Cheers! Wine festival returns to SB
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Screams of joy There’s plenty to be excited about at Santa Barbara County Fair
By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Carnival rides! Yummy food! Hit songs by tribute bands! A “Salute to Agriculture!” A livestock auction! And yes, the iconic giant ice cream cone and corndog! What more could you ask for in a county fair? How about a free shuttle ride? The Santa Barbara County Fair made its triumphant full-fledged return on Wednesday after a forced, two-year pandemic-related shutdown. The five-day event continues today through Sunday at the Santa Maria Fairpark, 937 S. Thornburg St. Gates will open from 3 to 10 p.m. today and noon to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday. “It feels good,” Rebecca Barks, the fair’s public relations coordinator, told the News-Press Wednesday. “We want to welcome the community back. This is what we’re here for. We put on the county fair.” “The last time we had a fullfledged fair with our livestock program was in 2019,” she added. “In 2020, we completely shut down. KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS We had a modified fair in 2021, A row of riders let out a scream during the Santa Barbara County Fair on its opening day Wednesday at with a livestock virtual auction and the Santa Maria Fairpark. The fair will continue through Sunday. portable theme park. We still did the carnival part of a traditional county fair, but it was contained. There was one admission price, and everything inside was included, minus the food and drinks.” Not this year. “We’re excited about getting back to normal,” Ms. Barks said. “This is what we do. There’s something for everyone. We’re embracing it all.” To start with, fair officials adopted a “Salute to Agriculture” theme for 2022 to acknowledge the importance of the area’s farms, especially in light of the supply chain and trucker shortage issues that emerged over the past two years that decreased the availability of produce to consumers, she said. “It came to the forefront how important our agriculture program is,” Ms. Barks said. “We felt it entertainment throughout the day was the right time, and we live — and night. in the right place. This is a huge New this year is the Raha FMX agricultural area, and we wanted Freestyle Motocross Show Friday to promote the local farmer, local and Saturday in the Minetti Arena. grower and local rancher.” The Center stage will feature the To install in children an Allan Hancock Dancers, Las Vegas appreciation of the area’s rich hypnotist Tyzen twice daily and agricultural heritage, fair officials popular local bands — the Belmont will run a seedlings program in Kings, an R&B which children group; Sound learn how to Investment, a grow produce classic rock band, from the The Santa Barbara County Fair and Steppin’ Out. ground up, she continues today through Sunday At night, the main said. “They at the Santa Maria Fairpark, 937 S. stage will host will learn the Thornburg St. nightly tribute husbandry of Tickets cost $15 for adults (ages 12bands featuring them” so they 61) and $12 for youth and seniors 62 the most popular can learn how and older. But if you get there before 5 songs of the produce is p.m. today, the admission is just $5. At top, riders start to soar at the fair. Above, passengers on a ride musicians they grown as part of Sunday is Fiesta Day. take a selfie. cover. the food supply For more information, go to www. The chain. santamariafairpak.com. entertainment is Chesney, Journey and Def former and new vendors because Children free with the cost Leppard. of the pandemic, Ms. Barks said. who don’t of admission. “They’ll hear the best of Journey Some of the former vendors participate in 4H clubs will be “We decided to go in a different and then rock out on Def Leppard took a big hit because they could able to learn the proper care and direction this year” with the songs,” Ms. Barks said. “It will be no longer travel from fair to fair to feeding of livestock, and how tribute bands, Ms. Barks said. “It’s 45 minutes of the No. 1 hits that make a living and are no longer in to diagnose and document any everybody knows.” business, she added. illness, she said. “They’ll learn how kind of an exciting thing to do.” A Hispanic concert will take “It’s about a 50-50 split between The bands, she said, will play to be a rancher, even though they’ll new vendors and the tried-and“the songs you love. It will be really place Sunday on Fiesta Day in the be a herder of one.” The animals Minetti Arena. true vendors,” she said. “You’ll still great entertainment and fun.” will be sold at auction. Of course, what would a county see the giant cone and giant corn Bands will include tributes to In addition to the return of fair be without food vendors? dog” along with vendors offering Queen, Garth Brooks, Shania people’s favorite carnival rides, This year will include a mix of Twain, Luke Bryan, Kenny the fair will provide folks with Please see FAIR on A4
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COURTESY SANTA BARBARA SKY
Peter Moore, founding investor of the Santa Barbara Sky Football Club, wears the soccer organization’s T-shirt and at La Playa Stadium.
Pro soccer in Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Sky plans for its future Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series on a professional soccer club in Santa Barbara.
By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
La Playa Stadium might see some improvements in lighting as Peter Moore prepares to shed the national spotlight on Santa Barbara. Then, some day, Mr. Moore said, Santa Barbara Sky will have its own stadium. The Montecito resident and former Liverpool Football Club CEO is thinking about the future for the Santa Barbara Sky Football Club. This week, Mr. Moore, the club’s founding investor, announced the formation
of the club, which will have professional women’s and men’s soccer teams who are expected to start playing in 2024. During a News-Press interview, Mr. Moore said Saturday night games will stream across the U.S. on ESPN+ from La Playa Stadium at Santa Barbara City College. “Right now, La Playa is going to be great,” Mr. Moore said. “It’s not ideal for soccer because of the track, which keeps you away from the action. But we’ll make it work, and Santa Barbara City College is great to work with. “We’ll do some analysis. If flood lights need to be brought up to modern standards, we’ll do that in conjunction with City College,” Mr. Moore said. “High-definition Please see SOCCER on A3
Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara to close By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara announced Wednesday that because of ongoing financial problems, it must close by the end of August. After nearly 50 years of service to the community, the museum, which is upstairs at Paseo Nuevo, will close its doors Aug. 28, museum officials said. It was the first museum in Santa Barbara dedicated to contemporary art. “Through the great work that the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara has done to invite and highlight artists whose work has given context to our hurts, our joys, our desires and our fears, we have always strived to break barriers in order to present a multitude of realities and experiences,” Laura Macker Johnston, MCASB board president, said in a statement. “Anyone who has had a meaningful interaction with our programming or exhibitions can attest that MCASB has served as a cultural center that has been deeply committed to listening and responding to our
community’s diverse needs.” She noted that the museum has faced financial strain for many years now, exasperated by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We recognize that we are one of so many arts institutions and nonprofits that, as a result of the pandemic, are in this insurmountable position,” she said. “Despite our best efforts to expand our donor base within the region, we have been unable to reach the fundraising goals necessary to maintain operations, and it is the board’s intention to act responsibly at this time to honor the institution’s legacy.” Since its inception in 1976 as the Santa Barbara Contemporary Art Forum, MCASB has been known for its dedication to the examination of the human condition. A safe space supporting the voices and views of its community members, MCASB “has provided a critical platform for the investigation of our pasts and our potential futures,” museum officials said. From grassroots gatherings of artists and activists, to Please see MUSEUM on A4
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L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A8
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Wednesday’s DAILY 4: 3-0-1-8
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 4-7-10-45-64 Meganumber: 12
Wednesday’s FANTASY 5: 20-29-31-33-38
Wednesday’s DAILY DERBY: 04-02-03 Time: 1:41.97
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Sudoku................... B3 Weather................. A4
Wednesday’s DAILY 3: 5-6-0 / Wednesday’s Midday 5-6-0