Thanksgiving in Santa Barbara
Turkey, stuffing and pie galore! Thanksgiving in Santa Barbara never fails to impress. There is always a reason to give thanks for our sunny slice of paradise, from specially curated feasts to family-friendly athletic events. To ensure your bellies and spirits are full, we’ve compiled a list of the best Thanksgiving meals and events you won’t want to miss. Grab your loved ones and explore these scrumptious options.
Be sure to check back! More events will be added as details become available.
Thanksgiving Events
Fall Cookie Decorating at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Nov. 23-27 from 3-5 p.m.
Make this Thanksgiving extra sweet with a festive cookie decorating event at the Bacara Wine Tasting Room at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara! Designed for all ages, this fun gathering offers an array of festive sugar cookie shapes, from pumpkins and turkeys to footballs and leaves. Create your own edible masterpieces with a variety of decorating supplies, enjoy light refreshments and bring home a box of beautifully decorated cookies to share with family and friends.
Cost: $25 per person.
Thanksgiving 4-Miler, Nov. 28 at 9:05 a.m.
Join the 25th annual Santa Barbara Thanksgiving Day 4-Miler. Kick off your holiday with a fun, pre-feast run along a scenic course that begins on Hollister Avenue, winds through Turnpike Road, a bike path and neighborhood streets, and finishes at Thunderbird Park. It’s the perfect way to enjoy the holiday spirit with family and friends before the big feast!
Cost: $40 per person
Thanksgiving at the Santa Barbara Zoo, Nov. 28 from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
The Santa Barbara Zoo is open on Thanksgiving Day, so get the family out of the house to visit your animal friends at the Santa Barbara Zoo!
Cost: General admission.
Thanksgiving Wine Tour, Nov. 28 from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Treat your palette the day before the big meal to a wine tour with Santa Barbara Wine Country Tours, where expert tour guides will conduct wine tastings at three local wineries, provide lunch and door-to-door shuttle service for a day in the Santa Ynez Valley. Your guide will discuss local history and insights about the region and what makes its wine so unique.
Cost: $215 per person. Price varies depending on the selected tour.
Thanksgiving Menus
Thanksgiving Brunch at The Revere Room, Nov. 28 from 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Celebrate Thanksgiving at The Revere Room and enjoy an a la carte brunch menu crafted with locally sourced ingredients.
Cost: Varies by menu item.
Thanksgiving Brunch Buffet at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Nov. 28 from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Join family and friends for an unforgettable Thanksgiving Brunch at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara. Delight in a sumptuous spread of classic-inspired breakfast and lunch buffet stations, crafted for everyone to savor. Celebrate the holiday season together, creating cherished memories over an exceptional dining experience.
Cost: $145 per adult, $55 per child.
Thanksgiving Harvest Buffet at Finch & Fork, Nov. 28 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Celebrate Thanksgiving at Finch & Fork, located in the Kimpton Canary Hotel, with a beautifully curated harvest buffet. Enjoy fresh, locally sourced produce, a spectacular raw bar, carving stations, classic sides and new twists, along with soups, salads and a stunning dessert spread. Pair your meal with handcrafted cocktails, local wines or sparkling bubbles for a truly festive experience.
Cost: $120 per adult, $55 per child under 12 years old.
Thanksgiving Dinner at Cold Spring Tavern, Nov. 28 from 12-6:30 p.m.
Gather with loved ones this Thanksgiving for a unique feast in the woods at Cold Spring Tavern. Savor a special four-course menu, with highlights like venison-stuffed mushrooms, roasted pistachio corn chowder, slow-roasted free-range turkey, prime rib and decadent pecan or pumpkin pie. From 3-6 p.m., enjoy live music from Jeffery Pine.
Cost: $100 per adult, $35 per child under 10 years old.
Thanksgiving Buffet at El Encanto, Nov. 28 from 12-8 p.m.
Elevate your Thanksgiving experience at El Encanto, a Belmond Hotel with a sumptuous lunch buffet. Delight in the delectable local flavors while sipping on complimentary champagne.
Cost: $175 per adult, $65 per child.
Thanksgiving Buffet in the Chandelier Ballroom, Nov. 28
Indulge in a coastal Thanksgiving gathering at Rosewood Miramar Beach. With two dining services offered (brunch is from 12-3 p.m. and dinner is from 4-7 p.m.), the Chandelier Ballroom provides a festive backdrop to a traditional Thanksgiving feast with regional twists, live music and themed activities for the kids.
Cost: $195 per adult, $65 per child ages 4-12; Children under four dine for free. Reservations required.
Thanksgiving at Costa Kitchen & Bar, Nov. 28 at 3 p.m.
Celebrate Thanksgiving at Costa Kitchen & Bar at Mar Monte Hotel, where breathtaking oceanfront views set the scene for a special gathering of family, friends, and gratitude. Enjoy a thoughtfully crafted three-course menu by chef Sean Conway, featuring seasonal flavors that honor the holiday spirit. Indulge in a few highlights like maple-glazed pork belly deviled eggs, free range turkey with all the classic sides and a decadent pumpkin pie topped with cinnamon whipped cream.
Cost: Varies by menu item.
Thanksgiving Dinner at Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort, Nov. 28 from 3-8 p.m.
Celebrate Thanksgiving at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort‘s Reagan Room, offering a buffet with ocean views. Executive chef Mary O’Neill and her team present dishes like brown sugar and bourbon smoked sea salt-rubbed turkey, agave and orange-glazed heirloom carrots and pumpkin pie crème brûlée.
Cost: $120 per adult, $52 per child (children under three years old dine for free).
Thanksgiving Dinner at Bouchon, Nov. 28 from 3:30-8:30 p.m.
This Thanksgiving, enjoy seasonal wine country cuisine in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara at Bouchon. Enjoy a three-course meal featuring holiday favorites include Bouchon’s mouth-watering roast turkey feast, featuring white and dark turkey, ‘marbled mash’ of Yukon gold potatoes and yams, turkey confit-sourdough stuffing, garlic-sautéed Blue Lake green beans, pan gravy and orange-rosemary-cranberry compote.
Cost: $125 per person.
Thanksgiving Dining at Terra, Nov. 28 from 3-9 p.m.
Enjoy a memorable Thanksgiving at Terra at The Steward, Santa Barbara, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel with a unique three-course dinner. Choose from seatings at 3, 5 or 7 p.m. to fit your schedule and savor a thoughtfully curated holiday meal. Reservations are recommended as spaces are limited.
Cost: $65 per person.
Thanksgiving Prix Fixe Dinner at Caruso’s, Nov. 28 from 3-9:30 p.m.
Give thanks at Caruso’s, located at Rosewood Miramar Beach. Conceived by chef Massimo Falsini, the prix fixe Thanksgiving brunch dinner menu is composed of intriguing interpretations of traditional holiday fare. Using seasonal and locally procured ingredients, each menu selection is influenced by Falsini’s Southern Italian heritage.
Cost: $265 per adult, $75 per child ages 4-12. Children under four dine for free. Reservations required.
Thanksgiving Dinner at Angel Oak, Nov. 28 from 4-9 p.m.
Celebrate Thanksgiving at Angel Oak at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara, where live piano music, culinary artistry and sweeping ocean views set the scene. Enjoy a curated four-course meal featuring locally sourced dishes and holiday classics, including Diestel organic turkey, braised wagyu short rib and grilled Mount Lassen brook trout.
Cost: $142 per person.
Prix Fix Thanksgiving Dinner at Opal, Nov. 28 from 4:30-10 p.m.
Join Opal Restaurant and Bar this Thanksgiving for a festive three-course feast, featuring a delicious blend of opal’s signature dishes and holiday favorites crafted especially for the occasion. Choose from three seating times to savor this special menu: 1:30-2 p.m., 3:45-4:15 p.m., or 6-6:30 p.m.
Cost: $79 per person.
Four-Course Thanksgiving Dinner at The Revere Room, Nov. 28 from 5-9 p.m.
Join The Revere Room at Rosewood Miramar Beach this Thanksgiving for a four-course feast highlighting locally sourced ingredients—making this holiday celebration a true farm-to-Thanksgiving table dining experience.
Cost: $130 per adult, $65 per child. Children under four dine for free. Reservations required.
Thanksgiving Prix Fixe Dinner at El Encanto, Nov. 28 from 5:30-9:30 p.m.
Tantalize your taste buds with a Thanksgiving feast like no other at the El Encanto, a Belmond Hotel. As the evening unfolds, sip on complimentary champagne and be serenaded by a talented pianist all evening long.
Cost: $175 per person
THANKSGIVING PRE-ORDERs
Helena Avenue Bakery’s Everything But The Turkey, Nov. 4-22
Helena Avenue Bakery’s “Everything But The Turkey” à la carte menu offers savory sides and desserts to complement your Thanksgiving feast. Choose from options like sourdough stuffing kit, ginger pumpkin soup, navel orange and cranberry sauce, black pepper porcini mushroom gravy and freshly baked breads. For dessert, enjoy apple pie with oat crumble, caramelized honey pumpkin pie, maple bourbon pecan pie, gluten-free cranberry tart or take-and-bake cinnamon rolls. Pre-order by Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. for pickup on Nov. 26 from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Cost: Varies by menu item.
Thanksgiving Ice Cream Pies from Rori’s, Nov. 18-25
Elevate your Thanksgiving dessert with a special treat from Rori’s: ice cream pies! Choose from two delicious options—maple pecan pie, featuring maple pecan ice cream topped with molasses orange whipped cream and a caramel drizzle, or cinnamon pumpkin, made with Mary Ellen’s pumpkin pie ice cream, topped with maple whipped cream and housemade marzipan candied pumpkins.
Cost: $68 per pie.