One of the longest-running and largest Earth Day celebrations on the West Coast, the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival returns to Alameda Park on April 25–26, 2026. Free and family-friendly, with live music, eco vendors, a plant-forward food court, and the largest green car show on the West Coast.
The Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival is one of the longest-running Earth Day celebrations in the country — and one of the largest on the West Coast. Held annually at Alameda Park in downtown Santa Barbara, the two-day festival draws local crowds, national media, and environmental advocates from across the region.
The 2026 festival takes place April 25–26, with hours from 11am–8pm Saturday and 11am–7pm Sunday. Highlights include two days of live music across multiple stages, a plant-forward food court and beer garden, eco-friendly exhibitors, kids' activities and family programming, and the longest-running public Green Car Show in the United States.
Santa Barbara holds a special connection to the environmental movement — widely acknowledged as the birthplace of Earth Day following the devastating 1969 oil spill off its coast. The festival is produced by the Community Environmental Council (CEC) and CarpEvents.
Admission is free. Volunteer opportunities are available.