Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation

08/19/2026

Steeped in history and surrounded by quintessential Santa Barbara charm, Casa de la Guerra is the perfect setting for your next celebration. With affordable pricing, no vendor restrictions, and amenities including lighting and a prep kitchen, you’ll have the flexibility to bring your vision to life. From quinceañeras and wedding receptions to company parties and milestone celebrations, we’d love to host you.

✨ Visit sbthp.org/venue-rentals for availability.

08/11/2026

SBTHP is dedicated to stewarding the past and present of the Presidio Neighborhood and inspiring preservation advocacy throughout the county in order to create a more vibrant community. Through our educational programs, we inspire the next generation to understand and appreciate the community they call home.
 
Help Us Reach Our Mid-Year Goal
Our goal is to raise $3,500 by August 31 to support school and youth programs for the coming academic year. Your gift today helps ensure students can continue to learn from Santa Barbara’s historic places and stories.
 
Make a difference today at sbthp.org/donate/youth-programs!

08/03/2026

Come see what students found when looking for Fiesta!
 
Junior high and high school students from across Santa Barbara explored the historic roots of Fiesta, including how diverse communities have reshaped the celebration to reflect their own histories and experiences. Their teachers explored the history of Fiesta in local archives to plan lessons that informed the student projects in the Finding Fiesta exhibit.
 
Finding Fiesta is part of Community in Action, a UCSB Interdisciplinary Humanities Center program designed to reinforce in K-12 students a key component of participatory democracy: the right, power, and ability of all citizens– understood in the broadest sense– to shape the stories that represent the shared public history and identity of their local community 
 
This UCSB Interdisciplinary Humanities Center project was made possible through partnerships with the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, UCSB Library, UCSB graduate students and the teachers who participated; and received support from the UCSB Office of Education Partnerships.

07/28/2026

This year, SBTHP's school and youth programs will connect hundreds of local students to the people, places, and stories that have shaped Santa Barbara. Whether exploring the Presidio Neighborhood, learning about diverse cultural traditions, participating in archaeology activities, or attending our free CASA Camp, students gain hands-on experiences that spark curiosity, build confidence, and create lasting connections.

These opportunities are possible because of supporters like you.

When you give to SBTHP's school and youth programs, you're not simply funding a field trip or activity—you are opening doors to discovery, belonging, and lifelong learning for the next generation.

Please consider making a gift today to help more Santa Barbara County students learn, explore, and grow through history.

❤️ Donate today: https://www.sbthp.org/donate/youth-programs

07/27/2026

Please join us July 31st at 6pm for Closing Night for our 17-Annual Asian American Film Series (AAFS) at the historic Alhecama Theatre for a special screening of THE MOCHI MOVIE, directed by Sky Bergman!
 
THE MOCHI MOVIE explores the centuries-old Japanese tradition of Mochi-tsuki—the ceremonial pounding of rice to make mochi for the New Year—as a lens into resilience, identity, and intergenerational connection. Featuring appearances by cultural icon George Takei, Kristen Hayashi curator at the Japanese American National Museum, and the story of renowned photographer Toyo Miyatake, THE MOCHI MOVIE brings together voices across generations to reflect on the deeper meaning of tradition. (2026, 51 minutes) 
 
Q&A with director Sky Bergman and an outdoor reception will follow the screening.
 
Event Details:
When: Friday, July 31 at 6pm
Where: Alhecama Theatre (215a East Canon Perdido St.)
Cost: $5 suggested donation / Free for SBTHP Members
 
For more information visit: sbthp.org/aafs

Discover the history of Santa Barbara’s Presidio Neighborhood through museums, cultural events, and community programs. Explore historic sites, experience diverse traditions, and help preserve this vibrant heritage.

07/23/2026

We are halfway through SBTHP’s seventeenth-annual Asian American Film Series (AAFS). Every Friday of this month, the historic Alhecama Theatre has been buzzing with anticipation! On 7/10 we were honored to welcome director Eric Lin and actor Lawrence Shou representing their award-winning film, ROSEMEAD, starring Lucy Liu. Then, on 7/17, we hosted TV personality Billy Dec, alongside director Michele Josue, and camera operator Julian Rodriguez to discuss their touching documentary, FOOD ROOTS, all about travel, food, and the Filipino-American experience.
 
Don’t miss A NIGHT OF SHORTS this Friday 7/24 at 6pm! The evening will feature three short films by burgeoning, talented filmmakers, two of them local to the area. Stick around afterwards for a Q&A and hear about the filmmaker’s process! Then, on 7/31 we host award-winning, local director Sky Bergman with her popular new documentary, THE MOCHI MOVIE!

For more information, visit sbthp.org/aafs.

07/20/2026

Please join us July 24th at 6pm for Night Three for our 17th-annual Asian American Film Series (AAFS) for a special NIGHT OF SHORTS!
 
A NIGHT OF SHORTS LINEUP: 
•        TEN TIMES BETTER by Jennifer Lin
•        LOVING BING by Isaac Bing Wright, Alec Contestabile & Dagmarette Yen
•     OUR FACES WILL ALWAYS BE JAPANESE: TSUTOMU DYO, PANCHO VILLA AND CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE by Brent Winebrenner
 
Q&A with filmmakers and an outdoor reception will follow the screening. 
 
Event Details:
When: Friday, July 24 at 6pm
Where: Alhecama Theatre (215a East Canon Perdido St.)
Cost: $5 suggested donation / Free for SBTHP Members
 
For more information visit: sbthp.org/aafs

07/14/2026

Please join us July 17th at 6pm for Night Two for our 17th-annual Asian American Film Series (AAFS) for a special screening of FOOD ROOTS by . 
 
FOOD ROOTS  
Follow Emmy-Award winning Chicago Restaurateur as he adventures through his mother’s native 7641 Islands of the Philippines to learn recipes from his last living elders, confronting culinary and cultural treasures and family secrets. (2023, 60 minutes) 

Q&A with director Michele Josue and special guest Billy Dec and an outdoor reception will follow the screening. 
 
Event Details: 
When: Friday, July 17 at 6pm 
Where: Alhecama Theatre (215a East Canon Perdido St.) 
Cost: $5 suggested donation / Free for SBTHP Members 
 
For more information visit: sbthp.org/aafs.

07/02/2026

Join us Friday, July 10th at 6pm for Opening Night of SBTHP’s 17th-annual Asian American Film Series (AAFS), featuring ROSEMEAD — a riveting, critically-acclaimed drama starring Lucy Liu & Lawrence Shou, directed by Eric Lin.  
 
ROSEMEAD  
Inspired by a harrowing true story, Lucy Liu gives a career-redefining performance as an ailing woman who takes drastic measures to protect her troubled teenage son (). As his dark obsessions grow and time runs out, she is forced to make impossible choices: how far will she go and what is she willing to sacrifice? Set against the simmering tensions of a Chinese American community, Rosemead is a gripping portrait of a family pushed to the edge. (2025, 97 minutes) 
 
Q&A with director Eric Lin () & actor Lawrence Shou and an outdoor reception will follow screening. Special Guest: .

Event Details: 
When: Friday, July 10th at 6pm 
Where: Alhecama Theatre (215a East Canon Perdido St.) 
Cost: $5 suggested donation / Free for SBTHP members! 
For more information visit: sbthp.org/aafs

Nonprofit organization

06/23/2026

Santa Barbara County’s state historic parks include El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park. State Parks Historian Passports are available for free now through July 6 and can be used for visits through the end of 2026.

California residents can get free access to state historic parks for the rest of the year, including two in Santa Barbara County.  Officials said