October 2009 Short Cuts:

Santa Barbara Travel News & Story Ideas

BOO AT THE ZOO — The Santa Barbara Zoo's annual Halloween event has gone country. "Boo at the Zoo: Wild Wild West" is three nights of safe, traffic-free trick-or-treating October 23 - 25 from 5:30pm - 8:30pm. The merry-not-too-scary event features monster-ous thrills and chills including a Trick & Treat Trail, Boo-Choo-Choo train rides, Creepy Crawly encounters, Spooky Storytelling, Goblin Games, nightly Costume Parades, Ghoulish Goodies and more. The most popular family Halloween event in the tri-county area, Boo at the Zoo attracts 4,000 - 6,000 costumed kids and their families over three nights. The perfect outing for young children, Boo at the Zoo also lives up to its name with a Scare Zone for older kids. Tickets: $11 adults, $9 children. This event is for children 2-12, accompanied by an adult. www.sbzoo.org

LOCAL DISH — Seagrass Restaurant (www.seagrassrestaurant.com) welcomes Executive Chef John Pettitt (Melisse, Michael's, Gary Danko, Masa's, Wine Cask), who put his fresh spin on the restaurant's signature "Coastal Cuisine" and unveiled a revamped menu. Coast at Canary Hotel (www.canarysantabarbara.com) offers a new Sunday brunch menu along with fun features like the "Canary Mary" drink cart, allowing bartenders to individually mix brunch cocktails tableside. East Beach Wine Company (www.eastbeachwine.com) moved to a more convenient location at 1114 State Street in La Arcada Court. The wine retailer specializing in Santa Barbara County wines hosts Friday night tasting events with winemakers and now serves wines by the glass.

GREEN WEDDING & EVENT PLANNING COMPANY LAUNCHES — Merryl Brown Events (www.MerrylBrownEvents.com) specializes in elegant social and corporate events as well as weddings that are both environmentally sensitive and beautiful. Every aspect of an event is looked at through a prism of sustainability to determine how to create something that is both gracious and green. Environmental responsibility is a keystone of every step of the planning process, using local, organic, recycled, biodegradable and compostable materials wherever possible to make the event as low-waste as possible from start to finish, without ever compromising the elegance or quality of the production. A special network of caterers, florists, floral designers, graphic designers, party favor suppliers and venues all place a high premium on sustainable practices. Trained staff oversees the waste management of events, and can conduct a comprehensive waste audit to provide an environmental impact analysis upon request. Elegance with Intelligence™ is the motto!

IT'S COMPLICATED — Stay tuned for It's Complicated, a romantic comedy from writer/director Nancy Meyers (Something's Gotta Give & The Holiday) and starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. In the film, Streep's character Jane owns a bakery/restaurant in Santa Barbara and several scenes were shot on location in Santa Barbara. The film opens Christmas Day, December 25^th. www.itscomplicatedmovie.com

WINTER HOLIDAY SPIRIT — Visit Santa Barbara to soak up holiday cheer, enjoy festive local traditions and take advantage of stellar shopping without big city crowds. Get a head start on your shopping at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History's 23rd Annual Folk & Tribal Arts Marketplace December 4-6. The 57th Annual Downtown Holiday Parade will light up State Street Friday, December 4. The holiday spirit takes to the sea Sunday, December 13 for the 24th Annual Harbor Parade of Lights. Kids will enjoy Santa Barbara Zoo's Sledding at the Zoo & Snow Leopard Festival December 5th. Casa Del Herrero, a beautifully-preserved Montecito Architectural Heritage site, offers holiday-infused tours in December. Take in a performance of the State Street Ballet's NutcrackerDecember 12-13, Santa Barbara Theatre's Peter Pan December 20-January 3 or PCPA Theaterfest's The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe November 5-December 23. Savor the sounds of the season at special holiday concerts set in historic venues and theatres, including the Santa Barbara Symphony's New Year's Eve Pop's at The Granada December 31. www.SantaBarbaraCA.com 

SEASONAL SPECIALS — Inn of the Spanish Garden (www.spanishgardeninn.com) makes holiday shopping a treat with the "May I Elf You?" package, featuring a two night stay in an Executive King room, an elf to help you get all your holiday shopping done in a day and breakfast in bed. When you call to reserve your package, your elf will design a shopping tour based on your preferences. Your elf will see to it that you are picked up, dropped off and well taken care of during your shopping foray, including having your shopping bags whisked away for safe keeping. After returning from your exhilarating day of holiday shopping you can relax with a complimentary glass of wine in front of your fireplace. Overnight, your elf will wrap your purchases while you enjoy a blissful slumber in your cozy room. In the morning, enjoy your complimentary expanded continental breakfast brought to your room. $495 tax inclusive, available December 1-23; 72 hours advance booking required: 866.564.4700. This festive season, Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara (www.fourseasons.com/santabarbara) is spreading seaside holiday cheer with a variety of great values, lavish traditions and unforgettable experiences. In December, guests can sip on a hot toddy or spiced apple cider while "dashing" along scenic Butterfly Beach and through the quaint village of Montecito on a romantic and exhilarating "sleigh" ride in a horse-drawn carriage. At Saks Fifth Avenue in downtown Santa Barbara, exclusive VIP gift shopping offers an opportunity to check your list twice. Children can take part in engaging experiences like complimentary cookie baking and decorating workshops led by Mrs. Claus, or creating their own ornaments in the Kids For All Seasons Program. On select evenings, they can gather around the cozy fireplace for story time with Santa, complete with milk and cookies. On Christmas Eve, all children will receive a personalized stocking amenity — delivered to their doorstep by Santa's elves — to ensure an extra joyful holiday experience. Room rates start as low as $375.

"SIP & SAVOR" WEB VIDEO GIVES THE INSIDE SCOOP ON SANTA BARBARA'S DINING SCENE — The Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau and Film Commission presents "Sip & Savor", aweb video featuring insider tips on where to eat and drink courtesy of local celebs Cat Cora(Iron Chef),Rob Lowe(TV & Film Actor),Andrew Firestone("The Bachelor"),Shaun Tomson(Former World Champion Surfer/Author of Surfer's Code and Bustin' Down the Door),Jean-Michel Cousteau(Explorer/Founder of Ocean Futures Society),Jay Ferguson (Composer for Film & TV/Credits include "The Office") and Zach Gill(ALO/Jack Johnson Band). From neighborhood gems and iconic restaurants to casual taqueria's and local watering holes, the four-minute video reveals where these local residents can be found savoring the bounty of Santa Barbara. View "Sip & Savor" on Facebook.com/VisitSantaBarbara, YouTube and SantaBarbaraCA.com/InsideSantaBarbara.

EVENT CALENDAR

October 1-31: epicure.sb: a month to savor santa barbara cuisine, libations and culture extravaganza. www.epicuresb.com

November 14 – January 17, 2010: Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum presents Unusual Behavior, an exhibition that critically examines the unusual and absurd in art!  Featuring 11 internationally acclaimed contemporary artists, this exhibition offers a diverse range of performances captured on video–such as Marie Losier's musical, which stars ballerinas, boxers, and a drag queen; Julie Lequin's humorous knock-off of NPR's Car Talk characters Click and Clack; to Kalup Linzy's outrageous, one-man rendition of a melodramatic "soap opera." www.sbcaf.org

December 4:  57th Annual Downtown Holiday Parade lights up State Street with holiday cheer. www.santabarbaradowntown.com

December 4-6:  Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History's 23rd Annual Folk & Tribal Arts Marketplace. www.sbnature.org

December 5: More snow, more sledding, and more fun this year at the Santa Barbara Zoo's Sledding at the Zoo & Snow Leopard Festival. www.sbzoo.org

December 6:The first annual Santa Barbara International Marathon starts 1 mile west of Camino Real Marketplace in Goleta and ends at Leadbetter Beach.www.sbmarathon.com

December 13: 24th Annual Harbor Parade of Lights including festive touches like carolers, Santa Claus and kids' activities in Santa's Village.

January 30-May 2: Delacroix to Monet: Masterpieces of 19^th-Century Painting from the Walters Art Museum at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. www.smba.net

February 4-14:The Santa Barbara International Film Festival rolls out the red carpet for its 25^th year. www.sbiff.org

March 12-14:As seen in the film Adaptation, commercial and amateur orchid growers from the US and around the world will display thousands of their most perfect orchids at the 65^th annual Santa Barbara International Orchid Show.www.sborchidshow.com