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Still often referred to as the "County Bowl," this 6,000-seat amphitheater hosts some surprisingly big-name acts for a city the size of Santa Barbara, including Bob Dylan, Norah Jones, and Radiohead, and you'll get to see them in a smaller venue than you might if you caught them in L.A. or San Francisco.
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El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park
A military fortress founded in 1782, only parts of which remain. Some parts are gradually being rebuilt.
Upper East Side Park covering two city blocks. Includes a popular community designed playground, and picnic tables popular for family celebrations (no alcohol is allowed, though). The western half of the park has a somewhat sketchy reputation for being a hangout for drug addicts, but it has been cleaned up a lot in the mid-2010s.
Built in 1929 and the grandest building in the town. A working courthouse, this Spanish-Moorish castle has frescoes, murals and Tunisian tilework. The El Mirador Bell Tower provides great views of the city and the bay. The grounds contain a collection of palms and specimen trees from more than 25 countries, and a printed guide to the plants is available.
Across the street from Alameda Park. Something of a cross between a park and a botanical garden, it features a large pond with ducks and turtles, as well as numerous differently themed plantings, most with labels describing the different plant species. Local wags sometimes refer to it as "Alice Keck Park Park," but you'll often hear it just called "Alice Keck Park" since many people are unaware that "Park" was Alice's last name.
In 1974 friends of local artist Michael Gonzalez dressed up in costumes and ran down State Street, without a permit, to celebrate his birthday. Several decades later this has turned into a civic celebration of the first day of summer. There's a carnival-like parade on State Street, and a festival with live music in Alameda Park. Check the website for exact dates.