June 4 – June 11, 2026

June 4-11, 2026 / Vol. 27 / No. 15
June means one thing for the LGBTQ-plus community across the Central Coast and beyond: It’s Pride Month! That translates to events in Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo that celebrate the season, including drag shows, concerts, and even plays. For our annual Pride issue, Senior Staff Writer Caleb Wiseblood talks to PCPA about Pride Nights […]

Cover Stories

PCPA pairs performances with pre-show Pride Night festivities

Dressing for the occasion takes on a whole new meaning during the Pacific Conservatory Theatre’s (PCPA) Pride Night events. Audience members are encouraged to don attire that may get them mistaken for cast members, Event and Development Coordinator Lolly Tolan explained. “You can’t go wrong with a cowboy hat and bolo tie,” Tolan (whose pronouns…

The stories behind the drag queens performing at drag shows for June Pride

Inspiring others to step into the creative performer inside of themselves is an important part of dressing up and hitting the stage for Santa Maria drag queen Nova Cane. Onstage, Cane levels up the energy with thigh-high boots, contoured makeup, and performances that hit with songs by Doja Cat, Rihanna, and Kylie Minogue. Her goal…

Farmhouse sues Buellton over motel reversion mandate

Less than a month after becoming enforceable, Buellton’s new housing restrictions on motels along Avenue of Flags now face a civil lawsuit that one property owner warned city officials was inevitable. Farmhouse co-owner Kerry Moriarty was vocal about his intentions to sue the city during public hearings focused on Buellton’s motel reversion ordinance, enacted in…

Lompoc Unified approves a plan for more equitable arts classes districtwide

Jackalynn Snow channeled her inner Cynthia Erivo from the film Wicked at the most recent Lompoc Unified School District board meeting. “Unlimited. With arts we are unlimited,” Snow sang during her presentation of the district’s strategic arts plan. Snow, the district’s visual and performing arts program specialist, hoped her rendition of “Unlimited” would bring people…

Solvang to explore contracting with Lompoc PD for law enforcement

Since 2015, Solvang’s law enforcement costs have doubled, increasing from about $1.5 million to $3.4 million. “That’s 107 percent increase over the last 10 years for the same baseline services,” Assistant City Manager Olivia Uribe-Mutal told the Solvang City Council during its May 26 meeting. “Over that same time, the city has experienced consistent concerns…

Political Watch: June 4, 2026

• U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) and U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) spearheaded a joint letter—signed by several legislators—to Sable Offshore Corporation CEO and Chairman Jim Flores on May 27, demanding that the oil producer preserve all internal communications records between the company and Trump administration officials related to the restart of the Santa…

Get out?

One Buellton motel owner finally made good on a promise he made to the city months ago: He sued them. Farmhouse co-owner Kerry Moriarty is asking a court to nullify an ordinance the city passed earlier this year requiring the long-term housing Moriarty and his fellow co-owners’ have provided for years to revert back to…

Oceano and endangered species deserve a peaceful safe beach

It doesn’t happen often, but it happened recently: The Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (ODSVRA) south of Arroyo Grande Creek was closed to off-highway vehicles and became a safe place for pedestrians. But the closure was temporary. The Oceano Dunes re-opened May 21 to off-road vehicles. Why was the Oceano Dunes closed to vehicles?…

There’s more to the seabirds story

Mr. George Hansen makes the stretch that birds died because we use gasoline in our cars (“Dead seabirds are the harbinger of a preventable future,” May 28). A few other things to consider: 1) He may want to discard his wetsuit, flip-flops, and sunglasses, which may also contain petroleum. 2) Elevated seawater temperatures may be…

The Oceano airport needs to evolve

Oceano is a community divided—literally—by a land-heavy, low-utility, extremely costly fixed-wing airport: Oceano Airport L52. So, is closure the best option? We think not. We propose modernization over maintenance. It’s an option that will take us past the same tired story of Oceano being abused by wealthier interests with a blind eye to the environment…

Celebrate Pride Prom in Buellton

Disco. Glitz. Grunge. Y2K. It’s Pride Prom Through the Ages. The Tavern at Zaca Creek in Buellton will host the event on June 12, which benefits Santa Ynez Valley Pride and House of Pride and Equality. Pride Prom is meant to give members of the LGBTQ-plus community a safe space to show up as their…

Santa Ynez performers present An Invitation to Dance

In its 37th season, the Santa Ynez Valley Performing Arts Company is proud to present An Invitation to Dance. Summer performances will be held at the Santa Ynez High School Little Theater on June 17, 18, and 20 starting at 7 p.m. each night. “This presentation showcases the elegance and refinement of ballet and lyrical,…

Backrooms brings a YouTube sensation to the big screen

YouTuber Kane Parsons (aka Kane Pixels) directs his script co-written with Will Soodik (Ash vs Evil Dead) about Clark (Chiwetel Ejiolfor), a failed architect in therapy who owns a floundering furniture store. When Clark disappears into another dimension through a portal in the rear of his store’s basement, his therapist, Dr. Mary Kline (Renate Reinsve)…

The Crash asks, did a teen intentionally crash, killing her boyfriend?

The CrashWhat’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2026 Where’s it showing? Netflix Mackenzie and Dominic were high school sweethearts. He was a couple of years older, but they were tied at the hip from day one, according to those who knew them. Mackenzie was just finishing up high school, but the two were already living together.…

Nemesis is campy, melodramatic crime drama fun

NemesisWhat’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2026 Where’s it showing? Netflix Created by Courtney A. Kemp and Tani Marole, this series feels like a real ’80s throwback. I almost abandoned the first episode midway because the dialogue was so cheesy and melodramatic. It follows workaholic LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division Lt. Isaiah Stiles (Matthew Law), who’s haunted by…


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