The last few days of 2025 were very different than the rest of the year when it came to immigration enforcement on the Central Coast. An estimated 147 arrests were made in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties over a four-day period at the end of December, according to 805 UndocuFund Executive Director Primitiva […]
Santa Maria
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
In Santa Maria, a former art teacher opens a small business to continue expressing his creativity
Marty McLaughlinās favorite part of his career as an educator was teaching first grade. Itās how he spent the bulk of his time as an elementary school teacher, rounding out a tenure of more than 20 years in the Santa Maria and Orcutt districts. Having studied art in college, he returned to teach the subject […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
PCPA presents a new musical, Woven
On Jan. 17 and 18, the Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) is bringing back its InterPlay reading series with the new musical, Woven. The story, written by Jessica Smith Campbell, is a fresh take on Homerās The Odyssey told through Penelopeās perspective. She faces witches and goddesses, testing her resilience while Odysseus is away on his […]
Posted inNews
Cities receive grants for bicycle safety workshops
Thousands of students in Santa Barbara County will continue receiving bicycle education and free safety equipment thanks to grants from the state. Buellton is one of five cities in the county that won funds from the California Office of Traffic Safety for this yearās grant cycle. Buelltonās funds total more than $47,000. The nonprofit MOVE […]
Posted inNews
Walmart Neighborhood Marketās Santa Maria locations celebrate remodels, donate grants to local nonprofits
Blue and yellow frosted cupcakes, carefully arranged on circular tabletops in Walmartās corporate sunburst logo, awaited guests of two local ribbon-cutting ceremonies in late December. Both events commemorated recent remodel work at Santa Mariaās two Walmart Neighborhood Market locations. Rudy Villarreal, store manager at the South Bradley Road location, told the Sun that longtime customers […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Take a look at the creative communities that shined in 2025
Iām amazed by how locals foster so many arts communities in northern Santa Barbara County. Creative circles come to life in small towns and bigger cities, rounding up eager residents and seasonal visitors. Thereās not nearly enough space to capture all the impactful work we saw in 2025. I think back to the Lompoc muralist […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Maria Civic Theatre puts on a Patsy Cline-inspired musical
Performances pick back up at the Santa Maria Civic Theatre (SMCT) with Always, Patsy Cline, which runs every weekend from Jan. 9 to 25. āThe show combines humor, sadness, and heartfelt moments, providing a nostalgic look back at Clineās life and career,ā according to the theater. āThe funny and heartwarming script is perfect for the […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Letās remember the people who served impeccable food and beverages last year
Allow me, the Sunās Eats writer, to make a toast. Weāve made it through a quarter of the century, and that alone is worth a bit of cheer. Gathering around a table to break bread is one of lifeās great pleasures, and itās even better with a fun drink in hand and a spoonful of […]
Posted inNews
Food patrol: The county aims to tackle unpermitted streetside vending with the help of a task force
Tensions were sky-high the night Lompoc Mayor Jim Mosby went viral on TikTok for protesting a taco stand located behind a Conserve Fuel station. āThis is not legal,ā Mosby told sidewalk vendors on the corner of North A and North H streets. āWhereās the refrigeration? What are your temperatures? You have no health permit.ā He […]
Posted inNews
The Silly Bee and other small businesses set out to reinvigorate Lompoc
Danny Diaz is focused on bringing Old Town Lompoc back to life. When he moved there a year and a half ago, heād ask people what there is to do in town but got responses like, āThereās nothing to do here,ā and, āLompoc is boring.ā Since then, heās grown to love Old Town and would […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
El ErmitaƱo comes to PCPA
The Mexican Christmas play, El ErmitaƱo, returns to Santa Maria on Dec. 12 and 13. The hour-long show, hosted by the Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA), is performed in Spanish and filled with music, comedy, and tradition. PCPA is partnering with actors from Tierra Blanca Arts Center, a nonprofit dedicated to offering multicultural art programs to […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
If you saw Wicked, youāre going to see Wicked: For Good
Jon M. Chu directs this second part of the film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz spinoff Broadway musical, Wicked, which explores Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the future Wicked Witch of the West, and her relationship with Glinda (Ariana Grande), the Good Witch of the North. (138 min.) Wicked: For GoodWhatās it rated? PG Whatās it […]
