Breaking the silence?
BY CALEB WISEBLOOD
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors recently asked the Sheriff’s Office to disclose more about its interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Although California law requires the sheriff to report certain ICE interactions annually, supervisors frustrated with ICE’s lack of transparency about its operations on the Central Coast asked for more regular notification. Senior Staff Writer Caleb Wiseblood writes about the issue and how supervisors updated their legislative platform regarding new state laws about immigration enforcement [5] Also, read about who’s losing access to county health care [3]; the California Nature Art Museum’s exhibit showcasing the wild [18]; and a wine fest kicking off Los Alamos Old Days [21]. Camillia Lanham editor
•On Sept. 17, U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-California), Mark R. Warner (D-Virginia), Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), Chuck Schumer (D-New York), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Maryland), and Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) introduced the Protect America’s Workforce Act. According to Padilla’s office, the bill would repeal two executive orders, while restoring collective bargaining rights and workplace protections for federal workers. “ Donald Trump’s executive orders ripping away collective bargaining rights from over a million federal workers constitute one of the biggest union busts in American history,” Padilla said in a Sept. 17 statement. “Eliminating these basic labor protections is a thinly veiled retribution campaign under the guise of national security, but these orders make us all less safe by undermining the workforce Americans rely on for vaccine research, food inspections, natural disaster relief, and so much more. Our bill reverses these callous attacks to protect the fundamental workplace rights of federal employees in California and across the country so they can continue serving the American people.” The Protect America’s Workforce Act would affirm that any collective bargaining agreement in effect as of March 26, 2025, the day before the first executive order Padilla referred to, will be protected. “Trump’s attacks on unions, union jobs, and the right to collective bargaining is making our economy weaker and putting American jobs at risk,” Sen. Schumer said in a statement. “Federal workers deserve to have union protection to improve their working conditions and to defend those who speak up on behalf of the American people—it’s how our federal workforce finds and retains the best talent and how we live up to the values and standards our country has set for itself.”
•U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff (D-California) and Rick Scott (R-Florida) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2025 on Sept. 16. The bill would allow tax relief opportunities for victims of federally declared disasters through the end of 2026, including hurricanes and wildfires, according to Schiff’s office. The bill also extends victims’ ability to make tax deductible payments from wildfire settlements through the end of 2030. “Surviving a natural disaster can place an enormous financial burden on families. That’s why it’s critical we find ways to support victims of devastating disasters like the wildfires in California,” Schiff said in a statement. “I’m proud to join this bipartisan effort with Sen. Rick Scott to ensure that those hit the hardest when disaster strikes receive the support and the tax relief they need to recover.” Scott described the bill as an effort that “sends an important message to families that their federal government is here to support them after disaster strikes.”
•Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 564 on Sept. 22. The bill reverses a 25 percent tax increase on California’s legal cannabis industry and sets the state’s cannabis excise tax rate at 15 percent until 2028. “We’re rolling back this cannabis tax hike so the legal market can continue to grow, consumers can access safe products, and our local communities see the benefits,” Newsom said in a statement. The state also recently enacted measures to bolster longterm enforcement efforts against illegal operators by dedicating cannabis tax revenue to fund civil and criminal enforcement activities. According to Newsom’s office, the goal behind these measures is to reduce the burden on legal businesses while ensuring sustained actions against illegal operators. Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) grant eligibility also recently expanded to local jurisdictions to further enhance and support local enforcement efforts against illegal cannabis activity. m
A QUESTION OF CARE: Around 7,500 Santa Barbara County patients will have to find new primary care providers instead of going to county clinics starting in January.
Federal changes disqualify 7,500 residents from receiving county health care
New federal policy will prevent Santa Barbara County health care centers from providing services to certain immigrants with Medi-Cal starting next year.
County clinics won’t see patients who MediCal determines have “unsatisfactory immigration status” including undocumented individuals, most people with temporary status, and those with Deferred Action or Deferred Enforced Departure, according to the county. Around 7,500 patients will be affected throughout the county’s five health care centers.
“Health care is a human right, and when MediCal restricts access only to ‘qualifying’ immigrants, it excludes the very people who often need care the most,” Genevieve Flores-Haro, the associate director of Mixteco Indígena Coummunity Organizing Project, said in email interview.
Following policy changes made by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the federal government recently designated the county’s five health care facilities as federal public benefits. To continue receiving federal funding for the clinics—including facilities in Santa Maria and Lompoc—the county must comply with Medi-Cal’s requirements.
“This is not a local decision,” the county’s communications manager, Kelsey Gerckens Buttitta, told the Sun. “We just want to make sure that our patients are ensured continued care.”
The county is working to help patients transition to new primary care providers before the changes take effect on Jan. 1. To reassign patients to new providers, the county is working with CenCal Health, the organization that contracts with the state to administer Medi-Cal benefits. The county Health Department will mail individuals instructions explaining how to obtain their medical records and a new health care provider, according to a press release. CenCal will also notify patients of the change during office visits.
“Patients can continue their care as they normally would right now. Nothing has actually changed at our clinics today,” Gerckens Buttitta said.
She added that the transition period is meant to allow patients enough time to set up care with a new provider before Jan. 1.
Officials expect a roughly $8.2 million decrease in the county Health Department’s annual budget because the clinics will be seeing fewer patients, Gerckens Buttitta said. The county also expects to
make around 40 layoffs in the department.
County Health is scheduled to discuss the budget and reduction of positions at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Oct. 7.
—Madison White
District Attorney’s Office takes Sable Offshore to criminal court
Three oil rigs. Five felony counts. More than a dozen misdemeanor violations.
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office joined the list of agencies Sable Offshore is under fire from in courtroom settings after filing criminal charges against the Texas-based oil company on Sept. 18.
Each of the 21 separate criminal counts are centered on Sable’s work to restart the Las Flores pipeline system near Gaviota and a trio of offshore oil platforms connected to it—known collectively as the Santa Ynez Unit. In 2015, one of the unit’s lines ruptured and caused the Refugio oil spill.
The unit hasn’t been operated since.
“As this matter involves pending litigation, we are unable to provide further comment while the investigation remains ongoing,” Amber Frost, communications specialist at the county District Attorney’s Office, told the Sun via email.
Of the alleged crimes described in court documents, the five felony violations accuse Sable of “knowingly discharging dredged or fill material into waters of the United States.”
The DA’s Office specifically charged Sable with dispensing excavated pollutants into Asphaltum Creek, Nojoqui Creek, and Arroyo Quemado during the fall of 2024.
“The allegations from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office are inflammatory and extremely misleading,” Sable stated in an email to the Sun. “All of the repairs and excavations were supervised by a certified independent biologist and cultural resource professional and Office of State Fire Marshal personnel.”
While the felony charges outlined in the complaint are water code violations, the misdemeanors are fish and game code violations. Some are for not following certain California Department of Fish and Wildlife noticing protocols, while others accuse Sable of depositing materials that are harmful to fish, plants, mammals, and birds into areas that “can pass into waters of the state.”
“No wildlife were adversely affected,” Sable Offshore asserted in its statement to the Sun “All of these previously disturbed areas have
been or are being remediated in accordance with state and local erosion control mitigation measures.”
Sable described the county District Attorney’s actions as “a politically motivated attack.”
The arraignment will be held on Nov. 4 in the city of Santa Barbara. Senior Deputy District Attorney Morgan Lucas is spearheading the case.
Multiple nonprofits, including the Environmental Defense Center and the Center for Biological Diversity, are in the middle of active civil lawsuits against Sable— which was fined $18 million by the California Coastal Commission in April for Coastal Act violations. Like the recent criminal charges, these cases pinpoint waste Sable allegedly discharged into state and federal waters.
Among the alleged 16 misdemeanor violations, 11 accuse Sable of “substantially” altering the soil from the three creeks tied to the felony counts. According to Sable, the other five misdemeanors—focused on excavated pollutants—misinterpret the company’s “handling of backfill soil.”
“Concerning our legal and established pipeline’s right of way and the work conducted within previously disturbed soil, we have been and continue to work with the appropriate agencies,” Sable stated, “to align interpretations in the handling of backfill soil during the repair and maintenance process, … towards a successful restart of [the Las Flores pipeline].”
—Caleb Wiseblood
Solvang drafts policy updates that regulate vacation rentals
Left untouched since 2015, the rules that govern vacation rentals in Solvang are overdue for a makeover, according to the City Council. In August, the council directed staff to research two separate policy amendments for elected officials to consider moving forward with. One option bans short-term rental use anywhere outside of Solvang’s downtown village district, while the other makes the whole city fair game for property owners who go through a permitting process.
While the city’s current approach limits short-term rentals to the village mixed-use (VMU) zone, staff is aware of several properties outside of the zone attached to periodic listings on Airbnb and similar platforms, Community Development Director Rafael Castillo recently told the council.
“At this juncture, we’ve withheld going after them because we really want to have certainty. Do some of these property owners have a path forward? And if so, we’ll give them the path,” Castillo said at the council’s Sept. 22 meeting. “The biggest question just becomes: Do you want it in all zones or do you want it in VMU? Because I [heard] a little bit from both [sides].” Councilmember Elizabeth Orona initially voiced support for the citywide expansion option with certain protocols in place, such as a cap on permits the city can grant and fees associated with those permits.
“I genuinely don’t understand why we would say yes to VMU and no to the rest of Solvang,” Elizabeth Orona said. “The revenue opportunity is significant.”
Councilmember Claudia Orona said
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she felt “pretty strongly” about keeping vacation rentals limited to VMU, partly to reserve residential neighborhood housing opportunities for individuals and families seeking long-term housing.
“It’s really tough to find a place to live in Solvang,” Claudia Orona said. “I don’t feel like even entertaining the idea of having it outside of the mixed-use zone.”
Mayor David Brown said the VMU is the only area he ever wants to see vacation rentals exist.
The council ultimately agreed that staff should maintain the VMU limit while drafting its short-term rental policy revisions, which the council will revisit and vote on at a
future public hearing.
Community Development Director Castillo said that staff’s next presentation on the topic will focus on ways—including implementing a minimum stay requirement—for the city to keep better tabs on both properties that operate as short-term rentals without city permission and properties with rental permits that are barely ever used, he explained.
“In some instances, some people get the permit and they don’t use it. They use it maybe once or twice a year and that’s it,” Castillo said. “Is that economically fair? Whereas we’ve given you a permit to run a short-term rental; we expect some TOT [transient occupancy tax] out of this. … Let’s let some other homeowner or property owner get that permit instead.” m
—Caleb Wiseblood
Send
Communication breakdown
Board of Supervisors directs Sheriff’s Office to regularly disclose its ICE contact beyond annual reports
BY CALEB WISEBLOOD
Hoping to score a vantage point that gives Santa Barbara County a clearer view of local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, the Board of Supervisors recently asked the Sheriff’s Office to publicly disclose its interactions with the federal agency on a regular basis.
Disclosures of this kind were previously limited to annual reports, mandated by California’s TRUTH Act, 2nd District Supervisor Laura Capps told the Sun “They do a hearing every year that’s to provide some transparency, but that’s really the only opportunity we have to find out their level of interaction with ICE,” Capps said. “That’s been
a bone of contention for a long time. Previous Boards of Supervisors before I got on the board have had serious concerns. … But now it’s just far more extreme and heightened, given the climate, given what’s happening.”
Capps was elected in 2022, six years after former Gov. Jerry Brown signed the TRUTH Act into state law in 2016.
One public speaker at the Board of Supervisors’ Sept. 16 meeting reminded county officials that the TRUTH Act doesn’t limit local jurisdictions from asking for ICE updates from the Sheriff’s Office more than once a year.
“You are not helpless when it comes to the sheriff. … He routinely receives deconflicting notices informing him when ICE enters our
community and where they will be so he can protect his officers from harm,” 805 Immigrant Coalition member Larry Behrendt said during public comment. “What could happen is this: The sheriff could share these notices with you after the fact so you would know when and where ICE had been here.”
The Sun reached out to the Sheriff’s Office and Santa Maria’s ICE facility for comment but did not receive responses from either agency before press time.
“With this information you could gauge the extent of ICE activity and measure trends,”
Behrendt told the board. “Per the Values Act—SB 54—the sheriff’s cooperation with ICE is subject to local policy. That’s literally what the law says. And you set this policy.”
Behrendt pitched his suggestion during a discussion about potentially amending the Board of Supervisors’ legislative platform on immigration reform, specifically to address some supervisors’ frustration over ICE’s lack of transparency about the Glass House Farms raid on July 10.
“I think this is the first time in 15 years that I don’t even know who to go to for information. That’s the scary thing,” 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino said in July, a few days after that raid. “I want to be part of the solution, but I also feel like we’re blocked out and I don’t know why.”
In mid-July, county staff filed a Freedom of Information Act request with questions about individuals detained during the Glass House Farms raid and the warrants obtained before the arrests. As of mid-September, staff had not received the requested info from the Department of Homeland Security.
“We’ve been very frustrated,” Supervisor Capps told the Sun. “At a minimum, we’re just trying to get basic information.”
Moving forward, Capps said that the Board of Supervisors doesn’t expect to get advance notifications from the Sheriff’s Office ahead of any ICE operations, “but after there’s been a roundup of some sort, then we can be notified and there can be more transparency about how many people were detained and what was the impact of that effort.”
The board’s recent update of its legislative policy on immigration also includes endorsements of state policies that rubbed one supervisor the wrong way.
“I’m going to abstain on this one,” 4th District Supervisor Bob Nelson said before the vote. “There’s some politicalization here that I don’t necessarily want to have my name on.”
Nelson said he supported some of the update’s broad language amendments—“especially upholding constitutional civil rights protections, including due process, equal protection, and freedom from unlawful searches and seizures. I couldn’t be more supportive of that.”
“That said, I think this is wrapped up in a certain amount of politicalization especially with [state Senate Bills] 627 and 805, which I’m already on the record as not supporting,” Nelson said on the dais.
In August, the board adopted resolutions to support SB 627 (No Secret Police Act) and SB 805 (No Vigilantes Act) with a 4-1 vote that Nelson dissented on.
While SB 627 would make it a misdemeanor for law enforcement officers to wear masks while interacting with the public except under certain circumstances, SB 805 would require officers to visibly display some kind of identification while performing their duties.
Nelson described the context of both bills as creating “a vigilante on the other side, toward law enforcement,” before criticizing an unnamed publication for printing photos taken during the Glass House raid of ICE officers, some with masks and others without.
“We’re already complicit here in our community. … We had one of our local newspapers post pictures of every single person that didn’t have a mask on that was working there,” Nelson said. “I am concerned for the safety of Homeland Security and federal agents that work in our communities, that live in our communities.”
U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) is one of SB 627’s co-sponsors. He met with ICE officials at the agency’s Santa Maria facility in June and August. Supervisors Nelson and Lavagnino joined Carbajal during his June visit.
Carbajal told the Sun he remembers the mask issue coming up and heard from one ICE official who said that officers “are concerned that people are trying to identify them to go after them.”
“I understand that, … but there’s got to be a happy medium,” Carbajal said, “where both the officers are protected, and the public is protected in terms of their rights. … Wearing all these masks and military garb, that raises tensions and makes people question whether you’re legitimate or not. You’ve got to have some identifiable information.”
While vouching for the Board of Supervisors to add language inspired by SB 627 and SB 805 to its legislative platform, 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann described federal immigration enforcement officers’ use of masks as one of the Trump administration’s tactics “to instill fear and intimidation.”
“In my world, no name, no badge, no agency means there’s no way to hold somebody accountable, and that just opens the door to potential abuse,” Hartmann told the board in August. “It creates a culture of impunity.” m
Reach Senior Staff Writer Caleb Wiseblood at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
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STAYING UPDATED: At the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors’ Sept. 16 meeting, 2nd District Supervisor Laura Capps motioned for a policy update—ultimately approved 4-1—that would require periodic updates from the Sheriff’s Office about the notices it receives from ICE.
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Top dog
Santa Barbara Humane scores first nonprofit award from the Santa Maria Valley Chamber
BY CALEB WISEBLOOD
In the grand scheme of Santa Barbara Humane’s century-long history, the nonprofit’s five-year presence in Santa Maria feels as fresh as a newborn pup.
The animal welfare agency’s paw prints on the area recently caught the attention of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, which picked Santa Barbara Humane as its nonprofit of the year.
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The chamber will formally present the award during its annual gala on Sept. 27, from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m., at the Central Coast Jet Center.
“We have felt so embraced and supported by the goodness of Santa Maria residents,” Paige Van Tuyl, Santa Barbara Humane’s chief philanthropy officer, told the Sun. “We could not feel more grateful. … We only merged with Santa Maria in 2020, so this is a new relationship.”
Founded in 1887 as the Santa Barbara Humane Society, the nonprofit shortened its name after unifying with the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society during the spring of 2020. Having campuses in both Santa Barbara and Santa Maria has helped the nonprofit increase its accessibility to residents across the county, Van Tuyl said.
In July, the agency unveiled a new tool to expand its reach: a mobile veterinary unit.
“We are focusing that mobile unit on North County,” said Van Tuyl, who listed Lompoc and Buellton among the towns where the mobile unit sets up pop-up clinics.
One goal of the mobile unit is to serve communities that don’t currently “have the resources and the infrastructure” to facilitate certain kinds of animal welfare programs, she explained.
“We’re just trying to fill in the gaps, … we’re able to go out into the field and meet people where they are,” Van Tuyl said. “We are going out into areas that have large feral cat populations that need veterinary care. They need to be spayed and neutered. They need flea treatment and vaccines.”
Santa Barbara Humane often parks its mobile unit outside of the county’s Santa Maria animal shelter on Foster Road, she added.
“What is ending up happening is they have animals that they cannot adopt out because they have not been altered yet,” Van Tuyl said. “So we can come in and spay and neuter them so the pipeline is cleared where they can get adopted faster. That’s the main thing. We want animals to spend the least amount of time possible in any shelter.”
The nonprofit’s adoption-centered initiatives occasionally stretch beyond county lines. In January, Santa Barbara Humane dispatched a team of its staffers to Pasadena to assist the city’s humane society with its animal intake during the Eaton Fire.
More than a dozen dogs were transported from Pasadena to the nonprofit’s Santa Barbara and Santa Maria campuses where they became available for adoption.
Part of Santa Barbara Humane’s adoption program entails a “matchmaking” process, Van Tuyl said.
“We had a dog that came in that was an extreme abuse case,” she said as an example. “We were able to spend time to help this dog decompress and heal emotionally and medically through our medical team and behavior team, and that dog was matched with a family who had just lost [one of their] two dogs.”
Van Tuyl emphasized the importance of the matchmaking—among many “moving parts” tied to the nonprofit’s adoption services, she said—in this case because it involved an “intro” between the dog up for adoption and the family’s surviving dog before a decision was made.
“It was moving on so many levels,” said Van Tuyl, who described the two dogs as fast friends.
“Not only was the dog able to enter the family to help heal the humans, she really came in and helped heal the other dog who was lonely.”
Highlight
• This fall, the Lompoc Public Library plans to debut a new youth program for teens interested in learning about the ins and outs of babysitting.
The four-week course, titled Babysitting 101, will cover the basics of “starting a babysitting business, tips on interacting with clients, and activity ideas,” according to the library. Designed for ages 13 through 18, the series will hold classes on Oct. 14, 21, and 28 and Nov. 4, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. each evening. m
Reach Senior Staff Writer Caleb Wiseblood at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
LENDING A PAW: Santa Barbara Humane sent a team of staff members to Pasadena in January to help alleviate the city’s increased animal shelter intake during the Eaton Fire. More than a dozen dogs were transported to shelters in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara, according to the nonprofit.
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From local history
A lesson, warning, and proposal for the Nipomo Mesa
BY JOHN ASHBAUGH
Igot to know the late Harold Miossi shortly after settling here after finishing grad school at Cal in 1976. I had the privilege of enjoying his occasional company until his death in 2006.
Harold’s name graces two fine concert venues—the PAC at Cal Poly and the CPAC at Cuesta College—as well as the city’s Miossi Open Space on Cuesta Grade. The Miossi Charitable Trust funds many worthy causes in this community.
In 1936, Miossi had just entered high school in the depth of the Great Depression. Somehow, he learned of a crisis facing more than 5,000 desperate migrant laborers on the Nipomo Mesa, idled by a hard freeze in the winter of 1935-36.
In an essay for his English teacher at SLO High School, Harold told how he’d visited a makeshift “school” in an abandoned Pacific Coast Railroad warehouse in Nipomo: In that drafty barn with little lighting and boarded-up windows, a harried teacher shared a few tattered textbooks among tables and benches teeming with hungry children whose parents worked nearby to glean the few stalks of peas that had survived the freeze.
In 1936, California had no intention of becoming a “sanctuary state” for the migrant farm laborers such as those shivering tent dwellers in Nipomo. On the contrary, the LA police and then Gov. Frank Merriam implemented a blockade at the border to prevent more Dust Bowl families from entering the state.
One notable Nipomo family included seven gaunt children led by Florence Owens Thompson, 32, a native Cherokee who had traveled from Oklahoma with her children. They were barely holding it together in a lean-to beside their broken-down jalopy.
This hapless family drew the attention of Dorothea Lange, a traveling photographer who happened upon this labor camp in
March 1936. The Resettlement Administration had hired Lange to record the living conditions of migrant workers throughout the nation. Her iconic Migrant Mother photograph of Thompson and her children inspired President Roosevelt, Congress, and the entire nation to come to the aid of these desperate workers throughout the United States.
In the face of staggering levels of unemployment, “Hoovervilles,” soup kitchens, and abandoned homes and farms and factories, FDR and his allies built an entire infrastructure—the New Deal—dedicated to that clause in the Preamble to the Constitution that called our nation into being in order to promote the general welfare.
The federal response was matched by an equally robust local response: Within a few months after Lange’s 1936 photograph of Thompson—and Miossi’s visit to that shabby warehouse “school”—county Superintendent of Schools Al Rhodes was on the case. Rhodes managed to find the resources to build a public school specifically to serve those thousands of families huddled on the Mesa.
Rhodes would go on to serve as the county’s education czar for decades, earning a national reputation as a resolute advocate for rural education. In 2006, the Lucia Mar School District named its newest school in Nipomo for Dorothea Lange.
We need to acknowledge the great advances of the New Deal, especially workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively. Those rights are very much in peril now.
Our commitment to public education is also threatened. A cabal of right-wing “influencers” constantly seeks to undermine our public schools—including a candidate seeking to unseat our Democratic Assemblymember Dawn Addis.
Speak up! Send us your views and opinion to letters@santamariasun.com.
Too many seem to have forgotten the lessons that people like Rhodes and Miossi embodied throughout their careers—especially this lesson, learned in the depths
of the Great Depression: All children should receive the benefit of a quality, taxpayer-funded education.
Remarkably, the field on North Oak Glen Avenue where Dorothea Lange snapped her historic Migrant Mother photograph is still completely undeveloped.
Almost 10 years ago, I attended the 80th anniversary of the Migrant Mother snapshot along with Dan Krieger, his wife, Elizabeth, and dozens of local and out-of-state history buffs, including the late Bill Denneen and former Supervisor Ruth Brackett. Those who knew Bill and Ruth understood they were sworn adversaries over many decades, but in March 2016 they found common cause in celebrating that anniversary.
We’re coming up now on the 90th anniversary of Dorothea Lange’s brief but consequential encounter with Florence Owens Thompson in Nipomo. I propose that we commit ourselves to a new purpose: Let’s create a Museum of the Great Depression in Nipomo at the site of that remarkable photograph. There is no such museum anywhere in the nation. We have countless museums to commemorate the events of our Revolution, the Civil War, both world wars, 9/11—virtually every national calamity except that 1930s economic catastrophe that forged our national character and proved our resilience as a people. There is no single piece of American geography that better represents that determination than an open field on North Oak Glen Avenue just north of West Tefft Street. Miossi and Rhodes would know how to get it done. Do we? m
Respond to John Ashbaugh with a letter to the editor by sending it to letters@santamariasun.com.
What has
America become?
So, what do you call this thing that is now America?
Gangs of uniformed thugs with hidden faces roam city streets picking on random minorities and disappearing them in violation of longestablished law and their civil rights.
Colleges pressured to indoctrinate students in only right-wing thought.
Cuts to anything that might even resemble reason or science.
Shutting down free speech wherever it might still remain—if it’s critical of the current administration or its goals.
Removing references to minorities wherever possible.
Killing funding for anything that might benefit the most deserving and the least able to object.
Insulting all those who reference anything that suggests that the privileged may have ever been in error.
Frustrating two-party rule.
Intimidating opposition.
Intimidating the fourth estate to further undermine and destroy all possible opposition and ending its watchdog role, with the obvious goal of keeping Americans ignorant of the methods and injustices committed by those in power.
Willfully ignoring the spirit of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and insinuating that these foundational documents are wrong and require revision—if necessary, without the consent of the people.
Accusing the innocent of the self-same crimes committed by the powerful bullies now in charge.
So, what do you call it?
Art Goldman San Luis Obispo
Does the county have any control over the federal government? What about the state? No. That’s the answer I’m going to go with. What have we done as a state? We’ve banned Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents from conducting their business at state courthouses—as in, arresting people. According to CalMatters, officers are doing it regardless. Why? The Trump administration argues that it’s a safe space for apprehension. We passed the law under the previous Trump administration.
Despite that, California has passed new laws about how federal agents can conduct their business in the state, such as banning federal agents from masking and from school and hospital properties. But, as CalMatters states, “it’s unclear what California law enforcement can actually do to enforce the law.”
Still, Santa Barbara County hopped on board with the political policies designed to show support to immigrant communities in the face of Trump’s ICE more than to establish actual enforceable policy. Already, Trumpty Dumpty’s Department of Homeland Security minions have said they wouldn’t comply with the mask rule and court rulings seem to support that tact.
Great! So what’s the point?
“Wearing all of these masks and military garb, that raises tensions and makes people question whether you’re legitimate or not,” U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) said. “You’ve got to have some identifiable information.”
But how to hold them accountable to that? Can we? I guess we just have to keep trying.
Everyone is frustrated about how things are shaking out when it comes to immigration enforcement tactics that subvert the norm and “instill fear,” as 3rd District Supervisor Joan
Hartmann put it. And nobody knows when these raids are happening, not even the local ICE facility, according to Carbajal.
So, the Board of Supervisors is doing its darndest to get what little information it can to help constituents and policymakers understand what the hell the federal government is doing in their own backyards. The county even filed a Freedom of Information Act request over the Glass House Farms raid.
Unsurprisingly, the county hasn’t heard back from the feds yet.
“We’ve been very frustrated,” 2nd District Laura Capps said. “At a minimum, we’re just trying to get basic information.”
The latest workaround? Asking the Sheriff’s Office to do more than report out annually in accordance with the TRUTH Act. Basically, once a year, the sheriff reports out its contacts with ICE over individuals in custody.
What the county wants from the sheriff now is more regular notifications about more than individuals in custody. If ICE lets the Sheriff’s Office know it’s conducting an operation so there aren’t any conflicts, the supervisors want to know.
Capps said they don’t expect advance notification, but after something has happened, “then we can be notified and there can be more transparency about how many people were detained.”
But if local ICE doesn’t know, I’m not sure local law enforcement will know either. But here’s to keeping my talons crossed that we get some information—anything really—so we aren’t guessing based on what people post on the Central Coast Chisme Facebook page. m
The Canary gets information from trusted sources, only, whoever those people are. Send rumors and innuendo to canary@santamariasun.com.
www.santamariasun.com
Hot Stuff
SCARECROWS GALORE
The 16th annual Santa Ynez Valley Scarecrow Festival, will run from Wednesday, Oct. 1, to Friday, Oct. 31, at the Solvang Chamber of Commerce. Community members and tourists can vote on their favorite scarecrows throughout the month. For more details, visit syvscarecrows.com.
—Angie Stevens
SANTA YNEZ VALLEY
ARTS
SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS BALLROOM, LATIN, AND SWING DANCE CLASSES Social ballroom, Latin, and swing lessons for all ages. Beginner and advance classes. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m. $45-$55. (805) 928-7799. Kleindancesarts.com. Klein Dance Arts, 3558 Skyway Drive, suite A, Santa Maria.
DANCE CLASSES: EVERYBODY CAN DANCE Classes available for all skill levels. Class sizes limited. ongoing Everybody Can Dance, 628 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria, (805) 937-6753, everybodycandance.webs.com/.
FREE BOOK SUNDAYS FOR AGES 0-17
Visit the Youth Services Desk on the first Sunday of each month to receive a coupon for a free book of your choice from the Library Bookstore. For ages 0-17. First Sunday of every month Free. (805) 925-0994. cityofsantamaria.org/services/ departments/library. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria. GIAFUNNIES COMEDY NIGHT Giafunnies returns with an all-new killer lineup. Headliner Rick Storer’s unique style impresses audiences nationwide. Also performing will be comedians Kelsie Rae, Nick Malizia, and Sarah Samaniego. Sept. 27, 8-10 p.m. $20. (805) 621-4334. Giavanni’s Pizza, 1108 E Clark Ave, Orcutt, beachboardwalkers.org.
VALLEY ART GALLERY: ROTATING
DISPLAYS Featured artists of Santa Maria’s Valley Art Gallery frequently display their works at the airport. Check website for details on monthly exhibits and full list of the gallery’s artists. ongoing valleygallery.org. Santa Maria Airport, 3217 Terminal Drive, Santa Maria.
“A PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW” THREE FRIENDS THREE STYLES ONE COLORFUL SHOW AT GALLERY LOS
OLIVOS See A Personal Point of View — Gallery Los Olivos features watercolorist Karen McGaw, pastel artist Carrie Givens, and oil painter Renée Kelleher. Oct. 1 , 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Mondays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. through Oct. 31 (805) 688-7517.
GalleryLosOlivos.com. Gallery Los Olivos, 2920 Grand Ave., Los Olivos.
IT BEGINS WITH LIGHT AT GALLERY
LOS OLIVOS See Linda Hanly’s and Ellen Yeomans’ exhibit “It Begins With Light,” where their exquisite paintings that celebrate “light” on their canvases are on display now at the gallery, open daily.
Mondays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. through Sept. 30 (805) 688-7517. GalleryLosOlivos.com. Gallery Los Olivos, 2920 Grand Ave., Los Olivos.
WILD IN CALIFORNIA SOLO EXHIBITION
See the exhibition Wild in California, a solo exhibition by Museum Founder, conservation advocate, and artist Patti Jacquemain. A array of woodcut prints and mosaics will be showcased, highlighting the bioregions and species that make up California’s rich biodiversity. Through Feb. 23, 2026 calnatureartmuseum.org/news/ wild-in-california-2025. California Nature Art Museum, 1511-B Mission Dr., Solvang.
LOMPOC/VANDENBERG
TELLING OUR STORIES Lompoc Theatre
Project is excited to announce a brand new six-week storytelling and poetry workshop for adults, “Telling Our Stories”. More info can be found at the link. Sept. 28 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. (805) 400-7145. lompoctheatre.org/tellingourstories. Lompoc Theatre, 112 North H Street, Lompoc.
SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY
COMEDY NIGHT Head to Beso Cocina’s Inaugural Comedy Night, where LA’s Mike Muratore (The Serial Killer of Comedy) will headline an evening of big laughs. Also appearing will be Unpaquito, Courtney Rainwater, and Eric Amador. This is a 21+ event. Sept. 25 8-10 p.m. $20. (805) 621-4334. Beso Cocina, 1050 Willow Road, Nipomo.
DANCE FITNESS ART AND CULTURE FOR ADULTS Discover dance as a form of artistic expression and exercise, using a wide range of styles and genres of music (including modern, jazz, Broadway, ethnic). Tuesdays, 4-5 p.m. $10 drop-in; $30 for four classes. (510) 362-3739. grover.org. Grover Beach Community Center, 1230 Trouville Ave., Grover Beach. EVERYDAY IMPROV: SKILLS FOR LIFE
These interactive, welcoming workshops use the tools of improvisational theater— like play, spontaneity, and “yes, and”—to build real-life skills for communication, confidence, and connection. Every other Sunday, 6-7:30 p.m. through Nov. 16 $15 each or $75 all. theagilemind.co/. Women’s Club of Arroyo Grande, 211 Vernon St., Arroyo Grande, (805) 270-5523.
FRIENDS OF THE ARROYO GRANDE
LIBRARY ART AUCTION The first ever art auction fundraiser for Friends of the AG Library is now live. Includes work by local artist Ellen November. Every 30 days, 9 a.m. Various. (310) 384-6912. app.galabid. com/aglibrary/items. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.
MANHATTAN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
Discover your inner film critic by casting your vote for Best Film and Best Actor in the 28th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival. Sept. 30 2:30-5:15 p.m., Oct. 1 , 1-3:45 p.m., Oct. 2 , 1-4 p.m. and Oct. 3 , 1-3 p.m. Free. (805) 773-2263. slolibrary.org/.
WORKSHOPS AND MORE AT THE LAVRA
Check the venue’s calendar for storytelling workshops, lectures, movie nights, and discussions held on a periodic basis. ongoing thelavra.org/home. The Lavra, 2070 E. Deer Canyon Road, Arroyo Grande.
SAN LUIS OBISPO
41ST ANNUAL CENTRAL COAST
WRITERS’ CONFERENCE CCWC 2025, for writers of all levels and genres, features more than 45 presenters, breakout sessions, Master Classes, Teen Program, keynote speakers, bookstore, vendors, and networking opportunities. Sept. 26 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sept. 27, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $300 Regular Conference/$150 for Master Classes. (805) 610-4252. cuesta.edu/ writers-conference/index.html. Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.
ALL AGES SCULPTING WITH JOHN ROULLARD John a retired school teacher who patiently guides potters of all ages to sculpt and work on details and design. Saturdays, 1:30-3 p.m. $40. anamcre.com. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.
ALL LEVELS POTTERY CLASSES Anam Cre is a pottery studio in SLO that offers a variety of classes. This specific class is open to any level. Teachers are present for questions, but the class feels more like an open studio time for potters. Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. $40. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, anamcre.com.
ART AFTER DARK Art After Dark features an art opening of world-class artists. Refreshments will be served. First Friday of every month, 5-8 p.m. slocountyarts.org/ art-after-dark. SLO County, Locations countywide, San Luis Obispo.
AS THE CROW FLIES WITH LINDA CUNNINGHAM In this 4-hour mixed media workshop, you’ll receive step-by-step instruction for creating a beautiful detailed collage of crows or ravens. Oct. 4, 12-4 p.m. $45. (805) 478-2158. i0.wp. com/artcentralslo.com/wp-content/ uploads/2025/08/As-The-Crow-FliesCunningham.jpg Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.
BEGINNING WATERCOLOR WITH JAN FRENCH You’ve heard watercolor is daunting, but it’s still fascinating you. Come be introduced to this tricky but dynamic painting medium! Sept. 25 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. $100. (805) 747-4200. i0.wp.com/artcentralslo.com/wp-content/ uploads/2025/07/Beginning-WC-FrenchSeptember25-1.jpg Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.
CERAMIC LESSONS AND MORE Now offering private one-on-one and group lessons in the ceramic arts. Both hand building and wheel throwing options. Beginners welcomed. ongoing (805) 8355893. hmcruceceramics.com/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.
CLAY BABY HANDPRINTS Offers a unique experience of pressing your baby’s hand/ foot into clay so parents can cherish this time forever. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays $55. anamcre.com/babyhandprints. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.
CLAY CLASS: PUMPKINS & GHOSTS!
Choose one of the following to create: pumpkins (2), ghosts (3) or any fall themed item. No experience necessary! Book on our website Mondays, 2-3:30 p.m. through Oct. 20 45.00. app. acuityscheduling.com/schedule.ph p?owner=22676824&appointmentTy pe=80951081. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo. DID SOMEONE SAY MURDER? What could possible go wrong with a prerecorded radio show?Our favorite actors return for a night of suspicion, murder, mishaps, and laughs! Doors will open a half-hour prior to each performance. Sept. 26 7 p.m. and Sept. 27 3 p.m. $15.81. my805tix.com. CongregationHouse, 11245 Los Osos Valley Road, San Luis Obispo.
FAMILY FRIENDLY WORKSHOP: LARGE PLATTER CLASS Fun for all ages. Instructors will guide you in creating large platters and decorating them. Create pieces together for your home. Saturdays, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $50. anamcre.com. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.
FIRST FRIDAYS Visit SLOMA on the first Friday of each month for exhibition openings, music, and wines provided by regional winery partners. Admission is free. First Friday of every month, 5-8 p.m. (805) 543-8562. sloma.org/events/firstfridays/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.
FORTINBRAS-UBU’S OTHER SHOE STAGED READING Picking up where Shakespeare’s Hamlet left off, Fortinbras gives us the chance to laugh at just how ridiculous life, truth, authority and leadership can be. Sept. 26 7-9 p.m. and Sept. 27 2-4 & 7-9 p.m. $18-$23. (805) 786-2440. slorep.org/shows/stagedreading-fortinbras/. SLO Rep, 888 Morro St., San Luis Obispo.
IMPROV WITH BENEFITS Join a dynamic cast of improvisers for a one-of-a-kind comedy show at Bioneers. Every laugh helps create positive change. Oct. 3 5:30-6:30 p.m. $10. Octagon Barn Center, 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo, (805) 544-9096, octagonbarn.org.
INTERMEDIATE BLOCK PRINTING:
MULTI-COLOR DESIGNS Learn how to make a jigsaw block print, which allows you to ink your print in multiple colors and only print once! Sept. 25, 6-8 p.m. $45. (805) 439-1022. slolifestudio.com. SLOLife Studio & Mercantile, 1337 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.
LEARN TO WEAVE MONDAYS An opportunity to learn how a four-shaft loom works. You will get acquainted as a new weaver or as a refresher with lots of tips and tricks. This class includes getting to know a loom, how to prepare/dress a loom, and much much more. Mondays, 1-4 p.m. $75 monthly. (805) 441-8257. Patricia Martin:
224
Shell Beach Library, 230 Leeward Ave, Shell Beach.
Whispering Vista Studios,
Squire Canyon Rd, San Luis Obispo, patriciamartinartist.com.
MOBILE CLAY CLASSES Offering handbuilding, throwing, and ceramic decorative arts. All ages and abilities are welcome. Call for more info. ongoing (805) 835-5893. hmcruceceramics.com/ book-online. SLO County, Various locations countywide, San Luis Obispo.
OBJECT LESSONS IN OBSOLESCENCE
(2005–2025) An installation of film and video works spanning two decades by collaborating artists Gibson + Recoder will be on display. Sept. 25 - Oct. 24 gibsonrecoder.com/2018/9/3/ r614ugvkhod6xtur8xi88dg7xbg0b6. Cal Poly University Art Gallery, Cal Poly Art & Design, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo, 93407-0321, San Luis Obispo, (805) 756-1571.
PAINTING STORMY SKIES WITH PASTELS WITH JIM TYLER In this workshop, we’ll cover all of the basics for applying pastels. This is an instructor-led class with demonstrations each step of the way. Sept. 28 12:30-3:30 p.m. $50. (805) 748-2220. i0.wp.com/artcentralslo.com/ wp-content/uploads/2025/08/PaintingStormy-Skies-Tyler.jpg. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.
SATURDAY FAMILY POTTERY CLASS
This family-friendly open studio time is a wonderful window for any level or age. Saturdays, 11 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. $40. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, anamcre.com.
VISIBLE MENDING WORKSHOP – LEARN
CREATIVE CLOTHING REPAIR
Join us for a hands-on visible mending workshop where you’ll learn a variety of techniques to repair and refresh your clothing in creative, sustainable ways. Sept. 27 1-3 p.m. $45. (805) 439-1022. slolifestudio. com. SLOLife Studio & Mercantile, 1337 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.
NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY
CREATIVE FLOW WORKSHOP IN RHYTHM, SONG, & ART
Join for a joyful and grounding Creative Flow Workshop that blends art, rhythm, and song to reconnect you with your inner voice and the power of community. Led by Dee and Chenda, this experience invites you to explore creativity through guided movement, expressive arts, and a collaborative song circle filled with rhythm, voice, and heart. Oct. 4 , 1-5 p.m. $63. my805tix.com. Lor Coaching Studio & Gallery, 525 Harbor St., Morro Bay.
FREE DEMO: EXPLORING DIGITAL
ART WITH FRED VENTURA Join as digital artist Fred Ventura givew a free
demonstration at Art Center Morro Bay. Oct. 4 3-5 p.m. Free. (805) 772-2504. ARTCenterMorroBay.org. Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St., Morro Bay.
GALLERY AT MARINA SQUARE
PRESENTS FUSED GLASS BY LINDA
HILL Linda Hill creates vibrant fused glass art and jewelry using Dichroic Glass. Her work plays with light and color, and is on display at the gallery, open daily. Through Sept. 29, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. (805) 772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.
SELF HELP See Self-Help by Norm Foster, directed by Lisa Woske at By The Sea Productions. Tickets and more details are available at the link. Oct. 3 7 p.m., Oct. 4 , 7 p.m. and Oct. 5, 3 p.m. $28.62. my805tix. com. By The Sea Productions, 545 Shasta Ave., Morro Bay.
STAINED GLASS WITH DEBORAH
WOGAN Create a glass project of your choice. Learn how to cut glass, copper foil, solder, and hang your project. All tools and materials are included. Sept. 26 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $110. (805) 772-2504. Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St., Morro Bay, artcentermorrobay.org.
CULTURE & LIFESTYLE
SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS
ANDROID PHONE CLASS First Thursday of every month Oasis Center, 420 Soares Ave., Orcutt, (805) 937-9750.
CENTRAL COAST CORVETTE CLUB Open to Corvette owners and enthusiasts. First Thursday of every month, 7 p.m. Free. (805) 934-3948. Home Motors, 1313 E. Main St., Santa Maria.
FEEL GOOD YOGA Tuesdays, Thursdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. (805) 937-9750. oasisorcutt. org. Oasis Center, 420 Soares Ave., Orcutt. FIRST FRIDAY First Friday of every month facebook.com/firstfridayoldtownorcutt/. Historic Old Town Orcutt, S. Broadway and Union Ave., Orcutt.
FREE BOOK SUNDAYS FOR AGES 0-17
Visit the Youth Services Desk on the first Sunday of each month to receive a coupon for a free book of your choice from the Library Bookstore. For ages 0-17. First Sunday of every month Free. (805) 925-0994. cityofsantamaria.org/services/ departments/library. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.
NASHVILLE LINEUP
The Solvang Festival Theatre will host Nashville Nights, a benefit for Friendship House, on Saturday, Sept. 27. The gates open at 4 p.m., and the opening act begins at 5:30. The lineup features award-winning Nashville songwriters including Marv Green, Carson Wallace, Steve Moakler, Leslie Satcher, Rivers Rutherford, and Caiden Wallace. There is limited availability, and tickets can be purchased at nashvillenights.org.
GROUP WALKS AND HIKES Check website for the remainder of this year’s group hike dates and private hike offerings. ongoing (805) 343-2455. dunescenter.org. Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, 1065 Guadalupe St., Guadalupe.
LOS ALAMOS OLD DAYS Join the 79th annual Los Alamos Old Days! Sept. 26, 6-10 p.m., Sept. 27, 9-3 a.m. and Sept. 28 9-3 a.m. Free. Los Alamos Old Days, 429 Leslie, Los Alamos, (805) 260-3483, lavmc. org/old-days/.
WARHAMMER WEDNESDAYS AT THE LIBRARY Join us at the library as we play Warhammer. Children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. This program is partnered with Nerdvana. Oct. 1 3-6:30 p.m. Free. (805) 925-0994. cityofsantamaria.org/services/ departments/library. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.
SANTA YNEZ VALLEY
CHUMASH INTERTRIBAL POWWOW The Chumash Intertribal Powwow is a two-day event, where over 300 Native American
dancers and singers representing many of the tribes from Canada and the United States will attend to participate socially and competitively. The committee’s goal is to provide the community with educational and cultural experiences, focusing on Native American music, arts and customs while promoting Native American self-reliance and pride. Oct. 4 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Oct. 5 10 a.m.-6 p.m. $5. (805) 688-7997. chumash.gov/ powwow. HWY 246 & Meadowvale Road, HWY 246 & Meadowvale Road, Santa Ynez.
THE NEAL TAYLOR NATURE CENTER AT CACHUMA LAKE Fall under the spell of owls, bats, and spiders. See slithering snakes and lizards. Touch real skulls and bones that will rattle your bones. Get more info at the link. Oct. 4 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (805) 693-0691. clnaturecenter.org. Neal Taylor Nature Center, 2265 Highway 154, Santa Barbara.
SANTA YNEZ VALLEY SCARECROW
FEST Head to the 16th annual Solvang Scarecrow Fest, part of the larger SYV Scarecrow Fest, running through Oct. 31.
Solvang businesses and organizations will participate in the contest by featuring a scarecrow of their own creation posted at their location, upon which locals, tourists, and area merchants may vote. Oct. 1-31 Free. (805) 688-0701. syvscarecrows.com/. Solvang Chamber of Commerce, 485 Alisal Rd #245, Solvang.
THE SOLVANG FARMER PUMPKIN
PATCH The Solvang Farmer Pumpkin Patch will reopen for the 2025 season beginning on Sept. 26, growing more than 50 different varieties of pumpkins ranging in size from Wee-B-Littles up to several hundred pounds. The pumpkin patch also features a corn maze with a scavenger hunt for hidden symbols throughout, as well as freshly-grown, freshly-popped popcorn and kettle corn. Sept. 26 - Nov. 2 Solvang Farmer Pumpkin Patch, 1035 Alamo Pintado Road, Solvang.
LOMPOC/VANDENBERG
LOMPOC ART WALK Lompoc transforms into a celebration and showcase of local artists during this monthly event,
which features live music, art, exciting exhibitions, performances, and a variety of unique vendors. First Thursday of every month, 5-8 p.m. Old Town Lompoc, H and I St., Lompoc. THE VILLAGE TREASURE CHEST This event is for the whole family. There will be vendors selling their wears, music, facepainting, and some kind of food booth. Come out and spend part of your Saturday supporting local vendors. First Saturday of every month, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Vandenberg Village Community Services District Office, 3745 Constellation Road, Lompoc, (805) 291-6370.
SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY
86TH ANNUAL ARROYO GRANDE VALLEY HARVEST FESTIVAL This free, family festival in the heart of Arroyo Grande is a beloved hometown tradition. Experience it for yourself, and get more information at the link! Sept. 26, 6-9 p.m. and Sept. 27, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. agharvestfestival.com. Heritage Square Park, 201 Nelson St., Arroyo Grande. ARROYO GRANDE VALLEY HARVEST FESTIVAL Enjoy a parade, food vendors, a Makers Market, a Diaper Derby, music, contests, bounce town, movie night, and more! Sept. 26, 4-9 p.m. and Sept. 27 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. (805) 473-5472. agharvestfestival.com. Historic Village of Arroyo Grande, Branch and Short St., Arroyo Grande.
BEGINNER GROUP SURF LESSONS AND SURF CAMPS Lessons and camp packages available daily. All equipment included. Starts at $70. (805) 835-7873. sandbarsurf.com/. Sandbar Surf School Meetup Spot, 110 Park Ave., Pismo Beach.
BEGINNING BALLET FOR ADULTS Enjoy the grace and flow of ballet. No previous experience needed. Wednesdays, 5:15-6:15 p.m. $12 drop-in; $40 for four classes. (510) 362-3739. grover.org. Grover Beach Community Center, 1230 Trouville Ave., Grover Beach.
COMMUNITY NATIVE GARDEN MONTHLY VOLUNTEER WORKDAY Volunteers accomplish a variety of tasks including pathways maintenance, litter patrol of the garden perimeter, weeding, irrigation system expansion/repairs, pruning, and plantings. Volunteers should bring work gloves, a hat, drinking water, and tools related to the above activities. First Saturday of every month, 9 a.m.-noon Free. (805) 710-3073. Nipomo Native Garden, Camino Caballo at Osage, Nipomo.
Living Landscape
Santa Barbara VintnersFestival
Saturday, October 18th, 2o25 • 1pm - 4pm Vega Vineyard & Farm • Buellton, California
WINES FROM OVER 80 WINERIES, FOOD FROM CHEFS, ARTISANS & FARMERS AND LIVE MUSIC
GENERAL ADMISSION $125 LOCALS DISCOUNT $95
SBVINTNERSWEEKEND.COM
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
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Hot Stuff
DONATION-BASED YOGA FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, EMTS, AND CARETAKERS Class schedule varies.
Contact empoweryoga805@gmail for details and reservations. ongoing (805) 619-0989. empoweryoga805.com.
Empower Yoga Studio and Community Boutique, 775 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach.
GPDC X CENTRAL COAST PRIDE: YOUTH
PRIDE PROM Dance the night away at this year’s Pride Prom, where the theme is Goth Fantasy. Grades 9 through 12 are invited to embrace their inner goth, dressing in your best dark or dreamy looks. Tickets and more details can be found at the link. Oct. 4 , 7 p.m. $14.70. my805tix.com. The Center, 1152 E Grand Ave, Arroyo Grande.
MANHATTAN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
Discover your inner film critic by casting your vote for Best Film and Best Actor in the 28th Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival. Sept. 27 1:30-4:15 p.m. Free. (805) 929-3994. slolibrary.org. Nipomo Library, 918 W. Tefft, Nipomo.
MOVIE NIGHT AT THE ARROYO GRANDE
HARVEST FESTIVAL Enjoy movie night at Heritage Square Park, featuring Lilo & Stitch The concession stand opens at 6, and the movie begins at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26 6-9:30 p.m. Free. (805) 473-5472. arroyogrande.org/events. Heritage Square Park, 201 Nelson St., Arroyo Grande.
MULTICULTURAL DANCE CLASS
FOR ADULTS Experience dance from continents around the earth, including from Africa, Europe, and more. Described as “a wonderful in-depth look at the context and history of cultures of the world.” Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. $10 dropin; $30 for four classes. (510) 362-3739. grover.org. Grover Beach Community Center, 1230 Trouville Ave., Grover Beach.
QI GONG FOR LESS STRESS AND MORE ENERGY
Experience the energy of Qi Gong through simple standing movements promoting flexibility, strength, relaxation, and increased energy. Suitable for all ages and fitness levels, Qi Gong revitalizes and enriches your life. An outdoor class overlooking the ocean. Wednesdays, 4-5 p.m. $14 per class or $55 for 5-class card with no expiration. (805) 440-4561. pismobeach.org. Margo Dodd Gazebo, Ocean Park Blvd., Shell Beach.
QI GONG: MINDFUL MOVEMENTS FOR LESS STRESS AND MORE ENERGY
Balance your mind, body, and spirit with Qi Gong — gentle stretching and strengthening movements that promotes physical wellbeing and inner peace. This is geared towards all fitness levels and ages. Mondays, 9:30-10:30 a.m. $14 per class or $55 for 5-class card. (805) 440-4561. balancedlivingayurveda.com. Shell Beach Veterans Memorial Building, 230 Leeward Ave., Pismo Beach.
WEEKLY WATER SAFETY LESSONS
Facility advertised as open and safe. Give the office a call to register over the phone. Mondays-Fridays $160-$190. (805) 4816399. 5 Cities Swim School, 425 Traffic Way, Arroyo Grande, 5citiesswimschool.com.
SAN LUIS OBISPO
2025 CENTRAL COAST BIONEERS
CONFERENCE Visit the link to get details regarding each day’s activities. There will be a pre-conference field trip, a beaver dam analog tour, a cocktail mixer, and conferences regarding the environment, climate change, and social justice.
Oct. 2-4
$12.56-$119.68. my805tix.com. Octagon Barn Center, 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo, (805) 544-9096.
BEYOND MINDFULNESS Realize your potential through individualized meditation instruction with an experienced teacher via Zoom. This class is for those who wish to begin a practice or seek to deepen an existing one. Flexible days and times. Certified with IMTA. Email or text for information. Mondays-Sundays, 5:306:30 p.m. Sliding scale. (559) 905-9274. theartofsilence.net. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.
CAL HOPE SLO GROUPS AT TMHA Visit website for full list of weekly Zoom groups available. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays calhopeconnect.org. Transitions Mental Health Warehouse, 784 High Street, San Luis Obispo, (805) 270-3346.
CARE CREW Calling all crafty, caring, petloving kids! Care Crew members will join us in filling Kongs for our canines, crafting pet toys, and creating art. Sept. 28 2-3:30 p.m. and Oct. 5, 2-3:30 p.m. $5. (805) 543-9316. woodshumanesociety.org/ youth-programs/. Woods Humane Society, 875 Oklahoma Ave., San Luis Obispo.
CASINO NIGHT FUNDRAISER Don’t miss the Casino Night Fundraiser, presented by United Way of San Luis Obispo County. There will be blackjack, craps, and roulette tables with local celebrity dealers, a live DJ and dance floor, a silent auction, no-host full bar, and appetizers served throughout the night. Get tickets and more info at the link. Sept. 27 6:30-10:30 p.m. $100. secure. qgiv.com/event/uwslo-casino-night. Rod & Hammer Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, (805) 543-1843.
CENTRAL COAST DIALYSIS ORGAN TRANSPLANT SUPPORT GROUP Not faith based. All are welcome. Please wear a mask. First Saturday of every month, 9:3011:30 a.m. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church SLO, 650 Pismo St., San Luis Obispo. CITY FARM SLO’S YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM Check site for more info on programming and summer camps. ongoing cityfarmslo.org. San Luis Obispo, Citywide, SLO. COMMUNITY FARM TOUR Join at the farm on the first Saturday of each month and get a public tour of the regenerative farm! First Saturday of every month, 9:30-11 a.m. through Dec. 6 (805) 769-8344. cityfarmslo. org/community-tours. City Farm SLO, 1221 Calle Joaquin, San Luis Obispo.
DAILY QIGONG PRACTICE For the early riser or commuter, every weekday morning. Maintain or improve concentration, balance, and flexibility. Includes weekly Friday 3 p.m. class with more practices. Led by certified Awareness Through Movement teacher. Mondays-Saturdays, 6:10 a.m. and Fridays,
3 p.m. $35/week or $125/month. (646) 280-5800. margotschaal.com/qigong. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.
ELECTRIC VEHICLE EXPO Join us for our annual EV Ride & Drive and Showcase. Test drive a variety of EVs and bikes, and talk with the owners! Sept. 27, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Madonna Inn, 100 Madonna Rd., San Luis Obispo.
ELECTRIFY YOUR RIDE EV SHOWCASE Discover the benefits of EV ownership! Browse over a dozen EV models and talk with the owners. Sept. 25 6-9 p.m. Free. San Luis Obispo Farmers Market, Broad and Higuera, San Luis Obispo, (805) 541-0286. FIVE CITIES REPAIR CAFE Get free help fixing household appliances, computers, tablets, smart phones, outdoor gear, toys, clothing, bikes, and more. Bring your garden abundance to share with neighbors. Oct. 4 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. (650) 367-6780. repaircafe5cities.org. Octagon Barn Center, 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo.
GABBY’S DOLLHOUSE LIVE Gabby’s Dollhouse Live brings an original story with puppets, staging, and songs as Gabby and friends restore a broken rainbow in this a-MEOW-zing adventure. Sept. 26, 3 & 6 p.m. (805) 756-4849. calpolyarts.org/20252026-season/ gabbys-dollhouse-live. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.
GARDEN FOUNDER WALK AND TALK
Walk and talk with Eve Vigil in the Botanical Garden each month on the first Wednesday. Free garden tour with paid admission to the Garden. Free for members. No need to RSVP, just show up and enjoy. First Wednesday of every month, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free with $5 Garden Entry. (805) 541-1400. slobg.org. San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo.
GEMS BY THE SEA A fantastic array of gems, minerals, fossils, carvings, jewelry, beads, jade, crystals, meteorites, lapidary, and metaphysical items will be for sale. There will also be demonstrations of jewelry-making and lapidary. Sept. 27, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sept. 28 , 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $5. slogem.org/gems-by-the-sea/. Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum, 801 Grand Ave., suite 102, San Luis Obispo, (805) 543-1763.
HEALING DEPRESSION SUPPORT
GROUP A safe place to share feelings of depression with those who suffer and those who have recovered to a full, healthy outlook on life. Mondays, 6-7 p.m. Free. (805) 528-3194. Hope House Wellness Center, 1306 Nipomo St., San Luis Obispo. LGBTQ+ FED THERAPIST LEAD SUPPORT GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM) A pro-recovery group offering space to those seeking peer support, all stages of ED recovery. We understand recovery isn’t linear and judgment-free support is crucial. Share, listen, and be part of a community building up each other. First Wednesday of every month, 7-8 p.m. Free. galacc.org/events/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.
CULTURE & LIFESTYLE continued page 16
Lila Forde w/Two Paper Squares
OCTOBER 9 Club Car Bar, Templeton
Brunch
Sundays Only - 8 am ‘til 3 pm
Vegan Hash. Yukon gold potatoes, sweet potatoes, kale, onions, local mushrooms, garlic, cilantro, harissa, and avocado. Toast or biscuit.
Breakfast Burger. Snake River Farms American Wagyu beef patty, melted provolone, and an egg, with sliced tomato and warm bacon-onion jam, on a home-made hamburger bun.
Avocado Toast. Avocado, heirloom tomato, and poached eggs on home-made sourdough toast.
Ceviche. Mexican sea bass, shrimp, and lobster marinated in Meyer lemon and seasonings. With radishes and corn tortilla chips.
Hot Stuff
(805) 781-5994. slolibrary.org. Discover your inner film critic by casting your vote for Best Film and Best Actor in the 28th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival. Oct. 1 , 5:30-8:15 p.m. Free. (805) 781-5994. slolibrary. org/. San Luis Obispo Library Community Room, 995 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo.
Q YOUTH GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM) This is a social support group for LGBTQ+ and questioning youth between the ages of 11-18. Each week the group explores personal, cultural, and social identity. Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. Free. galacc.org/events/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.
SEA OTTER TRIVIA NIGHT Are you sea otter savvy? Are you aspiring to be? All are welcome to test their knowledge of our furriest marine mammal! Sept. 25, 6-8 p.m. $5. oakandotterbrewing.com/events/giveback-thursday-sea-otter-savvy. Oak and Otter Brewing, 181 Tank Farm Road, suite 110, San Luis Obispo, (805) 439-2529.
SLO PICKLE FESTIVAL Meals that Connect is hosing their second annual 21+ SLO Pickle Festival! All proceeds benefit Meals that Connect, supporting over 200,000 seniors in SLO county. Oct. 4 , 1-4 p.m. $65 for GA $80 for VIP. (805) 541-3312 ext. 116. slopicklefestival.org. Laguna Lake Park, 504 Madonna Rd., San Luis Obispo.
SLO SAFE STREETS FORUM For more information, visit the 2025 Regional Road Safety Action Plan via the website. Registration is free and required. Sept. 25, 4:30-8:30 p.m. Free. slocogroadtozero.org. Ludwick Community Center, 864 Santa Rosa, San Luis Obispo.
SUNDAY EVENING RAP LGBTQ+ AA GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM) Alcoholics
Anonymous is a voluntary, worldwide fellowship of folks from all walks of life who together, attain and maintain sobriety. Requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. Email aarapgroup@gmail.com for password access. Sundays, 7-8 p.m. No fee. galacc.org/events/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.
TEEN MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP
PICKLES AND MORE
The SLO Pickle Fest will be held at Laguna Lake Park on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 1 to 4 p.m. This event, for community members 21 years and older, will benefit Meals that Connect, a nonprofit organization that supports more than 200,000 seniors in SLO County. There will be live music, and unlimited food and drinks to enjoy. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased at slopicklefestival.org.
FOOD & DRINK
SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS
BAR TAKEOVER THURSDAYS Join us Thursdays to meet and chat with the winemaker of the flight we’re featuring that week. Thursdays, 4-7:30 p.m. $15-$30. (805) 623-5129. Steller’s Cellar, 400 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt, stellerscellar.com.
FOOD TRUCK FRIDAY Head to Food Truck Friday, with wine bottle specials and local food trucks every Friday at the Wine Stone Inn. Fridays, 4-9 p.m. through April 24 Free. (805) 332-3532. Wine Stone Inn, 255 W. Clark Ave., Orcutt, winestoneinn.com/.
wineanddesign.com/orcutt. Wine and Design, 3420 Orcutt Road, suite 105, Orcutt.
WINE BINGO WEDNESDAYS Join Wine Bingo
Wednesday at the Wine Stone Inn –– the original bingo night in Old Orcutt. The event will occur weekly with the purchase of an adult beverage. Wednesdays, 5-8 p.m. through April 29 (805) 332-3532. Wine Stone Inn, 255 W. Clark Ave., Orcutt, winestoneinn.com/.
LOMPOC/VANDENBERG
HEAD GAMES TRIVIA AND TACO TUESDAYS
MUSIC
SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS HAPPY HOUR MUSIC SERIES Enjoy live music at the winery most Friday evenings. Check site for concert schedule. Fridays presquilewine. com. Presqu’ile Winery, 5391 Presqu’ile Dr., Santa Maria, (805) 937-8110.
LADIES NIGHT OUT Music by DJ Van Gloryious and DJ Panda. Features delicious daiquiri specials. Thursdays, 8 p.m.-midnight Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, (805) 623-8866.
LIVE MUSIC AND FOOD BY LOBO BUTCHER SHOP Check out live music every Friday night from a variety of artists at Steller’s Cellar in Old Orcutt. Dinner served by Lobo Butcher Shop between 5 and 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 5-9 p.m. Varies according to food options. (805) 623-5129. stellerscellar.com. Steller’s Cellar, 405 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt.
LIVE MUSIC AT STELLER’S CELLAR Various local musicians rotate each Friday. Fridays, 6-8:30 p.m. Free. Steller’s Cellar, 400 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt, (805) 623-5129, stellerscellar.com. MUSIC AT ROSCOE’S KITCHEN Live DJ and karaoke every Friday and Saturday night. Featured acts include Soul Fyah Band, DJ Nasty, DJ Jovas, and more. Fridays, Saturdays, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, (805) 623-8866.
MUSIC LESSONS AT COELHO ACADEMY Learn to play piano, drums, guitar, base, ukulele, or violin, or take vocal lessons. ongoing (805) 9250464. coelhomusic.com/Lessons/lessons.html. Coelho Academy of Music, 325 E. Betteravia Rd., Santa Maria.
OLD TIME GOSPEL SING-ALONG All are welcome. Call for more details. Last Saturday of every month, 5-6 p.m. (805) 478-6198. Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria. SUNDAY NIGHT FUN End the weekend with some good vibes. Music by DJ Van Gloryious. Sundays, 8 p.m.-midnight Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, (805) 623-8866.
SANTA YNEZ VALLEY
Learn more about mental health and coping skills to help you through your journey towards wellness and recovery. Thursdays, 4:30-6 p.m. Free. (805) 540-6576. t-mha.org. Hope House Wellness Center, 1306 Nipomo St., San Luis Obispo.
TRANS* TUESDAY A safe space providing peer-to-peer support for trans, gender nonconforming, non-binary, and questioning people. In-person and Zoom meetings held. Contact tranzcentralcoast@gmail.com for more details. Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m. Free. GALA Pride and Diversity Center, 1060 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, (805) 541-4252.
WEEKEND ON THE HILLTOP: A 1935 FASHION
EXPERIENCE Step into the golden age of California glamour featuring a 1930s private collection and pieces on loan from California State Parks at Hearst Castle. Oct. 4 , 11 a.m.-1 p.m. & 4-6 p.m. $100. themondayclubslo.org. The Monday Club, 1815 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 541-0594.
NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY
CENTRAL COAST WOOD CARVERS Learn the art of wood carving or wood burning. Join Central Coast Wood Carvers in Morro Bay at St. Timothy’s. Open for beginners, intermediate, or advance. Learn a wide range of techniques and skills. Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, 962 Piney Way, Morro Bay, (805) 772-2840, sttimothymorrobay.org.
POKÉMON CARD TRADING Meet, compete, and trade with other collectors your age! All attendees will receive one card of their choosing from the librarian, while supplies last. Oct. 4 , 1-2:30 p.m. Free. (805) 528-1862. sanluisobispo.librarycalendar.com/event/ pokemon-card-trading-20294. Los Osos Library, 2075 Palisades Ave., Los Osos.
SOCRATES DISCUSSION GROUP Have a topic, book, or article you wish to discuss with interested and interesting people? Join this weekly meeting to discuss it, or simply contribute your experiences and knowledge. Contact Mark Plater for instructions on entering the Chapel area. Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-noon (805) 528-7111. Coalesce Garden Chapel, 845 Main St., Morro Bay.
FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS AT COSTA DE ORO Featured vendors in the series include Cali Coast Tacos, Cubanissimo, Danny’s Pizza Co., Chef Ricks, and more. Call venue for monthly schedules. Fridays (805) 922-1468. costadeorowines.com. Costa De Oro Winery, 1331 S. Nicholson Ave., Santa Maria.
FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS AT WINE STONE INN Fridays, 5-8 p.m. Wine Stone Inn, 255 W. Clark Ave., Orcutt, (805) 332-3532, winestoneinn.com. FRIDAY NIGHT FUN Karaoke with DJ Nasty. With Beer Bucket specials. Kitchen stays open late. Come out and sing your favorite song. Fridays, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, (805) 623-8866.
PRESQU’ILE WINERY: WINE CLUB Call or go online to make a reservation to taste at the winery or find more info on the winery’s Wine Club offerings. ongoing presquilewine.com/club/. Presqu’ile Winery, 5391 Presqu’ile Dr., Santa Maria, (805) 937-8110.
SIPPIN’ SUNDAYS Every Sunday, come cozy up inside the tasting room and listen to great artists. Sundays, 1-4 p.m. Free. (805) 937-8463. cottonwoodcanyon.com. Cottonwood Canyon Vineyard And Winery, 3940 Dominion Rd, Santa Maria.
TACO TUESDAY Tuesdays, 5-8 p.m. Wine Stone Inn, 255 W. Clark Ave., Orcutt, (805) 332-3532, winestoneinn.com/.
TAP THURSDAY Head to Tap Thursdays at the Wine Stone Inn every week, featuring $5 draft beers and $5 Cava’s. Thursdays, 3-9 p.m. through April 16 Free. (805) 332-3532. Wine Stone Inn, 255 W. Clark Ave., Orcutt, winestoneinn.com/.
THURSDAY EVENING BAR TAKEOVER Call venue or visit website to find out about featured vintners. Thursdays stellerscellar.com. Steller’s Cellar, 405 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt.
WINE AND DESIGN CLASSES Check Wine and Design’s Orcutt website for the complete list of classes, for various ages. ongoing Varies.
CLASH Don’t miss Head Games Trivia at COLD Coast Brewing Company every Tuesday night. Teams can be up to 6 members. Earn prizes and bragging rights. Kekas will be serving their delicious local fare. Fun for all ages. Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m. Free. (805) 819-0723. coldcoastbrewing. com. COLD Coast Brewing Company, 118 W Ocean Ave., Lompoc.
SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY
THE MAC & CHEESE FESTIVAL Each year we have over 2,000 attendees and this year is shaping up to be one of our biggest and best yet! The event features Mac & Cheese from over 25 of the most talented chefs, restaurants and caterers on the Central Coast. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite as they compete for the best mac and cheese! Sept. 27 2-6 p.m. $82.18. my805tix.com. Avila Beach Golf Resort, 6464 Ana Bay Rd., Avila Beach, (805) 595-4000.
TRIVIA NIGHT Join BrainStew Trivia for a hilariously witty evening of trivia in Pismo. Teams of 1 to 4 people. Prizes awarded to the first and second place teams. Kitchen is open until 7:30 p.m. for brain fuel. Beer, cider, wine, and non-alcoholic options available. First Thursday of every month, 6:30-8 p.m. Free to play. (805) 295-6171. kulturhausbrewing.com. Kulturhaus Brewing Company, 779 Price St., Pismo Beach.
SAN LUIS OBISPO
SAN LUIS OBISPO VEGAN CHEF CHALLENGE
Businesses across the region will showcase exciting special vegan menu items. This event is open to everyone, not just vegans! Oct. 1-31 veganchefchallenge.org/slo/. At participating businesses, All over the region, San Luis Obispo, (480) 954-1257.
SLO OKTOBERFEST Join the festivities at the annual SLO Oktoberfest, with a variety of German beer, food, games, contests and music. Oct. 4 1-5 p.m. $55. my805tix.com. Madonna Expo Center, 100 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo.
NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY
CAMBRIA SCARECROW FESTIVAL Scarecrows take over October again. The festival favorite returns to Cambria and San Simeon with fall fun for all. Oct. 1 9-midnight Free. (805) 203-0743. cambriascarecrows.com. Cambria Scarecrow Fest, Citywide, Cambria.
LIVE MUSIC SUNDAYS Sundays, 2-6 p.m. Brick Barn Wine Estate, 795 W. Hwy 246, Buellton, (805) 686-1208, brickbarnwineestate.com.
NASHVILLE NIGHTS Don’t miss this evening of music and stories from award winning Nashville musicians. Get tickets and more info at the link. Sept. 27, 4 p.m. nashvillenights.org/. Solvang Festival Theater, 420 2nd St., Solvang, (805) 686-1789.
WINE DOWN WEDNESDAYS Wednesdays, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Brick Barn Wine Estate, 795 W. Hwy 246, Buellton, (805) 686-1208, brickbarnwineestate.com.
LOMPOC/VANDENBERG DAWES (DUO) TOUR, WITH SPECIAL GUEST SAM WEBER Lobero LIVE presents Dawes (Duo) Tour, with special guest Sam Weber. Hear them live, and get tickets at the link. Sept. 25 7:30-9:30 p.m. $59 - $122. (805) 963-0761. lobero.org/. Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido, Santa Barbara.
JAMES GARNER’S TRIBUTE TO JOHNNY CASH All Over Again Productions presents James Garner’s Tribute to Johnny Cash on Sunday at Lobero Theatre. Sept. 28 3-5 p.m. $48 - $68. (805) 963-0761. lobero.org/. Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido, Santa Barbara. KARAOKE AT COLD COAST BREWING CO. Pick out a song, bring your friends, and get ready to perform. Wednesdays, 6-9 p.m. COLD Coast Brewing Company, 118 W Ocean Ave., Lompoc, (805) 819-0723, coldcoastbrewing.com. YOUTH OPEN MIC NIGHT A fun, welcoming environment for first time performers and an opportunity for kids and teens to showcase their talent. Prizes awarded every month for Outstanding Performer. Last Friday of every month, 6-8 p.m. certainsparks.com/. Certain Sparks Music, 107 S. H St., Lompoc. SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY 2025 LIVE AT THE LIGHTHOUSE CONCERT SERIES Head to the Point San Luis Lighthouse in Avila Beach for Saturday afternoon concerts. Get tickets and more info at the link. Through Oct. 11 $28. my805tix.com. Point San Luis Lighthouse, 1 Lighthouse Rd., Avila Beach.
ABBA LA: THE ABBA CONCERT EXPERIENCE Experience
ABBA-mania with ABBA LA, a dazzling 8-piece tribute packed with iconic hits, costumes, lights, and nonstop sing-along, clapalong, dance-floor joy for all ages! Oct. 4 , 7:30-9:30 p.m. $45$60, Premium $65. (805) 489-9444. clarkcenter.org. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande. BASIN STREET REGULARS SUNDAY JAZZ CONCERT
PRESENTS ST. JOHN’S RIVERBOAT JAZZ BAND Pismo Beach
Swings! Join the unforgettable Sunday of Jazz with St. Johns Riverboat Jazz Band & The Riverboat Rustlers! Sept. 28 11 a.m.4 p.m. $10 for members, $15 for non-members. (805) 937-8402. my805tix.com. Pismo Beach Veteran’s Memorial Building, 780 Bello Street, San Luis Obispo.
CENTRAL COAST HARMONY CHORUS INVITES SINGERS TO JOIN FOR HOLIDAY PERFORMANCES Men and women are invited! No prior experience is necessary - just a love of music. Call or email for more information. Thursdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. through Dec. 18 $20. (805) 736-7572. ccharmony.org. Nipomo Senior Center, 200 E. Dana St., Nipomo.
GET THE LED OUT: A CELEBRATION OF “THE MIGHTY ZEP” Emporium Presents: Get The Led Out - A Celebration of “The Mighty Zep”. Hear them live at Clark Center for the Performing Arts! Sept. 30 7:30-9:30 p.m. $28.50-$75.50. (805) 489-9444. clarkcenter.org/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.
KARAOKE AT SLO COUNTY’S ONLY FILIPINO CAFE Join for all day, all ages karaoke hosted at SLO County’s only brick and mortar Filipino cafe, Lumpia Bros Cafe. Enjoy karaoke, filipino dishes, acai, and coffee. Tuesdays-Saturdays-6 p.m. through Dec. 31 Free. (805) 202-8473. Lumpia Bros Cafe, 1187 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach.
KARAOKE EVERY WEDNESDAY A weekly event with barbecue offerings and more. Wednesdays, 4-8 p.m. Rancho Nipomo BBQ, 108 Cuyama Ln., Nipomo, (805) 925-3500.
THE LEGENDS OF ROCK: A TINA TURNER, ROD STEWART, AND ROLLING STONES TRIBUTE SHOW James Elliott
Entertainment presents The Legends of Rock, a tribute to three legends in one show! Sept. 26, 7:30-10 p.m. $44.50-$55. (805) 489-9444. clarkcenter.org/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.
THE LOUNGE AT BESO An upscale after-hours nightclub experience. With limited capacity and a dress code. For ages 21 and over. Fridays, 10 p.m. my805tix.com. Beso Cocina, 1050 Willow Road, Nipomo.
MARIACHI DIVAS DE CINDY SHEA Clark Center Presents: The Grammy Award-winning Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea. Oct. 5 7-9 p.m. $45-$65; Senior & Student Discounts. (805) 489-9444. clarkcenter.org/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.
MUSIC WITH A VIEW - OPEN GATES AT THE CHAPMAN ESTATE GARDEN Enjoy Open Gates at the seaside Chapman Estate in Shell Beach. Bring a picnic dinner and music, tables, chairs, and views will be supplied. Docent-led garden tours are available. Fridays, 5-7:30 p.m. through Oct. 24 $5/person + $5 for Docent tours (optional). chapmanestatefoundation.org/. Chapman Estate, Private residence, Shell Beach.
SOLEDAD BARRIO & NOCHE FLAMENCA - SEARCHING FOR GOYA Noche Flamenca’s latest creation is an evocative flamenco performance inspired by the powerful imagery of Francisco de Goya. Hear them live at Clark Center for the Performing Arts! Oct. 3 7:30-9:30 p.m. $49-$79, Platinum $85; Senior & Student Discounts. (805) 489-9444. clarkcenter.org/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.
SAN LUIS OBISPO
THE CHARITIES WITH SPECIAL GUEST THE SEXTONES
Southern California group The Charities are set to bring the energy back to SLO Brew for another live show. Their music draws influence from many different genres, including funk, soul, Motown, jazz, disco, R&B, and rock n’ roll. Sept. 26 $27.21. slobrew.com. Rod & Hammer Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, (805) 543-1843.
DAWN AND JUDY - A MUSICAL JOURNEY Dawn Lambeth and Judy Philbin take you on a “Musical Journey” with their favorite songs from the ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s, and beyond. Sept. 28 3-5 p.m. $25. (805) 439-0188. uuslo.org. Unitarian Universalist Church, 2201 Lawton Ave., San Luis Obispo.
JAKE SHIMABUKURO Jake Shimabukuro revolutionized the ukulele with his genre-blending style, rising to global fame through viral performances, acclaimed albums, and collaborations, inspiring audiences worldwide. Hear him live at the Performing Arts Center. Oct. 1 7:30 p.m. (805) 7564849. calpolyarts.org/20252026-season/jake-shimabukuro. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.
JOE GLAD AND ETERNAL WAVE Head downtown to hear two live sets from Joe Glad and Eternal Wave. This is a 21+ event. Sept. 25 9-11:55 p.m. Free. libertinebrewing.com/. Libertine Brewing Company, 1234 Broad St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 548-2337.
LAST TUESDAY SOUND JOURNEY The purchase of a ticket reserves your drums. Head to the link for additional details. Sept. 30 6-8 p.m. $15.81. my805tix.com. CongregationHouse, 11245 Los Osos Valley Road, San Luis Obispo.
MILITARIE GUN SLO Hear Militarie
from
WELCOME TO THE SOUNDTRACK OF FREEDOM
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3 / 6PM
TICKETS START AT $55
A1 COMBAT MMA
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4 / 6PM TICKETS START AT $55
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17 / 8PM
LOS HURACANES DEL NORTE
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24 / 8PM
TICKETS START AT $49
ARTS BRIEFS
Annual Chalk Festival brings color to Old Town Orcutt
Families and artists are invited to the annual Orcutt Chalk Festival on Sept. 27 along Broadway Street from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Artists will transform the sidewalk and street into colorful artwork. The theme of this year’s festival is the Central Coast. Squares are available for artists to reserve online, and there are awards for first, second, and third place. Purchase $10 2-by-2-foot squares for kids online or during the festival. Chalk is provided.
The festival is the Orcutt Children’s Arts Foundation’s biggest event of the year. The nonprofit provides resources for art programs in the Orcutt Union School District.
“It’s a wonderful community event, bringing in families and celebrating art,” said Jennifer Medina, the nonprofit’s operations coordinator.
Festivalgoers can also expect live entertainment, food trucks, art vendors, and a kid’s corner with crafts.
“It’s a day of local art, supporting the artists,” Medina said. “Every year it blows me away the talent that we have.”
Chumash
Intertribal Powwow
marks six decades
The 60th annual Chumash Intertribal Powwow celebrates the Indigenous cultures of tribes from the U.S. and Canada. Vendors will offer traditional food, arts, and crafts during the two-day powwow in Santa Ynez from Oct. 4 to 5.
“We look forward to welcoming tribes from throughout North America to celebrate our heritage and culture,” the tribal chairman for the Santa Inez Band of Chumash Indians, Kenneth Kahn, said in press materials.
Organized by volunteers from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, the event includes dancing, singing, and drumming performances from hundreds of people, according to press materials.
Winners of dancing and drumming competitions earn cash prizes, and there will be multiple categories of dance styles for all ages.
This is the fourth consecutive year the powwow will be held in Santa Ynez. The event is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Oct. 4 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 5.
The powwow will be held at the corner of Meadowvale Road and Highway 246 in Santa Ynez. Admission costs $5, and parking is free. For more information, call (805) 688-7997 or visit chumash.gov/powwow. m
Tiles and carvings
BY MADISON WHITE
Growing up in Santa Barbara, Patti Jacquemain spent a lot of her time drawing and riding horses. She lived on a lemon ranch and said she always deeply cared for the wildlife and wild places that she saw on horseback.
The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History also had a big impact on her childhood. She remembered walking up the creek from her family’s ranch to visit it.
“I love the Museum of Natural History, and so I think I was influenced very much by what they did there,” Jacquemain told the Sun
Jacquemain’s love for art and nature ultimately inspired her to start a museum dedicated to both subjects.
In the late 1990s, she and her husband organized a group of peers to put together a concept for the museum.
Jacquemain emphasized the importance of having people around her who helped build the idea from the ground up.
“When I first thought about the idea, it seemed like it’s an impossible task.
‘How in the H do you start a museum?’” Jacquemain said. “I’m so pleased with everybody that chipped in and worked in all different kinds of fashions of getting the museum to a place where it is today.”
The group persevered and eventually opened the Wildling Museum in 2000, now known as the California Nature Art Museum (CalNAM), dedicated to educating visitors about nature through art. It moved a few times until the museum settled at its current Solvang location in 2013. This year CalNAM is celebrating 25 years.
After Jacquemain studied art in college, she developed a passion for creating mosaics and woodcut prints. The two media make up her exhibit called Wild in California, which celebrates the state’s biodiversity and highlights the museum’s 25th anniversary. The exhibit officially opened to the public on Sept. 20.
“I hope that when people look at my work, they are inspired to realize how
beautiful our land is, and not only all over the country but in Santa Barbara,” Jacquemain said.
Jacquemain’s Wild in California represents CalNAM’s mission to inspire stewardship of the land through art. The pieces were inspired by the California Floristic Province, which covers a large swath of the state and supports endemic and endangered species. The region is one of the world’s 36 biodiversity hot spots.
“That’s really something to talk about, and then to be able to do it through her art just seems
Experience the wild
The California Nature Art Museum is open Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s located at 1511-B Mission Drive in Solvang. The Wild in California exhibit is up until Feb. 23. In addition to being open to the public, the museum also offers free school visits and discounted group tours.
like a beautiful, meaningful thing to do,” said Stacey OtteDemangate, the museum’s executive director. Recently, Jacquemain said, she’s been making more mosaics than woodcut prints. Her interest in mosaics, which require “a heck of a lot of work,” took off after college when she visited Europe. She bought tiles from Italy at first and had them shipped to Santa Barbara, but now she sources from LA.
Misshapen, rugged tiles are sometimes the prettiest, she said.
“I love it because when you put the mosaic up, the light catches it in different ways,” Jacquemain said.
Her colorful mosaics capture the range of animal and plant species throughout the state. Bears, deer, and mountain lions. Turtles and fish. Poppies and monarchs.
The biggest mosaic in the show weighs more than 100 pounds.
Jacquemain called it the exhibit’s mascot, depicting a bear standing up with a butterfly floating near its shoulder. Four people had to help install it.
“They’re all heavy. Some are thicker, some are thinner,” Otte-Demangate said. “It’s been a slow installation for us just because everything is unique.” The installation took three weeks instead of the typical two-week changeover for other exhibits. There are around 30 volunteers who work at CalNAM.
Last year the museum’s name changed to better represent itself to the tourists who pass through Solvang. Another recent update was the installation of Lulu, a giant wooden troll made by Danish artist Thomas Dambo. Lulu has roughly tripled foot traffic in the museum, Otte-Demangate said.
The curator has a master’s degree in museum studies and has overseen many shows for CalNAM during her 15-year tenure with the nonprofit.
“I’m just most proud of, as Patti was saying, all the teamwork that it’s taken to help us grow as an institution.” m
Send mosaic tiles to Staff Writer Madison White at mwhite@ santamariasun.com.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ORCUTT CHILDREN’S ARTS FOUNDATION
KEEPING IT WILD: The Wild in California exhibit at the California Nature Art Museum represents biodiversity in the state with Patti Jacquemain’s mosaics and woodcut prints of creatures from under the sea to above the clouds.
PHOTO BY MADISON WHITE
PHOTO COURTESY OF SANTA YNEZ BAND OF CHUMASH INDIANS
PHOTO BY MADISON WHITE
TEAMWORK: Patti Jacquemain’s largest mosaic in Wild in California weighs more than 100 pounds and required a special hidden structure to support it. Volunteers spent three weeks working on the installation.
ONE AFTER ANOTHER: Santa Barbara artist Patti Jacquemain likes making woodcut prints because the medium allows her to create multiple copies.
PHOTO
Dystopian nightmare
Francis Lawrence (Constantine, I Am Legend, Water for Elephants, four of the five The Hunger Games films) directs JT Mollner’s script based on the Stephen King 1979 dystopian thriller novel of the same name about a group of 50 teenage boys, each from a different state, competing to see who can walk the farthest. The televised event is accompanied by armed soldiers, and any boy who stops walking or slows to under 3 mph is executed. (108 min.)
Glen: Ugh. Stephen King knows how to weave an effed-up tale. In this America, a second civil war ravaged the population and economy, and the country is controlled by a totalitarian military dictatorship with The Major (Mark Hamill) at its helm. Every year, he organizes The Long Walk, which he believes can inspire patriotism and motivate the population to work harder. We meet some of the various participants, but the story focuses on two boys in particular: Raymond Garraty No. 47 (Cooper Hoffman) and Peter McVries No. 23 (David Jonsson), who strike up a friendship. All the participants know the truth—all but one of them will die before The Long Walk is done. In the end, it’s a story about the bonds formed by a band of brothers surviving combat. Viewers also know how it will end, but when the first fallen boy gets
ALIEN: EARTH
What’s it rated? TV-MA
When? 2025
Where’s it showing? Hulu
graphically shot in the head, it’s a shock. The stakes feel real.
Anna: King knows how to deliver emotionally gripping relationships, especially those between boys and young men. Think Stand By Me from King’s story The Body with Saving Private Ryan stakes. This world is bleak, even bleaker that the one we face today. The film opens with Raymond trying to soothe his rightfully hysterical mother as she drives him to the walk. He promises to see her in a few days, and we learn that his hunger to complete the long walk isn’t just about his life, but about much more—including vengeance. Peter is immediately charming, at least to Raymond and a few of the other teens on the walk.
THE LONG WALK
What’s it rated? R
What’s it worth, Anna? Full price
What’s it worth, Glen? Full price
Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria, Regal Edwards Arroyo Grande, Movies Lompoc
Soon the four Musketeers are bonded, but none as close as No. 47 and No. 23. The two fall in love in that way that only fast friendship can create. Is it trauma bonding? Sure. But these two boys need each other to make it to the end just as much as they need to make it themselves. This one ripped me apart from the inside out. It was devastation after devastation, but I couldn’t help but want to watch these two spend every second that they could together. It was gutting.
Glen: The two leads offer compelling performances. Hoffman, son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, exhibits some of his father’s
I’ve been a fan of the Alien franchise since director Ridley Scott’s 1979 original. The claustrophobia, the paranoia, the disorientation of space travel, and the feeling that these space travelers are mere pawns for maniacal corporate interests have made the franchise fertile ground for sequels and prequels. Sure, it’s gone off the crossover rails a couple of times. I’m looking at you, Alien vs. Predator. But I’m happy to announce the new TV series gets—for the most part—the mood right. The series opens by examining three possibilities for humankind’s immortality: cyborgs, synths, and hybrids. In 2120, five competing corporations control Earth and the colonized solar system, and they’re pushing for their various technologies to win out. In the beginning, the story focuses on Wendy (Sydney Chandler), the first hybrid. The consciousness of terminally ill child Marcy Hermit (Florence Bensberg) is transferred into Wendy’s synthetic adult body by the Prodigy Corporation. We also meet Marcy’s human brother, Joe (Alex Lawther), a medic for Prodigy, who wants to save Marcy, now Wendy.
It wouldn’t be an Alien series without xenomorphs and various other creepy crawlers who get loose and wreak havoc. It’s a fun ride. (eight 45- to 64-min. episodes)
—Glen
knack for inhabiting underdogs. He’s pudgy and sloppy compared to Jonsson’s lean, fit Peter. But as you noted, what drives Raymond is enough to propel him forward. Aside from The Major and the nameless, faceless soldiers that do his bidding, the story’s other villain is Gary Barkovitch No. 5 (Charlie Plummer, grandson of the great Christopher Plummer), whose cruel taunts leads to No. 19’s (Daymon Wrightly) death. What these boys go through is a grotesque form of torture. What happens in the end is open to interpretation.
Anna: Unfortunately, the kind of world these boys live in is one that chews you up and spits
THE GIRLFRIEND
What’s it rated? TV-MA
When? 2025
Where’s it showing? Prime
Cherry (Olivia Cooke) is rich boy Daniel’s (Laurie Davidson) new sexpot girlfriend, and to say his mother, Laura (Robin Wright), is suspicious is quite the understatement. Cherry seems to have expensive tastes, and Laura is sure she’s wooing her precious baby boy to gain his wealth.
Laura and Daniel have what I would classify as an odd mother-son relationship. She’s far more in love with her son than her husband, protective in a way that she can justify as motherly but to anyone outside feels overbearing and frankly creepy. The show switches perspectives from Cherry to Laura, which proves an interesting way to examine the complicated nature of these relationships and the situations that go with them. We learn that Cherry’s true self is something much more authentic than what Laura sees, and that Laura’s life and relationships are weedier and more complicated than her luxe life suggests. Daniel is the poor puppy in the middle, being told to “come” by two different owners who each hold a treat in their hand. If you like shows like White Lotus and Big Little Lies
you out, so any faint hope for an ending that is anything other than tragic is fleeting. I can’t say it’s a fun watch, and the grisly nature of the deaths of these young men is not for the faint of heart. However, the bond between Peter and Raymond is tender and heartbreaking, and the story, while difficult, offers an odd sense of hopefulness. Even when the world around us is bad, we ourselves can be good. m
New Times Arts Editor Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Sun Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
WALK OR DIE: Set in a dystopian alternate America, in The Long Walk follows a group of 50 teenagers competing to see who can walk the longest or die trying, screening in local theaters.
The Girlfriend offers the same kind of salacious yum factor. (six 45- to 52-min. episodes) m —Anna
PHOTO COURTESY OF FX
DARK DAYS: Joe (Alex Lawther, right), a medic for the Prodigy Corporation, learns his boss has transferred his terminally ill sister’s consciousness into a synthetic body, in Alien: Earth, streaming on Hulu.
OVERPROTECTIVE: Laura (Robin Wright, left) becomes suspicious of her son Daniel’s (Laurie Davidson) new girlfriend, Cherry (Olivia Cooke), leading to erratic behavior, in the paranoid thriller series The Girlfriend, streaming on Prime.
Back on Bell
Visit the Los Alamos Valley Men’s Club website to learn more about Old Days and to purchase tickets for select events. The Fresh Wine Festival will be held at Pico Los Alamos on Sept. 26 from 5 to 7 p.m. Buy tickets online. The restaurant is located at 458 Bell St. in Los Alamos.
only the building, but the town and the whole area,” Eckert said. Starting at 5 p.m., the Fresh Wine Festival will feature around 15 local wineries pouring tastings in Pico’s garden. Fresh wines are made with minimal intervention, letting the grapes shine, as Eckert put it. Most of the wines are cool and crisp, excellent for marking the end of summertime.
“Think like wines that taste great on a hot day by the pool, that kind of thing, like crushable whites, chilled reds a lot of times, orange wine, some bubbly,” Eckert said. “Just everything you’d want to drink on a warm summer day.”
She described the event as the last hurrah of summer. With each winery bringing a few vintages, Eckert thinks everyone is bound to find wines they love.
BY MADISON WHITE
Ray Williams looks forward to celebrating the old days every year. He’s from Los Alamos, and that’s where he raised his children, who also get excited for the town’s annual weekend-long celebration.
“Saturday night for me is always the fun one,” he said, referring to the night of live music and cook-your-own-steak dinners. Los Alamos Old Days has been a tradition for almost 80 years, celebrating small-town spirit and history. The weekend is put on by the Los Alamos Valley Men’s Club, which organizes community events and fundraisers throughout the year. Williams, the group’s president, has been involved with the club for nearly his whole life and has served on the board for the past five years.
“For me [Old Days] just keeps the tradition alive,” Williams said. “There’s quite a few people that no longer live in Los Alamos but have ties, and they come back every year and celebrate the community.”
Old Days runs from Sept. 26 to 28 with lots of family-friendly activities on Bell Street and at the men’s club. Along with the weekend’s classic activities, new events are also being added to the schedule.
Pico Los Alamos, a restaurant on Bell Street, is open during the festivities and is holding its third Fresh Wine Festival on Sept. 26, the first night of Old Days. Pico’s business manager, Megan Eckert, said the event gives festivalgoers the chance to start the town’s “signature celebration” with wine tasting.
“We’re hoping to kind of tie-in with [Old Days] and kick it off with a really fun festival,” Eckert said.
Pico is located inside the town’s old general store building, making the restaurant a piece of Los Alamos history. Eckert said that’s why it’s important for Pico to be involved in the community and take part in Old Days.
“We consider ourselves fairly connected to the history of not
Most of the wineries set to participate at the festival are located in Santa Barbara County, including Future Perfect Wine out of Los Olivos. Owner and winemaker Sunshine Stricker has been part of events at Pico in the past and is excited to celebrate Los Alamos during Old Days.
For the festival, Stricker chose four wines that are bright and lifted: sparkling blanc de blanc, dry riesling, sauvignon blanc, and chilled grenache. She makes her wine in the “Old World style” with a lower alcohol content, she said, allowing people to “drink more, [and] fall over less.”
Future Perfect is focused on being an approachable and unpretentious brand, from the colorful “razzle dazzle” of the wine labels to the atmosphere in the tasting room. Stricker’s own philosophy at the winery is to make people feel seen. She said her inspiration comes partly from her mom, who always encouraged everyone to shine.
“I think that’s our religion at Future Perfect. It’s kindness and inclusivity and acceptance,” Stricker said.
COURTESY PHOTO BY ANITA
THE SIGNATURE CELEBRATION: One of the main events during Los Alamos Old Days is the parade on Bell Street held on Sept. 28.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PICO
FRESH SIPS: Lumen Wines, run by one of Pico’s owners, is set to release its white pinot noir to the public at the Fresh Wine Festival on Sept. 26, the first evening of Old Days.
A VARIETY OF VINTAGES: Will Henry and Kali Kopley, the owners of Pico Los Alamos, are hosting the Fresh Wine Festival for a third year, featuring about 15 wineries from Santa Barbara County.
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She said she’s grateful to Pico for hosting the festival and helping to bring the community together.
“Every time I get to be in Los Alamos, I think, ‘Oh my God. We’re so lucky,’” Stricker said. “We have this tiny, incredible town just filled with these charming wonders.”
Old Days celebrates Los Alamos with festivities that include a buck contest, a car show, a parade, communal dinners, bingo, live bands, food trucks, and a barbecue contest.
The open-pit barbecue contest started two years ago, Williams said, and has grown each year. There are categories for best tri-tip, chicken, and pork ribs.
“It’s a traditional Santa Maria style, or you can say ‘Los Alamos style,’” he explained. “There’s no smokers or anything like that.”
Another popular event is the parade, which usually draws a big audience. The men’s club pays tens of thousands of dollars to shut down Bell Street, Williams said, and
so far, there are around 40 to 50 entries.
“I think it’s a celebration … of the men’s club,” Williams said, “and just having a really nice weekend to celebrate Los Alamos and basically the old days.” m
Share your favorite things to do in Los Alamos with Staff Writer Madison White at mwhite@ santamariasun.com.
