Tourists flock to Santa Barbara for three-day weekend helping local businesses

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Hotels, restaurants, shops and wine tasting rooms prepared for near pre-pandemic crowds Fourth of July Weekend. Nearly 60% of Californians have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. And nearly 60% in Santa Barbara County, who are eligible, are fully vaccinated.

High vaccination rates and low cases allowed California to reopen businesses to 100 percent. And that allowed this Fourth of July weekend to look a lot different and more open than last Fourth of July weekend.

Before and after Santa Barbara’s fireworks on West Beach, McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream had a line at their Lower State Street location to East Mason Street. 

Other businesses were hoping to cash in on the crowds downtown.