Cover Story
Autumn Arts Annual 2020
The Sun’s annual Autumn Arts issue brings you arts, music, and craft events from across the Central Coast. With the pandemic still on like Donkey Kong, this year’s fall festivities are mostly virtual. Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood compiled all the creativity Northern Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties can muster just so you can…
The High Roller Tiki Lounge offers a tropical getaway in Solvang
A tiki bar is never done, according to Michael Cobb, but phase 1 of his new High Roller Tiki Lounge bar is just about complete. The Solvang winemaker (Sort This Out Cellars) and wine cocktail shaker closed his Copenhagen Drive location in January with the intent of relocating. Then COVID-19 hit, Cobb said, and it…
Santa Ynez Valley businesses celebrate 11th annual Scarecrow Fest throughout October
Halloween is nigh and anticipation is high for the 11th annual Santa Ynez Valley Scarecrow Fest, a month-long scarecrow display competition scheduled to kick off on Thursday, Oct. 1. Participating businesses and organizations throughout Solvang, Ballard, Buellton, and Los Olivos will compete for the coveted title of Valley’s Best Scarecrow, immortalized by the Harvest Cup,…
Studios on the Parks’ September show features four decades of culture captured by Mexican-American photographers
Performance artists, fashion, music, street life. These cultural aspects of Chicano life are missing from the mainstream picture of what Mexican-American art is, according to Henry A.J. Ramos, artistic director and chief curator for Studios on the Park in Paso Robles. “I think many people, when they think about Latino people, when they think about…
Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Dept. co-hosts drive-in movie event with PLAY, Elks Recreation Foundation
The city of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department, People for Leisure and Youth (PLAY), and the Elks Recreation Foundation will co-host a family-friendly, drive-in-style screening of Ferdinand at the Elks Event Center on Saturday, Sept. 26. The film will be projected onto a 32-foot inflatable screen, which attendees can enjoy viewing from the comfort…
Wildling Museum of Art and Nature presents 20th anniversary Virtual Fundraiser
In lieu of canceling its traditional, in-person Spring Barbecue and Art of Brunch benefits this year, the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature in Solvang will host its 20th anniversary Virtual Fundraiser on Friday, Oct. 16, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Emcee and auctioneer Jim Farnum will guide attendees through a live auction and other…
Petition shuffle
If you don’t like the clothes your mom buys you for Christmas, I have an idea for you. Start a petition. I hear it’s the only way to get what you want these days. Don’t like the way your local city council is governing you? Start a petition! Don’t bother voting. Votes don’t matter. Don’t…
The blame-Trump game
Is anyone else as sick of hearing “racist” as much as I am? If you disagree with me, then I’m a racist. If you say something I don’t like, then you are a racist. Everyone’s a racist. Give me a break. I am especially tired of people labeling Trump a racist because he wants to…
Does mayoral candidate Victor Vega have the right stuff to lead Lompoc?
If you’re thinking of voting for Victor Vega as mayor, there are some things you should consider carefully—the most important is his six-year record as a councilman. The primary job of the mayor is keeping the council agenda on track during meetings; by that I mean that the mayor makes sure everyone is heard during…
It’s not too late to sign up for the Central Coast Writers Conference and learn from industry bigwigs
The Central Coast Writers Conference may be starting Sept. 24, but the annual event’s executive director, Teri Bayus, wants everyone to know that it’s not too late to get in on the fun. That’s because this year’s conference, normally held at Cuesta College, is going 100 percent virtual. “Because people don’t have to make a…
Political Watch: September 24, 2020
• On a Sept. 17, Santa Barbara County officials informed residents that, with just more than 40 days until the presidential general election on Nov. 3, “voters can expect increased efforts to help ensure their vote is counted.” Because of the pandemic, all registered voters in California will automatically receive a mail-in ballot at the…
Bureau of Prisons says pre-release quarantine lasts two weeks, but family members say otherwise
It’s been more than two months since a class action lawsuit forced the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to consider releasing more incarcerated individuals into home confinement from the Lompoc federal prison due to COVID-19. But before someone can be released into home confinement—or fully released, if their sentence is complete—they are first quarantined in the…
Solvang responds to grand jury report of homelessness in Santa Barbara County
The 2019-20 Santa Barbara County grand jury recently released a report focused on homelessness in Santa Barbara County, which states that the county is in the midst of a homeless crisis that predates the challenges of the current COVID-19 pandemic. “People are roaming the streets with no home of their own, and there is an…
Petition calls for continuation of Oceano Dunes closure
It’s been six months since vehicles were allowed in the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA), and some community members want it to stay that way—at least until the COVID-19 pandemic is under control. Hundreds have signed a petition aimed at keeping the Oceano Dunes closed to vehicles for the duration of the pandemic…
Santa Maria Fairpark Foundation hosts fundraisers to mitigate financial woes
The Santa Maria Fairpark has always served as “the heartbeat of our local community,” Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau Executive Director Teri Bontrager said during a virtual agriculture forum on Sept. 11. That is, until COVID-19 hit, leaving in its wake canceled gatherings and empty event spaces. As a result, “the lifeblood of our community,”…
