In the second or third grade, Alicia Blanco took cover in her elementary school classroom amid the chaos of a shooting threat. Her family had just moved to Santa Maria from Mexico, and Blanco, now 16, didn’t realize how frequent lockdowns would become at school. “People would just be messing around. I thought it was […]
Music, Arts & Culture
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See All That Remains by Ojai painter Tom Pazderka at Hancock’s gallery
Artist Tom Pazderka’s solo exhibition will be up at Allan Hancock College starting on Aug. 24. Wander into the Ann Foxworthy Gallery (Building L) to see his work through Oct. 2, and don’t miss the reception on Sept. 2 from 4 to 7 p.m. Pazderka titled the show All That Remains, combining paintings from two […]
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Buellton Rec brings new theater classes for kids
In the spring, Buellton students put on a production of Annie (pictured), but opportunities for singing and dancing are far from over. This fall, elementary students are invited to sign up for drama workshops made possible by a partnership between Buellton Rec and the Adderley School for the Performing Arts. “Classes use a method where […]
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The End of Oak Street tries to channel Spielberg
David Robert Mitchell (It Follows, Under Silver Lake) wrote and directed this sci-fi dinosaur thriller about the Platt family—aspiring novelist Denise (Anne Hathaway), husband Greg (Ewan McGregor), and children Audrey (Maisy Stella) and Brian (Christian Convery)—who after some kind of cosmic event discovers their suburban neighborhood has been transplanted to a strange and dangerous place. […]
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A Toxic Love Story is twisted, stranger-than-fiction true crime
A Toxic Love StoryWhat’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2026 Where’s it showing? Netflix Michelle Hadley was facing the possibility of decades in prison for the violent and malicious acts she was accused of by her ex, Ian, and his wife, Angela. Angela began receiving threatening emails from an account called “Lilithistruth,” a nod to the […]
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The Dink gives pickleball the sports comedy treatment
The DinkWhat’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2026 Where’s it showing? Apple TV Josh Greenbaum (Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, Strays, Will & Harper) directs Sean Clements’ script about Dustin “The Hammer” Boyd (Jake Johnson), a former tennis prodigy trained by his domineering father, Chuck (Ed Harris, at his most taciturn). Tragically, Dustin […]
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A Lompoc painter beautifies city streets one window at a time
A leprechaun sipping beer. Pets piloting an airplane. A slice of pizza riding waves. Jessica Manzanares’ painting résumé is eclectic. Her work isn’t confined to canvas or a sketch pad. It’s been displayed for all to see on the windows of businesses in places like Lompoc, Buellton, Solvang, and Santa Maria. “I like to think […]
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One donor gives millions to Lompoc Theatre Project renovations
A recent $6 million contribution to The Lompoc Theatre Project became the largest private donation in the organization’s history. Now only around $5 million remains before the full $18.9 million is raised. Santa Barbara philanthropist Cheryl Goldberg (pictured on the left) gave the sum, with $5 million going toward restoration and $1 million establishing a […]
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Environmental nonprofit accepts applications for next year’s residency program
White Buffalo Land Trust’s call for artists is open through Aug. 30 for 2027 residencies. The program asks the selected artists to explore how creativity and ecology intersect. “Through this residency, we are creating space for artists to spend meaningful time with the land and the people who steward it and to interpret what they […]
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One Night Only offers a charming romcom within a ridiculous premise
Will Gluck (Easy A, Friends with Benefits, Anyone But You) directs Travis Braun’s rom-com script set in a dystopian future America where premarital sex is outlawed under a “chastity mandate” except for one night a year. Two New Yorkers searching for love—Owen (Callum Turner), a pizza shop owner, and Allie (Monica Barbaro), a commercial jingles […]
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The Last House is claustrophobic survivalist horror story
The Last HouseWhat’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2026 Where’s it showing? Netflix Weird rain has come to attack both the suburban neighborhood and apparently the entire world that Ann (Greta Lee) and Jason’s (Wagner Moura) family lives in. Kids Ruth (Riley Chung) and Graham (Noah Alexander Snosnowski) must navigate their new world as well, and […]
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Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story examines a cable TV trailblazer
Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd StoryWhat’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2026 Where’s it showing? HBO Max Do you remember “leased access” cable television? The FCC mandated that cable operators must offer independent cable creators and producers rentable airtime. An example of a local cable access show was the fishing parody program Fishmasters, which aired […]
