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SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, CA – Children’s Creative Project (CCP) is thrilled to invite you to Piece Time, a festival celebrating 50 years of arts education in Santa Barbara County public schools and beyond.
The festival runs Saturday, October 11, 2025, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at Santa Barbara City College’s Great Meadow, followed by a sunset happy hour from 5-7 p.m.
Festivalgoers will experience hands-on art activities and live music, and shop local food and artisan vendors—all in support of arts education in public schools. The stage lineup features storyteller Michael Katz, interactive dance with Creative Network, and performances by Mendeleyev, Spencer the Gardener, The New Vibe, and the all-ages band Whatever Forever, performing a 90-minute set of 1975 hits in honor of CCP’s 50th. Food vendors include Elubias, AR Catering, Sunburst Coffee, and others. Head to ccp.sbceo.org for all activity and lineup details.
Since 1974, CCP has championed the transformative power of the arts, connecting students with professional artists through programs such as the Resident Artist Division and Touring Artist Program. CCP partners with dozens of organizations to promote high-quality arts experiences through collaborations such as “Kids at the Bowl,” mural projects, student exhibitions through South Coast Kids Create and Santa Barbara Sister Cities Young Artist and Author Showcase, and CCP’s signature fundraising event and beloved tradition, the I Madonnari Street Painting Festival at the Santa Barbara Mission.
CCP Executive Director Kai Tepper Jahnke said inspiration for the event came while recalling a short film by visionary puppeteer and filmmaker Jim Henson. She said the film, called Time Piece—not a children’s film but an experimental work—showcased Henson’s gift for bringing people together through intergenerational play and how art can cut across forms and experiences.
“Piece Time is a play on the word ‘peace’ and also about weaving together the many ‘pieces’ of our community—music, ceramics, food, performance, storytelling,” said Tepper Jahnke. “You can have a piece of music, a ceramic piece, a piece of pie, or even a puzzle piece. This festival is literally about piecing people together across cultures, generations, and even political differences through art and play.”
Under the vision of founder Kathy Koury, CCP began over fifty years ago as a small, pilot dance program at Franklin Elementary School and has since evolved into a dynamic arts initiative reaching thousands of students across the region. In 1974, CCP was officially incorporated as a nonprofit under the Santa Barbara County Education Office. Today, CCP brings professional artists and live performances into schools, annually serving more than 80,000 students across 80 campuses in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
“We are deeply grateful for CCP’s contributions in service to generations of students,” said Susan Salcido, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools. “The arts ignite creativity, nurture confidence, and invite us to see the world through different perspectives. For five decades, CCP has opened those doors for students across our region, and we are honored to stand alongside them in carrying this work forward.”
Piece Time is made possible through CCP’s partnerships with Healing Justice Santa Barbara, Explore Ecology, and Empty Bowls Santa Barbara, which will contribute handmade ceramic bowls to be available for purchase as keepsakes in support of arts education. CCP extends gratitude to other local partners, including Su’nan the SPACE, who will open the festival with a Chumash Land Acknowledgment, as well as Creative Network, Grace Fischer Foundation, Michael Katz Storytelling, Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, Nick Rail Music, Ortega Park Steering Committee, Santa Barbara Unified School District, and Summer Solstice Celebration.
Event Details:
- What: Piece Time: A 50th Anniversary Festival EVENT FLYER
- When: Saturday, October 11, 2025 | 11 a.m.–5 p.m. | 5– 7 p.m. Adults, 21+ only
- Where: Santa Barbara City College Great Meadow, 721 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93109
- Cost:
- General Admission – $15 (includes a free ceramic piece)
- Students under 18 – FREE.
- Sunset Happy Hour from 5 pm to 7 pm – $45 tickets for 21+. (Includes Piece Time swag and two free drink tickets.)
