Polo is back in Carpinteria and Prince Harry is playing!

Polo Join in the Fun, Polo, Ponies and People! Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club is the premier destination for summer polo. Players and Patrons from all across the globe call Santa Barbara their home for the summer, bringing world class polo to the Southern California coast. Spectators gather for matches on Friday and Sunday afternoons from mid-April to October. Polo matches are open to the public with a wide range of hospitality and guest seating. All are welcome to join for an exciting afternoon of heart pumping action. Please visit the Spectator Information page for more information. FIELD & TIME The field is 300 yards long and 160 yards wide, making it the size of nine football fields. Teams switch goals after every goal scored. There are six periods of play called "chukkers" with a 10 minute break after the 3rd chukker. Each Chukker is 7 minutes and 30 seconds long. The clock is only stopped if there is a foul, a broken piece of tack, or an injured player. The clock is not stopped if the ball goes over the sideboards, a player falls off and is not injured or a goal is scored. PLAYER, MOUNTS & TEAMS Each team consists of 4 players. Each player is rated by the United States Polo Association and receives a handicap which ranges from 10 (being the best) to -1 (being a beginner). The handicaps of all the players on the team are added up. For example, in a 12 goal tournament, the cumulative total of the team's handicaps cannot exceed 12 goals. FOULS There are two mounted umpires and one referee in the grandstands. The rules in polo are written to ensure the safety of both horse and player. The most common foul in polo is a "right of way" infraction. Penalty shots are awarded depending on the severity of the foul and the field positioning of the teams. PLAY Players can hit the ball with their mallet from either side of their horse, but must hold their mallet in their right hand. Players may hook another player's mallet with their mallet to prevent them from hitting the ball. FORMS If you are interested in playing or learning how to play, please be sure to fill out our forms accordingly. To easily access them, please click the button below: FORMS For more info please contact Melanja Jones: 970.231.7426 or melanjaj@sbpolo.com

(information and photo from the SBpolo.com website)

Santa Museum of Natural History - Butterflies Alive is back!

Butterflies Alive! In the Sprague Butterfly Pavilion THROUGH SEPTEMBER 5 Walk through a beautiful garden while nearly 1,000 live butterflies flutter freely around you. The exhibit features a dazzling variety of butterflies, from local favorites to exotic tropical species. Learn about the life cycle and behavior of these spectacular invertebrates while observing them up close. The exhibit is included in Museum admission. Please be prepared to wait in line outside the pavilion. Last entry to the pavilion line is at 4:00 PM. If you purchase Museum admission online in advance, your ticket entry time is your approximate time of entry to the Museum, not the pavilion. Pro tip: You may see shorter lines coming on a weekday! Weekends are the most crowded for this exhibit. Media sponsors: Santa Barbara Independent and Noozhawk Butterfly Magic Window Look back through the Butterfly Magic Window to follow our butterflies on their 2020 journey from pupa to pavilion. Information and photo from the Museum of Natural History Newsletter)

I madonnari Street Painting Festival is back at the Santa Barbara Mission,May 28, 29 and 30

Source: Santa Barbara County Education Office The community is invited to celebrate the 36th anniversary of the I Madonnari Street Painting Festival this Memorial Day Weekend. The in-person festival will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 28, 29, and 30 at the Old Mission Santa Barbara. I Madonnari, the first festival of its kind in North America to present the performance art of street painting, is produced by and raises vital funding for the Children’s Creative Project (CCP), a nonprofit arts education program of the Santa Barbara County Education Office. This year’s festival will celebrate local champion of the arts Kai Tepper’s first year as the new Executive Director for Children’s Creative Project and honor founder and former Executive Director, Kathy Koury for her 44 years of service. The festival features over 100 street paintings drawn live with chalk pastels on the pavement in front of the Mission. Live music and food market will be featured on the Mission lawn throughout the three-day event, with new local vendors such as the United States of Espresso, Dave’s Dogs, and Rascal’s Vegan Pop-Up, as well as traditional favorites like the much-loved lemon-rosemary roasted chicken, pizza, gelato, and more produced by the CCP Board of Directors with volunteers from National Charity League and Boys Charity League. All proceeds from sales benefit the Children's Creative Project. Music performances include several local favorites such as Mezcal Martini, Jackson Gilles and several exceptional youth performances such as SB Piano Boys and local high school jazz bands. An expanded area for children to create street paintings will be located at the west side of the Mission. Throughout the three-day event, over 600 Kids’ Squares can be purchased for $15, which includes a box of chalk. On-site parking will be available this year for $5.00 per car. More information can be found at: https://ccp.sbceo.org/i-madonnari/welcome This year’s festival is special for many reasons. In addition to having an energized in-person return after a two year hiatus, CCP has partnered with a national arts collaboration, the Art of Mass Gatherings, to host a one-day symposium on Saturday, May 29 in tandem with the festival. The Art of Mass Gatherings is a traveling national program that uses festivals as classrooms to activate an arts-focused approach to community resilience and emergency preparedness. It invites artists, event producers, and emergency professionals to come together to share knowledge and practices for enhancing the safety, accessibility, and sustainability of large gatherings. The event is free to attend for the first 50 participants thanks to a grant from Performing Arts Readiness. Lunch is included and accommodations are available by request upon registration. “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to showcase local mavericks leading important change in the event world and learn from nationally recognized experts at the same time” says Elly Iverson, Santa Barbara event producer and liaison for the project. Featured guest speakers include Marcos Vargas from the Fund for Santa Barbara, Creative Director Alfredo Peralta, filmmaker Paul Matthew, and representatives from local emergency management. Event highlights include an accessibility site walk, event electrics training from author and certified entertainment electrician Richard Cadena, a hands-on eco-friendly art workshop with Julie Schneiderman of Stik N Stuk, and a conversation about the role of the arts and events in a future shaped by climate change. Registration information can be found at: https://events.humanitix.com/the-art-of-mass-gatherings-in-santa-barbara The festival is made possible by the generosity of many local individuals, foundations and businesses. The year’s top sponsors include Bella Vista Designs, Challenge Asphalt, Daniel and Mandy Hochman, Loreto Plaza Shopping Center, Mosher Foundation, The Berry Man, and Village Properties. Additional sponsors include: American Riviera Bank, Boys Charity League, COX Communication, Community West Bank, Haagen Printing/Typecraft Inc., Heritage House, KEYT NewChannel3, Marborg Industries, Montecito Bank and Trust, National Charity League, NS Ceramics Inc., the Notre Dame School, V3 Printing, Santa Barbara Beautiful, Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary, Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara City College Foundation, Weidl Construction and Bank of America. Children’s Creative Project is grateful and thanks the Old Mission for hosting I Madonnari. The organization would also like to thank and acknowledge Elly Iverson, Warner Events Management and Santa Barbara County Education Office for their operational and in-kind support. Limited sponsorship opportunities will be available until Friday, May 6, 2022. Information can be found here: https://ccp.sbceo.org/i-madonnari/be-a-sponsor This year’s featured artist, Dawn Morrison Wagner, produced her first street painting back in 1988 during the I Madonnari festival and immediately fell in love with the art form. She is proud to say that she has participated in at least one festival per year, over the last 35 years. Dawn has been featured around the country, won many awards, and her art has been used in commercial and promotional work. Dawn’s street art has evolved from specializing in classic reproductions, such as pieces that honor the art form’s Italian origins as well as her ancestry, to more contemporary perspective pieces that utilize the 3-dimensional relationship between the viewer and the pavement. Like many of her Renaissance idols, Dawn has spent her life combining Art and Science. She completed an Art Minor while pursuing her Physics and Engineering degrees, and continued to travel to festivals while working in the Aerospace, Semiconductor, and now advanced imaging industries. Dawn has enjoyed sharing her love of the medium with other artists through chalk art workshops, organizing children's festivals during her boys' elementary school years, and with the audience that comes to watch her pieces emerge from the pavement. Dawn is dedicating this year’s piece in memory of her father, who was always her biggest fan. For more information on Dawn, follow her on Instagram: @madonnara, #madonnaradesigns, web: http://www.madonnara.com. On Monday, May 30, at 12:00 PM, CCP will host a ceremony on the Mission steps to introduce and thank the major festival sponsors and featured artist Dawn Morrison Wagner as her street painting is concluded.

The History of Memorial Day

When Is Memorial Day? Memorial Day 2021 is Monday, May 31. From 1868 to 1970, Memorial Day was celebrated on May 30 (regardless of what day of the week it fell on), but since 1971, the holiday has been celebrated on the last Monday of May. Memorial Day vs. Veteran’s Day Memorial Day is commonly mixed up with other military holidays observed in the United States. So, what’s the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day? Memorial Day observes those who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces, while Veterans Day, celebrated annually on November 11, honors those who have served or are serving. Armed Forces Day (celebrated on the third Saturday in May) celebrates those who are currently serving in a branch of the military. How to Celebrate Memorial Day While Memorial Day barbecues, lake days, and camping trips are common activities for the three-day weekend, make sure you're celebrating the holiday respectfully. Before you fire up the grill, volunteer to place miniature American flags ($8 for 25 flags, Amazon) at military gravesites or in local parks. If you have a flag pole, be sure to fly your flag at half-mast on the holiday as well. Here are seven more facts you may not know about the history of Memorial Day. Related Items 1 Memorial Day Was Unofficially Started by Women Before the Civil War ended, women’s groups got together to decorate the graves of the soldiers who had passed away. On April 12, 1886, the Columbus Ladies Memorial Association in Columbus, Georgia, announced they would dedicate one day a year to decorating graves as a way to remember fallen soldiers. This was one of many events put on by local Ladies Memorial Associations that eventually led to the federal holiday. 2 It Was Originally Called Decoration Day The holiday wasn’t called Memorial Day until 1971: Before that, it was known as Decoration Day. The very first Decoration Day was celebrated on May 30, 1868, as the future president James A. Garfield gave a remembrance speech to thousands of onlookers at Arlington National Cemetery. Over the years, the day began to be referred to as Memorial Day, and for consistency’s sake, it was nationally re-named in 1971. 3 It Wasn’t a Federal Holiday Until 1971 In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act which proclaimed that Memorial Day would be celebrated on the last Monday each May and gave all federal employees the day off of work. But it wasn’t named an official federal holiday until 1971, more than 100 years after the end of the Civil War. 4 Newly Freed Slaves Held One of the First Memorial Day Celebrations One of the very first Memorial Day celebrations on record was held by newly freed slaves in Charleston, South Carolina. On May 1, 1865, freed slaves gathered with members of the U.S. Colored Troops to bury and honor fallen Union soldiers. A crowd of 10,000 people formed a parade around an old race track, where they sang hymns and decorated graves. 5 Memorial Day includes a National Moment of Remembrance This year marks the 20th anniversary of the National Moment of Remembrance Act, which was signed by President Bill Clinton in 2000. The act asks all Americans to observe a national moment of remembrance at 3:00 p.m. local time on the afternoon of Memorial Day. 6 Flags Are to be Flown at Half-Mast Until Noon You might think that the American flag should be flown at half-mast all day, but the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs states that the flag should be flown at half-staff “from sunrise until noon only, then raised briskly to the top of the staff until sunset, in honor of the nation’s battle heroes.” This goes for all flags on government buildings, grounds, and naval vessels, as well as flags flown by private citizens. 7 Poppies Are a Symbol of Memorial Day Poppies have long been used to remember fallen soldiers after the bright red flowers began to bloom on World War I battlefields following the end of the war. Originally a symbol used to honor British soldiers who died in World War I, the flower also became associated with Memorial Day in 1915 when Moina Michael, a Georgia teacher and wartime volunteer, penned the poem "We Shall Keep the Faith" as part of a campaign to make poppies a national symbol of remembrance. (from an article in Better Homes)

Santa Barbara Antique Show, May 13

Reminder! The NEW Santa Barbara Antique Show begins Friday at 11 a.m. Get there early! May 13, 14 & 15, 2022 NEW Name, but Still the Same Great Show ! Over 70 quality dealers from around the country will offer an array of merchandise to please any shopper. From Tin to Tiffany, Furniture, Jewelry, Paintings, Silver, China, Pottery, Lighting, Textiles, Native American, Vintage Fashion, Bakelite, Oriental Rugs, Mid-century Modern, Asian and much much more. PLUS many rare and hard to find items. You won't leave empty handed! Simply put, it's the most exciting Antique, Vintage, Jewelry, and Decorative Arts show on the west coast. Here are the details: The Santa Barbara Antique, Decorative Arts, & Vintage Show & Sale (formerly known as the CALM Show) MAY 13 - 15, 2022 FRI: 11-7 SAT: 11-6 SUN: 11-4 Earl Warren Showgrounds at 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 Find out more and get your discount pass at: https://sbantiqueshow.com/