony on TV this weekend.
Maritime Museum exhibit celebrates the art of being a mermaid.
Goleta farmer Jay Ruskey is fighting to make the bean business better for all.
October
The Dons’ young quarterback and senior captain build on a family legacy.
Here are the results of our annual reader survey.
The Santa Barbara County resident is among the first to have his criminal record expunged under a new state law.
An inside look into the lives and thoughts of the six men and women running for the job.
September
The 2021 season returns to live performance beginning on October 10.
Enjoy these 17 burritos for just $7 across town from September 23 to 29.
Local entrepreneurs give their companies the online treatment.
Planned Parenthood’s annual used book-a-thon shines again.
With a new book by Roger Durling and the return of film camp, SBIFF shows resiliency in the era of COVID.
August
Pedaling on with wheelie kids and world-saving moguls.
As performances return, what to know before you go; plus, Chelsea Handler interviewed.
New facilities, new experience achieved through major renovation.
Here’s your complete guide to this year’s Fiesta, with profiles, listings, and more.
July
Making trash is easy; dealing with it is not.
Santa Barbara G-man Tom Parker fights for an innocent man’s release from death row.
A roundup of Santa Barbara authors and the community’s favorite books.
Listening to Popsicko, Music Academy of the West, and UCSB’s Amanda Gregory.
June
The legendary shaper Renny Yater, artist John Comer, and others showcase history at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.
Here’s a glimpse of Santa Barbara’s job scene as it emerges from the pandemic.
Four athletes who made sports history on the playing fields.
Our annual ode to the great outdoors.
This Miami native and daughter of Cuban immigrants celebrates life’s wild and concrete forms.
May
The White Buffalo Land Trust is leading an ambitious regenerative agriculture project on a 1,000-acre property.
Architects, antiquers, nursery pros, chefs, and others celebrate indoors and out.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama shares wisdom through UCSB Arts & Lectures.
Every local high school grad can get a free education.
April
Find the perfect summer experience for your kids using Santa Barbara’s complete guide to fun — in person or virtually.
We’d like to introduce eight eco-warriors from Santa Barbara County and beyond.
America’s largest digital health network started around a kitchen table on Voluntario Street.
The NAACP leader is using science facts to overcome inoculation fears.
March
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is confronting COVID with a full slate of films, tributes, and more.
‘No Time Like the Future’ is Michael J. Fox’s fourth best-selling book.
The “Independent” revives its annual ode to the creatures of our community.
Try these 12 burgers to celebrate the return of our annual eating extravaganza.
Marian Regional Medical Center staff never seem to sleep.
February
Santa Barbara fishermen team with shellfish farmer to build new industry, help kelp forests.
Teaching virtually has not been working well for all elementary students.
Read on for a bride and groom’s pandemic pivots, this year’s creative trends, a flashback to Kamala Harris’s Courthouse ceremony, and Santa Barbara vendor list.
UC Santa Barbara is featuring the Little Rock Nine’s Minnijean Brown-Trickey and Patrisse Cullors’s Black Lives Matter memoir.
January
The illustrator and surfer uses his art to address social inequalities and build better communities.
Competence and compassion and telling the truth are the promises of the new administration.
Get caught up with a round-up of this issue’s coronavirus coverage.
Here’s what we’re doing to stay, safe, and smiling for 2021.
December
The camera captures the times we lived.
Patients nationwide are now opting for this Santa Barbara company’s plant-based drinks.
Many powerful pages have been plotted and produced during this pandemic year.
One Santa Barbara County–Born Japanese American’s story about life in an Arizona internment camp.
Plan safe, in-person, and virtual holiday fun using Santa Barbara’s most complete guide to all the happenings.
November
Dedicated to Santa Barbara’s COVID Warriors
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Santa Barbara is home to both the mastermind and early adopters of new technology.
Huge voter turnout thanks to well-planned election with all mail-in ballots, drop-off centers, and polling places opened for three days.
October
Christian nonprofit helps immigrants find legal pathways to citizenship.
UCSB Arts and Lectures is bringing the best minds in contemporary culture together to talk about race and justice in America this year.
Here are the results of our annual reader survey, featuring more than 200 categories and winners.
From the president to propositions, the ‘Santa Barbara Independent’ presents its picks for the November 3 election.
September
Our in-depth look at the region’s vast technology industry, from startups to success stories.
“Indy” survey finds out the issues and candidates they care about most.
Meet these 10 Santa Barbara entrepreneurs who launched businesses during COVID-19.
The next-generation Chicanx art in Santa Barbara.
Pre- and post-pandemic ponderings with Goleta-based, UCSB-educated rock star, whose latest album drops September 18.
August
Does Jeremy Rogers look for trouble, or does trouble find him?
Author Corinne Heyning Laverty reveals the archipelago’s science history in her new book, “North America’s Galapagos.”
The Santa Barbara Bowl prepares for 2021 and beyond.
Parents take education into their own hands to keep kids away from remote learning.
July
The deliciously eccentric, faux mainstream film throws us for a loop. And then another, and another.
Personal stories — many positive, others painful — of everyday interactions with our officers of the law.
Area organizations creatively pivot to reach audiences during COVID.
“Indy” staff photographer documents the essential work being done by the nonprofit.
Five life and business lessons from our female farmers.
June
Here’s an outdoor activity guide for all ages during the summer of COVID-19.
Voices from our vibrant black community share their stories.
Santa Barbara’s leaders and visionaries reflect on the region’s post-pandemic future.
Santa Barbara County’s high school seniors of 2020 remember the best of these times.
May
With schools closed, teachers and therapists find ways to connect with students.
Santa Barbara restaurateurs and officials explore creative solutions to pandemic dining.
Stories about recovery, dirty-shovel therapy, and how to start your own backyard farm.
The multiagency response to the COVID-19 pandemic feeds the vulnerable, saves chefs, and protects the food chain.
April
Cultural ambassadors are finding fresh ways to connect with the county’s Latino and Mixteco communities during the COVID-19 crisis.
Cottage Hospital’s Dr. Robert Wright and his ICU team stand on the front lines.
COVID-19, climate change, and a new chance to choose wisely; plus, ways to celebrate the holiday’s 50th anniversary.
Stories of Santa Barbarans adapting in the age of coronavirus.
Stories from the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
March
Santa Barbara County’s response widens in week two of COVID-19 outbreak.
Reports on how the coronavirus has changed our lives forever.
Talking with the UCSB-educated author of You Might Die Tomorrow: Face Your Fear of Death to Live Your Most Meaningful Life.
Susan B. Anthony’s Santa Barbara sojourn was just one stop on the rough road to get the vote.
February
Our ocean bottom is rich with history, but there’s still much more to be discovered.
We remember Horace McMillan, the doctor who took on big banks and real estate lobby over civil rights.
Seven candidates are running for the 37th District Assembly seat in the March 3 primary.
From Alabama to State Street, Santa Barbarans look back and ahead.
January
Toe-tag exhibit ‘Hostile Terrain 94’ at UC Santa Barbara portrays deaths of migrants forced to cross desert regions.
New film studies center is at heart of SBIFF’s many education programs.
The 35th annual film fest gets underway.
Jennifer Freed’s new book makes astrology accessible.
Talking tattoos with decorated chefs from Los Alamos to Coast Village Road.
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