Community Calendar

Join us October 1-31, 2026 for an entire month of BRAND NEW vegan options all over Santa Barbara, CA!
During this time, restaurants throughout the Santa Barbara area will feature special vegan menu items. Diners have the opportunity to go out, enjoy meals, review/rate menus, and post photos of the delicious vegan meals they have ordered.

To view a list of current participants/menus visit veganchefchallenge.org/santabarbara

Since 2007, UCSB Reads has fostered a shared sense of belonging by bringing the UCSB campus and Santa Barbara communities together to read a common book that explores compelling issues of our time. Conceived by then Executive Vice Chancellor Gene Lucas, the program is led by the UCSB Library in collaboration with campus and community partners. Each year, a committee of UCSB faculty, students, staff, and community members selects a thought-provoking, interdisciplinary book written by a living author that encourages a wide range of readers to engage with a contemporary social, political, cultural or scientific issue such as climate change, racial justice, technology, memory, identity, and democracy.

The program kicks off in winter with a book giveaway for UCSB students led by the Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, and University Librarian, and culminates with a free public talk by the book’s author(s) at Campbell Hall in the spring. Throughout the winter and spring quarters, the Library sponsors a variety of free learning, experiential, and social events to explore the book’s themes. The selected book is also incorporated into the university curriculum for winter and spring, allowing students to explore its themes in an academic context. UCSB Reads is generously supported by many individuals, university departments, and organizations.

This exhibition highlights the history of UCSB Reads since its inception, featuring promotional posters, selected books, custom bookmarks along with testimonials and images of participants engaging with programming throughout the years. UCSB Reads has become a beloved campus tradition that brings together thousands of people every year and demonstrates the power of literature to bridge divides, promote intellectual engagement, and build community.

Perfect for anyone who has ever wanted to learn more about Ancient Maya hieroglyphs, temple-pyramids, royal courts, and historical rivalries, this course provides an in-depth overview of the Classic Maya civilization from its beginnings in the 2nd millennium BCE through the Spanish Invasion in the early 1500s CE. The Classic Maya have fascinated public and scholarly audiences the world over. As one of the few major ancient civilizations to have emerged in a tropical jungle setting, they are often labeled as “mysterious” or “enigmatic.” The Classic Maya developed intricate calendrical, architectural, political, hieroglyphic, and ideological systems. This course seeks to present the true nature of Maya civilization as it is understood from the archaeological record, Classic Maya texts, and through insights from contemporary Maya communities.

This course takes place on Tuesdays from 1:30-3:30pm (PT) on Zoom.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people ages 50 and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

The community is invited to The Collection’s Día de los Muertos Altar, presented in partnership with the Oxnard Performing Arts Center Nonprofit (OPAC). Join the opening reception on Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. for live dance performances and special guest speakers as this year's multi-tiered altar adorned with candles, marigolds and ofrendas (offerings) is unveiled. The altar will be on display through Nov. 2, located between The Cheesecake Factory and Larsen's Grill.

The Collection would love to honor your loved one at the altar. Submit a photo of a deceased loved one by Friday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. and they will be included in the digital frame at the community altar. Photos can be submitted to https://form.jotform.com/252556264111148

Join us October 1-31, 2026 for an entire month of BRAND NEW vegan options all over Santa Barbara, CA!
During this time, restaurants throughout the Santa Barbara area will feature special vegan menu items. Diners have the opportunity to go out, enjoy meals, review/rate menus, and post photos of the delicious vegan meals they have ordered.

To view a list of current participants/menus visit veganchefchallenge.org/santabarbara

Since 2007, UCSB Reads has fostered a shared sense of belonging by bringing the UCSB campus and Santa Barbara communities together to read a common book that explores compelling issues of our time. Conceived by then Executive Vice Chancellor Gene Lucas, the program is led by the UCSB Library in collaboration with campus and community partners. Each year, a committee of UCSB faculty, students, staff, and community members selects a thought-provoking, interdisciplinary book written by a living author that encourages a wide range of readers to engage with a contemporary social, political, cultural or scientific issue such as climate change, racial justice, technology, memory, identity, and democracy.

The program kicks off in winter with a book giveaway for UCSB students led by the Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, and University Librarian, and culminates with a free public talk by the book’s author(s) at Campbell Hall in the spring. Throughout the winter and spring quarters, the Library sponsors a variety of free learning, experiential, and social events to explore the book’s themes. The selected book is also incorporated into the university curriculum for winter and spring, allowing students to explore its themes in an academic context. UCSB Reads is generously supported by many individuals, university departments, and organizations.

This exhibition highlights the history of UCSB Reads since its inception, featuring promotional posters, selected books, custom bookmarks along with testimonials and images of participants engaging with programming throughout the years. UCSB Reads has become a beloved campus tradition that brings together thousands of people every year and demonstrates the power of literature to bridge divides, promote intellectual engagement, and build community.

The Cold War era, an international bi-polar competition between the Soviet Union and the United States made the world we live in today. This power rivalry unfolded in the aftermath of the Second World War and finally concluded with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Although the Soviet Union no longer exists, the consequences of its fifty-five-year struggle with the United States still influences modern global politics. Ultimately, the postwar competition pitted advocates of state socialism against the champions of free market capitalism. The superpowers never directly fought each other but clashed in a series of bloody proxy wars across the developing world. This timely and informative course will offer an in-depth discussion covering the roots of the Cold War, its causes, and most importantly, its relevance for understanding the current global crisis. Truly, today’s wars in Iran and the Ukraine, the U.S.- China rivalry and conflicts over hegemony in Cuba and Latin America, to name just a few, can all be traced to the Cold War.

This course takes place on Wednesdays from 10am-12pm (PT) on Zoom and at the Thousand Oaks campus.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people ages 50 and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

The community is invited to The Collection’s Día de los Muertos Altar, presented in partnership with the Oxnard Performing Arts Center Nonprofit (OPAC). Join the opening reception on Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. for live dance performances and special guest speakers as this year's multi-tiered altar adorned with candles, marigolds and ofrendas (offerings) is unveiled. The altar will be on display through Nov. 2, located between The Cheesecake Factory and Larsen's Grill.

The Collection would love to honor your loved one at the altar. Submit a photo of a deceased loved one by Friday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. and they will be included in the digital frame at the community altar. Photos can be submitted to https://form.jotform.com/252556264111148

Join us October 1-31, 2026 for an entire month of BRAND NEW vegan options all over Santa Barbara, CA!
During this time, restaurants throughout the Santa Barbara area will feature special vegan menu items. Diners have the opportunity to go out, enjoy meals, review/rate menus, and post photos of the delicious vegan meals they have ordered.

To view a list of current participants/menus visit veganchefchallenge.org/santabarbara

Since 2007, UCSB Reads has fostered a shared sense of belonging by bringing the UCSB campus and Santa Barbara communities together to read a common book that explores compelling issues of our time. Conceived by then Executive Vice Chancellor Gene Lucas, the program is led by the UCSB Library in collaboration with campus and community partners. Each year, a committee of UCSB faculty, students, staff, and community members selects a thought-provoking, interdisciplinary book written by a living author that encourages a wide range of readers to engage with a contemporary social, political, cultural or scientific issue such as climate change, racial justice, technology, memory, identity, and democracy.

The program kicks off in winter with a book giveaway for UCSB students led by the Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, and University Librarian, and culminates with a free public talk by the book’s author(s) at Campbell Hall in the spring. Throughout the winter and spring quarters, the Library sponsors a variety of free learning, experiential, and social events to explore the book’s themes. The selected book is also incorporated into the university curriculum for winter and spring, allowing students to explore its themes in an academic context. UCSB Reads is generously supported by many individuals, university departments, and organizations.

This exhibition highlights the history of UCSB Reads since its inception, featuring promotional posters, selected books, custom bookmarks along with testimonials and images of participants engaging with programming throughout the years. UCSB Reads has become a beloved campus tradition that brings together thousands of people every year and demonstrates the power of literature to bridge divides, promote intellectual engagement, and build community.