State Fest Turns State Street into One Big Night Out

The first weekend of April is typically a quiet one in Santa Barbara, just before the start of festival season.

This year, that lull is being filled.

On Saturday, April 4, a new music and nightlife event, State Fest, will transform multiple venues along State Street into what organizer MJ Morrison describes as a coordinated, “bar crawl–style” festival.

“It just seemed like there was a gap the first big weekend of spring,” he says. “The college kids had Deltopia — well, had being the keyword — but there wasn’t really something for everyone else.”

The event will feature performances from False Puppet, DJ Darla Bea, Tali, Original Synth, Whatever Forever, Jayden Secor, and S.B. JungleCats, among others, spread across venues including Wildcat, Night Lizard, Institution Ale, Cruisery, Unbearable, Wine Therapy, Eos, and Son Y Sabor.

“You can think about it like a bunch of individually curated house parties all taking place inside of bars on State Street,” Morrison says.

State Fest is powered behind the scenes by Umi, the events platform Morrison founded. Originally launched as a social media app, Umi has evolved into a free tool for venues, allowing them to review and select proposed events through a centralized dashboard.

Admission is handled at the door of each venue, with cover charges ranging from free to $20 depending on the performance. Rather than going to the venues, proceeds are directed toward artists, producers, and local community groups. Participating organizations include Moto Men S.B., Santa Barbara Line Dancing, District 216, and Skate Oh Five, with funds intended to help them grow and continue building community.

A portion of the proceeds will also benefit The Restorative Justice Education Center (RJEC), which is a community hub that offers essential resources, legal support, and advocacy to help immigrant families navigate hardship and uncertainty, and is based in the La Casa de la Raza building.

[Click to expand] Credit: Courtesy

Safety, Morrison said, has been a central focus. The event has partnered with Nightcap, a company that produces drink-protection covers, which will be available at every venue.

“And that was a huge part of this for me,” says Morrison, “I want this to feel safe and fun.” Morrison noted that many people have had bad experiences going out and that “we need to start changing how we’re talking about nightlife and making it way more safer and inclusive for everyone to go out.”

He added that bringing in brands focused on safety and comfort — including Nightcap for drink protection and Lumenearz for ear protection that syncs with the music — was key to creating an environment that is both enjoyable and mindful of attendees’ well-being.

Looking ahead, Morrison hopes the festival will expand significantly.

“I’d like for next year to scale it to 10 blocks of State Street, go all the way from the pier to SOhO.”

For more information about State Fest, see instagram.com/statefestsb.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article stated that a portion of the proceeds from State Fest would go directly to Casa de la Raza; however, that is incorrect. Instead, a portion of the proceeds will go to the Restorative Justice Education Center (RJEC), which is located in the same building as La Casa de la Raza.