THE NIPOMO HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA DEPARTMENT presents its production of the Broadway hit Anything Goes on Dec. 3 and 4 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 5 at 1 p.m. at the Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande. Cost is $15, $10 for students and seniors. Info: 489-9444. SANTA MARIA […]
Stage
Night Life
The following venues offer either regularly scheduled live entertainment or DJ-hosted dance music. Most performances start after 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. IN THE AREA ADDAMO VINEYARD/TASTING ROOM: 400 E Clark Ave., suite E, Santa Maria, 937-6400. Live music Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m. CLUB 805, AKA STINKY’S BAR & GRILL: 2430 South Broadway, […]
Concerts
THE SANTA MARIA HIGH SCHOOL INSTRUMENTAL PROGRAM presents a Winter Concert featuring performances by the Saints Band and the school’s Jazz Ensemble on Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. at the Ethel Pope Auditorium on South Broadway in Santa Maria. Cost is $3. Info: 925-2567. COASTAL CHRISTIAN SCHOOL presents a Christmas musical on Dec. 3 at […]
Special Events
THRESHOLD MINISTRIES presents the sixth annual Christmas Mission Market, raising money for missions across the world on Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Orcutt Presbyterian Church, 993 Patterson Road, Santa Maria. Info: 938-5882. SANTA MARIA VALLEY WINE COUNTRY presents a Wine Christmas passport weekend featuring access to 11 local wineries Dec. 5 […]
Artists come together
A group of artists and people concerned with the arts in Santa Maria Valley have started meeting to determine how to address the city’s arts-related needs. The goal is to discern the core issues affecting the arts in the Santa Maria Valley. The public is invited to participate in the collaborative to brainstorm ideas from […]
Leapin’ lizards!
Pismo Beach Youth Theater (PBYT) will stage its production of Annie Junior Dec. 11 to 13. The musical is based on Harold Gray’s comic strip and features music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and a book by Thomas Meehan. The production will be directed by Olivia Domingues-Miller and Kelli Howard. The play will […]
Images near and far
It’s not hard to find inspiration when you’re a photographer living on the Central Coast. There are places where the light dances on still water, where the ocean churns up twisted pieces of driftwood, where hills seem to move with the wave of hundreds of tiny flowers. It doesn’t take much to find quaint farm […]
Art reclaimed
It’s art. It’s trash. The difference may be subjective, but then, sometimes art really is trash—at least in a sense. It takes a dedicated heart to recycle items that would ordinarily go in the garbage, but it takes an inspired heart to take those same items and turn them into a bit of thought-provoking visual […]
Entrees and extras
Chill winds and short days make this the perfect season for visiting with friends over fabulous dishes of soul-warming food. To encourage diners to sample the fare at area restaurants, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitor and Convention Bureau has launched Dine Out: Santa Maria Style, a two-week bonanza of gustatory delights. […]
Book battles
Books loom large over Sheila Butterworth as she shifts a volume here and there in her store. The shelves at the Bookworm are wall to wall, floor to ceiling, making her seem even more petite than she is—but she has complete control over her towering inventory. Ask her for a specific book—say, something fondly remembered […]
Quit cold turkey
Ah, Thanksgiving. Mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing, and … tofu-based turkey substitute? Don’t look so surprised, you carnivores. There are plenty of people out there who will be giving thanks without the turkey. And while meat eaters may roll their eyes at the mere thought of a tofurky, that infamous veggie-friendly substitute isn’t necessarily as prevalent […]
Santa Maria to lose red light cameras, for now
The red light traffic enforcement cameras at two Santa Maria intersections are coming down, but that doesn’t mean drivers are going to have it any easier if they run a stoplight. “Whether you get a ticket from a camera or an officer, the fine is still $406 for running a red light,” city spokesman Mark […]

