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Dolphin Derby Festival
12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Look for Explore Ecology at the Dolphin Derby Festival on Sunday, July 13th at Chase Palm Park from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Stop by our table to say hi and enjoy our fun family-friendly activity!
Join us for this exciting free outdoor festival featuring live music, food trucks, a beer and wine garden, and of course, dolphin races! Colorful dolphins race down a 100 foot watercourse- the winning dolphins earn cash and other prizes, including a Grand Prize of $2,500! For each $10 adoption made using our Explore Ecology code of 25EE, we will receive $5. Enter the beneficiary code on the second page of the form when you adopt your dolphins. Click here to adopt dolphins and support Explore Ecology!
The more dolphins you adopt, the better your chances of winning. There will be four races for cash prizes throughout the day and one children’s race with dolphins decorated by kids at the event. You do not need to be present to win.
The Dolphin Derby Festival in Santa Barbara is a fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise Charitable Foundation. Proceeds benefit Explore Ecology, other non-profits, and international projects.
Park along Cabrillo Boulevard or in nearby city lots. The Downtown Waterfront Shuttle stops in front of the park.
Well-behaved dogs on leash are welcome!
An environmentally friendly event, the Dolphin Derby reuses their dolphins each year and recycles water used in each race. Post-event, the water is used to irrigate the park grass.
See you on July 13th!
Josh was born and raised in Santa Barbara, where his passion and curiosity for the environment began and has continued to grow. During his undergraduate studies, Josh pursued this interest at the University of California at Santa Cruz, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies.
Melissa Dodos developed her passion for creative reuse as a mother of four and elementary educator over the past 25 years. She loves to inspire creativity by connecting people with resources and ideas.
Veronica grew up in San Diego and spent four years in San Luis Obispo studying Animal Science at Cal Poly. As an undergrad she learned lots about livestock, agriculture, and wildlife.
Stephanie began her journey as an educator over twenty years ago working as a preschool teacher in Washington state for a cooperative preschool program affiliated with Whatcom Community College. She loved observing the wonder and curiosity of the children and bringing them out into nature to explore the natural world. She continued her love for learning and got her teaching license and then her Montessori certification and worked as an elementary teacher in Tribal, Public, and Montessori schools. She collaborated to create a school garden and her students loved it so much that it became a special place where they could garden, read, explore, play, and it provided a safe sanctuary for students to calm down and reset when they were having difficult moments.
Morgan’s mermaid soul is always seeking adventure—swimming a relay across the Santa Barbara Channel and taking the first photo of a newborn orca off Anacapa Island being standout experiences close to home.
Lindsay Johnson
