Meet today’s leading doctors using the future of neurosurgical technology
When the leading neurosurgeons in the area are using some of the most advanced, cutting-edge technology, it elevates the level of care for everyone in San Luis Obispo County. Our expert surgeons perform procedures with exceptional precision and safety, and through our partnership with UCSF Health, work collaboratively to bring world-class neurosurgical care to you.
It’s pretty typical that people talk about traditions during this time of year. There is a reason that we do though. We like to remember what things were like. Traditions, as much as we want them to stay the same, are always changing as families grow, change, move away, move closer, or maybe just don’t have the same time they used to.
Not only is it fun to hear about other people’s family traditions, but we are always just waiting to share our own. Probably because we are so proud of them and love to relive it every time we tell someone new, or tell the same brother-in-law who says, “We hear this same story every year” (shout-out to my brother-in-law Steven).
The most prominent holiday tradition my family has happens on Christmas Eve. My mother’s side of the family would all meet at Grandma’s house to eat, hang out, and open presents. Then my immediate family— my parents, older sister, younger brother and I—would go to the night service at our church. On the way home we would stop for dinner at In-N-Out. Then my siblings and I would open a single present from our parents (which was always new pajamas).
After the not-so-surprising gifts, we would start to watch the movie It’s a Wonderful Life together. Yes, the black and white verison. Honestly, I don’t know why that was the movie we watched, but we did. Or at least we all tried, until one by one my mom would go to sleep, my sister would follow, and then my brother. . . . It was just me and my dad finishing the two-hour-and-ten-minute movie at the end of a long day. I’m pretty sure he was desperate to go to sleep too but didn’t want to leave me to finish a classic Christmas movie alone on Christmas Eve. Thank you, Dad.
That tradition looks a little different now. We do our best to keep doing the parts we can and keep the others alive by talking about them each year. The silver lining of losing some parts here and there is that we are creating new memories and traditions with our growing families.
And who knows? Maybe someday my own kids will drag me through a two-hour movie on Christmas Eve night. I hope they do.
SLO Life wishes everyone a wonderful holiday season filled with traditions old and new!
Meghan Burkhardt meghan@slolifemagazine.com
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4251 S. Higuera Street, Suite 800 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Letters
1. PETE BILTOFT enjoys photographing nature, sports, and events, and loving life in San Luis Obispo with his wife, Cyndi. You can follow him on Instagram @pjbig01.
2. ROSA CLARK is a family photographer based in San Luis Obispo. You can see her work at rosaclarkphotography.com.
3. EMILY DESJARDINS is an editorial photographer based out of her hometown in San Luis Obispo County. Follow her on Instagram @emanatemoments.
4. CINDY KENDRIX is a freelance copywriter in the food and beverage industry. Writing about people and their stories of perseverance truly feeds her soul. You can find her snacking on Instagram @cici_writes.
5. DAN FREDMAN is a SLO native immersed in the wine realm. He prefers LPs to streaming, Mac to PC, Fender over Gibson, and has nothing against screwcaps.
6. CHUCK GRAHAM is a photographer and the author of “Carrizo Plain” and “Paddling into a Natural Balance.” You can find him on Instagram @chuckgrahamphoto.
7. PETER HEIRENDT is a marketing creative producer and the founder of Shadowlight photography. You can follow him on instagram @shadowlightfoto.
8. PADEN HUGHES is an author, professional coach and co-founder of Gymnazo and enjoys exploring the Central Coast.
9. A Cal Poly alumnus with a background in Architectural and Product Design, DAVID LALUSH works as an architectural and real estate photographer on the Central Coast.
10. DANA LOSSING is an interior designer at SLO based Ten Over Studio with a passion for dancing, yoga-ing, thrift-shopping, and adventuring with her family locally and beyond.
11. JAIME LEWIS writes about food, drink, and the good life from her home in San Luis Obispo. Find her on Instagram and Twitter @jaimeclewis.
12. BRANT MYERS is the founder at slobiiig.com, a hospitality consulting firm, and Toddler Timber, where he makes wooden children’s toys.
13. MARK NAKAMURA is a wedding, event, family, architectural, commercial, and landscape photographer. Find him @nakamuraphoto and @marknakamuraphoto.
14. BRIAN SCHWARTZ is a publishing consultant and advocate for local authors. He can be reached at brian@selfpublish.org.
15. TILLY WRIGHT is a Central Coast blogger, web specialist, and software support professional. Connect with her at tillywright.com or read her blog at sanluisobispomom.com.
Morro Bay held its 13th annual Witches and Warlocks Paddle event at Coleman Park on October 25, 2025, inviting paddlers in costumes to glide across the water in a festive community gathering celebrating the spooky season.
Fifteen years after San Luis Obispo first turned its utility boxes into canvases, the city’s streets are once again buzzing with fresh color and creativity. This fall, the SLO Box Art Program—the oldest of its kind in California—added 20 new artworks inspired by the city’s cultural and historic districts, bringing the total to 72 painted boxes. Public Art Coordinator Amanda Greishop noted the program’s evolution, including its 2024 shift from hand-painted boxes to vinyl wraps.
The 43-foot Triton sits in Morro Bay, slowly decaying, its hull worn and waterlogged, deemed “abandoned,” “unseaworthy,” and “a threat to pollute.” The city plans to demolish the Triton and other neglected boats with help from a $15,750 state grant through California State Parks’ Surrendered and Abandoned Vessel Exchange (SAVE) program. According to Harbor Business Manager Lori Thompson, these grants help the Harbor Department remove or accept surrendered vessels before they become hazards to navigation or the environment.
Construction of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s first major modular housing project started on October 22, 2025, as part of a $1.2 billion housing program expected to add more than 3,000 new student housing units in a multi-phase plan.
Yes Cocktail Co., a Paso Robles-based craft cocktail mixer company founded by husband-and-wife team Lauren Butler and Brandon Alpert, was named the number one mixer brand in the United States by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. The company has grown from a local farmers market business into a nationally recognized name with more than 3,000 retailers celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
Cal Poly’s Rose Float program, a tradition since 1949, unveiled its 2026 design with nine moving parts on October 9, 2025, as the San Luis Obispo campus prepared to send essential pieces to Pomona for the annual New Year’s Rose Parade.
Cal Poly Campus Dining earned two Grand Prizes at the 2025 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards in Salt Lake City, winning Innovative Dining Program of the Year and Outreach and Education Program of the Year. Mustang News With over 40 dining platforms, campus dining impressed judges with its blend of local flavor, nutrition, sustainability, and community engagement.
Nearly 64% of parcels in San Luis Obispo are now classified in moderate, high, or very high fire hazard severity zones according to newly adopted CalFire maps. This represents an increase of nearly 8,800 properties compared to the old maps, requiring significantly more properties to follow wildland urban interface fire safety codes.
The National Weather Service issued High Surf and Coastal Flood Advisories for San Luis Obispo County beaches on November 4-5, 2025, warning of waves 12-18 feet and strong rip currents through the week’s end. Healthy Horns The San Luis Obispo Office of Emergency Services encouraged people to stay out of the water and avoid jetties and steep beaches during the dangerous conditions.
December 12, 2025, marks the centennial of the Milestone MoTel in San Luis Obispo, the first motor hotel in America. Cornell The historic property was created by brothers Arthur and Alfred Heineman, who pioneered the concept that would revolutionize American travel and hospitality.
BY CINDY KENDRIX
Every parent knows the frustration of purchasing new clothes or toys only to see their kids get one or two uses out of them before they no longer fit or simply get bored. Calico Trading Company owners, Jeannie and Susanne, responded to the community’s need by opening their newest store “Calico Kids.” Offering “pre-loved” clothes, shoes and gear for babies, kids, and young teens, the twin sisters “(are) on a mission to reduce fabric waste and make sustainable fashion more accessible.”
The Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan forum for values-based leadership founded in 1949, has named Cuesta College one of the 200 contestants competing for the 2027 Community College of Excellence Award. The $1 million prize, awarded every two years and currently in its ninth cycle, has been quoted by a U.S. president as “basically the Oscars for community colleges”. Cuesta, along with the other competing colleges, will undergo intense observation and assessment until the winners are announced in Spring 2027.
SLO County, notorious for high gas prices, has had locals flocking to Costco gas pumps in search of their best option in town, for many years. With lines often stretching over 30 minutes and 20 vehicles deep, customers were forced to debate the cost of time versus money. Hopefully, the debate is now over as Costco has officially reopened their gas station after a 67-day renovation that began on August 25th. Costco members on Froom Ranch Way now have access to 32 gas pumps, which is 20 more than before the make-over, which intends to cut down on the gas station bottleneck.
Community supported local bread bakery, Bread Bike, announced via their Instagram page, that they would be donating bread to all SNAP holders throughout the program’s suspension in benefits. Bakery owner, Matt Gamarra, shared that earlier in the year he had undergone the application process in an effort to be an accepting participant in the program, but unfortunately did not meet the eligibility requirements. However, during this time with so many in dire need, Gamarra is showing up where he can. If SNAP holders come to Bread Bike’s store front, presenting their valid SNAP debit card and corresponding ID, they can receive one free loaf per week, while supplies last.
Animal-loving residents can sleep a little more soundly after a SLO County Sheriff’s deputy rescued 16-year-old dog, Jagger, from being stuck in the mud with coyotes waiting on the brink, out at Heritage Ranch. The deputy claims he was at the right place at the right time, and instinctively built a make-shift bridge to assist Jagger safely out of the mud. Jagger was then spoiled rotten by the Sheriff’s office (much deservingly), before being safely returned to his frightened family, who had shared via social media about the missing dog the day before.
With only one measure on the ballot for the statewide special election, Governor Newsom’s Proposition 50 passed both in San Luis Obispo County and throughout California. The proposition, which supporters framed as a response to redistricting changes in other states and opponents criticized as partisan gerrymandering, would add five new congressional districts that demographic analysts project are likely to favor Democratic candidates. While the measure passed statewide, voting margins in SLO County were significantly slimmer than the overall state margins. Local voter turnout was notably higher at 44.6% compared to 35% statewide, ranking the county fifth in the state for participation
World-renowned muralists, from near and far, took to the Pismo Beach sand to showcase their unique creations for Pismo Beach’s first-ever Sand Art Festival. For three days, these nine individuals created immaculate large-scale designs using nothing more than the natural materials of Mother Earth–sand and water. Live in action, locals were invited to engage and collaborate with the artists, and strongly encouraged to photograph the magic during the low-tide spectacle. Time was of the essence though, as each artist’s magic got naturally wiped clean with the washing of the tide, beginning the next day with a blank canvas of Pismo Beach.
Hundreds gathered throughout San Luis Obispo County on Tuesday to honor veterans at multiple events. In Pismo Beach, roughly 200 attendees gathered on the Pier for a tribute ceremony led by executive coach and author K.C. Kennedy, featuring a welcome by Mayor Ed Waage, “The Star Spangled Banner” sung by Kaitlyn Sierra Brooks, a prayer by Chaplain Donny Rugegregt, a keynote speech by retired U.S. Army Cpl. Lena Maria Fisher, and a poem read by Pismo Beach Chamber of Commerce president Jeanette Vierra. The ceremony concluded with military service songs and a group photo, followed by attendees forming a receiving line to thank the veterans. Other celebrations included Atascadero’s annual event at the Faces of Freedom Veterans Memorial and a ceremony and barbecue at the Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum in San Luis Obispo.
For the ninth year in a row, Slocally Made opens its doors to their annual holiday pop-up highlighting local artists of San Luis Obispo. Bigger than ever before with 85 creators and artists, including the founders Sadie Rogers (visual artist) and Kerri Long (jeweler), the store sells everything from fine/graphic art to soaps, jewelry, clothing, ceramics, and a variety of gifts and home goods. Located at 877 Monterey Street, behind Thrifty Beaches, Slocally Made runs from November 30th to December 24th and is the perfect shop for those hand-crafted gifts that touch the heart. SLO LIFE
SLO Life got to learn more about Building a Better SLO with JIM DUFFY. This group brings urban planning speakers to town to spark conversation about the city’s future. Here are a few highlights from our conversation . . .
Hey jim! Share a bit about yourself to start us off.
I grew up in Long Beach, California, and met my wife in Santa Barbara, where I studied urban planning and environmental studies. After college, we moved to Eugene, Oregon, for a bit.
A summer job at an architecture firm during college kept bringing me back every summer, and those experiences made me realize I wanted to pursue architecture professionally. That’s why I decided to go back to grad school. I started grad school with a one-year-old and finished with a three-year-old, a one-year-old, and one on the way—so we were up there for about five years total. It was a pretty busy five years. We came back to California in 2004 when I got a job here in SLO. We’d always thought this was a place we wanted to end up, so we took the leap.
Was it an architectural job that brought you back to SLO?
Yes, I went to work for another firm in town and was there for about five years. Then the recession hit, and all of a sudden I was out of a job. So I opened up my laptop in the garage and started my business. I didn’t really have a choice at the time. And looking back, as terrifying as it was, it was the best thing that ever happened to me professionally—being forced to try something like that.
So Building a Better SLO—where did that come from?
We actually stole the idea from Building a Better Bend in Oregon. They were facing pushback on higher-density development and asked me to speak about our work in downtown SLO that was similar. After my talk, one of their members said something that stuck with me: “We can say this stuff till we’re blue in the face, and nobody listens. But bring in someone from a hundred miles away and suddenly they’re an expert.”
I came back, pitched it to some friends, and everyone jumped on board. That was almost four years ago now.
How could someone get involved in Building a Better SLO?
I would encourage people to start learning by coming to our meetings. Take a look at the website and find out when the next event is and
sign up. We made it extremely cost-effective for people to come. We’re not a nonprofit, but we’re under a nonprofit—Sowing Ecologists is sort of our nonprofit sponsor. We pretty much try to break even. We bring in sponsors to help fund this so it’s not on the back of ticket sales. We really want key decision-makers to listen and then to have access to other people who were there—either before or after—having conversations about all these topics.
What kind of speakers do you bring in?
Honestly we bring in anybody who seems interesting. At board meetings, we brainstorm about books we’ve read, conference speakers, podcasts—whatever catches our attention. All of our speakers have been really, really good and very different. We had a guy talking about parking, and he was phenomenal. Think about parking; it can also be a really boring topic, but he was fantastic! Another speaker covered LA’s strip mall revitalization—widening sidewalks, narrowing streets, adding planters. There are a lot of people doing great work on these topics.
What do you think SLO will look like in ten years?
Good question. I think we’ll see more work on Upper Monterey and areas covered by the SLO Downtown Concept Plan—a twenty-year vision that extends along Monterey and down South Higuera. The original plan was done thirty years ago by local architects, and much of it came to fruition because they put that vision out there. Twenty years later, the city hired a team—including us—to envision the next twenty years. We did a year of community outreach and created studies showing what different areas could look like. I think some of that will happen over the next decade. South Higuera is another area ripe for redevelopment.
Is there a main goal that you’re working toward right now with Building a Better SLO?
Our main goal is education. Our tagline is “inform, inspire, and engage.” We want to bring people from the outside to help inform our community. When we bring in outside speakers, we say, “We want your presentation to be inspiring.” And then the engagement part is really getting people talking about the issues and creating that dialogue.
BY MARK NAKAMURA
When I heard heavy rain was forecast, I packed up my SUV and headed to Plaskett Creek Campground, north of Ragged Point along the Big Sur coastline. The best pictures, in my opinion, come right before and after a rainstorm.
After a night of heavy rain, I headed back home but noticed there were no cars on the road—only CalTrans vehicles. I pulled off along Highway 1 and took this photograph, drawn to the light on the hillside and the layers of mountains.
It wasn’t until I reached Ragged Point Resort that I learned the road was closed to northbound traffic due to fallen rocks and debris.
Black-and-white landscape photography is an art form that emphasizes mood, texture, shape, contrast, and
composition over color. The viewer’s attention focuses on the fundamental elements of the scene.
I took this photograph with my 100-400mm telephoto lens at 400mm. The lens compresses the scene, adding depth to the stacked hills, with darker tones in the foreground.
Famous American photographer, Andri Cauldwell wrote, “To see in color is a delight for the eye, but to see in black and white is a delight for the soul.” of the city spread out in the center.
BY AARON BURKHARDT
There’s a certain kind of freedom that comes from making music with a friend—the kind that reminds you of who you are beneath the routine of everyday life. For Thom and Ryan, that sense of release became Holding Pattern, a musical escape that grew from friendship, family, and a shared need to create. What began as two guys strumming after work has evolved into one of the Central Coast’s most genuine and uplifting acoustic acts, defined by harmony, humor, and heart.
The band’s name, Thom admits, started as a bit of an inside joke. “We were originally called TARB—short for Thom and Ryan Band, and kind of a nod to the Charli XCX album Brat,” he laughs. But the name didn’t quite stick. After a few shows and late-night brainstorming sessions, they landed on Holding Pattern, a phrase that captured both where they were in life and what their music had come to mean.
“We’re both in our midthirties, married, one of us with kids, both working full time,” Ryan explains. “Sometimes life just feels like you’re in a holding pattern—caught in the daily rhythms, trying to figure out what it all means. The band became a way to get outside of that, to connect with people and bring a little meaning back.”
Despite the introspective name, Holding Pattern’s live shows are anything but brooding. With two guitars, shared vocals, and a few clever tricks—a foot stomp for percussion, a rigged tambourine, even the occasional kazoo—the pair delivers an upbeat, acoustic pop sound that’s lighthearted and infectious. “We’d probably describe it as ‘midthirties, untrained, acoustic pop,’” Thom jokes.
“We’re just trying to bring a little bit of joy to people’s day.”
The two first met while working together at the Parable Group in San Luis Obispo, where Ryan was a product manager and Thom worked as a digital strategist. A few coworkers encouraged them to play a house show—”those were the TARB days,” Thom says—and by the new year, they were writing original songs and setting ambitious goals: learn enough material to fill long sets and play ten shows in 2025. They’ve already surpassed that number.
Their local debut came at Puffers of Pismo, a gig they landed after sending a cell phone video
Check out @holdingpatternband on Instagram or visit their website holdingpattern.band for music content and performance dates.
to the venue’s owner. From there, the duo’s calendar filled quickly—shows at Talley Vineyards, Oak and Otter, Midnight Cellars, Sensorio, and Concerts in the Plaza, where they opened to one of their biggest crowds yet.
While both are self-taught musicians, their influences span decades. Thom’s playlist ranges from Relient K and A Day to Remember to Bon Iver and Lizzy McAlpine. Ryan’s roots are in emo and punk— Coheed and Cambria, Fall Out Boy, Saosin—but he’s since found inspiration in singer-songwriters like John Mayer and Fleetwood Mac. Together, those influences blend into something uniquely approachable: music that’s honest, nostalgic, and quietly hopeful.
The Central Coast music scene, they agree, is a big part of what keeps them inspired. “It’s incredible considering the size of the county,” Thom says. “There are so many talented local artists—Josh Rosenblum Band, Two Paper Squares, Vince Cimo, Carbon City Lights, and, of course, Proxima Parada.”
As for what’s next, Holding Pattern is spending the winter writing and refining new material, with hopes of releasing an acoustic covers EP in 2026. “We don’t have much production experience yet,” Thom admits, “but that’s part of the fun—figuring it out as we go.”
For now, the duo’s focus remains simple: keep creating, keep connecting, and keep having fun. “We’re just trying to bring a little bit of joy to people’s day,” Ryan says. “And maybe remind them that, even if life feels like a holding pattern sometimes, you can always find your own way to fly.”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILY DESJARDINS
Sierra’s journey to executive director of the Central Coast State Parks Association is a testament to following your passions wherever they lead. After realizing that saving the ocean meant starting on land with people, she traded her marine biology dreams for a path through social science, taking her from Sri Lanka to Panama and eventually back home to the Central Coast.
Now, as she guides CCSPA through its 50th anniversary year, Sierra is building bridges between communities and nature, proving that sometimes the most direct route to your childhood dreams is the one that takes you around the world first. Her story is one of resilience, cultural connection, and an unwavering belief that when people fall in love with nature, they’ll fight to protect it. Here is her story . . .
sSo Sierra, let’s get started with where you are originally from. I am from right here! Well, Los Osos. I was born and raised in the area and have loved every minute of it, really. My parents are big on being outdoors. I mean, we were always out hiking, exploring, and doing lots of surfing. That has been a huge staple throughout my life, and it still is. Surfing gave me a lot of confidence in and out of the water. I joined the junior lifeguards program when I was nine years old, which is the youngest you can be to join. Being in that program really was a game changer for me in so many ways throughout my life. It taught me so many invaluable lessons and gave me friends. I have always had a deep love for the ocean and everything in it. I mean, I was that little girl who was obsessed with dolphins. I knew that when I grew up I was going to do everything I could to save the ocean. Junior lifeguards was also a great introduction into that. We learned so much, and it grew my love for the ocean even deeper. It also taught me coordination, which I used in dance and all the team sports I played throughout my school years and eventually through college too.
What sports did you play?
I was always in as many sports as I could be for the school year. I did soccer, volleyball, basketball, and track and field. My track coach noticed me practicing high jump one day and asked if I was interested in trying the pole vault. He said, “We don’t have anyone to compete for the team in the pole vaulting portion,” so I gave it a try and ended up sticking with it. I started my freshman year of high school and got pretty good. I knew that if I wanted to go to a four-year college I would have to get scholarships in academics or sports, and maybe even both. Affording college for my family was just not too practical at the time, so I kept at the sports and got a full-ride scholarship for pole vaulting to the University of Santa Barbara. They had a Division 1 team at the time, so it was a really great fit.
What did you study there?
marine biologist, but I realized that the best way that I could protect the ocean was actually going to start on land. Unfortunately, that is where all of the problems are starting on a large scale. So I switched to social science and started working in communities to promote this type of work. People will start to care and protect nature when they are connected to it. When I came to that conclusion is when I knew my path forward was land based and people based. I also have a deep interest and love for Latin American culture, which I got a minor in.
Wow, that’s pretty different from saving the ocean. Yeah, for sure! Growing up my dad took me to Baja a lot, and those trips were extremely formative for me. People down there are putting their culture and their own people first in the community. They operate at such a slower, almost more meaningful, pace of life. I became fluent in speaking Spanish, developed a love for indigenous studies and traditional cultures. My interest opened up to all indigenous groups and how we can receive their practices to protect the earth and revive their culture to benefit our society in ways it seems to be lacking in finding meaning and purpose. These cultures are also so big on respecting nature, living with it and for it, and that’s where my two worlds really connect.
What did you do after graduation?
After I graduated I worked at an abalone farm for a while. It was impossible to find housing at the time in the Goleta area, so I lived in my car for a bit, then stayed at my boyfriend’s place from time to time. Eventually I found housing that was fine for the meantime while still working at the farm, but honestly I was getting burnt out. I realized I wasn’t doing as much for the environment as I had hoped. I was really just feeding the 1 percent of the world who can afford to eat abalone. I really wanted to find something where I was really making a difference. Around that time I had an opportunity to go to Sri Lanka in January 2020, right after Christmas. I went there to work with a conservation nonprofit, the Center for Cultural and Ecological Studies. All of my passions merged in one place. At the time the locals were dealing with elephant issues, where elephants are considered pests but are also very revered in the culture. It was a bit of a struggle for the locals to find ways to keep these beautiful animals from destroying their land and farms while having so much respect for them. I was happy to be there, help where I could, and take in as much of the experience as
Well, I always knew that I wanted to be a marine biologist. I mean, it really wasn’t an option in my mind. I was extremely determined to do everything in my power to combat climate change and all of the things keeping our oceans from being the best they can be. With that in mind, I started my studies in environmental studies. I was a full-time student, full-time athlete, and really trying to grow in all of the ways that I could. I really loved environmental studies and still wanted to be a >>
possible. It was a crazy humbling experience, and I felt very grateful for the safety and overall opportunities I grew up with here.
And when did you come back to the SLO area?
I came back in April 2020 and went to live with my dad back in Los Osos. It was a whirlwind of jobs for a while. I was taking jobs where I was writing a newsletter for an organic farm, managing an intern program, working with a seaweed harvesting company, which was actually my senior research project, so I was familiar with their work. I had a temporary job in agriculture as a translator with my Spanish-speaking skills, helping a farm team in Baja connect with a sales team in Morro Bay. I went back to lifeguarding too, with the same junior lifeguards program I was part of. That was a cool fullcircle moment for me being able to pass on those skills to a new group of kids. At first I was just doing instruction, and then eventually I ran the program as the program coordinator. This was all during the summer, and then during the school year I spent time in San Diego with my boyfriend, who was in school down there. While I was down there I worked at an outdoor school, Camp Cuyamaca, in a state park. That was a
super awesome job. So we did that back and forth for a few years: summers here on the central coast and school years in San Diego.
It sounds like you kept pretty busy. What came next?
Then I got my job in Panama, which I like to think was my mini Peace Corps experience. I was the volunteer program coordinator and ran their volunteer house for an organization called Give and Surf. They empowered locals through education and community development. Locals could get training on computers, trades, and different jobs in general. I lived on Bastimentos in Bocas del Toro for six months. I was running the house, buying food, managing transportation, taking boats from island to island. They had after-school centers and schools that assisted locals to get trained as teachers. It’s one of the last Afro-Caribbean communities in the world, and there’s been trauma with visitors over the years. Overcoming cultural barriers was difficult, but working with the kids was great. I would assist local teachers and welcome other volunteers and place them in the right organizations. I loved being a part of a solution, and this nonprofit felt that way. I also worked with a local surf empowerment program >>
to get locals to start surfing and teach kids how to be comfortable in the water.
How did you end up back in California?
After Panama I became a park ranger in San Diego at the San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve, run by County Parks of San Diego. This is where I got my first real taste of parks work, and they had a partner association that I was really impressed by. I loved seeing the partnership between the park and the nonprofit. I was able to help with trail restoration, which was very physical, and I just loved it. They wanted me to stay, but I went back to junior guards for one more season. While I was back in Morro Bay doing junior guards, a harbor patrol officer asked me what I was doing after the summer when the program was over. He told me about CCSPA, the Central Coast State Parks Association. His wife, who was the program director at the time, was hiring for a community outreach coordinator position. I applied and got the job, meaning I ended up running the membership program, doing the newsletter, and being in charge of grants. I wore all of the hats doing outward-facing community stuff.
How did you end up becoming executive director?
Well, after I applied for that coordinator job, three months later we found that my boss was leaving since she had got her dream job. That’s when I found out I would be codirecting— after only working there for three months. It was nerveracking to be taking on something like that after joining CCSPA so soon, but my codirector Julie Lewis and I were ready to take it on together. Julie and I codirected for about three months, and then she got married and moved away. I was on my own after that, which was March 2024.
Can you share a bit about the Central Coast State Parks program?
We are a nonprofit organization, and we support our ten central coast state parks. We support programming for over ten thousand students annually for school field trips to experience and learn about our parks. We give an average of $55,000 annually back to our state parks for program expenses. But the main focus is conservation and education through as many communities as we can reach. >>
What’s going on with the program now?
We are coming up on our fiftieth anniversary year, which is really exciting! We’re working hard to maintain all of our programs. Back in the day we were 100 percent volunteer run, but now we have a strong team of four in the office and ten staff that volunteer at the stores. One of my favorite programs is funding transportation for Title 1 schools to get to the state parks and the ocean so they can learn how to steward nature. We just wrapped up a huge grant with the California Natural Resources Agency to restore a bunch of exhibits in the museum with new accessible and advanced exhibits. We’re continuing our lecture series, which is a free event for the community to come and do lifelong learning education on cultural and natural resources, which is core to our mission.
We finally fundraised for the Monarch Butterfly Grove fencing, which has been a long journey. It will be going in next year, which will be amazing to see completed. We also provide continued education for state park staff. There’s been lots of ups and downs in the state park budget over the years, and we’ve tried to provide stability in our state parks
through all of that. We’re planning our Butterfly Ball next year and hopefully two film screenings that will highlight the importance of state parks.
What are your goals for the program moving forward?
We have been in such a survival mode that I haven’t thought too much about what things will look like in the future, but I do have some passion points that I want to work towards. A dream for me is connecting inspiration with action. I want to create programs aligned with Nature Rx and run programs that promote community health, nature health, and happiness. I’m really passionate about respecting the interconnectivity between social health and outdoor health and engaging people in new ways. Nature Rx is a program where healthcare providers prescribe spending time in nature to patients as part of their treatment. I think that could be a great way to expose more people to nature in a different way. I’m also super passionate about local tribal groups, uplifting their work and their restoration efforts. I want to amplify and educate people on their work and strengthen our tribal bonds. We’re heading in that direction. I’m not sure exactly where it’s going, but we’re excited about it.
BY AARON BURKHARDT PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER HEIRENDT
Growing up on the heights above downtown Pismo Beach, Ana Boaz didn’t think much of the quiet coastal life. “At the time, it seemed boring,” she says. “But after I moved away for college, I always felt the Central Coast pulling me back home.” That pull—and the colors that filled her childhood—now shape every brushstroke of her vivid, joy-soaked paintings.
Her early years were rich with the rhythms of local life. With parents who loved social gatherings, Ana and her siblings tagged along to concerts, wine tastings, hikes, and beach days. But it was travel that truly set her artistic compass. Her mother’s family in Jalisco, Mexico, surrounded her with talavera pottery, bold hues, and the kind of visual exuberance that never left her. “Our home was filled with color. Each door was painted differently—the pink door was my room, the yellow door the bathroom. I’ve always loved that vibrancy.”
Although she always felt artistic, Ana didn’t initially set out to be an artist. In high school she found her groove in ceramics, earning a scholarship for a tree sculpture and praise from her teacher, who encouraged her to follow her creative instincts. Yet when it came time for college, she chose practicality—earning a bachelor of science in business administration with a marketing concentration from San Francisco State University. The degree proved unexpectedly useful. Before painting full-time, she worked as a loan officer, mastering the art of marketing herself—skills that now serve her as she promotes her art.
“I’m completely self-taught,” she says. “Sometimes I wonder where I’d be if I’d gone to art school, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come.” That journey began in 2023, when pregnancy sparked a need to create. “I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, but I felt this urge to make something,” she explains. “I picked up a paintbrush and started flowing—it felt amazing, almost like releasing all those prenatal hormones.” When friends began buying her work, she realized she’d found her calling.
Today, Ana balances life as a full-time mom, full-time artist, and part-time mortgage lender. “I’m someone who has to do many things,” she says with a laugh. “A normal desk job doesn’t work for me.”
Her paintings, often large and exuberant, burst with tropical energy. “I call myself an acrylic florist,” she says. “I love painting florals—they’re big, bold, bright, colorful, and full of life.” She describes her work as earthy yet elegant, with compositions that
feel both spontaneous and intentional. “Flowers are beautiful, easy to digest, and people love them in their homes,” she adds. “They’re versatile and bring joy.”
Her artistic influences—Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and John Landon—share her love for color, nature, and cultural storytelling. Each piece she creates honors that lineage while reflecting her own evolution.
Though she’s only been painting seriously for two years, Ana’s success has bloomed quickly. Her work can be found at Making SLO downtown, with additional gallery partnerships on the horizon.
“Painting has been my therapy through motherhood,” she says. “It’s given me purpose and peace.” Now expecting her second child, she’s eager to see how the next chapter shapes her art. “I want my kids to grow up proud that their mom followed her dreams—and I hope it inspires them to do the same.”
BY BRIAN SCHWARTZ
Sara Roahen’s journey from New Orleans food critic to San Luis Obispo memoir mentor reads like one of the life stories she now helps others write—complete with career pivots, geographic leaps of faith, and the occasional hurricane.
“We looked at real estate prices, but none of the other costs of living,” Roahen says. Her husband, a pediatric ER doctor teetering on burnout, had found his dream job at a small community hospital. Their six-year-old son had outgrown urban playgrounds and needed room to move. Despite family roots elsewhere, her husband’s mother and sister had already settled in California, making the westward leap feel inevitable.
The economic reality hit hard. They downsized their home. Roahen took on more work. But she has no regrets. “Sometimes you need to listen to the need for change more than the logic around it,” she reflects. “That’s how you get to your next best.”
Before becoming a memoir mentor, Roahen spent her twenties in restaurant kitchens and her thirties dissecting them in print. Moving to New Orleans for her husband’s medical school, she landed a gig writing anonymous restaurant reviews for the city’s alternative weekly—a “medical school widow” with plenty of time to eat and observe.
“I’m really interested in cooking and food, but what was most interesting to me was the cultural things happening around me,” she says. Those overheard conversations at grocery stores, interviews with chefs, and observations at neighboring tables became the foundation for Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table (W. W. Norton, 2009).
Writing Gumbo Tales proved terrifying—Roahen had never written anything longer than 850 words. Hurricane Katrina struck mid-manuscript, earning her a deadline extension. The book won a local award, quickly earned back its advance, and remains in print today.
Landing in SLO without a clear career path, Roahen eventually found her way to Cuesta College’s Emeritus program, where she’s spent eight years teaching “composing your life story.” What started as a return to writing through teaching became her calling.
A self-described “first-person storyteller,” Roahen now offers editing services and has published a practical guide, How to Begin Writing Your Life Stories. For writers ready to commit to the long haul, she’s launching a five-month Memoir and Narrative Nonfiction Incubator on January 22, designed for those prepared to dig deep and make serious progress on a book.
The real magic of memoir, according to Roahen, isn’t just preservation—it’s liberation. “When you see your experiences on the page, you gain distance. You realize, ‘That’s not me. That’s something that happened to me.’” It’s the difference between being defined by your past and understanding it as one chapter in a longer story.
For those worried about their stories disappearing? Publishing solves that. “It lives in the cloud forever,” Roahen says. Which means somewhere in the digital ether, your great-great-grandchildren might stumble across your story—typos, triumphs, and all. SLO LIFE
Learn more about Sara and her upcoming events at sararoahen.com
Meet Addie, a dedicated senior athlete and FFA Chapter President who balances three varsity sports with her passion for agriculture, faith, and community. From showing livestock to leading her peers, she’s preparing for a future in the agricultural industry while treasuring the relationships and traditions that matter most.
What extra-curricular activities are you involved in?
I am part of the women’s volleyball, soccer, and beach volleyball varsity programs at school. Additionally, I am a livestock exhibitor and president in our FFA chapter as well as captain of our FCA club. Each week I am also part of a local youth group and volunteer on Sundays in the church tech booth.
What is one of your favorite memories?
Once a year is our family’s harvest night. We invite our family-friends over to our house for tacos and line dancing in exchange for picking grapes in our family vineyard.
Do you have a career path in mind?
I would love to go into something involving agriculture. Even though I am not sure what specifically yet, I have always loved hands-on learning, working with animals, and appreciate the immense work this industry takes.
What is something that not many or that no one knows about you?
I used to be terrified of public speaking. I could feel my heart pounding in my toes! But I have grown so much, and that has been something I have had the opportunity to push myself in. And I do not like donuts.
Is there anything you would like to change or improve in the world?
I wish I could change the way we perceive and judge people who are different from ourselves. We often choose hate before we see the good in people. I hope that as individuals we recognize this and begin to understand and accept our unique differences.
What schools are you considering for college?
I have been looking at colleges that provide an agricultural program such as UC Davis, Cal Poly SLO, or the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. While I don’t have a dream school, I am waiting to see what door opens, and I am excited to see what is in store. SLO LIFE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
ROSA CLARK
Meet Lilibeth Belle the First “Lily” — an eight-month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. This fearless little adventurer is enjoying life whether she is at home, conquering the agility course at Laguna Lake Dog Park, mastering new tricks for treats, or diving headfirst into the ocean with unbridled enthusiasm. When she’s not playing hide-and-seek or showing off her latest cozy sweater, Lily’s favorite place is right by her family’s side— whether that means cuddling on the couch for movie night and yes, she actually watches! With her impossibly sweet nature and zest for life, Lily embodies everything that makes Cavaliers unforgettable, stopping strangers in their tracks and reminding everyone why this breed captures hearts forever.
BY DANA LOSSING
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID LALUSH
rRyan and Amanda fell in love with this rural San Luis Obispo neighborhood long before they had the opportunity to buy their lot. As far back as 2008, they would walk their children in strollers and stop to feed the goats on the wide streets. When they set out to build a home, they wrote letters to the landowners—complete with local Brown Butter cookies and pictures of their family—asking them to consider subdividing their lots and selling land to them. No one was willing to take them up on it. But when a private sale fell through in 2021, Ryan and Amanda’s names came up, and they finally bought the land that their home, barn, and pool house now sit on.
Amanda’s father built homes, and from what she told me, they sounded beautiful. She grew up in the custom home that he built for their family just before she was born. She’d regularly go to “work” with her father, playing at job sites or looking over plans. Because of this, Amanda developed a passion for home design, and it was a dream of hers to build a family home one day.
She and Ryan met architect Jim Duffy of Ten Over Studio through volunteering with SLO’s Chamber of Commerce. After a few conversations, they decided to work with him and principal architect Julia Oberhoff to design a home that would meet their family’s needs and priorities within their budget. For their very
first meeting, they met at the undeveloped lot with Jim and Julia, cold beers in hand, soaking in the views and discussing how to best capture them in the design. Amanda recalls the weekly Friday design meetings with Julia and Meredith feeling “like Christmas”— she couldn’t wait to see their home’s progress each week. She and Ryan were so thankful for this opportunity; they made a clear decision early on to enjoy the process rather than be stressed by it. And this mindset continued to work in their favor.
With that attitude, they set out to find people who shared their same energy and intentionality. A friend recommended Ed Cuming of Ed Cuming Custom Homes. Right from the start, Ed had a positive, collaborative, and solution-based approach that both Ryan and Amanda loved. As they reviewed the design, Ed was able to provide cost estimates and suggest refinements from a construction standpoint that helped keep the project on budget. Structural engineer Tim Romano of Romano Design helped them rethink the home’s framing in key areas, saving on overall materials and, ultimately, cost. Amanda’s father also helped refine the plans early on, providing input with his experienced eye and lifelong knowledge of construction methods, and to their delight, they were able to make their project pencil with her father’s input and the team’s collaboration. >>
While the site, structures, and interiors were laid out and detailed by Ten Over and the engineering team, Ryan and Amanda picked the interior finishes and fixtures of the home themselves. Amanda didn’t want to give this fun task away to anyone else—it was her opportunity to put the finishing touches on the home she once dreamed of. She loved seeking out, researching, and touching the physical samples. The entire process was a joy, and she would do it again in a heartbeat. You can feel this playfulness and willingness to explore in the finishes they chose, like the pink-and-white checkerboard tile floors in the pantry and laundry rooms sourced through Tile Co. and the custom mural designed by Amanda and painted by Canned Pineapple Co. in the powder room.
The home isn’t short of Ryan and Amanda’s affinity for hidden nooks and crannies either. Cue the fire pole escape leading down from the kids’ rooms on the second floor to the mudroom on the first—every kid loves a shortcut! In the playroom on the second floor, there’s a hidden reading room tucked behind a secret door in the bookshelf, where you may likely find one of their daughters reading—but don’t tell anyone I told you! Even the layout of the home feels cozy as you meander through smaller rooms, each with separate uses and finishes. This was intentional, as they did not want the “great room” style space that can make it hard to find a quiet place for conversation or alone time.
Upon entering the impressive white oak front doors, you step inside a cozy entryway with the mural-wrapped powder room off to the left. A wide corridor draws you into the heartbeat of the home with an amazing view of the hills beyond. Off to
your right is an inspiring art studio, and off to the left the kitchen greets you, looking effortlessly cool with a white zellige tile backsplash, beaded wall sconces, Taj Mahal countertops, and a custom white oak and rose velvet upholstered banquette encircling the picturesque dining nook. The corridor then breaks open into a double-height living space with an impressive plaster fireplace that tapers toward the vaulted ceiling. Three large basket pendants straddle the ridge beam and hang low over the seating area, mingling with one another just like the people who converse below. Heading upstairs from the living room, the open stair is accompanied by a gallery wall of collected artwork and photography curated by the family, adding so much personality to the space. Once upstairs, the kids’ Jack and Jill bath is adorable, clad in pink tile and surf motif wallpaper.
Out back, a covered patio furnished with porch swings and heaters sits adjacent to the indoor living space. Large stacking doors open up to create a seamless indoor-outdoor connection between the two lounges. This is Ryan’s favorite part of the home. Once outside, large concrete pavers lure you onto the pool deck furnished with chaise lounges and pool floats. An adorable little pool house sits at the end of the pool, ready for guests, parties, and rinsing off before heading back in.
Still in progress are some final details including an outdoor fountain, some site
work and landscaping, and filling the home with more art, accessories, and the vibrant personality that comes with this family of seven (if you count their two dogs)!
Working with Ed Cuming has been a wonderful experience. Every subcontractor that has been brought on-site has been kind, professional, and done exquisite work. Some of these talented craftspeople include Presidio Tile and Stone, who fabricated and installed the beautiful Taj Mahal quartzite and Bianco Rhino marble countertops; Erica Beck, who assisted with countertop sourcing and general design consulting; Tile Co., who sourced the gorgeous tile throughout the home; Ferguson Home for plumbing fixtures; Acropolis Lighting for design; AJM Electric for electric, data, and A/V; Innovation Drywall and Paint; Thoma Electric for electrical engineering and installation of solar; Yvette Chaix Interior Design for the casework design and sourcing; Central Coast Windows and Doors; Idler’s for appliances; and Canned Pineapple for the custom powder room mural.
There have been a lot of full-circle moments in this build, like watching their family enjoy the home they once only dreamed of. But one of the most meaningful moments happened right before moving into the home. Heartbreakingly, Amanda lost her dad last year. He did get to walk through the home’s framing with her early on, which was really special. Just recently, Amanda and Ryan helped her mom move out of and sell their childhood home—the one built by her father. The sale closed the weekend before moving into this new house with their family—a timing that feels almost unbelievable and all the more meant to be.
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Total
Average
AVERAGE PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT
$543 UP FROM $535 LAST YEAR
ACTIVE LISTINGS
1,677 UP FROM 1663 LAST YEAR
AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET
FORTY
ONE UP FROM 36 LAST YEAR
MEDIAN SELLING PRICE
PROPERTIES SOLD
1571 UP FROM 1569 LAST YEAR
97.7
$788,500 DOWN FROM $825,000 LAST YEAR
$1,064,639 $723,636 $1,691,193 $776,466 $930,558 $1,038,535 $936,806 $1,260,439 $756,750 $1,190,809 $1,049,397 2025 $1,331,514 $876,446 $1,980,913 $1,154,254 $1,741,296 $919,775 $810,508 $1,046,143 $1,102,116 $1,056,079 $696,913 $1,650,762 $787,577 $895,298 $942,169 $1,169,875 $1,410,316 $901,136 $1,347,758 $1,079,032 AVERAGE SELLING PRICE
BY PADEN HUGHES
PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILY DESJARDINS
You know that knot in your neck. The tight band across your shoulders. The lingering ache in your lower back. We often chalk these up to posture, stress, or “just getting older.” But what if the tension runs deeper? What if our bodies are storing unspoken emotions—responsibility, grief, even old heartbreak—waiting to be acknowledged?
In his influential book The Body Keeps the Score, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk writes, “Trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain, and body.” Research continues to affirm that our bodies hold on to stories our minds may not fully process. Tension patterns, chronic pain, and stress symptoms are often connected to unresolved emotions. Harvard Health notes that somatic therapy recognizes how “our body holds and expresses experiences and emotions, and traumatic events or unresolved issues can become trapped inside.”
Here in San Luis Obispo, many of us pride ourselves on a values-based, balanced life—slower and more intentional than the Bay Area or LA. But the truth is, our increasing reliance on screens, the disappearance of “third spaces” to gather, and the isolation of modern family life have created new layers of disconnection. More than ever, the mindbody connection calls us back to ourselves.
The Body Really Does Hold the Stories
What drew me to book a session with Zoey Chiasson, owner of Opulent Healing in Morro Bay, was knowing how powerful it is to blend somatic work
with spirituality. So much of my self-love journey has come through learning to honor the wisdom of my body, and I knew Zoey’s work would align with my experience.
As she worked on my chronically tight shoulders and neck, she shared a simple reflection: “Often when people carry so much tension here, it reflects the sense of carrying too much responsibility on their shoulders.” That truth landed immediately. For years I’ve felt the weight of responsibility—for my work, my family, even the expectations I place on myself.
As a parentified eldest daughter who turned into a high-masking perfectionist in my career as a consultant and entrepreneur, I often prided myself on all I carried and all the people I supported. On the outside, it looked like resilience and capability. On the inside, it often meant exhaustion, overwhelm, and a body that refused to be ignored. My healing journey has been rooted in relearning how to prioritize myself, how not to leave myself behind in the process of supporting everyone else.
I know I’m not alone in this. Many of us in San Luis Obispo— the strivers, the caregivers, the reliable ones who “get it done”— can relate. We live in a place that values balance and wellness, yet many of us quietly carry too much: for aging parents, for children, for our communities, for our businesses. We hold it in our shoulders, our jaws, our spines. We tell ourselves we’re fine until our bodies finally demand we listen.
Bodywork is powerful—releasing muscles, improving circulation, calming the nervous system. In my business, I’ve spent years witnessing the science of movement and have seen firsthand how blending soft tissue work with stretching and functional training
creates incredible breakthroughs in mobility and performance. That mindbody connection is the heart of what we do.
And yet I’ve come to love adding massage and spirituality as another profound layer of body care—an invitation not just to improve how we move but to listen more deeply. Because when you pair hands-on release with the question “What is this tension really about?” something deeper opens.
Zoey describes her approach not as adding anything foreign but as helping clients connect more deeply to what’s already there. It’s not about labels or predictions but about noticing patterns—how the body mirrors the inner life.
That blend of inquiry with touch reminds me how rarely we pause to ask: What is my body holding for me? What does this pain or tightness want me to know? The combination of physical release with reflective conversation is a powerful door into deeper healing.
One of Zoey’s newest offerings is a massage called Fog and Fire, inspired by the local landscape. She describes it as embodying the balance between slowing down and awakening—between the soft, grounding energy of fog and the clarifying spark of fire. The session invited me to soften and also to awaken, reminding me that healing isn’t about fixing what’s broken but about listening to the wisdom already held in the body.
Zoey isn’t the only gifted healer at Opulent Healing. Another practitioner, Hazel, is also a highly skilled massage therapist whose touch is both grounding and intuitive. I love this studio. It feels less like a spa and more like a sanctuary for true restoration.
For a community like ours, where health and wellness are deeply valued, experiences like this push us to expand the definition of care. Yes, monthly massages and other traditional practices are valuable. But if you like massages, don’t just do them to relax your muscles—do them to listen. Your body isn’t old or broken. It’s wise. It’s carrying your stories, your tension, your unmet emotions. And if you choose to listen, it will guide you toward healing.
Sessions like Zoey’s invite us to become students of our own somatic wisdom, to see patterns not as nuisances but as messages. For me, when I think about wellness, I view it not just as maintenance but as meaning.
If you’re curious about the connection between your body and your deeper story, I encourage you to drive out to Morro Bay and book a session with Zoey (or Hazel) at Opulent Healing. Bring a journal, and after your session, take yourself for a cup of tea or coffee nearby. Write down what came up and what you felt. You may discover your body has been holding truths you’ve long been ready to hear.
True wellness isn’t just about loosening tight muscles. It’s about honoring the wisdom those muscles have carried for you. In a culture that too often treats the body as a problem to fix, Opulent Healing offers something radical yet timeless: the body as a teacher, holding both our pain and our path to healing.
On Friday, October 10, SLOMA members and community leaders gathered to celebrate the premiere of Siji Krishnan: The Secret place at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art. Siji Krishnan’s paintings invite viewers into a world where memory, myth, and daily life intertwine. Working primarily on delicate rice paper, she builds up translucent layers of watercolor and oil to reveal figures, landscapes, and hidden details. Her images often feel dreamlike—ponds shimmering with light, grasses bending in the rain, or figures dissolving into their surroundings—suggesting the ways that identity, home, and belonging are shaped by both what we see and what lies beneath the surface.
Guests toasted the exhibition, cheered for its generous sponsors, and enjoyed wines hosted by wine partner Hope Family Wines.
Siji Krishnan: The Secret Place is on view through February 22, 2026. The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art is open Thursday—Monday, 11 AM to 5 PM. Free admission Visit SLOMA.org for public events calendar or to become a member.
Photos courtesy of App’s Photography.
BY TILLY WRIGHT
Retail therapy with a gal pal can help promote positive mental health. Venting about my dilemmas and other complex feelings while weaving through cute boutiques and busy streets provides a very healthy and active outlet! Add in some sips, and my catch-up session becomes the most productive social evening.
In Atascadero, a wonderful Sip & Shop event for the twenty-one-and-older crowd is held four times a year, planned by the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce. For this fall Sip & Shop event, I embarked on a nice stroll to check out the clean and repaved streets in the downtown Atascadero area and spend an evening enjoying an adult outing. For many years, construction workers and orange cones were regularly found along the blocks of El Camino Real during my leisure outings here, so I was very pleasantly surprised to see that they were gone this evening. These construction projects seem to have finally been completed!
Any wine enthusiast who enjoys navigating around town can purchase a ticket for Sip & Shop at a reasonable price: thirty dollars (general admission), twenty-five dollars (early bird), and thirty-five dollars (day of). For this particular evening between 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.,
I could wander through twenty-five different participating businesses and have a taste of a beverage poured by local craft beer and wine specialists from Central Coast wineries and breweries. While it was impossible for me to visit all twenty-five fall Sip & Shop businesses in that time span, I believe an active and quick-moving person could do it! Every business was very friendly and enthusiastic about discussing their offering as they filled my Sip & Shop etched wine glass that was provided by the event. I even met a couple of amazing owners of these establishments and learned about the wine from the winemakers themselves.
The Sip & Shop event was impeccably organized. Logistically, access to the Sip & Shop event was simple. With free parking available both along the streets and in many lots, the city welcomed and encouraged residents and nonresidents alike to shop local and enjoy the evening.
With a large tent set up centrally right in front of the
Atascadero City Hall and an email reminder to check in and bring identification to confirm your age at this exact location, it was clear where to start! I parked in the parking lot across from the Atascadero City Hall, and my friend and I easily walked across the street and lined up in one of several lines to start our sip-and-shop adventure. The entire event team functioned like a well-oiled machine. Within five minutes of getting into the check-in line, a staff member checked off my name and verified my age by looking at my driver’s license to ensure I was twenty-one or older. Then, another staff member attached a yellow wristband to my right wrist and gave me a shiny Sip & Shop etched wine glass along with a very helpful map of all the participating stops for tonight.
Immediately after receiving our glasses, my friend and I excitedly marched up the steps of City Hall where we were welcomed with two options: a beer tasting by Wild Fields, a local brewery in Atascadero, or a wine pour by Eberle Winery, a very renowned winery in Paso Robles. Inside City Hall, participants had the option to get a pour of each, but I picked one, while my friend picked the other. After our first pour of the night, we hopped down the steps of the building and walked around a few blocks which included Palma Avenue, Entrada Avenue, Traffic Way, and El Camino Real.
There were so many fun and amazing shops that participated. However, my favorite stops included Earnest Grace serving My Favorite Neighbor wines, Atascadero Tea Trolley serving Rava Wines, and Brambie Pie serving Shale Oak Winery wines. When you approached a serving table, the pourer would greet you and share an informative sentence or two about their selection. They would then ask which you wanted to try, pour the one you selected, and you would move on to the next stop. However, there were a few attendees who lingered at the table to try a second option after finishing their first tasting. The wine participants were very accommodating, but I opted to just try one from each stop to maximize my time as some of the lines could get quite long. We tried to be as efficient as possible, but I eventually got hungry since it was around dinnertime. I remembered how amazing the pastries and pies at Brambie Pie smelled during our earlier tasting, so I returned to the shop to get one of their piping hot cheeseburger empanadas. This is why this Sip & Shop event is so fantastic for customers and helpful for local businesses. If I hadn’t come to this event tonight, I wouldn’t have discovered this wonderful pastry shop. Now, this special spot will always be a part of my memory of Atascadero.
Fortunately, the next Sip & Shop walking adventure is not too far away. I appreciate that the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce features a different theme for each Sip & Shop event throughout the year. Their next Sip & Shop event in Atascadero will be on Friday, December 5, 2025, with the theme “Light Up the Downtown,” which is very appropriate for the holidays. The subsequent event will take place on Friday, February 13, 2026, with a Valentine’s Day theme, the Sweetheart Stroll. Those two upcoming events could be a very festive and fun idea for date night, girls’ or boys’ night out, or even a team-building event. For me, it will provide another opportunity for a much-needed retail therapy session!
BY CHUCK GRAHAM
They were foraging on a steep, crumbly scree slope in the Sespe Wilderness. Fourteen desert bighorn sheep browsed on holly, prickly pear, chamise, and other backcountry flora while traversing the higher reaches of Los Padres National Forest.
Historically, the Sespe Wilderness has been the westernmost region in the desert bighorn sheep’s range. However, the species experienced a hundred-year absence from this territory, from the late 1800s until their reintroduction by the California Department of Fish and Game (now California Department of Fish and Wildlife) in the mid-1980s. Disease from livestock and overhunting contributed to their extirpation.
Not long after photographing desert bighorn sheep in the Sespe Wilderness in December, I gave a presentation about Carrizo Plain National Monument to the Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Association the following January. Before the presentation, I had dinner with board member Page PhillerAdams, my girlfriend and accomplished naturalist Holly Lohuis, and Dr. Paul Collins, retired curator of vertebrate zoology at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.
Dr. Collins asked what I was currently working on. I told him I had just returned from the Sespe Wilderness, where I’d
been shooting photos of those stealthy, nimble herbivores. He then asked whether I had heard of Dr. Joseph Grinnell. I said I had and mentioned that I’d heard desert bighorn sheep once inhabited the Caliente Mountains, which overlook the Carrizo Plain to the northeast and the starkly beautiful Cuyama Valley to the southwest.
“Look him up at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley,” Dr. Collins said. “Grinnell conducted an extensive wildlife survey in California in the early 1900s.”
Sweeping Surveys
fter several emails and phone calls, I finally contacted Chris Conroy, curator of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley. Conroy sent me a digital copy of Grinnell’s entire journal from his 1912 expedition surveying wildlife in California.
Spotting wildlife isn’t easy. It’s a waiting game—a lot of hours in the field hoping something materializes. It’s searching for burrows, dens, nests, scat, and spoor. It requires patience. Grinnell was doing all of that and more, making significant discoveries in a multitude of habitats. He traveled far and wide across the most biodiverse state in the lower forty-eight. Whatever it took—by car, train, horseback, or on foot—he monitored and counted species. However, there weren’t any desert bighorn sheep in the Sespe back then, but that didn’t stop Grinnell from searching extensively across California’s expansive desert ecosystems for this nimblest of desert dwellers. >>
In his journal, he mentioned speaking with a couple of ranchers on the southwest side of the Caliente Mountains in the Cuyama Valley. The two ranches were located at the base of the mountain range. The ranchers told Grinnell of sporadic bighorn sightings but believed the animals had been hunted out. Still, Grinnell went to investigate. On April 26, 1912, he didn’t see any bighorn, but on a north-facing slope, he found a single weathered horn—one of many wildlife specimens he brought back to the museum.
The Caliente Mountains are one of the least populated regions in California, with no human habitation. The range is arid and covered in California juniper groves and scrubby chaparral. Several times a year, the Calientes receive snow. The summit, at 5,106 feet, is the highest point in San Luis Obispo County. A collapsed cabin at the summit was once used as a lookout during World War II.
Conroy said I could come photograph the single horn the ram had left long ago, which I did. When I arrived at the museum, I felt as though I’d stepped into a scene from the original Jurassic Park. Following Conroy into the inner sanctum of the museum, we walked up a circular stairway that ascended above the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex.
After photographing the horn, I drove directly to the Carrizo Plain, specifically to the northeast foothills of the Calientes. I took Bitterwater Valley Road, a winding two-lane route that connected with Highway 58 and eventually Soda Lake Road, the main thoroughfare across the national monument. After arriving, I carcamped on a nameless dirt road. While gazing at shooting stars, I visualized desert bighorn sheep once again traversing the rolling
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife maintains a current map of desert bighorn sheep populations throughout California. Most of those occupied habitats are in desert regions. However, the Sespe Wilderness and San Gabriel Mountains have herds that have grown over time, their rugged isolation contributing to survival.
Also on the map are several regions outlined in red. These are unoccupied habitats, and the Caliente Mountains are among them. However, long-term conservation plans are in place to one day return desert bighorn sheep to these old territories.
Good things in life can sometimes take a long time. SLO LIFE
Cheers to the start of the season!
NEW YORK SOUR
1 egg white
1/2 ounce lemon
3/4 ounce simple syurp
1 1/2 ounces whiskey
Dry shake 20 seconds
Wet Shake till chillded
Float with a dry red wine
Garnish with a cherry and bitters
3/4 ounce Vanilla vodka
3/4 ounce Frangelico
2/3 ounce Ameretto
1 Shot of espresso
Shaken Hard
Garnished with 3 coffee beans
These two cocktails are guaranteed crowd-pleasers. Perfect for holiday parties, family gatherings, or a quiet night by the fire.
For more than 13 years, Jeff Harshbarger has been behind the bar in San Luis Obispo, shaking up memorable cocktails for locals and visitors alike. With a particular passion for gin, he’s always experimenting with new flavors and techniques—and the results are always worth savoring. SLO LIFE
At Woodstone Marketplace in Avila Beach, new ownership transforms a trail stop into something special
BY JAIME LEWIS PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETE BILTOFT
Woodstone Marketplace is one of those places we SLO folks can’t help but take for granted. The market and café sit adjacent to the Bob Jones Bike Path beneath an emerald canopy of sycamore trees, with a nice menu, beer on tap, bottles of wine, and an irresistible patio. So why do I routinely fail to remember it is an option when looking for a peaceful place to hang? Such is life among the embarrassment of riches that is the Central Coast, I suppose.
A friend recently suggested I check out Woodstone Marketplace since it came under new ownership, so I set up a time to chat with new owner Seth Vann and chef Franco Ramirez. Upon wandering inside, I can immediately see why my friend told me to give Woodstone another glance: the all-day café has a new energy and verve, obvious from the moment I spy the gleaming espresso machine at the end of the bar. Before I settle in for our conversation, I order one of Vann’s signature lattes, “La Vie
en Rose.” It’s made with cardamom-rose syrup and boasts on its surface an image of a swan floating on a sea of dried rose petals and real gold flakes.
“We don’t use any premade syrups,” Vann says. “I make it all in house.”
While the latte is absolutely gorgeous, I worry a little that the rose syrup and petals will make the latte taste like soap. Instead, it tastes like heaven: subtle and fragrant, with hints of spice and fruit.
The transformation at Woodstone reflects the vision of its current ownership team. Vann took over the property a year ago and focused on what he saw as the heart of any great café: exceptional coffee and genuine hospitality. He kept what worked— including longtime head chef Ramirez, who’s been developing and perfecting dishes for seven years—while elevating every aspect of the customer experience.
“Everyone was asking, ‘Please, can we have real coffee?’” Vann explains, acknowledging one of the most frequent customer requests he inherited. Indeed, the coffee program stands as an impressive recent development. A longtime baker and barista with a knack for flavor, Vann creates monthly specialty lattes (including December’s toasted graham cracker latte) that put his syrups on full display. The Woodstone team has also launched its own coffee brand, selling beans grown right here in the Golden State. To celebrate, Vann planted coffee plants in pots on Woodstone’s patio.
The food menu showcases similar attention to detail. The Alex Burger, a towering creation topped with jalapeños that packs a serious punch of heat, demonstrates the kitchen’s elevated approach to comfort food. The prime rib wrap delivers tender meat, crunchy lettuce, and a piquant horseradish cream, while New York–style bagels and pizza are made from scratch, bringing a handcrafted touch to casual favorites. Nightly dinner specials always >>
include Monday night prime rib and Friday sand dabs, plus dishes like chicken marsala, lasagna, and Cajun jambalaya. And to go with all those tasty coffee drinks? The breakfast menu includes breakfast burritos, avocado toast, and pancakes.
The location’s setting is, of course, handy for walkers, joggers, and cyclists passing by, but it also functions as common ground for nearby residents who appreciate having dining options close to home.
“We’re like a kitchen for them,” Vann says. He shares that even during the summer, when tourists descend on Avila Beach like hungry seagulls, the café’s regulars still comprise at least 90 percent of all sales made. So he always keeps those customers in mind whenever he makes changes to the space or menu.
By all indications, those regulars appreciate his thoughtfulness. Even as we sit and talk,
he waves and chats with many of the people who walk by, on their way to grab a bottle of local wine from the refrigerators or a carton of potato salad from the deli case. It’s a testament to how welcoming and community focused the atmosphere has become.
Vann convinces me to try another drink from the coffee bar, and as I sip on an elegant Ispahan latte made with rose, raspberry, and lychee syrups, it occurs to me that sometimes the most exciting new restaurants aren’t new at all but rather those beloved places that get the attention and care they deserve. And with all the improvements going on at Woodstone Marketplace, this trail stop has blossomed into something truly remarkable.
moving past your regular six-pack
BY BRANT MYERS
Move aside hot dogs and crisp lagers; step down hot wings and piney IPAs. It’s time to grow up from the casual laid-back fare of summer and get real about food and beer. After all, sweaters hide all, and dark evenings beg for hearty meals and even heartier ales. As we head into the cooler months and start spending more time in the kitchen around friends and family—either enjoying an evening after work or entertaining large gatherings around the holidays—there is a pairing just waiting to be made.
I wanted to take a step back from featuring a local maker and get deeper into not necessarily where to go but what to get once you’re there. So whether perusing a to-go cooler at your favorite brewery or staring at a wall of six-packs at the market, here’s a little history and a few ideas to elevate your dishes and better appreciate your beverages.
First, beer is food. If you’ve ever encountered me at a brewery anniversary party or hour five of a beer festival, you’ll see me content and energized by the thousand liquid calories sloshing around in my belly, never needing a break to saunter over to the taco truck to “soak up some of the beer.” Soak up? That’s my job! But I’m not the only one who can survive off the sweet, sweet nectar of fermented grains.
Humanity has a rich history of drinking beer with, and for, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Before we had microscopes we realized that beer that had to come to a boil during the brewing process and as such was safer to drink than the fresh water from the river. Farmers could get a much-needed kick of calories from a few beers with their plowman’s lunch, and even the monks that
sold their finest beers to raise funds for their monastery could use that spent grain one more time to make a weaker table beer that was served with every meal.
After all, beer is just fermented grains, and calling it liquid bread is just as apt as calling melted ice water. So it’s no surprise that lowalcohol beers adorned tables for hundreds of years much like the ubiquitous dinner roll. The secondary effects of relaxing the mind, helping the muscles recover, easing conversation, and slowing us down before bed make it a no-brainer.
We’re all likely familiar with how you serve red wine with red meat, white wine with pasta or seafood, and maybe you’re even a step ahead of me with an amber ale paired with a bread bowl of clam chowder, a Belgian wit with a fresh green salad, or something as simple as a porter with a pork roast. All classic examples that bring out the flavors of their companions.
Unlike the confinements of wine, beer has an abundance of flavors and an amazing range of styles that, when paired correctly, can complement or contrast the right dish. It’s key to ensure that there is either a good balance or a wild differentiation to bring out the best of each. You wouldn’t pair a kriek—a sweet and sour Belgian cherry ale—with a fresh-baked cherry pie because you’ll end up with tart on tart, and there is no escape from that sickly sweet goodness they hold on their own. Now complement that beer with a German chocolate cake or, my favorite, contrast the beer with dark lean meats such as rabbit or even a turkey drumstick, and now you’re cutting that fat with sour and that gaminess with sweet cherry.
Speaking of turkey, I like to amp up the flavors of traditional fall meals and especially their sides. Some of these time-honored side dishes I’ve had nearly fifty times in my life (excluding seconds, thirds, and leftovers), and depending on the cook du jour or their variations and twists on the original recipes, it doesn’t hold a candle to what you can do by just popping the steel cap off a glass bottle. Sweet potatoes and cranberry salads are good on their own, but contrast them with an amber or red ale and you’ll be awash in the copper malty goodness that helps the natural sugars pop and exacerbate the addition of orange zest. Passing a cheese and dessert plate at a get-together? Try finding fruited IPAs to help complement the rich fattiness of brownies and brie. You can find mango, peach, or my favorite, guava IPA that acts similar to the grapes, dried cranberries, and apricots that you find on any charcuterie board.
Speaking of fruited beers, are you serving something spicy? Maybe a hot bowl of pho, street tacos with al pastor, or kung pao noodles for a break from turkeys and hams? Nothing beats washing down a bite of a hot forkful with a cold brew. Typically, it’s recommended to use an IPA for that bitter bite, but I’ve never enjoyed that myself; too similar. I like to pick up a few bottles of sour wheat beers like a gose or Berliner Weisse. These are common enough if you know where to look, even if you’ve never heard of the style. The light effervescent sweetness cools the tongue, and the crisp, near fruity aftertaste makes you feel like you’re breathing in fire and breathing out sunshine.
So this year, get creative, go to your local brewery and see what’s funky, skip your normal six-pack of “I’ve had this and I know I like it so I might as well get it” and try something new. I think your taste buds and your human buds will enjoy the experience. Hopefully you’ll discover a new combination that can become the new tradition, so raise your glass and your plates with me and say “Cheers!” to new experiences!
BY DAN FREDMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILY DESJARDINS
When Ash and Lissa Mehta first landed on California’s Central Coast in 2002, they didn’t come looking to build a wine empire. They came looking for a way to stay. Ash had moved to San Luis Obispo for a job in the real estate title industry, and when the market began to contract, he found himself staring down a choice: move to someplace like Barstow or Kingman, Arizona, or stay in SLO to build something new.
“It was an easy choice,” he says now, with an easy smile that suggests he’s poured more than a few thousand glasses since then. “Wine is a social animal, and we’re social people.”
That impulse to stay rooted on the central coast and to connect with people through wine eventually became Wine Sneak, the couple’s third and most personal venture. But getting there was anything but straightforward.
Their story began in Solvang, right as Sideways turned Santa Barbara County into a must-visit destination for Pinot-hungry tourists. Over a game of golf, they joined a partnership in a downtown wine shop and wine bar. “We wound up functioning as an ‘unofficial tasting room’ for some of the region’s most beloved producers,” he recalls.
“Au Bon Climat, Arcadian, and Margerum—we sold their entire lineups, along with imports and other local wines. We offered wine by the bottle, by the glass, and in tasting flights, and we were not your traditional belly-up-to-thebar setup. It was a little chaotic and a lot of fun.”
The experiment worked. With over a hundred wines on the list, the shop thrived in the heart of Solvang. But when the partnership ended, the couple sold their share and moved north, looking for a fresh start by the beach and closer to home in SLO. >>
In 2010, they opened Taste of the Valleys, a wine bar in Pismo Beach, next to Giuseppe’s. “Back then, winery tasting rooms couldn’t sell wine by the glass,” Lissa explains. “So when the laws changed, a lot of cellar doors turned into bars where you could bring your kids. We wanted something different.”
Five years later, Wine Enthusiast named Taste of the Valleys one of the top twenty wine bars in America. “We were always packed with different wines, with boxes everywhere,” Ash laughs. “Because we’d open any wine in the place for by-the-glass pours, we offered twelve hundred different wines by the glass. When Sunset Magazine did its Savor the Coast event, all the sommeliers ended up at our place afterward. We had eight people behind the bar, 110 bottles open. It was wild.”
The success inspired expansion. In 2015, they opened Taste in the Alley in downtown Paso Robles. “We thought it would be fabulous,” Lissa says. “Paso was becoming the center of the wine world in SLO County.” Which it was, at least until COVID forced closures that hit small venues the hardest. They kept it alive, though, and today it’s quietly rebuilding its following.
But the couple wanted something closer to their home in San Luis Obispo. By 2018, they were ready for a new chapter, one that would combine their retail and hospitality experience under one roof.
The space they found sits across from the San Luis Obispo airport. It’s a sprawling three-thousand-squarefoot building with high ceilings and a front-row view of incoming planes. “Ash’s family has a lot of airline folks,” Lissa says, “so it just felt right. You can sip a glass while watching the planes take off.”
Inside, Wine Sneak feels equal parts world-class bottle shop and neighborhood gathering place. Rows of bottles line the shelves—everything from collectable Barolos, Rhônes, and grower Champagnes to Central Coast standouts like Alban, Côtière, and Quench & Temper. “Based on our experience in Pismo Beach, we started out heavy on Santa Barbara producers, but it turned out people in SLO wanted Paso wines,” Ash says. “Now it’s a great mix, with our favorites from Paso Robles to Santa Cruz, along with SLO Coast AVA wines and others from Santa Barbara County. And for sure, we have a deep selection of imported wines that winemakers themselves come in to buy.”
One of the most surprising things about Wine Sneak? The prices.
“There’s this idea that small shops are expensive,” Lissa says. “But we’re priced right alongside the big retailers, often cheaper than Costco.” Ash nods. “We have to be competitive. People in SLO shouldn’t have to order from out of town to get a good bottle.”
And for travelers, there are perks. Wine Sneak is the unofficial first stop for wine lovers flying into SLO. Alaska Airlines lets passengers check a case for free, and the ticket agents often refer passengers to the shop to buy wine shippers to insure the wine arrives safely.
Beyond retail, Wine Sneak functions as a hub for Central Coast wine culture. Regular seminars and events bring in importers like Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants, along with winemakers, viticulturists, and Cal Poly professors for their Wine Talk discussion series. Tastings are educational but approachable. Attendees pay a small fee, learn a lot, and get
a deep discount on bottles purchased that day.
“We love creating opportunities to learn,” Lissa says. “But we also try not to overexplain. People’s eyes glaze over when you start talking about clonal selection or the toast level of the barrels. Wine shouldn’t be intimidating; it should be enjoyable.”
Ash agrees. “We’ve lost a generation of wine lovers to too much information,” he says. “You don’t talk about how the 2025 vintage of Budweiser was made; you just drink it. Wine should be like that, unless someone wants the deep dive. Does it taste good? Is it a fair price? That’s what matters.”
At day’s end, the two often share whatever’s left open from tastings. They talk about how every bottle tells a story and how that story only really comes alive when that wine is shared.
“There’s such a sense of community around wine,” Lissa says. “When you pour a glass, people start talking—about >>
food, about travel, about life.”
Their daily happy hour runs from three to five (two to four on Sunday), offering ten-dollar glasses of wine. A flight of six one-ounce pours is twenty dollars. It’s affordable, unpretentious, and intentionally social. “We’ve met so many people here,” she says. “It’s not a bar—it’s a community.”
More than two decades after that first step into the business, Ash and Lissa are fixtures in the local wine scene. They’ve built spaces that bridge serious wine appreciation and genuine friendliness. No attitude, no intimidation—just curiosity and connection.
At Wine Sneak, you might meet a collector hunting for old-world Burgundy or Bordeaux, a Cal Poly student just discovering Albariño, or a winemaker dropping in for grower-producer Champagne to celebrate the end of harvest. They’ll all end up together in conversation.
“Wine is about bringing people together,” Ash says. “It’s not about showing off knowledge. It’s about sharing something that’s alive.”
He pauses, then grins. “Besides, at the end of the day, we get to drink what’s left open.”
The wine bar at Wine Sneak has at least 10 different wines to choose from at all times, although they’ll open any wine in the shop priced under $100 if you’re curious about ordering a glass.
There is a daily happy hour from Daily 3:00–5:00 PM, and Sunday 2:00–4:00 PM. Only $10 per glass, and as always, flights are available.
4468 Broad St STE 120, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 805-439-1125
NOW - 31st - CAMBRIA CHRISTMAS MARKET, Cambria, The Christmas Market transforms the coastal village into a winter wonderland with over three million twinkling lights, artisan vendors, festive food, and holiday cheer!
12th - 14th - THE NUTCRACKER, Performing Arts Center, San Luis Obispo, Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo’s 40-year tradition performance
13th - LIGHTED BOAT PARADE
6:30-8:00 PM, Morro Bay, Boats decorated in lights parade across the harbor — a festive seaside tradition.
now - 21st - CHRISTMAS AT SANTA MARGARITA RANCH, Santa Margarita, One-of-a-kind holiday experience with festive activities. Check out their website for details.
13th - ELECTRIC GUEST WITH SNACKTIME 7PM, SLO Brew Rock, San Luis Obispo, Indie electronic band performance
12th - WINTER WONDERLAND 5:00-9:00 PM, Sunken Gardens, Atascadero, Snow slide, 70+ tons of snow, kids play zones, Santa & craft vendors.
13th - CHRISTMAS IN CAYUCOS WONDERLAND WALK 4:00-7:00 PM, Downtown Cayucos, Holiday stroll with Santa, horse-drawn carriage rides, local businesses open late.
31st - NYE 2026 8:00 PM, Funk Bizarre with Pimps of Joytime, SLO Brew Rock, San Luis Obispo, New Year’s Eve celebration concert
20th - HOLIDAY MAGIC AT THE ZOO 10:00AM-1:00 PM, Central Coast Zoo, Atascadero, Zookeepers act as Santa’s elves delivering animal gifts; holiday activities included.
31st - NEW YEAR’S EVE GALA Performing Arts Center, San Luis Obispo, Evening of pops, opera, musical theater, and dance. Check out their website for details.
20th - SLO MASTER CHORALE HOLIDAY FESTIVAL, 7:30PM, Performing Arts Center, San Luis Obispo, Sing-along of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” with Westwood Brass quartet
31st - NEW YEAR’S EVE BONFIRE 7:00-11:00 PM, City Park, Paso Robles, Family-friendly concert and bonfire to ring in the New Year (ball drop at 9 PM).
1ST - POLAR BEAR DIP, 12:00 PM, Avila Beach, Annual frosty plunge — participants jump into the ocean to kick off 2026.
12:00 PM, Cayucos Beach, Cayucos. Thousands plunge into the chilly Pacific in costumes, no wetsuits allowed.
15th - 19TH MORRO BAY BIRD FESTIVAL, Morro Bay, A major annual bird-watching event featuring guided walks, expert talks, and field trips spotting 200+ species.
8th - DJ PAULY D, 7:00 PM, Fremont Theater, San Luis Obispo, Electronic dance music DJ performance
16th - 17th, 22nd-24th, ORCHESIS DANCE CONCERT, 7:30 PM, Cal Poly Spanos Theatre, San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly’s premier student dance company performance
10th - CANDLELIGHT: TRIBUTE TO FLEETWOOD MAC 6:30 PM, La Lomita Ranch, San Luis Obispo, Intimate candlelit concert tribute
18th - TREVOR WALLACE: THE ALPHA BETA MALE 6:00PM, Fremont Theater, San Luis Obispo, Comedy show
19th - 25TH, SLO CAL OPEN, Pismo Beach Pier, Pismo Beach, World Surf League surfing competition raising awareness for cancer resources
22ND - PRISCILLA BLOCK 7:00PM, Fremont Theater, San Luis Obispo, Country music concert
24th - RAINBOW GIRLS, 8:00PM, SLO Brew Rock, San Luis Obispo, Folk/Americana concert
24TH - 25TH BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR, 7:00 PM, Fremont Theater, San Luis Obispo, A two-night festival of adventurous films celebrating mountain culture and exploration.
27th - SOL INVICTUS DANCE PERFORMANCE, 7:30PM, Performing Arts Center, San Luis Obispo, Contemporary and urban dance combining capoeira and martial arts.
29TH - FEB. 1ST, CAMBRIA ART & WINE FESTIVAL Downtown Cambria, Weekend celebration of wine, food, art, and community. Check out their website for details.
e r s . . .
L o o k i n g f o r a p r o f e s s i o n a l , c o n v e n i e n t , a f f o r d a b l e , a n d f u l l y f u r n i s h e d i n d i v i d u a l o f f i c e w i t h c o n f e r e n c e r o o m a c c e s s ?
I n d i v i d u a l O f f i c e s & S u i t e R e n t a l s
1ST - HOMESICK FEST
(CEREMONY, MAREUX, BOG BOY & AUTOMATIC) 4:00
-9:30PM, Madonna Inn Expo Center, San Luis Obispo, Multi-artist music festival with indie & hip-hop acts.
3RD - DARK STAR ORCHESTRA
CONCERT, 7:30PM, Fremont Theatre, San Luis Obispo, Tribute rock concert by the touring band “Dark Star Orchestra”.
1st - SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, 1:00PM, Harold Miossi Hall, San Luis Obispo, A full-length ballet production by the Grand Kyiv Ballet featuring the classic fairy tale.
6th - ANJELAH JOHNSON-REYES: THE FAMILY REUNION TOUR 7:00PM, Fremont Theater, San Luis Obispo, Stand-up comedy show.
7th - JOHNSON RANCH TREE
PLANTING, 9:00PM - 12:00PM, Join us for the third Johnson Ranch restoration event! Meet in the parking lot to help plant native one-gallon plants that stabilize soil, support wildlife, and improve water quality. Check out their website for details.
7th -SLO SYMPHONY- ROMANCE & FIRE 7:30PM, SLO Symphony at the Performing Arts Center, San Luis Obispo, Classical concert featuring works with passion & energy.
