On Feb. 13, Youth Arts Alive is hosting a celebration at the Santa Maria Veterans’ Memorial Center to commemorate its 10th year of providing free classes to local kids. The event starts at 6 p.m. with dinner and a lineup of performances.
The fiesta celebrates the hard work of teachers, site coordinators, volunteers, and interns who’ve helped Youth Arts Alive serve more than 1,000 students over the past nine years. It’s the first time the organization has held such an event, which will feature performances of ballet folklorico, modern dance, ukelele music, and drumming.
“We want to welcome the whole community,” Youth Arts Alive Founder Gale McNeeley told the Sun.
McNeeley said that as the group enters its second decade, it hopes to expand to more sites and offer additional classes all year long.
Tickets are $25 for dinner plates, and the fiesta is also a fundraiser for Youth Arts Alive. The five-week summer programs provide free arts education classes to hundreds of Santa Maria and Guadalupe students with a goal of making art accessible to all. Classes include music, performing arts, and visual arts.
Visit youthartsalive.org or follow on Instagram @youth_arts_alive for more information.
This article appears in February 5 – February 12, 2026.