Coffee & Community / Café y Comunidad events are a great opportunity to connect with the City, fellow Goletans, and discuss topics of interest relevant to your neighborhood. On Saturday, January 11, 2025, the City held its first Coffee and Community event of the year at Armitos Park in Old Town. More than fifty people showed up on this beautiful Saturday morning, including many who have a spot at the City’s first Community Garden which recently opened at the site. Check out our short highlight video here to see how it went.

Councilmember James Kyriaco (District 2) said these casual community coffee gatherings are a great way to bring the City to the people. He said, “It’s so important for people to have a government that works for them, that’s responsive to them and that is willing to come into their neighborhoods to talk about the issues that are impacting them.”

There was time for mingling, coffee, juice and pastries from local Old Town vendors and several information tables including Goleta Public Works, Neighborhood Services, the Goleta Valley Library, Community Relations and the Santa Barbara Food Bank. Spanish interpretation was available.

After welcoming attendees, Councilmember Kyriaco gave a short update on projects happening in Old Town followed by a time for questions. After the Q&A period, City staff from various departments was available for one-on-one questions. Due to the devastating Los Angeles and Ventura County fires, many of the questions surrounded emergency planning and public safety.

A big thank you to Boone Graphics for opening up its parking lot for the event.

The City holds Coffee and Community / Café y Comunidad events throughout the year in each district. Find out which district you live in here: https://tinyurl.com/GoletaInteractiveMap. Stay tuned for information on our next event.

Pictured: Councilmember James Kyriaco (District 2) at the Community Garden at Armitos Park during the Coffee & Community event