Somewhere on the 1,000-acre Jalama Canyon Ranch, there comes a point when the oak canopy clears, giving way to manzanitas. Standing on a ridgeline among vegetation and rolling hills, the vista reveals the ocean in one direction and the Santa Ynez River in the other. The scene at the Lompoc ranch is like a microcosm […]
Madison White
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Lompoc library organizes bilingual story times
Books and Bubbles is returning to Ryon Park in Lompoc on Dec. 19 at 10:30 a.m. The bilingual story time is geared toward toddlers and preschoolers, with games, singing, and bubbles. The upcoming theme, pajama story time, is a first for the program, run by the Lompoc Public Library. Representatives from Sleep in Heavenly Peace, […]
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Gallery Los Olivos artists participate in a communal exhibit
The annual group show at Gallery Los Olivos will be featured through January 2026. It’s an optional show for artists who are members of the gallery and will showcase a wide variety of work including photographs, paintings, sculptures, and ceramics. The show is called a Winter Celebration to encapsulate the diversity of media. “We try […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Solvang’s new Thai eatery
Growing up, food was a memorable part of Preaw Chamchoi’s life. She remembered watching her dad and grandmother working in the kitchen, and when she was in school, her dad rewarded good grades with going out to eat. She said it worked. “After the semester, we get to go celebrate,” Chamchoi said. “It’s almost like […]
Posted inNews
More RV campsites opening at River Park
A couple dozen new campsites will open soon at River Park in Lompoc. City Council members voted on Nov. 18 to establish the campground’s rules and fees, which are expected to help the park stay afloat financially. In 2022, the city renovated nine RV sites at the park. Later this month, 26 additional spots are […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
One artist’s inspiration transformed a hay barn into a modern gallery among vineyards in Santa Ynez
In Indonesian, indah means beautiful. Artist Max Gleason and his wife have traveled to the country multiple times, and in 2022 they lived there for six months. Having learned a little bit of the language, indah stuck with him. “The word indah I thought was—no pun intended—a very beautiful sounding word, and the fact that […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Barbara Master Chorale performs at Gainey Vineyard
Catch a family-friendly holiday performance on Dec. 14 in the vineyard with a glass of wine for the adults and cookie decorating for the kids. Headlining is the Santa Barbara Master Chorale, which will sing traditional Christmas carols featuring conductor David Lozano Torres and pianist Heather Levin-White. The program is scheduled for almost an hour […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
El Ermitaño comes to PCPA
The Mexican Christmas play, El Ermitaño, returns to Santa Maria on Dec. 12 and 13. The hour-long show, hosted by the Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA), is performed in Spanish and filled with music, comedy, and tradition. PCPA is partnering with actors from Tierra Blanca Arts Center, a nonprofit dedicated to offering multicultural art programs to […]
Posted inFood & Drink
A Templeton farm brightens the horizon for a Santa Barbara County winery
Blending wine is very common, but not the way Michelle Vautier does it. She owns CrossHatch Winery and uses a method called co-fermentation. Instead of blending wines after they’ve fermented, her grapes—usually two or three varieties—are picked from their separate vines on the same day and start fermenting together right away. “I’m the only winery […]
Posted inNews
County Public Health pauses layoffs and patient transfers, left with budget deficits
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department paused its plan to make layoffs and transition thousands of patients away from county clinics due to “unsatisfactory immigration status.” The decision follows an ongoing injunction to a change in federal law. Mouhanad Hammami, the director of Public Health, presented this update to the county Board of Supervisors […]
Posted inNews
A Lompoc nonprofit supports mothers and their children
Becoming a parent is part of the human experience for many people, and in that way, parenthood is unifying, Sarah Starbuck described. But at the same time, it can feel lonely, especially for parents who stay home to raise their kids. Moms uniteFor more information about registering with MOMS Club of Lompoc, visit momscluboflompoc.weebly.com. Those […]
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Santa Maria residents produce and star in award-winning Filipino film
In the Philippines, umbag means punch. It’s also the title of an independent Filipino-American movie produced by a Santa Maria resident, Rose Dumadara Koerner. Unlike traditional executive producers, she was also involved in many more of the nitty-gritty details. After being displeased with the first cut of Umbag, which follows two estranged sisters who go […]
