"It's not lost on us what a privilege it is to hold a piece of Santa Barbara history in our hands," Nicole Roehrig, store manager at State Street Trading Post, told Edhat about the 1920 building at 1105 State Street. The building was originally Andrea's Department Store. It has had only three owners in more than a century, and it is now open again. It opened quietly, though. The store set an October soft opening and saved its public Launch Celebration for Saturday, November 7.
That choice matches the rest of downtown this fall. The biggest changes on State Street are tied to particular days. They include a launch party, a wine bar that now runs as an events program, line dancing in the street, and a run of Día de los Muertos gatherings. To use downtown well between now and the December 4 Holiday Parade, plan around the calendar.
The Slow Opening at 1105 State
State Street Trading Post fills 10,000 square feet in the Arts District. Edhat describes it as "a shop within shops," with dozens of independent vintage sellers, makers and select retailers, each in its own space under one roof. It took a long time to open. Noozhawk reported on October 2 that the store had "finally opened." Signs announcing the opening and job openings had been in its windows since 2024. Between Andrea's and the Trading Post, the storefront was home to Tienda Ho.
A multi-vendor store works differently from a single retailer. Each seller's shelves change on their own schedule, so the store a visitor sees in mid-October during the soft opening won't be the one on display at the November 7 launch.
Next Door, a Wine Bar Turned Into an Events Program
A few doors up, the 1100 block lost a longtime evening spot. Satellite, the natural-wine bar and vegetarian restaurant at 1117 State Street, closed September 13 after 10 years. Founder Drew Cuddy told the Santa Barbara Independent that he and the landlord could not reach a lease agreement.
Satellite is continuing in a new format. Noozhawk reported that Cuddy planned to regroup at The Factory, 616 E. Haley St. The wine webshop, wine club, tastings and music events will continue there, and some events may serve a short menu of two to five items. Cuddy described The Factory as a place for gatherings, concerts, private events and the annual Natural Coast Wine Festival. He also said he hopes to use it to start conversations about how downtown small businesses can do well.
Satellite used to be a place you could drop into most nights. Now it is something you check a schedule for. Within a few weeks, the same block went from a restaurant open every evening to a store building toward a launch date, and the wine bar's regulars started following an events list on East Haley Street.
The Rest of the Street, Block by Block
The rest of the 400 to 1300 blocks changed more gradually. Some of these businesses are open, and some were still listed as planned in the most recent reports.
| Address | Business | Status in recent reports |
|---|---|---|
| 400 State St. | Habitat for Humanity ReStore | Open; sells donated home goods to support affordable housing |
| 537 State St. | Wear & Roam | Announced as a new tenant in the Hotel Santa Barbara property; second store after Scottsdale |
| 716 State St. | Downtown Kickin' Country Line Dancing | Wednesday evenings in front of Best BBQ and Apna Indian Kitchen |
| 800 State St. | Confectionarium | Planned at State and De la Guerra; opening pushed back from mid-August |
| 801 State St. | Milio's Pizza | Set to open in August with New York-style pies, slices, Sicilian squares and soft serve |
| Paseo Nuevo | Sweetaly Gelato | Opened August 1 |
| 913 State St. | World of Magic Halloween express shop | Planned by Labor Day |
| 1105 State St. | State Street Trading Post | Soft opening in October; launch November 7 |
| 1117 State St. | Former Satellite | Closed September 13; no new tenant named |
| 1130 State St. | Día de los Muertos Calenda | October 25, presented by MCASB |
A few of these deserve more detail. The Santa Barbara News-Press covered Milio's and Sweetaly together as downtown's newest pizza and gelato stops. Milio's partners are Kamil Jumale and Miles Robbins, and Sweetaly is owned by Francesco Amendola. Confectionarium was promised for mid-August. Noozhawk later quoted Event Network COO Joanna Hobday saying it would open "next month," with bulk candy and treats with a local theme. World of Magic Halloween owner Erin Foley had planned a short-term express shop at 913 State in time for Labor Day. Before making a trip for the candy shop or the pizza, check that the door is open. The Trading Post and Sweetaly are confirmed open.
Wear & Roam is a travel apparel brand founded by Haley Byfield. It sells wrinkle-resistant, antimicrobial pieces meant to pack into a capsule wardrobe. Its 537 State storefront is part of the same historic property as Hotel Santa Barbara.
The Calendar Between Now and the Parade
From the week this post goes up, these are the dates on the downtown calendar. The October 21 line-dancing night will already be over by then.
- Sunday, October 25. The free Día de los Muertos Calenda at 1130 State St., presented by the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara. It is part of Downtown's month-long ARTOBER campaign with VOICE Magazine.
- Wednesday, October 28, 6 to 8 p.m. The last October session of Downtown Kickin' Country Line Dancing at 716 State St., with lessons from Christy Grant.
- October 30 to November 1, 5 to 10 p.m. Día de los Muertos Weekend at Paloma, at La Paloma Cafe, listed on the Downtown Santa Barbara calendar. On Sunday, November 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the free Día de los Muertos Market & Craft Day takes place at El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park, 123 E. Canon Perdido. It is organized by the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation and Mujeres Makers Market.
- Thursday, November 5, 5 to 8 p.m. The free 1st Thursday Art Walk at participating galleries and venues downtown.
- Saturday, November 7. The State Street Trading Post Launch Celebration at 1105 State St.
After that, the next fixed date is the Downtown Holiday Parade on Friday, December 4, 2026. Downtown Santa Barbara also lists Small Business Saturday for November but has not posted a date yet.
The first week of November has the most going on. A stretch that starts with the Presidio market on Sunday, November 1, the last day of the Paloma weekend, can continue through the Art Walk on November 5 and end at the Trading Post launch on November 7. That covers the length of State Street and part of the street grid around it in seven days.
The Long-Range Plan for the Same Ten Blocks
All of this is happening on a street that already has a long-range redesign plan. On the night of September 1, the City Council voted 6–1 to approve the State Street Master Plan, with Mayor Randy Rowse casting the lone no vote, according to The Santa Barbara Report. Edhat reported that formal adoption was set for the September 15 meeting. The city's plan document is dated September 1, 2026.
The plan covers the 400 through 1300 blocks, the same stretch as every address above, plus nearby paseos, plazas, parking and cross streets. The estimated cost is $96 million. Construction is expected to start within 18 months and last about six years. The plan does not settle whether cars may use the center lanes. Edhat reported that access hours will be decided later, and that circulation-plan amendments are expected in the first quarter of 2027, with annual monitoring reports starting that spring.
Construction has not started yet. Until it does, the street looks much as it does now, and a dated calendar is the clearest guide to what's happening on it. The next date on that calendar is the Calenda at 1130 State on October 25.
If you own a ground-floor retail or mixed-use building on these ten blocks and want to think through how the master plan's timeline affects your next decision, Venture Real Estate can walk through it with you from an owner's point of view. Contact Us.
