There are several wine festivals held in Santa Barbara. The first one is held in early March and is called World of Pinot Noir. Wine and snack tastings, as well as master classes and consultations, are held in the resort area of the Ritz-Carlton Bacara. Another event takes place at the end of June and is called the Santa Barbara Wine & Food Festival, where hundreds of well-known food and wine producers present their products. You can taste great dishes and drinks in the Museum of Natural History and Sea Center. The end of the harvest season is traditionally celebrated in mid-October, and the locals unite for the Celebration of Harvest. The venue is the Santa Ynez Valley, where a food fair is organized. Seminars and tasting of farm products and wine are also held as a part of the celebration.
Beginning of March marks not only the onset of the calendar spring but also attracts gourmets to Santa Barbara, who are in a hurry to get to the festival, Restaurant Week. More than twenty large restaurants and cafes offer a special menu, at the so-called “prix fixe” (fixed price). Another remarkable festival in Santa Barbara takes place in mid-March and “fixes” the spring mood with a bright exhibition. We are talking about the International Orchid Show when the North American city (or rather, its central streets and parks) are immersed in delightfully beautiful orchids. In total, about fifty exhibitions are shown during the spring event.
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