Don’t have plans for the last weekend of July yet? The California Mid-State Fair has you covered. Tickets to the July 26 805 Country Rodeo Finals and July 27 Monster Truck Takeover are on sale now on the Mid-State Fair’s website. Both shows start at 7 p.m. inside the Main Grandstand Arena. Rodeo finals tickets […]
Arts
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Local photographer Kayla Marie highlights the planet’s natural beauty with her shots of beaches, sunsets, mountains
Picture perfect Kayla Marie has been photographing Santa Barbara County’s landscapes since she was 9 years old. Now a mother of two young children, she shares her pictures, hoping to inspire the next generation. Find her photos on Instagram under @_kayyyyylaaaaaaa_. Find her portfolio online at kaylamariephotography.smugmug.com. Growing up in Pismo Beach, a young Kayla […]
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Oak Ridge Boys celebrate July 4 with farewell concert at Chumash Casino
Oak Ridge Boys celebrate July 4 with farewell concert at Chumash Casino Iconic American vocal quartet The Oak Ridge Boys will celebrate the United States’ 249th birthday with a farewell concert at the Chumash Casino Resort’s Samala Showroom. Along with Ben James, who joined in 2023, longtime members Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, and Richard […]
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Demetria Estate announces summer movie nights, live music
Demetria Estate announces summer movie nights, live music Demetria Estate will welcome summer to Los Olivos by hosting Live Music Sundays and Movie Nights in the Vineyard. The film screenings will take place summer evenings at 6:30 p.m. starting in July. Tickets are $220 per couple—$75 for kids—and include a buffet-style dinner, a glass and […]
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Local nonprofit displays local high school students’ illustrations highlighting Mexican identity, fight for social justice
Beating heart To see the digital gallery and learn more about Corazón del Pueblo and its programs, visit corazondelpueblo.org. The nonprofit is located at 120 E. Jones St. in Santa Maria. A black ball gown decorated with yellow and white flowers depicted by a Righetti High School student was the one she dreamed of wearing […]
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PCPA offers summer performing arts classes for kids ages 8 to 18
The Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) will host three week-long camps this summer at its Severson Theatre on the Allan Hancock College campus, located at 800 S. College Drive in Santa Maria. Campers will learn how to build confidence and find their voice while socializing and exploring the whimsical, musical world of Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka. […]
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Santa Ynez author releases Central Coast-based novel featuring characters based on real chefs
Santa Ynez Valley-based author Jamie Baker released his new novel, You Ate It, on May 25. The 368-page novel addresses school shootings, vigilante justice, drug addiction, sex, and politics. You Ate It tells the story of a teenager named Michael who has a big idea that makes him rich and lands him in Silicon Valley. […]
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Youth ARTS Alive returns for ninth summer of providing free art classes
Art’s alive! Starting June 16, Youth ARTS Alive will offer free summer classes for children ages 8 to 18 every Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The classes are held at three locations—the Minami Community Center, the Newlove Community Building, and the Grogan Community Center—and culminate with a Visual and Performing Arts […]
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Alma Rosa annual charity walk through the vineyards raises more than $250,000 for mental health
The 2025 Alma Rosa Winery Peace of Mind charity walk raised more than $250,000 to support research on and community services for mental health. On the morning of May 17, more than 250 local community members participated in Alma Rosa’s sixth annual Peace of Mind: 10,000 Steps in the Right Direction walk. Participants were greeted […]
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Book Loft in Solvang displays graphic novel allowing kids to write their own adventure
Iranian writer Vahid Imani’s graphic novel, Naji and the Mystery of the Dig, is now on display at the Book Loft in Solvang. Adapted from Imani’s chapter book of the same name, this version offers readers a uniquely interactive storytelling experience. Rather than having the words already filled in, Imani’s novel comes with blank dialogue […]
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Stage direction: Great American Melodrama artists and operators reflect on the quirky theater’s 50th anniversary
Flanked by unmarked gravestones, vampire coffins, and headless mannequins, scenic carpenter Martin Ramirez stands inside a two-story building on the north end of the Great American Melodrama’s parking lot. He’s one of the employees who breathes fresh life into the theater’s archive department on a regular basis. His workspace across from the theater preserves oodles […]
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Mexicana Artist Helen Yanez depicts Purépecha heritage to highlight Mexican culture
Proud to represent On May 30, view Nuestra Lotería, which showcases the artwork of 220 students from Ernest Righetti and Santa Maria High Schools at the Santa Maria Fairpark from 5 to 8 p.m. For more information, visit corazondelpueblo.org/nuestra-loteria. The Fairpark is located at 937 S. Thornburg St. Helen Yanez said she was always the […]
