Help us Pick the 2027 Solstice Theme
THEME PARTY & FASHION SHOW
Come Dressed as Your 2027 Theme Idea!
Saturday, Sept. 19, 5–8 PM • Son Y Sabor, 409 State
It's time to start thinking about the Solstice 2027 Parade Theme! Each year we kick it off with a party around the EQUINOX to get ideas and input from our community so we can come up with a new theme. Dress as the Solstice theme you want to see and take the runway! Cash prizes will be awarded for Best Solstice Theme Costume, for the evening’s most outrageous— and for the ‘most last minute”—Solstice fashion. Music provided by Chris Benedict, aka DJ of Abilities. 

It's your in-person opportunity to vote for the 2027 Parade Theme, connect with the Solstice community, and enjoy a lively evening of creativity and fun. Submit your theme idea and sign up for the fashion show!
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MAKES THE SUMMER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION POSSIBLE!
From the bottom of our hearts—THANK YOU!
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To the City of Santa Barbara and its dedicated employees, our incredible Solstice staff, Board of Directors, Advisory Board, generous sponsors, local businesses, artists, Artists-in-Residence, volunteers, performers, musicians, parade participants, festival vendors, media partners, donors, and the thousands of joyful spectators who lined the streets and filled Alameda Park...
You are Solstice.
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Thank you for making this year's Summer Solstice Celebration such a joyful, colorful, vibrant, and unforgettable experience. Every costume sewn, every puppet built, every float imagined, every volunteer shift, every sponsorship, every performance, every donation, every behind-the-scenes task, every cheer along the Parade route, and every smiling face helped create the magic.
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For more than five decades, the Summer Solstice Celebration has brought our community together through the arts. It reminds us that creativity has the power to connect us, inspire us, and celebrate what makes Santa Barbara such a remarkable place to call home.
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Whether you spent months building an ensemble in the Workshop, donated your time and talents, helped keep everyone safe, supported a local artist, shared our story, or simply came to celebrate with family and friends—you played an important part in making this year's Celebration possible.
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Because of you, tens of thousands of people experienced moments of wonder, laughter, connection, and pure joy.
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Thank you for believing in the arts. Thank you for believing in community. Thank you for believing in Solstice.
This free community celebration exists because of people like you. Your generosity, enthusiasm, creativity, and support keep the spirit of Solstice alive and ensure that future generations can continue to experience this extraordinary tradition.
We can't wait to dream, build, dance, laugh, create, and celebrate with you again next year!
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DOWNLOAD "HIGHLIGHTS OF 2026 SOLSTICE CELEBRATION" HERE
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With gratitude and love,
The Summer Solstice Celebration Team
The Summer Solstice Celebration is free for everyone because of the generosity of people like you. Every gift—large or small—helps us build giant puppets, inspire artists, support young creators young and old, bringing our community together through the arts.
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The Parade may be over, but the WAVE continues.
If the Parade and Festival brought a smile to your face, please consider making a gift today. Keep the WAVE going!
Make a donation today and support the year-round programs that inspire artists, build community, and keep this extraordinary community tradition alive.
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Support Summer Solstice
Support the creativity, community, and tradition that make Summer Solstice possible. Every contribution helps bring this vibrant celebration of the arts to life.