POWERING SANTA YNEZ VALLEY HOMES, RANCHES, & BUSINESSES
Kids & Pets 2026
Saturday is probably my favorite day of the week. It is my weekly attempt to slow down, be present, and soak in this life that my husband and I are working so hard to build. I do my best to leave my phone on the bedside table as long as possible (unless we’re on a deadline... oops!). The beautifully challenging part about summer is that each day can feel like a Saturday morning. Slow ones, with nowhere to be and all day to get there. Breakfasts that get messy and nobody cares, but everyone smiles. Neighborhood walks that start without a destination and somehow always find one.
This summer, we wanted it to feel like a ‘90s summer. Minimal screen time. Hours in the pool. Bare feet. Scraped knees and elbows. Our oldest son even learned to ride his bike and found a whole new kind of independence. The kind that makes your heart swell and ache at the same time. We weren’t chasing anything extraordinary. We were just trying to be present for the ordinary.
And then, somehow, it’s almost over.
I’m not ready. Which, if you know me, is not something I say easily. I love the structure a new school year brings. The routine, the clarity, the way everyone settles back into their place. But the unrushed mornings turned out to be the point. The accidental adventures turned out to be the memories. The ordinary turned out to be everything.
This issue is our love letter to that feeling. To the season of kids and pets, and the joy of watching the people and animals you love coexist without agenda. From Lena Britt’s stunning gallery of Valley families and their beloved pets, to the meaningful work of the Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Foundation, to the practical wisdom that helps families feel prepared for whatever comes next, this issue is about the bonds that hold us together and the community that makes this valley worth raising a family in.
And on a personal note, my brother and his wife are expecting twins at the end of the month, jumping overnight from two kids to four. I cannot think of a more fitting way to close out a summer issue about unconditional love than with that kind of joyful, beautiful chaos heading straight for someone I love.
Welcome to August. Hold onto it a little longer.
Cheers,
August 2026
PUBLISHER
Sara DeMarcus | sara.demarcus@citylifestyle.com
PUBLICATION DIRECTOR
Matt DeMarcus | matt.demarcus@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Lena Ibarra
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Sara DeMarcus, Kristen Hafner, Pauli Reep, Lena Ibarra, Kali Kasprzyk, Matt DeMarcus
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Matt DeMarcus, Lena Britt Photography, Janie Jones
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
President Matthew Perry
COO David Stetler
CRO Jamie Pentz
CoS Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Matthew Endersbe
LAYOUT DESIGNER Adam Finley
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Hannah Leimkuhler
SARA DEMARCUS, PUBLISHER
@SANTAYNEZVALLEY_CITYLIFESTYLE
Hear Life Fully.
Hearing well isn’t just about sound.
It’s about staying connected to the people and moments you love.
Personalized Hearing Care Includes:
Comprehensive hearing testing and ear cleaning
Hearing aids at no cost to all CenCal Health Mem ers
Contracted with Medicare
Tinnitus evaluation and sound therapy management
Custom ear protection for shooting, hunting, & recreational noise exposure
Melissa Alexander, Au D. CCC-A
Doctor
of Audiology
After serving patients at the House Ear Clinic, . Melissa Ale ander founded Ale ander Audiology to provide the personali ed, concierge-level hearing care she believes every patient deserves.
www.AlexanderAudiology.com
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Claude Monet
Eternity Health Partners: Wellness Built for the Long Game
Eternity Health Partners, powered by the Age Management Institute, brings an evidence-based approach to wellness, longevity, and feeling your best at every age. Specializing in hormone therapy, peptide therapy, medical weight loss, NAD therapy, and sexual health, their team designs personalized programs built around prevention, not just treatment. In-person and concierge services available . 533 E. Micheltorena Street, Suite 203, Santa Barbara.
Photography by @eternity_health_partners
Kona Ice of Santa Barbara: Cool Ice, Warm Community
Kona Ice of Santa Barbara brings the party to you... literally. This beloved shaved ice truck serves schools, sports events, corporate gatherings, weddings, and community celebrations across Santa Barbara County. Guests flavor their own treat at the signature Flavorwave using Steviabased syrups: gluten-free, vegan, and non-GMO. Book your next event at sbkonaice.com or by calling 805-4526560. Mobile: serving Santa Barbara County and the Santa Ynez Valley.
Photography by @sbkonaice Scan
THE SMASHBURGER IS BACK AT REFUGIO RANCH
Back by popular demand, our infamous SMASHBURGER has returned to the Refugio Ranch Tasting Room! Pair it with a glass of Syrah or Grenache and let the flavors melt on your palate. Or choose from the variety of locally-inspired dishes on our menu. Join us!
Meadow Studio: Floral Design Rooted in the Valley
Meadow Studio is a floral design studio rooted in the natural beauty of the Santa Ynez Valley. Owner and designer Judy Sanregret specializes in organic, meadow-inspired arrangements using California-grown florals, thoughtfully curated with an eye for texture, movement, and the changing seasons. Beyond florals, the studio carries baskets, candles, cards, and gifts perfect for any occasion — including a thoughtful back-to-school surprise for your child’s favorite teacher. Delivery available. 1693 Mission Drive, Suite D-5, Solvang.
Photography by @meadowstudioflowers
OUR MISSION IS TO “HELP CLIENTS NAVIGATE CHALLENGES AND GUIDE THEM TOWARDS THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THEIR FINANCIAL AND LIFE GOALS.”
Alexander Audiology: Hearing Healthcare Close to Home
Dr. Melissa Alexander brings more than 14 years of hearing healthcare expertise to the Central Coast, serving both pediatric and adult patients from her Solvang practice. Alexander Audiology offers comprehensive audiology services, including hearing tests, tinnitus management, hearing aids, and custom hearing protection. Can’t make it in? They’ll come to you, offering concierge visits to homes, offices, and assisted care facilities. Hearing well changes everything. 1607 Mission Drive, Suite 201, Solvang.
Photography
Nanci Paige Design: Spaces Built Around the Life You Live
Nanci Paige Design is a boutique interior design firm rooted in the belief that the best spaces wrap perfectly around the people who fill them. Owner Paige Saltzman brings New York School of Interior Design training and two decades of practice to the Santa Ynez Valley, blending East Coast classicism with California’s love of light and flowing spaces. Whether classic or contemporary, every project is as unique as the family who lives in it. nancipaigedesign.com.
TREY & KATIE KENNEDY
ON MARRIAGE, KIDS, AND THE COMEDY OF REAL LIFE
Trey Kennedy makes a living finding comedy in regular life. Marriage. Toddlers. Yoga pants. The Thursday-night scramble between school dropoffs, soccer practice, and whatever has to be done by morning. Twelve years in, it shows: millions of followers across every platform, three stand-up specials, a sold-out Relatable Tour, and a style of humor fans send each other captioned, “Are you watching me?” He delivers the kind of comedy that travels because everyone’s living some version of it.
Katie, his wife of six years, is a former biomedical engineer who also built a modeling career. She’s now raising their kids and co-hosting Correct Opinions alongside Trey — the show where the two of them swap takes on marriage, parenting, and whatever came up that week.
Trey has been at this longer than people realize. An Edmond, Oklahoma kid who grew up playing basketball described himself as a “shy kid who never thought he’d be an entertainer.” He started making videos while attending Oklahoma State University. After building millions of followers on Vine before the platform shut down, he gave himself six months on Instagram and Facebook to see whether he could rebuild from zero. He did. Stand-up soon followed. His first special, Are You For Real?, streams on YouTube; the second, Grow Up, on Amazon Prime; the third, built around the Relatable Tour, wrapped earlier this year. “I’ve been trying to be funny every week for like twelve years now,” he says. A slow climb, made one bit at a time.
ARTICLE BY KALI KASPRZYK
JANIE
“I’ve been trying to be funny every week for like twelve years now.”
Most of what Trey writes lately starts in his own kitchen. Thomas is three and a half, and he is, in his father’s words, “a movie.” He narrates his own life from the moment his eyes open and mispronounces words in ways his parents now repeat to each other because no one else would believe them. His younger sister, Eva, is what Katie calls “the calm one.” With a third now in the mix, the Kennedys are officially outnumbered.
After six years of marriage, Trey and Katie have learned that the partnership runs best when it gets its own time on the calendar. So once a week, they leave the kids with a sitter and go out for coffee. “You need a system,” Katie says. “It’s about taking time to look each other in the eye. Not the kids. Not the cameras. Just each other.”
The same instinct shapes the work. Most of Trey’s trial and error happens onstage or on Instagram, but the first read is always Katie’s. “There’s only been one time ever I’ve had to be like, ‘you’re not doing that,’” she says. The rest of the time, she just laughs first.
FEATURING TREY & KATIE KENNEDY
Trey and Katie talk about marriage, parenting, and the moments that don’t make the Instagram feed.
Watch or listen to the full conversation wherever you get your podcasts.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
JONES HAIR & MAKEUP BY MIKAYLA CRANE
A NEW SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS
TEACHER OF THE MONTH RECAP
STEPHANIE LEWIS MAY 2026
Who’s Next?
SCOTT CARLETON JUNE 2026
ROBYN CAPLAN JULY 2026
THIS SCHOOL YEAR, HELP US RECOGNIZE THE TEACHERS WH O INSPIRE, ENCOURAGE, AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE EVERY DAY. WE'D LOVE TO CELEBRATE OUTSTANDING EDUCATORS FROM EVERY CLASSROOM AND EVERY COMMUNITY ACROSS THE SANTA YNEZ VALLEY.
NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN
Each monthly winner receives a classroom celebration featuring doughnuts from Drover's Doughnuts, a handcrafted bouquet from Meadow Studio, and recognition in Santa Ynez Valley City Lifestyle.
SCAN THE QR CODE BELOW TO NOMINATE A TEACHER WHO DE SERVES THE SPOTLIGHT.
NOMINATE A TEACHER HERE
PRESENTED BY SPONSORED BY
Four Legs, Full Hearts
Pets, families, and the love that needs no explanation.
Some bonds don’t need an introduction. They simply exist, and they exist unconditionally. In the way a dog curls at the feet of a sleeping newborn, in the way a child reaches up without looking to find a familiar paw, in the way a whole family leans together for a photo, and someone in the frame has four legs and absolutely no idea they’re stealing the shot.
I’ve spent more than fifteen years documenting life’s most meaningful moments across the Santa Ynez Valley and beyond. Weddings, elopements, growing families, new beginnings. But some of my most quietly powerful work happens candidly, in the unguarded moments when nobody is trying to be anything at all. When a golden retriever wanders into frame, when the family dog rests against a pregnant belly like it is already saying hello to the little wonder growing inside, when a toddler and a dog share a patch of afternoon sun, and neither one even glances toward my camera.
That’s the work collected here.
These images aren’t styled. They aren’t posed into perfection. They’re authentic, nostalgic, and grounded. The real texture of life here in the Central Coast, where animals aren’t accessories but full family members. Where pets meet babies before the babies even arrive. Where kids grow up alongside creatures who teach them, without a single word ever spoken, that love at its very best is patient and uncomplicated and asks absolutely nothing in return.
Unconditional isn’t a word I reach for lightly. But watch a child with their dog for five unscripted minutes in the golden afternoon light, and you’ll understand right away why no other word even comes close.
This is the sweet life this community quietly lives every single day. I’m just so incredibly grateful to be the one who gets to pay attention.
This is the sweet life this community quietly lives every single day.
full-service boutique Interior Design firm grounded in the philosophy that the best design derives from the marriage of form and function, yielding beautiful spaces that wrap perfectly around the people who inhabit them.
www.nancipaigedesign.com
310-804-9575
weddings.lifestyle. families.editorial. PHOTOGRAPHY
www.sisterbstudios.com
Nanci Paige Design: Interior Design & Remodels
PUP -SICLE
As we all try to stay cool during the scorching dog days of summer, our furry friends need a break from the heat too. Pamper your pup with a refreshing “pup-sicle.” These dog-friendly frozen treats are sure to make your canine companion’s tail wag!
INGREDIENTS:
• 1 cup of plain, unsweetened yogurt (or dog-safe yogurt alternative)
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened, plain applesauce
• 1/4 cup of water or low-sodium chicken broth
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Mix the yogurt, applesauce, and water or chicken broth in a bowl until well combined.
2. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays or silicone molds.
3. Freeze for several hours or until solid.
4. Serve the frozen treats to your dog to help them cool off!
ARTICLE BY KRISTEN HAFNER
PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED
Beating the Dog Days of Summer with a Canine Treat
The Back-to-School Checklist designed to help local families prepare for a successful school year.
BEYOND THE SUPPLY LIST
ARTICLE BY MATT DEMARCUS
Every parent has forgotten something. A permission slip. A sports physical. A school picture order form. Those mistakes are usually easy to fix.
The oversights that create the biggest headaches during the school year are often the ones families never realize they’re making: routines that aren’t in place, risks that haven’t been reviewed, and plans for the future that keep getting pushed to next month.
Most parents don’t ignore these things on purpose. Life gets busy. Summer slips by. There is always another week to get organized, another month to revisit finances, another season to review insurance coverage.
Until suddenly, the school year is underway, and the stress everyone hoped to avoid has already arrived. We asked local experts a simple question: What are the mistakes families make before the school year starts, and what happens when they don’t catch them?
Their answers may have less to do with school supplies than you think.
THE HOME CHECK
Mistake #1:
Waiting Until School Starts to Restore Routine By the second week of school, many families are already exhausted.
Mornings feel rushed. Bedtimes become battles. Everyone is adjusting to new schedules at the same time. The irony? Much of that stress is predictable.
According to Hundred Hills School, one of the biggest mistakes families make is waiting until the last few days of summer, or even until school has already started, to transition back into school-year rhythms.
Children thrive on consistency. While summer often brings flexibility, later bedtimes, and less structure, the return to school requires a different pace. Abruptly shifting from one to the other can leave children feeling tired, anxious, and overwhelmed.
Rather than waiting until the night before school starts, they recommend gradually adjusting routines one to two weeks in advance. Moving bedtime earlier in small increments, establishing predictable morning routines, and organizing family schedules ahead of time can make the transition significantly smoother.
What many parents overlook is that readiness is not just academic.
Children are often processing new teachers, changing friendships, unfamiliar expectations, and increased responsibilities. The first weeks of school are as much about emotional readiness as academic readiness. Families can help by creating opportunities for conversation, involving children in planning routines, and focusing on confidence rather than perfection.
A designated homework space, a family calendar, and a consistent bedtime may not seem revolutionary, but they often determine whether September feels manageable or chaotic.
THE PROTECTION CHECK
Mistake #2:
Assuming Last Year’s Coverage Still Fits This Year’s Life
Most families don’t discover gaps in their insurance coverage until after something has gone wrong.
“A successful school year doesn’t begin in the classroom—it begins with the routines, consistency, and confidence children experience at home.”
The newly licensed teen driver. The family dog that unexpectedly bites a visitor. The backyard gathering that results in an injury.
By the time the claim arrives, it’s too late to make changes.
According to Randy Jones of Hometown Insurance, one of the most common mistakes families make is assuming their insurance coverage still reflects their current circumstances simply because nothing major has happened recently.
But families change quickly.
A child gets a driver’s license. A new baby arrives. A home is renovated. A family adopts a dog. A backyard pool becomes the neighborhood gathering place. Each of those milestones can change a household’s risk profile.
Many of the situations that give rise to liability claims are surprisingly ordinary. A child accidentally injures someone while riding a bicycle. A guest is hurt on your property. A trampoline accident occurs during a playdate. A dog that has never shown aggression before bites someone.
One of the most overlooked areas of protection is umbrella liability coverage. While many homeowners understand their home and auto policies, fewer realize that a major liability claim can exceed standard policy limits.
For families with significant assets, teen drivers, swimming pools, pets, or active households, umbrella coverage can provide an additional layer of protection and peace of mind. In many cases, umbrella coverage provides millions of dollars in additional liability protection for a relatively modest cost.
Another frequently overlooked area is disability insurance.
Parents often think about protecting their family if something happens to them. Fewer think about protecting their income if they are unable to work. Yet for many households, the ability to earn an income is one of the family’s most valuable assets. This is especially true in a place like the Santa Ynez Valley, where many households rely on two incomes. If one income suddenly disappears, the impact
extends far beyond the individual; it affects the entire family.
The start of the school year also provides a natural reminder to review beneficiaries, guardianship plans, and estate documents. Many parents spend years deciding which school is right for their children, but far fewer have documented who would care for those children if something unexpected happened. While it’s not a conversation most families enjoy having, taking the time to update these documents can provide clarity, reduce uncertainty, and ensure important decisions aren’t left to chance.
No one enjoys thinking about worst-case scenarios. But preparing before you need a plan is what protection is all about.
THE FUTURE CHECK
Mistake #3: Assuming There’s Plenty of Time
Perhaps the most common mistake families make has nothing to do with school at all.
It’s assuming there will always be more time. More time to save. More time to prepare for college. More time to teach children about money. More time to think about the future.
Then, suddenly, the child who was entering kindergarten is preparing for high school. The middle schooler who seemed so young is packing for college. The milestones that once felt distant arrive faster than expected.
According to Antonia La Rocca, founder of Saige Private Wealth, families are often so focused on the next semester that they underestimate how quickly the years pass. The start of a school year is one of the few times when families naturally pause and reset. It’s a valuable opportunity to review whether your financial priorities still align with your family’s goals.
Children’s needs evolve rapidly. What made sense financially three years ago may no longer make sense today. For some families, that may mean revisiting education savings through a 529 plan, custodial account, or other dedicated savings strategy. For others, it may mean strengthening emergency
reserves, increasing retirement contributions, reviewing beneficiary designations, or simply reevaluating whether current spending and saving habits still align with long-term family goals.
La Rocca encourages parents to start with a simple question:
Are we saving toward the things that matter most?
At Saige Private Wealth, the conversation isn’t simply about account balances. It’s about making sure a family’s financial decisions reflect the opportunities, experiences, and future they hope to create for their children.
The beginning of a school year also offers a natural opportunity to begin conversations about money. Financial literacy isn’t built in a single lesson. It develops through years of small conversations about earning, saving, spending, and making intentional choices.
For younger children, that may mean learning the difference between wants and needs. For teenagers, it could mean managing income from a part-time job, learning to budget, or seeing firsthand how consistent saving can create future opportunities.
For parents who feel behind, La Rocca offers reassurance. The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is progress. One of her simplest recommendations is to increase savings by just 1%. Most families barely notice the difference month to month, but over time, the impact can be meaningful.
As families prepare for another school year, the experts agree on one thing:
The biggest back-to-school mistakes rarely happen in the school supply aisle. They happen in the assumptions we make.
That there will be time next week to shift the bedtime routine. That insurance coverage, reviewed years ago, is probably still fine. That college, financial independence, and the future are still a long way off.
But childhood has a way of moving faster than expected.
The first day of school arrives. Then another. Then another. Before long, elementary school becomes middle school. Middle school becomes high school. And the plans that once felt distant suddenly feel urgent.
The good news is that most of these mistakes are preventable.
A few conversations. A few calendar adjustments. A quick policy review. A small increase in savings. None of them are complicated. All of them are easier to do now than later.
Because the most important things families prepare for each school year are rarely the things that fit inside a backpack.
They’re the rhythms that help children thrive, the protections that safeguard a family when life takes an unexpected turn, and the decisions made today that shape opportunities years from now. And they work best when they work together.
School starts whether we’re ready or not. The question is whether the rest of life is ready, too.
CONTINUED >
THE CHECKLIST NOBODY SENDS HOME
Every school sends a supply list. Here’s the behindthe-scenes checklist local experts recommend reviewing before the first day of school.
HOME
• Shift bedtimes and wake-up times 1–2 weeks before school starts
• Create a family calendar for school, sports, and activities
• Establish morning and evening routines
• Set up a designated homework and study space
• Talk with your children about what they’re excited about or nervous for
PROTECTION
• Review life, health, auto, and homeowners insurance coverage
• Confirm liability coverage for pools, trampolines, and pets
• Add umbrella liability coverage if you haven’t already
• Review coverage if you’ve added a teen driver or experienced a major life change
• Verify beneficiary information and guardianship plans are current
FUTURE
• Review education, retirement, and emergency savings goals
• Increase savings contributions by 1%
• Discuss age-appropriate money lessons with your children
• Revisit long-term family goals and priorities
• Schedule an annual financial check-in
The best preparation for a successful school year isn’t always found in a backpack. Often, it’s the systems, protections, and plans families put in place behind the scenes.
MAKING A SPALSH
SYV COMMUNITY AQUATICS FOUNDATION TURNING A DREAM INTO A LANDMARK.
ARTICLE BY SARA DEMARCUS PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT DEMARCUS
Some childhood lessons stay with us forever. Riding a bike. Looking both ways before crossing the street. Learning how to tie a shoe. For many families, swimming belongs on that list.
It’s more than a recreational activity or summer pastime. It’s a life skill. One that builds confidence, encourages healthy habits, and, perhaps most importantly, helps keep children safe around water. Yet for many Santa Ynez Valley families, access to swim lessons and year-round aquatic programs has never been easy. That’s one of the reasons the Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Foundation is working to bring a new community aquatics complex to the Valley.
The Foundation’s vision: two pools, multiple purposes, and designed for access. One pool would support competitive swimming, athletic training, and water polo, while a second warm-water instructional pool would focus on swim lessons, rehabilitation, and wellness programming. Beyond the lanes and the programming, the vision is something broader: a true community gathering place where neighbors of every generation come together to train, compete, relax, and socialize. At its heart, however, the project is about something much simpler. Opportunity.
The opportunity for a child to learn to swim close to home. The opportunity for families to access lessons without leaving the Valley. The opportunity for young athletes to train and compete. And the opportunity for an entire community to gather around a shared resource designed for every generation.
This summer, the Foundation’s swim program brought accessible aquatics programming directly to Valley families, a glimpse of what year-round community access could look like. The goal now is to make that access permanent.
Ask any SYV family raising a young athlete chasing their sport or a child who simply needs reliable access to lessons, and you’ll hear a version of the same story. Early mornings. Long drives. Constant trips over the Pass to Santa Barbara. Sometimes as far as Manhattan Beach or Fresno. The Santa Ynez Valley has always produced determined kids and committed parents, but determination shouldn’t require a minimum of a forty-five-minute drive just to practice their craft. For years, families have quietly absorbed that cost, in time, in miles, and in
opportunities their children missed simply because the resource didn’t exist close enough to home.
According to the CDC, children who receive swim instruction are significantly less likely to experience water-related incidents, making swimming less of an extracurricular and more of an essential life skill.
Anyone who has watched a child take their first swim lesson understands the transformation. What begins as hesitation often turns into trust. Trust becomes confidence. Confidence becomes freedom. The proposed aquatics complex would create more opportunities for those moments to happen right here at home.
For the next generation of Valley kids, the impact could be measured less in dollars and more in moments: a first swim lesson, a first lap across the pool, a first water polo match, or the confidence that comes from knowing they can safely navigate the water around them.
Some childhood lessons last a lifetime. Learning to swim may be one of the most important. To get involved or support the effort, visit syvaquatics.org/ get-involved .
Ensuring
events
A SELECTION OF UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS
EVERY WEDNESDAY IN AUGUST
Music in the Park Continues
Solvang Park Gazebo | 5:00 PM
Susan Williams Music in the Park continues at the Solvang Park Gazebo every Wednesday evening through August 26. August performances feature The Ripley’s (Aug 5), Stacked (Aug 12), Smells Cat (Aug 19), and Soul Kool (Aug 26). Bring lawn chairs, blankets, and a picnic. Free and open to the community. Details at solvangcc.com
AUGUST 8TH
BroBQ: A Women Winemakers & Culinarians Foundation Event
The Barn: 2625 Santa Barbara Ave | 4:00 PM
Back by popular demand, BroBQ returns to The Barn in Los Olivos. A meat lover’s fantasy cooked up by the friends and family of the Women Winemakers and Culinarians board. Expect brisket, ribs, lamb chops, elk tips, tri-tip, pork sliders, and yes, tofu. Limited to 100 guests. Proceeds benefit the Women Winemakers and Culinarians Foundation. Tickets at sbwomenwinemakers.com
AUGUST 13TH – 16TH
Wine & Fire Weekend 2026
Various Locations | 2:00 PM
Wine and Fire Weekend returns to the Sta. Rita Hills for four days of wine, food, and celebration. Highlights include a Barn Party, La Pauléestyle Vintners of the Year dinner, Saturday morning Speed Tasting with a winemaker, Grand Tasting at La Purisima Mission, and Sunday Funday experiences at participating wineries. August 13–16, 2026. Tickets and details at staritahillswinealliance.ticketspice.com/wine-and-fire-2026
AUGUST 15TH
Santa Ynez Valley Therapeutic Riding Program Event
Camp Carmina: 5009 Zaca Station Rd | 5:00 PM
The Santa Ynez Valley Therapeutic Riding Program celebrates its 36th anniversary at Camp Carmina in Los Olivos, honoring community supporter Earl Richmond. The evening includes a plated dinner by High on the Hog Catering, live and silent auctions, a cake auction, an open bar featuring Sunstone Winery, and a therapeutic riding demonstration. Tickets available at syvtherapeuticriding.org
AUGUST 21ST
SYHS Pirate Football Begins
Rio Memorial Field: 2975 East Highway 246
Santa Ynez Pirate Football home season kicks off August 21 at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School. JV at 4 pm, Varsity at 7 pm. August home games: Aug 21 vs Dos Pueblos, Aug 28 vs Lompoc. Additional home games September through October, including Homecoming and Senior Night. Full schedule at sypiratefootball.com. Go Pirates!
AUGUST 29TH
Paws & Pours: SYV Humane Society Event
Vega Vineyard: 9496 Santa Rosa Rd | 5:00 PM
Paws & Pours returns to Vega Vineyard & Farm in Buellton for an evening benefiting the Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society and D.A.W.G. Enjoy food, wine, and live and silent auction opportunities while supporting animals in your community. Sponsorships are available and include event tickets. To donate an auction item, contact Board Chair Carla Mead.
Where Luxury Lives in the Details.
At Padilla Tile, we create refined spaces through exceptional tile and stone craftsmanship tailored to the character of each home. From luxury estates and spa-inspired bathrooms to bespoke kitchens and outdoor living spaces, every detail is thoughtfully executed with precision, artistry, and enduring quality worthy of Santa Ynez Valley living.
