Blue and yellow frosted cupcakes, carefully arranged on circular tabletops in Walmart’s corporate sunburst logo, awaited guests of two local ribbon-cutting ceremonies in late December.
Both events commemorated recent remodel work at Santa Maria’s two Walmart Neighborhood Market locations.
Rudy Villarreal, store manager at the South Bradley Road location, told the Sun that longtime customers will notice the changes, including freshly polished concrete floors that “really brighten up the space.”
There’s also updated signage and a new wellness room for pharmacy customers inside the store. Outside of the store, there’s new amenities designed for a specific demographic, Villarreal explained.
“Customers who utilize our online grocery orders will appreciate that we’ve nearly doubled the number of parking spots,” Villarreal said in an email interview. “Online pickup and delivery have grown substantially here in Santa Maria, like many other communities across the state.”
Guests who order items online and prefer heading into the store have something new to look forward to as well, he explained.
“We also now have a dedicated indoor area for online pickup and delivery, which helps us better organize your orders and help the customer experience run smoother during peak demand,” Villarreal said. “[I] hope everyone enjoys these renovations for years to come.”
Further north in Santa Maria, the Walmart Neighborhood Market on South Blosser Road underwent similar remodel work to enhance its space.
“The refreshed look really makes the store stand out,” South Blosser Road store manager Karen Soto said at her location’s ribbon cutting on Dec. 19. “Every update was made with the shopper in mind, creating a better, easier, and more enjoyable experience throughout the store, … [which] feels more shopper-friendly than ever.”
In conjunction with the remodel celebrations, both stores presented grant donations to multiple nonprofits. Each year, individual Walmart stores accept applications to benefit from the Spark Good Local Grant program, with grant amounts that range between $250 and $5,000.
One of the program’s eligibility criteria requires applicants to serve the same service area as the Walmart store they’re applying to benefit from.
Soto’s store on South Blosser donated $2,000 to the Santa Barbara Humane Society and $500 to Welcome Home Military Heroes, and Villarreal’s store on South Bradley donated an additional $2,000 to the latter nonprofit, $1,570 to Element Christian Church in Orcutt, and $1,000 each to Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Santa Barbara, Chosen One Foundation, The HomeMore Project, and Creative Netwerk’s Santa Barbara chapter.
Both stores’ grant donations totaled nearly $10,000.
“Throughout the year, we educate the community on our grant opportunities and other ways we can support them and find that this year’s grant recipients both reflect key needs in our community and make a meaningful impact,” Villarreal said via email. “Our team is really dedicated to working closely with the community and helping fill gaps in their needs, and supporting local nonprofits is one of the incredible ways we are able to do that.”
Highlights
• The Santa Maria Valley Tourism Marketing District Advisory Council will host its Tourism Celebration event on Jan. 15 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Homewood Suites by Hilton in Santa Maria. The council described this evening program as a must-attend event for local business owners and community stakeholders “interested in the economic vitality of the Santa Maria Valley.” Visit santamaria.com for more details.
• Certain Sparks Music in Lompoc is taking its winter break through Jan. 5, which means its storefront is closed until then, and music lessons were put on pause as well. “There won’t be any lessons or retail during this time,” the shop stated in a Dec. 23 announcement. “We appreciate your support and can’t wait to see you all back refreshed and ready to make some music in the new year.”
Reach Senior Staff Writer Caleb Wiseblood at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in January 1 – January 8, 2026.