Solstice Puppet Palace

The Santa Barbara Solstice Parade began in 1974 as a birthday celebration for mime and artist Michael Gonzalez. The parade has become the largest single-day event in Santa Barbara County, attracting crowds of 100,000 people or more, and now includes a full weekend of festivities. Weeks prior to the day of the parade, a workshop is opened where participating artists and technicians work as a community to conceive ideas, build floats and giant puppets, make costumes, and assemble performances.

The Solstice Parade’s artists and artworks are not only highlights of the parade, but of various other events. As you explore Lucidity Festival, watch for roaming giant puppets.