Santa Barbara Summer Solstice Celebration

The Summer Solstice Celebration Parade and Festival is the largest arts event in Santa Barbara County, drawing crowds of over 100,000 spectators from around the world. Summer Solstice Parade began in 1974, as a birthday celebration for a popular artist and mime named Michael Gonzales.

Today, the Summer Solstice Celebration has evolved into creative and original display of floats, giant puppets, whimsical costumes and masks of more than 1,000 parade participants, of all ethnic and economic backgrounds. There is dancing, music, drumming and drama that enthralls the spectators.