By Gerald Carpenter, Noozhawk Contributing Writer | @noozhawknews December 22, 2020 | 9:00 a.m. Santa Barbara has always had a fine way with Christmas and adjacent festivals — never “white,” of course, but brilliant, colorful, yet thoroughly laid-back. All we had to do the get in the spirit was take an evening stroll up State Street or Coast Village Road, pausing to peer into shop windows, or stopping for an espresso or hot chocolate. As we walked, we were likely to pass through several music zones, each softly broadcasting some seasonal favorites that blended in a tapestry of non-denominational joy. Best of all — the community having never outgrown its small town feeling — there was ever the possibility of meeting friends by chance for a happy, impromptu reunion.