Jackson Payne took his first college class when he was a freshman in high school. He arrived around 7 a.m. to Orcutt Academy High School. The campus was quiet except for his 29 other classmates in the Early College Cadre program. Soon enough their professor showed up and introduced the group members to their first […]
Madison White
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
With help from her mentor, a Lompoc native reunites the Polynesian dance group she grew up performing in
Michelle Lujan looks back at her wedding day with bittersweetness because although she didn’t know it at the time, the December day in 2019 was the last time the Pacific Legends danced before the pandemic exploded. “To me, that’s like the marker of when it ended, but we had no idea,” Lujan told the Sun. […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Klein Dance Arts presents its Spring Selections recital
Support Santa Maria’s youth dancers as they perform a variety of styles they’ve been hard at work perfecting. The recital will be held at Santa Maria High School inside the Ethel Pope Auditorium at 5:30 p.m. on June 5 and 2:30 p.m. on June 6. Guest performers and Klein Dance Arts students have prepared ballet, […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Presqu’ile Winery unveils a new art exhibition
Visitors will have to journey up to an old bunker to see artwork by Cole Sternberg at Presqu’ile Winery in Santa Maria, which is up until Sept. 20. The collaboration is supported by the Los Angeles Nomadic Division, an organization that connects people to places through art. Sternberg is a conceptual artist who paints, sculpts, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Los Padres ForestWatch hosts a dinner that connects people with the land
Save a seatBuy tickets to The Wilderness Table by visiting forestwatch.org. The June 7 dinner runs from 4 to 8 p.m. at Larner Vineyard (955 Ballard Canyon Road in Solvang). For more on the food and beverage providers, visit larnerwine.com, rock12distillery.com, and highonthehogcatering.com. One summer evening, 50 strangers will have the luxury of breaking bread […]
Posted inNews
Lompoc Planning Commission ushers theater project forward
Quinceañeras, weddings, and festivals are a few of the potential uses for a future event area outside of the Lompoc Theatre. On May 13, city Planning Commissioners gave the go-ahead for the space, a building addition, and a partial demolition that’ll support the long-planned project meant to help revitalize Old Town Lompoc. The Lompoc Theatre […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A Santa Maria music teacher released her first EP in more than 25 years
In a 1992 episode of Golden Girls, Dorothy sat at a table inside a bar. Next to her a piano player led her in song. Dorothy started singing the melancholic “What’ll I Do” by Irving Berlin. Dorothy rose to her feet midway through, completely serenading the crowd. When Christine Fogh watched the scene on TV […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The paranormal circus brings frights back to Santa Maria
The wheel of death. Aerial hoops. Narrow beams. Performers at Cirque Italia’s Paranormal Voodoo show will navigate all this and more on the evenings of May 29 to June 1. Head to the Santa Maria Fairpark for a thrilling and wickedly dangerous sight. “You will fall into a parallel world and end up surrounded by […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
See this month’s solo show at Gallery Los Olivos before it’s gone
There’s but one limit to the current Gallery Los Olivos exhibit, titled Limitless. It’s only up until May 31. Ann Wirtz is the painter responsible for the solo exhibit featuring abstract, figurative canvases that express the relationships people have with their environments. Themes include play and risk but really anything that’s a result of letting […]
Posted inFood & Drink
The duo on a mission to make the best bubbly on the Central Coast
Legend has it that when Elizabeth Stilson first interviewed with her now-business partner, she said, “If I never have to make another red wine again, I’ll be happy.” As soon as the statement came out of the winemaker’s mouth, PasoSecco founder Chris Kern knew she was the perfect candidate for his sparkling brand. “That sold […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria approves a package delivery warehouse to be built on West Stowell
Two Santa Maria planning commissioners thought last week’s meeting drew the biggest crowd they’ve experienced at a hearing. The only item on the May 6 agenda occupied the bulk of the nearly three-hour discussion. Following three study sessions that date back to 2024, the Santa Maria Planning Commission approved a project that would bring a […]
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Buy aesthetic home goods from a Lompoc candlemaker
Listen for the whisperFind Esperanza Jimenez’s candles at the Oceano Seabreeze Market (410 Air Park Drive) on May 30 and at the Route One Farmers Market. Discover all her products online by visiting whisperingwoodsboutique.com and on Instagram @whisperingwoodsboutique. The warmth of a yellow flame. The crackles of a wooden wick. The enchantment of a scented […]
