Raise Your Glass, and Funds, for Our Downtown  

For anyone who yearns for the energy of a vibrant city art scene but adores the quaintness of our town, the annual LIVE Art & Wine Tour on May 15 offers the best of both worlds. The largest fundraiser for the Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (formerly known as Downtown Santa Barbara) pairs the region’s best pours with live art and music — all within a three-block radius.

The tour is more like a short ramble that begins and ends at the Arlington Theatre. Eight venues, which will be open exclusively for the LIVE Art & Wine Tour participants for the evening, will each have a unique live art element — everything from acrobatics to live painting — for guests (21 and older) to enjoy.

“It’s a downtown favorite,” said Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association Executive Director Robin Elander.

Venues, including the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, The Crafter’s Library, and Sullivan Goss Art Gallery, will host eats from Opal Restaurant & Bar, Finch & Fork, Galanga Thai Restaurant, Barbareño, and others. Wineries including Grassini, Carr, Sunstone, CrossHatch, and Loubud will be pouring, along with spirits from Cutler’s and brews from Institution Ale. For NA fans, ready-to-pour mocktails from Tilden will be available. At the end of the tour, the Arlington will host an after-party from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. that will include additional bites, drinks, a silent auction, and live music from Groove Collection. 

The Downtown Organization, which operated and served the downtown district for 50 years, is shifting from a “business improvement district model to a community benefit improvement district model,” according to their website, which will allow it to add and improve upon existing services. 

“We needed to upgrade the experience for our visitors, residents, and business community,” said Elander.

Elander, who has been with the organization for five years and was appointed executive director of the new community model earlier this year, is poised to help revitalize downtown with additional funding for cleanliness and maintenance, security, and community support. “We need a sustainable funding source for downtown,” Elander explained, adding that they’ve been operating on a small budget.

This annual tour, which celebrates some of the best our city has to offer, will help to support this new vision. Tickets are on sale now. To learn more about the more than 30 participating vendors, or how to partner with the event, visit downtownsb.org/events/art-and-wine-tour.