Drinks at Dusk event takes place at Old Mission Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — For the first time in two years, the Old Mission Santa Barbara hosted its annual summer happy hour event, Drinks at Dusk.

Old Mission Santa Barbara community development and marketing manager Suzy Plott says that the entire outdoor event was altered.

“With the rise in COVID-19 cases and Delta variant, people have gotten a little worried and we were right there with them,” she said. “We want to make sure that they feel safe and that our friars feel safe.”

All attendees were required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours in order to attend.

However, masks were not mandatory at the outdoor eating and drinking event.

“My attitude personally is to air on the side of caution,” Old Mission Santa Barbara guardian friar Mark Schroeder said. “That’s how the friars have been living.”

At the fun event with its Franciscan friars, the mission hosted several local breweries and wineries. 

It’s also one of the few times that the sacred garden is unveiled.

“Most people might see the tour route or might see the mission through the church but don’t actually get to come into the garden,” Plott explained.

Typically, this happy hour event takes place three times throughout summer.

As a result of the ongoing pandemic, this was the only opportunity to raise funds for the mission.

“Eighty-five percent of our income for the mission, which is for the friars and all our staff comes from tourism,” Schroeder said. “We were of course closed for 11 months.”

“This is something that’s been in the works for a while and something that we weren’t sure was going to be able to happen,” Plott concluded. “We’re really happy to pull it off tonight and hopefully create a safe environment for everybody.”

Funds raised from Drinks at Dusk supported the mission’s restore and renew campaign.