Plan a girlfriend getaway now while the sun lingers on California’s central coast.

With five weekends in October to dally with, select two- three-four or more days to savor stunning Santa Barbara during epicure! A month long celebration of the bounty the entire county has to offer.

Nestled between the soft purple mountains and the sparkling sea, take time to discover the locals who make playing and staying in Santa Barbara so unique and memorable to visit. Bring your sundresses and sandals – it’s still warm enough – your best friends and a hearty appetite!

Throughout October it’s epicure.sb—a celebration of local cuisine, libations and culture. Dive into the full schedule – meet the farmers, wine masters, chefs and artisans – everyday is packed with alternatives!

CUISINE: Seasonal dishes, tasting events and winemakers’ dinners are on the menu at dozens of participating restaurants. Highlights include:
• Get in town Friday evenings in time for a pop-up dinner at Scarlett Begonia’s. Showcasing farm to table cuisine coupled with modern innovative cooking. Meet the charming and dedicated owner Christ Fooks who is happy to share the ins-and-outs of producing phenomenally tasty and fresh dishes.
• Chef for a Day at the Farmers’ Market (Oct. 20) – You’ll start the day strolling the Farmers’ Market with the chef of Coast Restaurant & Bar at the Canary Hotel, picking out ingredients for that evening’s dinner. Later in the day, you’ll reconvene for a cooking class using your fresh ingredients that culminates into a four-course dinner with local wine pairings served on the restaurant’s terrace.
Eat This, Shoot That! (Every Fri. & Sat. in Oct.) – A walking, food tasting & photo tour through Santa Barbara’s waterfront neighborhood. Try some of Santa Barbara’s best seafood and local libations while learning how to take better travel photos.
• Sustainable Local Sushi at Bar Bacara (Every Wed.-Sat. in Oct.) – Offered at the Bacara Resort’s new Sushi Bar, Chef Katie Kim’s Sustainable Sushi prix-fixe menu highlights locally-sourced seafood – all perfectly paired with sake by the resort’s expert Sommelier Michael Trupiano.

LIBATIONS: Wine, micro brews and spirits take center stage at dozens of special tasting and pairing events throughout October. Highlights include:
• Winemaker for a Day (Oct. 5, 12, 19) – For the first time Margerum Wine Company is allowing guests to come up to the valley and be a hands-on winemaker for a day. Enjoy meeting the team and learning the day-to-day process of producing fine wines. Get your hands dirty and do a bit of crushing. Your day will end with a barrel tasting and the opportunity to blend your own wine. A gourmet lunch will be prepared and to commemorate your day, you’ll get a bottle of your personal blend.
• Farm-to-Bar Happy Hour (Oct. 16) – While Wildcat Lounge has great respect for “your father’s cocktails,” they will refresh traditional libations using fresh-squeezed organic fruits, vegetables, garnishes and their own infused liquors.

CULTURE: Feed your mind and soul with epicurean-inspired art exhibits, live performances and cultural events. Highlights include:
• Mangia del’ Arte (Oct. 14) – Mangia del’ Arte is that place in the imagination tickled by feats of gastronomic delight and artistry. This on stage feast of the senses features captivating entertainment and premier local restaurant fare as never seen before, promising delicious memories of culture meeting cuisine. This enchanting and exclusive benefit event supports Lobero Theatre, California’s oldest continuously operating theatre.
• Maritime Tastings (Oct. 4, 11, 25) – Each Thursday, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum will feature a short talk by a producer of the local seafood, a short presentation by an expert about that particular variety of seafood, and a demonstration by a local chef on how to prepare the item followed by a tasting.
• Foody Movies at Paseo Nuevo (Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26) – Make it a date night and enjoy food centric films under the stars. Wine and snacks will be available for purchase, and the films shown will be: Julie & Julia, Sideways, Chocolat, and Eat Pray Love.

HOTEL PACKAGE
Go big on style with a deluxe experience at the recently renovated Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara tucked away in Montecito. This lush property is steeped in celebrated history, traditional Spanish arts and architecture and carefully tended to with seductive landscaping.

The Biltmore is easily one of the few resorts where leaving the property is really not necessary. The rooms are simply, exquisitely lovely with old world charm. The cottages have small patios for sunning outside your room, dark hardwood floors and hefty wooden doors and windows that stay open, inviting the sea breeze. Add the sweeping view of the Pacific just steps away, daily access to the locals exclusive private club Coral Casino and superb sustainable wining and dining on site. Heaven.

Speaking of heaven, The Bella Vista Restaurant is set spectacularly over Butterfly Beach for watercolor sunsets and soft candlelit dining. In the spirit of epicure.sb, Bella Vista is dishing up a five-course wine dinner menu for just $75 during the entire month of October.
A to V (abalone to vino): a taste of local food, wine
The lineup, developed by Italian executive chef Alessandro Cartumini, includes Abalone ceviche, late harvest tomatoes and fresh cheese, miso black cod, Zaca Ranch short rib ravioli and finally pistachio cake with passion fruit sorbet. Each visually stunning course is paired with an outstanding Santa Barbara County wine.

Other waterfront hotel options include Oceana, the Harbor View Inn and Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort or the centrally located Inn of the Spanish Garden

Getting Around
Santa Barbara is an easy walking city with State Street as the featured promenade. The Waterfront Shuttle, a small, open-air, quiet, electric shuttle, runs up and down State street and along Cabrillo street for only 50 cents. Or catch a pedicab down to the funk zone and learn a little about typical life in Santa Barbara from a local.

ABOUT EPICURE.SB
Visit www.epicuresb.com for hotel package details, a comprehensive event schedule and a complete list of participating businesses. The Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau and Film Commission and the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization joined forces to develop and present epicure.sb.

ABOUT SANTA BARBARA
Voted Best Getaway by L.A. Times Readers’ Choice Awards in 2012, Santa Barbara is located just 92 miles north of Los Angeles and 332 miles south of San Francisco, on the Pacific coastline. Visitors can arrive via scenic Highway 101, Amtrak train or Greyhound bus or by flying into Santa Barbara Municipal Airport or Los Angeles International Airport. For travel and accommodation information and to request a free copy of the official Santa Barbara County Visitors Magazine, contact the Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau and Film Commission at 800.676.1266, 805.966.9222, tourism@santabarbaraca.com or santabarbaraCA.com.