Santa Barbara City Parks and Rec Department kicks of new summer nights program for teens

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Teens in Santa Barbara are getting a chance to have a whole lot of fun this summer.

“I’m just working on some skate tricks here and just having fun,” said participant Elijah Dracht of the Santa Barbara Summer Nights program.

The city kicked off the brand new program for the month of June. 

“It’s a program we’re running to keep youth off the street. We’re doing dodgeball kickball and some activities in the auditorium as well,” said program director Antonna Mollo of the Santa Barbara Summer Nights.

For the next few weeks, teens can enjoy everything from skateboarding to a game of basketball.

The program offers chalk art, painting murals and more. 

“It’s in partnership with the school district and some other staff really saw a need and so they brought this to the city and thought hey let’s see what we can do for our kids … to get them into healthy recreational options," said assistant director Jazmin Leblanc of the Santa Barbara City Parks and Rec Department.

Organizers said this summer program targets families and teens.

And so far it’s going well. 

"The word is still spreading quite a bit. Not a little bit once the word gets out a little bit more we’ll have some more people showing up here soon," said staff member Jenna McMahon of the Santa Barbara City Parks and Rec Department.

The program continues through the month of June and any teen can sign up.

If you would like to learn more about the Santa Barbara Summer Nights Program, contact the Santa Barbara City Parks and Rec Department at: https://www.santabarbaraca.gov/gov/depts/parksrec/