Special Issues
Posted inSpecial Issues
The Return of Downtown? Santa Maria’s aim for a more pedestrian-friendly downtown and other stories that have been around since the Sun’s first issue
Some stories stick. They unfold slowly over time and are a constant source of news. We’ve been covering some of those in the Santa Maria Valley since this paper was founded in 2000. For 26 years, Sun reporters have watched and written about Santa Maria’s downtown—complaints about how the mall killed it, how the city […]
Posted inNews
Some of the Sun’s earliest story subjects are still making headlines
Within its first year of publication, the Sun shined a light on local issues, leaders, and lore that continue to make headlines 26 years later. Santa Maria’s desire to make its downtown core more walkable and attractive to pedestrians, for example, graced the cover of the Sun’s premiere issue, which hit stands on March 31, 2000. Today, […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
For 26 years, the Sun has pursued thoughtful coverage, welcoming and including all voices
Since 2000, the Santa Maria Valley’s population has grown by more than 30,000 people. It’s gained school campuses, a county jail, and more box stores and chain restaurants than it probably needed to. Cannabis is now legal. Politics is über-polarized. Ideology, more entrenched. Social media has changed the way we interact with one another. The […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Weddings Issue 2026: Hot air balloon proposals, limos and trolleys for the big day, natural floral arrangements, and officiants
What is a wedding, really, other than a giant celebration—a party from beginning to end, from the engagement through the goodbye song at the end of the big night. In our annual Weddings issue, we’re including things that can help you put that party together. Hot air balloons in which to pop the question and […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Get hitched in the sky with Central Coast hot air balloon adventures
Take flightLearn more about Sky’s The Limit Ballooning Adventures in Santa Ynez at skysthelimitballooning.com. For details on Paso Robles’ Balloons over Paso, visit balloonsoverpaso.com. For a hot air balloon proposal or wedding, use the code, SLOWEDDING, until Jan. 1, 2027, for a 10 percent discount. For a couple thousand dollars, you can climb into a […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Solvang-based SB Limo shuttles wedding parties across the Central Coast
Roadside assistanceTo find out more about SB Limo, call (805) 965-4900 or visit sblimos.com. The company’s headquarters is located at 803 Kolding Ave., Solvang. Cueing up tunes worth cutting a rug to was always integral to Solvang business owner James Hooshman‘s transportation company, long before brides- and grooms-to-be became some of his most frequent clients. […]
Posted inWedding Issue
Sun Canyon Florals brings whimsy and nature to wedding design
Say, ‘I do’To learn more about Sun Canyon Florals and book your wedding, visit suncanyonflorals.com. For Victoria Duncan, flowers are a language spoken through texture, scent, color, and imperfection—and a way of inviting people into the present on one of the most meaningful days of their lives. “I feel like flowers provide a state of […]
Posted inWedding Issue
What’s required to officiate a California wedding? Turns out … not much
Marry me!Online sites for ordination include: themonastery.org, getordained.org, amm.org, and spaghettimonster.org. Do your friends or family find you entertaining? Do they think you truly love and care about them and have special insight into their relationships? If so, prepare yourself, because they may ask you to marry them … to each other, I mean. Not […]
Posted inGet Outside
A quick trip through California’s national parks
TRAILBLAZING Two and a half years ago, my brother hatched a scheme to visit every one of the U.S. National Parks. We’re not talking about drive-through visits—this plan involves camping in the parks whenever feasible and truly experiencing what each one has to offer. We started in California. Farthest south is Joshua Tree National Park, […]
Posted inGet Outside
Mayhem Canines teaches dogs to ditch the pavement and hike San Luis Obispo County’s great outdoors
TRAILBLAZING Think your furry companions can handle something a little more hardcore than a walk around the park? Alissa Loftus of Mayhem Canine has your answer. “Hiking is much more efficient, much more stimulating for the dog,” she said. “They’re not just being marched around the pavement. They get to run and jump, get dirty, […]
Posted inGet Outside
Central Coast State Parks Association is celebrating its 50th anniversary
TRAILBLAZING Working for the Central Coast State Parks Association (CCSPA) brought Executive Director Sierra Emrick closer to the bluffs, tidepools, and 7-mile shoreline she already had ocean-deep feelings for since childhood. “I grew up in Los Osos, and Montaña de Oro was my ‘heart park.’ The park I just loved, and—I felt—raised me and taught […]