Chamber cheersNext year’s gala is scheduled for Aug. 27. To register or become a sponsor, visit santamaria.com. Submit nominations for the 2027 awards online at santamaria.com/connecting/annual-awards. For the more than four decades that Laurie Tamura has lived in the Santa Maria Valley, she’s donated her time to organizations like Scouting America, the Santa Maria Police […]
Madison White
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The Creation Station in Buellton celebrates 25 years
Cozy slippers shuffling across tile flooring. Pillows cushioning the seats of chairs. A T-shirt reading: Sorry. Can’t. Quilting. Bye. It’s the sight that Linda Papenfus rolled up to at The Creation Station Fabric and Quilt Shop after a tiresome, traffic-riddled drive from Folsom. She carried a suitcase behind her filled to the brim with fabrics […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Solvang Cinema Arts promotes film screenings in the valley
Bring family and friends to see The Nightmare Before Christmas at Solvang Park on Oct. 2 at dusk. It’s the latest free movie night organized by Solvang Cinema Arts after the sold-out showing of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on Aug. 28 in Buellton. Audience members are welcome to bring chairs, blankets, and snacks while they enjoy […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Personal Point of View returns to Gallery Los Olivos
Carrie Givens and Karen McGaw are once again bringing their own perspectives to the forefront of the fine art gallery on Grand Avenue. See their featured duo show, Personal Point of View, through October at Gallery Los Olivos. The painters explore their relationships with the natural world, bringing to the table their distinct artistic voices […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria denies movie theater alcohol sales
At 55 Regal cinemas in California, patrons can wash down their popcorn with an alcoholic beverage while reclining in front of the big screen. On Sept. 16, Santa Maria planning commissioners decided that their city wouldn’t become the 56th. “Initially, I too was looking at this as something that might benefit our community,” Commissioner Tim […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Meet the Solvang seamstress who makes dresses for Danish Days maids year after year
Witnesses to Roberta Skidmore’s creativity have learned to trust her process. Even the dressmaker’s husband, Kevin. “You see this pile of material, and you go, ‘How are they going to do anything with this?’” Kevin told the Sun. “And then she finishes it, and you go, ‘Oh my God!’” Many of those who wear Roberta’s […]
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Cabrillo High’s aquarium gets a fresh mural
New additions at the Cabrillo High School Aquarium include seals and dolphins. However, instead of swimming around in tanks, they’re painted on the building’s interior walls. San Luis Obispo County artist Colleen Gnos began working this spring to refresh her original kelp forest mural in the aquarium, this time adding in some Chumash history. Chris […]
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Angelina LaPointe crowdfunds for her 2027 wildlife calendar
Lompoc block printer Angelina LaPointe is hoping to carry on a 10-year tradition of making her annual calendar of California flora and fauna. But first, her project needs to reach its financial goal. Her Kickstarter campaign must raise $3,500 before Oct. 16 or it’s a no-go. Crowdfunders will only be charged if the project reaches […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Canela Café serves sweet bread and espresso for Santa Maria and beyond
TikTok led Marisa Gomez to discover a Mexican coffee shop located roughly an hour from where she lives. She, along with many others, travels great distances to the rinconcito for colorful sweet breads, elaborate latte flavors, and the café’s signature aesthetic cups. It’s all very Instagrammable, but for Gomez, the lure runs deeper than that. […]
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Free K-8 learning center opens at Buellton Garden Apartments
Some Buellton students now have access to after-school activities at a classroom located in their apartment complex. People’s Self-Help Housing opened a learning center at the Buellton Garden Apartments on Sept. 8, according to the organization. A maximum of 20 students from kindergarten to the eighth grade can head to the classroom after regular school […]
Posted inNews
Life Steps Foundation hosts its annual inclusive 5K fundraiser
Learning a bus route, deciphering important pieces of mail, and calculating tips at restaurants are tasks that many people don’t have to think twice about. At Life Steps Foundation in Santa Maria, staff currently help 22 people who have developmental disabilities successfully complete those activities and countless more. “We’re person-centered,” the site’s program manager, Cynthia […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Giavanni’s Pizza cultivates a comedy community with open mics and stand-up shows
Ezra Paco had no choice but to kick-start his comedy career from a less-than-ideal launch point: Zoom. “It was really awkward,” Paco told the Sun. “The Zoom rooms were really weird because, just like with all things during the pandemic, you were at the mercy of what was going on in each person’s room.” Kids […]
