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Repair Cafe Santa Barbara is back Saturday, September 26!
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Bring new life to the items you love.
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Not everything that’s broken belongs in the bin. On Saturday, September 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Repair Cafe Santa Barbara is back at CEC’s Environmental Hub (1219 State St., Santa Barbara) to help you fix, mend, tune up, and bring new life to the items you love.
Co-hosted by the Community Environmental Council (CEC), Repair Cafe Santa Barbara is completely free and open to the public. Come with up to two broken or well-loved itemsand work alongside a volunteer fixer to repair your treasures: electronics, bikes, toys, appliances, and more. You’ll learn practical skills you can use for at-home fixes in the future.
This is not a drop-off service, so be prepared to roll your sleeves up and get hands-on with expert fixers. In addition to keeping useful items out of the landfill, Repair Cafe Santa Barbara is a fun, community-powered way to connect with neighbors who share a passion for a more circular economy. Enjoy refreshments and live music while you wait for your item to be repaired. September’s event features music by Kiki Reyes, Ilan MacAdam-Soner, and The Strummers.
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Call for Volunteer Fixers:
Repair Cafe Santa Barbara is looking to recruit more volunteer fixers! If you can mend, tinker, or consider yourself “handy,” we would love to have you join us. At Repair Cafe Santa Barbara, you can meet new people, feel part of something local, gain satisfaction from fixing things, and of course, help the planet through repair. Please email info@repaircafesb.orgto volunteer, or with questions. We look forward to working with you!
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CEC’s Green Gala
Saturday, September 19
4:30–9 p.m.
Santa Barbara Historical Museum
136 E. De La Guerra St., Santa Barbara
Join us for Green Gala 2026, an unforgettable evening celebrating community, connection, and climate action on California’s Central Coast. Inspired by this year’s theme, Rooted in Hope, guests will enjoy a lively welcome reception and Green Gala Market, exceptional local wine, a climate-smart dinner created by Elizabeth Poett of Rancho San Julian and The Ranch Table in partnership with Duo Catering, live auction experiences, and inspiring stories of local impact. Proceeds support CEC’s work advancing clean energy, climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, and environmental leadership throughout the region. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are now available. Learn more and reserve your place.
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Embodied Arts Workshop:
Being Here —
An Authentic Relating Practice
Tuesday, September 29
6:30–8 p.m.
CEC’s Environmental Hub
1219 State St., Santa Barbara
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Join Damian Gallagher for an experiential workshop designed to help you slow down, notice what’s here, and explore how you relate to yourself, others, and the world around you. Through guided reflection, simple relational practices, conversation, and curiosity, we’ll explore what helps us feel more present, open, and connected — including to the natural world and the places we call home. No previous experience is needed. The practices are simple and participatory, with plenty of room to engage in whatever way feels right for you. Come ready to connect, reflect, and get curious about what it means to be here, together. Learn more and register.
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Climate Fridays Santa Barbara: Regenerative Agriculture in Action
Friday, October 2
4–5:30 p.m.
CEC’s Environmental Hub
1219 State St., Santa Barara
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Join us for October’s Climate Fridays Santa Barbara as we explore how regenerative agriculture can build healthier soil, strengthen local farms, and support a more resilient future. CEC Climate-Smart Agriculture Program Manager Brian Sweeney will talk with local farmers Austin Sharron of Pilgrim Terrace, Stefan Selbert of Las Cumbres Ranch, and Margo Redfern of Wanderment Farm, about their experiences with regenerative agriculture and what it looks like on the ground here in Santa Barbara County. Bring your questions, curiosity, and friends interested in the topic — we’ll leave time at the end for networking and conversation. Climate Fridays Santa Barbara are hosted by CEC, the Society of Fearless Grandmothers Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara Sierra Club on the first Friday of each month to create space for fellow climate activists, students, allies, community partners, and friends to take collective action and collaborate to protect our planet. Learn more and register.
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UC Environmental Stewards Statewide Conference Comes to Santa Barbara
October 9 – 11
UC Santa Barbara’s Corwin Pavilion
6085 UCEN Rd, Isla Vista
Join the Community Environmental Council (CEC) as we welcome the UC Environmental Stewards Statewide Conference to Santa Barbara this fall. Bringing together climate changemakers from across California, the conference will feature keynote presentations, hands-on workshops, community conversations, and field trips exploring climate resilience, participatory science, and equity in conservation. CEC is proud to serve as the local partner for this gathering. CEC CEO Sigrid Wright will join Mia Lopez, Chumash Cultural Educator and Founding Director of Su’nan Protection, to welcome attendees on opening day. CEC Director of Education and Operations Kathi King will also lead a workshop highlighting how CEC’s Climate Stewards course empowers community members to take climate action. Learn more and register.
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SLO Climate Coalition presents ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Where are we going?
Wednesday, September 23, 12–12:45 p.m.
Learn about state programs, policies, and incentives; the status of bidirectional charging and the path forward; and the mythic and misunderstandings about EVs that keep people from driving electric. Learn more and register here.
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Beat the Heat with Instant AC Savings
Ventura County residents who are Clean Power Alliance customers enrolled in CARE or FERA may qualify for $300 toward an energy-efficient, ENERGY STAR®-certified room air conditioner through the Instant AC Savings Program. For eligible customers, that could mean getting an AC unit at little to no cost while staying more comfortable during extreme heat. See if you qualify and learn more about the program.
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Save on Your Next Home Heating or Cooling Upgrade
Goleta residents can save more than $200 on eligible home electrification projects through the City of Goleta’s Heat Pump Permit Fee Waiver Program. The pilot program waives permit fees for residential projects installing electric heat pump water heaters and HVAC systems at the time of replacement, including in single-family and multi-family homes. The fee waiver can be combined with other local electrification incentives for even greater savings, but funding is limited to $10,000 and available until exhausted. Learn more.
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Share Your Feedback: Help Inform CEC’s Climate Work
We want to hear from you! Take a few minutes to complete CEC’s Community Feedback Survey and share how CEC is doing, what environmental issues matter most, and how you like to connect. Your feedback will help shape how we focus our work, communicate with our community, and create meaningful opportunities for climate action across the Central Coast. The survey is fully anonymous and all questions are optional. Complete the full survey for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card. Take the survey here.
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New Incentives to Go Electric
California is making it more affordable to switch to a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV), with new incentives for first-time buyers and rideshare drivers.
$3,500 for First-Time EV Buyers
Through California’s new MyFirstEV program, eligible Californians can receive $3,500 off a new ZEV or $1,750 off a qualifying used vehicle, applied directly at the dealership. The program is currently available through Hyundai and Lucid, with more automakers joining soon.
Up to $20,300 for Rideshare Drivers
The new Rideshare Incentives for Driving Electric (RIDE) program launches in September and offers eligible Uber, Lyft, and HopSkipDrive drivers up to $20,300 toward a new ZEV, up to $14,200 toward a used ZEV, plus up to $1,170 annually for charging costs.
For personalized assistance finding EV rebates and incentives you qualify for, visit cec.pub/electrify-yourlife and fill out the EV Assistance sign-up form, or contact CEC Climate Projects Associate Sachi Shiroma at sshiroma@cecmail.org or (805) 730-0203.
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Where Santa Barbara’s Changemakers Gather
Planning a board meeting, strategic retreat, workshop, or community event this fall? The Community Environmental Council’s Environmental Hub offers flexible, sustainably designed meeting and event space for non-profits, educational institutions, and government agencies.
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With competitive nonprofit pricing, professional AV, and versatile spaces for meetings, trainings, film screenings, and community gatherings, The Hub provides the perfect setting to bring people together. Every booking also supports CEC’s work to advance climate solutions across the Central Coast.
Explore the space and book your event.
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Support Critical Work Like This
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Recognized as a 2020 California Nonprofit of the Year and a City of Santa Barbara Climate Hero, CEC is led by CEO Sigrid Wright, 2022 Congressional Woman of the Year. See our most recent impact report to learn how we are serving California’s Central Coast by advancing rapid and equitable solutions to the climate crisis.
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Learn more about how you can invest in CEC’s work to accelerate regional climate solutions at cecsb.org/donate.
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