2027 CMF Missions And Presidios Conference
The California Missions Foundation is proud to announce details of its 2027 California Missions and Presidios Conference, a two-day gathering to be held in Santa Barbara on Friday and Saturday, February 19–20, 2027. The annual conference brings together historians, scholars, preservationists, archaeologists, mission representatives and others interested in the history and preservation of California’s missions, presidios and related historic sites.
The weekend begins Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. with a special tour of the historic Mission Santa Barbara water system, led by CMF Chairman and noted arqueologist Michael Imwalle. The tour will also include a visit to the prestigious Santa Barbara Mission Archive-Library and a close-up look at one of California’s most important mission sites. According to Mr. Imwalle, the Mission Santa Barbara water system represents one of the finest surviving examples in the United States of a historic water system engineered and constructed with the expertise and labor of Native Americans.
Following the Mission Santa Barbara tour, conference activities will move to Santa Barbara’s historic downtown Spanish Quarter. Registration and the conference opening reception will be held from 5 to 6:45 p.m. at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. Guests will enjoy food and beverages in the museum’s beautiful courtyard and surrounding galleries while having an opportunity to reconnect with fellow conference attendees.
The Santa Barbara Historical Museum provides an especially appropriate setting for the opening reception. Its collections and exhibitions chronicle centuries of local history, including the Spanish and Mexican periods and the families and communities that helped shape early Santa Barbara. The museum’s distinctive adobe architecture and setting will provide an ideal introduction to a conference weekend centered on the region’s historic resources.
On Saturday, February 20, the conference will turn its focus to scholarly papers and research presentations throughout the day at the historic Alhecama Theatre, located within the Santa Barbara Presidio complex. Each year, these presentations are among the highlights of the California Missions Conference, bringing forward new research, discoveries and perspectives that expand our understanding of the missions, presidios and the diverse peoples whose lives shaped this period of California history.
Saturday evening, the 2027 conference will conclude with CMF’s annual Awards Banquet at the Alhecama Theatre. The evening provides the California Missions Foundation with an opportunity to recognize individuals and organizations whose outstanding contributions to preservation, scholarship, research, interpretation and service have advanced the understanding and protection of California’s missions and related historic sites.
With activities at Mission Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Historical Museum and the historic Santa Barbara Presidio, the 2027 conference will place attendees in the heart of one of California’s richest historic districts.
We look forward to seeing everyone in Santa Barbara, February 19-20, 2027.