Event Santa Barbara Launches to Connect Community, Music, and Local Business
Event Santa Barbara has officially launched with a simple goal: create more reasons for people to get out, connect, and support the local community.
Founded by Santa Barbara musician and event marketer Neil Erickson, Event Santa Barbara is being built as both an events platform and a local media brand focused on bringing together residents, musicians, businesses, and the City.
The idea grew out of Erickson’s years working in live music, event production, and local marketing. After seeing how recurring community events can create real energy around a city, he began developing a Santa Barbara-focused version built around the people and businesses already here.
“Santa Barbara already has incredible musicians, businesses, and community energy,” Erickson said. “The opportunity is to bring those pieces together in a consistent way and create something people genuinely want to be part of.”
A major focus of Event Santa Barbara will be supporting local musicians by giving them larger audiences, paid performance opportunities, and more visibility through social media, newsletters, video, photography, and live events.
The platform will also promote local businesses and community events throughout the year, helping residents discover more of what is happening around Santa Barbara.
At the center of the project is a planned summer Block Party series featuring free Friday events with live music, local food, vendors, and a family-friendly atmosphere. The long-term vision is to build a recurring community tradition that strengthens the local economy while creating more opportunities for people to connect in person.
Event Santa Barbara is currently building relationships with musicians, businesses, community organizations, and local partners as the project continues to grow.
The goal is bigger than any single event: to create a trusted local platform that celebrates Santa Barbara and gives the people who make the community special a bigger stage.