Sun, February 27, 2025

The Monkey: Stephen King fans rejoice! [28]

Weddings Issue

This year’s annual issue highlights the latest trends and revamped traditions in flowers [6], videography [8], and gowns [10]

BY SUN STAFF

DreamHome

Santa Maria Abbey Ca r pet

This year’s Weddings Issue celebrates the couples who say “I do” to current trends and their own sense of style as they prepare to say “I do” to each other. Staff Writer Emma Montalbano gathers insights on floral styles, including organic designs and “grounded meadows” [6]; New Times Staff Writer Libbey Hanson, from our sister paper, talks with locals who document wedding days with a lens on trends [8]; and New Times Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal gets the scoop on what’s old, new, borrowed, and blue in bridal fashion [10]

Also this week, read about why middle and high school students walked out in Santa Maria and Orcutt [4]; artists showing their work at the Clark Center for the Performing Arts [26]; and the local business that delivers fresh juice milk-man style [29]

I nformative, accurate, and independent journalism takes time and costs money. Help us keep our community aware and connected by contributing today.

www.santamariasun.com

Are you a passionate food writer with a knack for storytelling?  New Times is looking for a freelance food writer to contribute twice a year to our Menus publication. We’re seeking someone who can craft engaging, insightful, and mouthwatering articles featuring our Menus clients. The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience in food writing

• A strong voice and the ability to bring food stories to life.

• Ability to meet deadlines and work independently. This is a freelance position, with contributions expected twice a year. If you have a passion for food and the words to match, we’d love to hear from you!

• On Feb. 20, Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara) led a budget subcommittee hearing over federal funding in California. “America’s hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, agriculture, and diversity, California is the fifth largest economy in the world. California subsidizes the rest of the country, contributing $80 billion more in federal tax dollars than we receive back in spending and services,” Hart said in a press release. “Children, seniors, first responders, veterans, people with disabilities, and Californians from every corner of our state are counting on the president and Congress to fund the programs and services that ensure their well-being.” He chairs the Assembly Budget Committee No. 7 on Accountability and Oversight, which has plans to host four more such hearings due to funding threats made from the federal government. According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office the federal government is expected to funnel $170.6 billion into the state’s agencies during the 2025-26 fiscal year, approximately a third of the governor’s total proposed state budget of $322.2 billion. In addition, the analyst’s office estimates that the federal government spends $314.9 billion in grants and assistance to individuals in California; $81.3 billion on grants, contracts, and support for private, nonprofit, and other entities; and $56.3 billion in wages, salaries, and benefits for federal employees located in the state.

• Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced what his office called “strong accountability measures for local jurisdictions to demonstrate results to continue receiving state homelessness funding.” As part of that, Newsom launched accountability.ca.gov, which his office said aims to use reported data to provide a clearer picture of local communities’ work on homelessness, housing, and behavioral health. “No one in our nation should be without a place to call home. As we continue to support our communities in addressing homelessness, we expect fast results, not excuses,” Newsom said in the Feb. 20 announcement. “While we are pleased by the progress many communities have made to address the homelessness crisis, there is more work to do.” The accountability measures come alongside new Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention funding to support local homelessness efforts, tied to performance benchmarks and the ability for the state to withhold funding if those local communities don’t make progress. The state also announced awards of about $160 million and the availability of $760 million in new funding to address encampments and create new shelter and support.

• SLO County 3rd District Supervisor Dawn OrtizLegg was appointed to the California Air Resources Board She currently chairs the SLO County Board of Supervisors and the Latino Caucus of California Counties and serves on the SLO Air Pollution Control District Board. “I am honored to join the California Air Resources Board and contribute to the state’s ambitious air quality goals,” Ortiz-Legg said in a press release. “As we transition to a clean energy future, it is crucial to ensure that all communities, including those in San Luis Obispo County, benefit from common-sense policies that promote sustainability and economic growth while protecting our most vulnerable populations.” The press release from her office said it’s the first time a local elected official has sat on the board, which is the lead agency for climate change programs and air pollution control in the state, setting and enforcing emissions standards to improve public health and mitigate the impacts of climate change. ❍

Santa Maria Valley students protest immigration enforcement tactics

School bells didn’t dictate about 300 students’ early departure from local campuses, recalled Cesar Vasquez, the 17-year-old organizer of a Feb. 18 walkout. The recent rally called for certain protective parameters between Santa Maria residents—documented or not—and officers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Students from middle schools and high schools in Santa Maria and Orcutt and Allan Hancock College began marching at different times that day, depending on their respective distance to City Hall, where all parties aimed to convene around 3:30 p.m.

“We got students from seven different schools. … Our Righetti students marched two hours and 40 minutes to get to Santa Maria City Hall,” said Vasquez, who spent more than two weeks prior to the walkout mapping out safe travel routes for each campus and enlisting parents and adult volunteers for assistance.

Volunteer chaperones walked alongside young marchers with carts full of water bottles, while others donated pizzas from Costco for students to eat while picketing. After the rally, about 30 protesters stayed for the Santa Maria City Council’s 5:30 p.m. meeting, and many spoke during public comment.

One of their asks was consistent: A 2-mile radius of protection around schools, churches, parks, and hospitals in Santa Maria where ICE officers aren’t allowed to make arrests, conduct investigations, or perform other department duties.

“That idea was adopted from a [proposed] bill called SB 48,” Vasquez explained.

Introduced in December 2024 and awaiting its first committee review, state Senate Bill 48 was designed to prohibit school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools from granting officers of ICE and other federal immigration officials permission to access a school’s campus without a judicial warrant.

Mayor Alice Patino addressed protesters’ complaints in a statement, which she described as on behalf of the city.

“We know here that immigration enforcement is a sensitive issue, and we’ve heard concerns from residents, community groups, and nonprofits about federal immigration enforcement,” Patino said at the meeting. “Our message as the city of Santa Maria is clear: We want people to feel safe interacting with all city employees, especially police officers without fear. The city of Santa Maria deeply appreciates and values the trust and cooperation between all its departments and all its residents, regardless of immigration status.”

However, she added, the Santa Maria City Council lacks “the legal authority to prohibit the federal government from conducting federal law enforcement actions.”

“The request for the City Council to establish a zone around local schools, churches, hospitals, or other sensitive areas to prohibit federal agents from performing authorized duties is outside of the city’s scope and outside of our powers,” she said.

Councilmember Gloria Soto proposed that the council vote on drafting a formal letter in support of SB 48.

A few hours prior to the student walkout, Vasquez—a student at Central Coast New Tech High School in Nipomo who resides in Santa Maria—heard a rumor that some local schools were using morning announcements to discourage individuals from leaving campus early for the protest.

Vasquez said he sent out an email to multiple school officials as “a very friendly reminder” of middle school and high school students’ rights related to civic or political events, under the California Education Code.

“I know we are all worried about the safety and education of these students, I am too,” Vasquez wrote in the email. “That is why I have spent countless hours getting adult volunteers to walk out with students and march to City Hall with them. … [Students] are doing this because it is their right and they want to defend their future.”

—Caleb Wiseblood

Environmentalists question Sable’s ability to handle an oil pipeline disaster

Sable Offshore Corporation has the financial ability and insurance coverage it needs to handle any potential future disasters caused by the pipeline that spawned the Refugio Oil Spill in 2015, according to Santa Barbara County staff.

But environmental organizations disagree.

That disaster cost the pipeline’s then owner/ operator, Plains All-American, $870 million in cleanup and remediation, Environmental Defense Center (EDC) Staff Attorney Jeremy Frankel told the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 25.

“Sable hasn’t demonstrated that it has the financial wherewithal to respond to an oil spill,” Frankel said. “It’s possible, if not likely, that Sable may never restart production.”

The EDC and other environmental organizations appealed the county Planning Commission’s November decision approving an application to change the owner, operator, and guarantor for the Santa Ynez Unit, POPCO Gas Plant, and Las Flores Pipeline from Exxon-Mobil

to Sable. The appellants spoke alongside 122 members of the public on Feb. 25, which pushed the Board of Supervisors’ hearing to conclude after the Sun went to press.

An ordinance called 25B in the county’s petroleum code enables the county to take part in the permit-transfer process that comes with major petroleum facilities changing hands by reviewing the company’s financial assets, its insurance, and its capabilities. It’s the same process that ExxonMobil went through in 2023 to acquire pipeline assets from Plains All-American.

“This is really the county’s kind of one and only opportunity to hold a public hearing and take public comment,” county Energy, Minerals, and Compliance Division Deputy Director Errin Briggs said. “We’ve looked into Sable’s financial condition as much as we can. … They have a sizeable cash balance.”

Sable President Caldwell Flores spoke at the hearing, saying the company has more than $400 million in insurance certificates, is “wellcapitalized,” and is a publicly traded company worth $3 billion. The New York Stock Exchange values the company at $2.6 billion.

Briggs said that appellants were asking the county to interpret 25B more broadly than it was written, as a result of the ordinance drafting process that took place in 2001 and 2002, when the it was developed.

“We don’t want to oversimplify the importance of 25B,” Briggs said. “The tasks involved are fairly straightforward, and 25B as it is now doesn’t require staff or the decision-makers to deep dive into the finances in the way that it may have originally intended to be but never came to be.”

Laura Capps, 2nd District supervisor, asked questions about the role of the county in the whole process, concerned that the county had to rely on federal and state agencies’ assessments about the pipeline’s safety.

“I have deep concerns about safety; I have deep concerns about financial ability,” she said.

But 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino said he thought it was important to clarify one thing for the day’s discussion: “We do not regulate the pipeline.”

“Correct,” Briggs said.

—Camillia Lanham

Nipomo residents express concerns about battery energy storage plant safety

Unextinguishable fire. Nickel, manganese, and cobalt in the air. Tremors, tight lungs, and itchy skin. These are a few of the results emerging from

ICE SHAKERS: On Feb. 18, local students from Santa Maria High School, Pioneer Valley High School, Righetti High School, El Camino Junior High School, Fesler Junior High School, Tommie Kunst Junior High School, and Allan Hancock College took part in a walkout to protest elements of federal immigration enforcement.

the recent Moss Landing battery plant fire in Monterey County.

With the fire heightening concerns about a recently completed battery energy storage system Nipomo and a proposed facility in Morro Bay, 4th District San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Jimmy Paulding said battery facilities have had different safety requirements since the construction of the plant in Moss Landing, and the Nipomo battery facility is much safer.

“It’s my understanding that all the tests performed to date have been compliant with current codes,” Paulding told the Sun

On Jan. 16, the Vistra-owned Moss Landing battery facility caught fire for the third time since 2021, shutting down Highway 1 and causing mandatory evacuations in the area. The 750-megawatt facility was ablaze for three days.

Weeks later, research scientists at San Jose State University’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratories reported detecting unusually high levels of heavy metal nanoparticles in the marsh soils of Elkhorn Slough Reserve, a site that provides habitat for nearly 700 species.

According to the lab, scientists found high levels of nickel, manganese, and cobalt in the marsh soils.

“These heavy metals will chemically transform as they move through the environments and potentially through the food web, affecting local aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems,” according to a statement from the San Jose State lab.

Monterey County residents created Facebook pages where they share their post-fire symptoms, including labored breathing, a tight stomach, hand tremors, itchy skin—which, according to the National Institutes of Health, are side effects of heavy metal exposure. These are impacts that the residents of Nipomo and Morro Bay don’t want to experience.

Morro Bay residents resisted the proposed 600-megawatt Vistra battery plant by passing a ballot measure, and the City Council established an urgency ordinance on Jan. 28 to block future battery plant applications. But the 100-megawatt Caballero facility in Nipomo, owned by Alpha Omega Power and Fengate, flew under the radar, according to public commenters at a Feb. 4 SLO County Board of Supervisors meeting.

Decades-long Nipomo resident Sherry Fitzgerald told the board that she felt the community hadn’t known about the Caballero battery plant, which was processed in 2020, approved in 2023, and completed in February. If residents had known, she said they would have opposed it.

Another resident told supervisors she had heard that the Nipomo facility was “way better” than Moss Landing.

“I’m not buying that,” she said.

The most recent Moss Landing fire started after the facility’s safety and fire suppression systems failed. With the facility’s batteries all in the same enclosure, the fire reportedly spread easily and quickly.

Supervisor Paulding said technology has progressed since the Moss Landing facility was built, and that the Caballero facility has better safety measures, with its batteries in separate enclosures 10 feet apart to prevent fire from spreading.

“The batteries in this project had to undergo rigorous testing to ensure their safety,” Paulding told the Sun, explaining that the batteries were heated up to see if they would catch on fire. The batteries did not catch fire, he said.

CTO and co-founder of Alpha Omega Power Guillaume Dufay told the Sun via email that the Caballero facility meets all safety standards that make a catastrophic event “near impossible,” including early fire detection and automatic shut-off systems.

“Caballero meets [code] requirements and goes beyond in many areas that our team and Cal Fire found important for public safety,” he said. m

—Libbey Hanson

CHAMPI NS DINNER

CELEBRATING the contributions to the well-being of Santa Barbara County by our fellow community members.

HONORING

Renee Grubb and the Realtors of Village Properties Future for Lompoc Youth

The Future Farmers of America programs at Pioneer Valley High School, Santa Maria High School, and Ernest Righetti High School

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2025

The Crafthouse Restaurant ballroom at Hotel Corque, Solvang Dinner: 6:00pm – 8:30pm Disco After-party: 8:30pm – 10:00pm

To purchase tickets or a corporate sponsorship, please call: 805-964-8857 xt. 3

Or go to www.communifysb.org/championsdinner

BENEFITING COMMUNIFY’S PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES AND YOUTH

WE ARE HIRING

The Sun in Santa Maria is looking for its next staff writer, someone who dabbles in arts and culture but can also take on the news. We’re looking for an all-around journalist who can dig into the community for feature stories with an edge and hard news stories that need to be told. This person will become part of a team of reporters who contribute to the award-winning New Times Media Group publications on the Central Coast of California. With a focus on Northern Santa Barbara County, our next staff writer will search for food and wine stories that help tell the region’s culinary story, from its roots in agriculture to the end product that populates fine dining menus. They will hunt for arts stories that ensure the diverse expressive

voices in the region have a place in the Sun. And they will keep an eye on the elected officials and policy-makers whose decisions impact the communities we cover.

We’re looking for someone who can keep tabs on the pulse of the community, who can delve into the stories behind the people and events we cover, who has the passion to give a voice to the voiceless, and who has the talent to write compelling articles and features.

Think you’ve got what it takes? Tell us how you would contribute to our work, send us links to three published writing samples, and include a resume.

Email to: Cindy Rucker at crucker@newtimesslo.com.

Staff Writer

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Floral fads

Modern couples ditch roses and traditional arrangements, opting for more unique blooms and designs

BY EMMA MONTALBANO

Roses are red. Violets are blue. Florists must keep up with the wedding trends too. Right now, that includes bolder designs that are unique and new, with more natural flower choices shining through.

“I am seeing brides and couples pulling back from the traditional muted tones and roses and everything that we’ve seen that’s been a part of wedding florals for so long and kind of leaning into more organic designs,” said Jay Sears, owner of San Luis Obispo-based Frugal and Foraged.

Sears described “organic” designs as much less rigid than traditional arrangements, adding that they might look a little like someone’s overgrown garden, where “things are just popping up, and you don’t see where it begins and where it ends.”

“I really like when brides decide to incorporate tablescapes with lots of textures, fruits and veggies, bright and bold colors,” Sears explained. “Those are some things that I’m seeing. It’s not a super structured design. It kind of looks like it’s organically growing.”

According to Sears, couples have also been choosing less traditional flowers for bouquets and arrangements. While the most requested bloom used to be roses, Sears said she doesn’t think there’s one single most-requested flower anymore, which she attributes to people having a much better idea of what they like and want.

really get to know my couple as much as I can because I ultimately want to deliver their greatest wish list dream come true for the best day of their lives.”

With so many other decisions to make for a wedding day, Sears noted that some couples don’t really have a specific vision or direction that they’d like for their wedding florals.

“It’s kind of nice when they come and they’re like, ‘We don’t really know,’” Sears said. “Then you can really develop that plan with them, and they’re more open to you actually helping them through their wedding day.”

For weddings that are on a bit of a tighter budget, Sears suggests incorporating arrangements that can be transferred from the ceremony to the reception. This might mean choosing a “grounded meadow” that surrounds the couple instead of a floral arch to stand under.

Weddings Issue

She highlighted that modern couples seem to have a lot more trust in designers and planners to create unique and exciting designs for their wedding day. She appreciates the creative freedom that comes with this shift but explained that her utmost priority is to get a good understanding of what the couple wants and how she can achieve that for them.

“I always go back and forth with my brides,” Sears said. “‘If you see a picture you love, send it over. What do you love about the picture? Is it the shape? Is it the color, the flower?’ I try to

“When it’s on an arch, it can be harder to repurpose because it’s attached, but if it’s pieces that are at different heights or a grounded meadow, then those are really easy to pick up and move to a reception,” Sears said. “This has been really nice for people who are looking to save a bit of money.”

Susana Cardel, Santa Maria florist and owner of Flower Carriage, also encourages couples to repurpose ceremony arrangements and installations for the reception, noting that this advice is greatly appreciated by couples on a budget. More advice she gives is to choose blooms that are in season.

Find inspiration

accommodate a couple’s floral request. On one occasion, Cardel told a bride that she wouldn’t be able to have sunflowers in her winter wedding arrangements, but the bride insisted, even suggesting that Cardel use fake sunflowers instead.

At first, Cardel refused the request, saying it would feel like “cheating.” However, after more conversations with the persistent bride, she was able to find high-quality artificial sunflowers that she felt comfortable incorporating into the arrangements.

To take a look at the florists’ past designs for weddings, parties, and more, visit @frugal_and_foraged and @flowercarriage on Instagram.

Though many brides want to incorporate their favorite flowers in their wedding arrangements, choosing a flower that is out of season can quickly inflate prices. Both Cardel and Sears try to advise people on what will be readily available at the time of their wedding and what might have to be ordered and shipped.

“Now everything is possible,” Cardel explained. “We can bring flowers from the other side of the world, but that will be more expensive.”

Another key thing to note about shipping flowers, according to Sears, is that there is much less certainty on the quality of the blooms. Flowers could arrive smaller than expected or damaged from being smashed in a box, and with this in mind, Sears is often hesitant to order out-of-season flowers.

“I don’t ever promise specific blooms to brides, but I do take note of all their favorites,” Sears said. “I try to give them everything that they want.”

Sometimes, florists have to get creative to

“What I did for her is I purchased the most beautiful sunflowers that looked real,” Cardel said. “I used the minimum here and there.” This experience taught Cardel that when a bride wants something, “they want it.” Unique requests like this one come up much more often now, she said, noting the popularity of requests for singleflower bouquets.

“[One bride] just wants a lot of calla lilies for her ceremony and reception and personal flowers,” Cardel explained. “That’s the only flower that we’re going to use. That makes it easy for me, but it means we need a lot of those.”

Social media apps like Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok might be to blame for the rise and spread of some of these modern trends. Cardel noted that such apps have enabled couples to explore a much wider variety of flowers, designs, and arrangements before even approaching a florist.

“They are more educated in the floral department,” Cardel said “They know what they want to do for the wedding, so they have more vision. They ask questions about flowers, but they are more open. I can see that brides come in prepared now, and I’m surprised they know names of flowers.” ❍

Reach Staff Writer Emma Montalbano at emontalbano@newtimesslo.com.

MOVEABLE MEADOWS: Grounded designs with easy-to-maneuver bases allow couples to transfer arrangements from the wedding ceremony to the reception, helping keep both costs and waste down, Frugal and Foraged owner Jay Sears said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAY SEARS

COLORFUL CHANGES: In the past, couples opted for traditional flowers like roses and would request designs with more muted tones. Now, according to local florists Jay Sears and Susana Cardel, couples are choosing bolder and brighter blooms to feature in their wedding florals.

Trends through the lens

BY LIBBEY HANSON

Put the video recorder down and hit the dance floor because the fields of wedding videography, photography, and content creation are booming.

Hired to capture one of the biggest days of a person’s life, these professionals allow couples and attendees to simply enjoy their big day, feeling comforted that each special moment will be documented cinematically forever.

With a front row seat to the world of weddings, these documenters know a thing or two about what’s trending and the traditions that are changing.

Orcutt-based wedding photographer

MacKenzie Rana said that as a photographer, she sees trends in what she photographs—and doesn’t photograph anymore—at wedding ceremonies.

“I’m seeing a lot less of some of the formalities happening, like in your reception, not seeing the garter toss so much,” she said. “Bouquet tosses are kind of on their way out too. A lot of couples are opting to honor their mother during that time and hand off the bouquet.”

Rana also said she’s seen traditions like having bridesmaids done away with, as well as vows and cake cutting ceremonies being more low-key.

“Just kind of bringing a few moments back privately, rather than having everything be so public with some of those things,” she said.

Overall, Rana said, couples are wanting more time to interact with their guests rather than pose for formal photos too.

“It’s allowing for more opportunities for couples to enjoy their day with all of their people,” she said, “and allowing for those candid moments to happen.”

According to San Luis Obispo-based wedding photographer and videographer Chris Tack, wedding videos are surpassing the popularity of still photography for some couples.

Since starting in 2021, Tack said he’s seen couples prioritize videography over photography.

“Sometimes couples will hire me as their videographer, and they haven’t even thought about a photographer yet,” Tack said. “Whereas I feel like in 2021 it was like videography was more if you have enough money left over, … but it feels like it’s really switched. I think I’m noticing a bigger trend of videography becoming more of an important thing, almost equal to photography—sometimes more important for certain people.”

That’s because couples want the memories of their wedding day to stay alive, and what better way than candid film and photography.

“People like a lot of movement-based things, like photos that feel alive and videos that feel alive and tell the story of not just how an event really looks, but how an event feels. … You’re reliving those moments and you’re remembering how those things felt,” Tack said.

Wedding videography requires a crew, Tack said, involving not only his Canon C-70 (a cinema specific camera), but B cameras, audio equipment for the happy couple and guests, and drones.

“We are making sure that we’re getting all those speeches recorded using little lab mics on the bride in the groom to make sure we’re capturing little sounds that they make

Weddings Issue

throughout the day and little conversations that they have. So, we’re pretty thorough,” he said.

Tack creates a highlight film of special moments throughout the event that ranges from eight to 10 minutes long, and he also provides the couple with three hours of raw footage from the day. Then, couples can share and post the content how they’d like, to their hearts’ content.

Some couples are also hiring wedding content creators. Like a videographer, these professionals capture moments throughout the day, but in smaller, more social media-friendly bits. While a video could be 10 minutes long, SLO wedding content creator Adriana Wells, owner of Best Friend of the Bride, said she creates content ranging from 15 seconds to two minutes long.

Wells started her work in 2023 and said she was the first wedding content creator on the Central Coast among only four others in the country that she knew of.

“My favorite part, I think it’s just being able to relive your wedding day for years to come. It’s just like, when your one-year anniversary comes, it’s always so nice to reflect on it,” she said.

Her process is simple. Wells wants to become the bride’s best friend who captures her special moments, from bridal shower to wedding.

Booking starts with an initial call to get to know each other, then multiple calls to plan the social media trends couples want in their content and the songs they want to include, oftentimes from their wedding playlist. Depending on the package they book, Wells will post live to social media, or simply provide the content for the couples to share later.

“I had this bride message me, and she was, like, my grandpa just passed away and I have this video of us on our wedding day,” Wells said, “and it’s such a special moment, you know, to have captured it and to look back on it and have this memory for years to come.” m

Reach Staff Writer Libbey Hanson at lhanson@ newtimesslo.com.

Capture this

Look into photographer MacKenzie Rana at mackenzieranaphotography.com, photographer and videographer Chris Tack at christackphotography. com, and Content Creator Adriana Wells at bestfriendofthebride.com.

NEW BEST FRIEND: Want to share your special day with your social media followers? Adriana Wells has you covered. She can post live and edit content for you to post later, while you enjoy your celebration. PHOTO

PHOTO COURTESY OF MACKENZIE RANA

MODERN MOMENTS: Photographer MacKenzie Rana has a firsthand look at the latest wedding trends and said couples want more candid shots and are doing away with some ceremonial traditions.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS TACK ITS A FEELING: Modern day couples are more interested in capturing how a moment feels, rather than just what it looked like.

Timeless classics revisited

BY BULBUL RAJAGOPAL

Historical elements are in vogue on wedding aisles and bridal runways.

Mareh Couture Bridal owner Mariam Ohanyan observed the trend forming six months ahead of time when she attended New York Bridal Fashion Week in 2024.

“A big thing that has been happening is this thing called Basque waist dresses,” Ohanyan said. “So this is something from the Victorian era, pretty much, that came back.”

The Basque waist style is a structured silhouette of a corseted upper body that drops into a V-shape at the waist on top of a billowing skirt. The fitted bodice often extends past the waistline, accentuating the hips and creating the illusion of an elongated torso.

Such dresses were traditional for women of the Basque region that lies on the border of Spain and France. The hourglass-forming style became sought after and has resurfaced not only in bridal gowns but also in sundresses.

Brides and bridal designers are giving the Basque style a modern spin.

“Instead of having the corset already building into the dress, we’re seeing a removable corset,” Ohanyan said. “Imagine this, you’re walking down the aisle. It’s dramatic, it’s amazing … then for the reception, you remove the piece of the corset, and then it turns into a regular dress.”

Orders for Basque waist dresses are already

trickling in for Ohanyan, who runs her bridal store in downtown San Luis Obispo. Creating a Basque waist dress, however, is hard work thanks to the ever-changing textures of all the fabric involved.

“In the waistline, there are a lot of thicker fabric textures that you have to use, and those are a bit harder to, overall, put together than the standard fabric, like organza, tulle, things like that,” she said.

While she is a bridal designer, Ohanyan only makes three to four custom wedding dresses a year. Most of Mareh Couture Bridal’s outfits come from roughly a dozen other designers Ohanyan stocks, inlcuding Paloma Blanca, Anne Barge, and Evie Young.

Most designers are now using more “earth friendly” fabrics, Ohanyan said, which make dresses look and feel more expensive. Luxurious crepe, textured flowers with organza, and Chantilly lace are in demand.

The polished finish that comes with using higher quality materials is ideal for invoking a sense of the past, according to Amanda Judge of Untamed Petals.

“There is such an ode to sophistication and romance; it’s sort of like this Old World, old money look,” she said. “It just really lends itself towards the trend right now and how brides are feeling about their weddings.”

Untamed Petals is an online store that

VEIL OF HONOR: like this $8,000 Senstudio one with 1,000 handcrafted flowers that was available at SLO’s Mareh Couture Bridal.

Photography Courtesy of: Cady Connelly | Jed Horca | Peer Johnson

WEDDING

ships bridal dresses and accessories globally.

Judge founded the company in 2009, and it’s headquartered on SLO’s Buchon Street.

Weddings Issue

She told the Sun that she strives to be sustainable. The key lies in not over producing.

“We don’t produce in bulk,” Judge said. “Our dresses are made to order. So, when a bride orders a dress, we hand cut, sew it, and work with our team. We try not to over-buy fabrics or over-buy any of our raw materials.”

While Untamed Petals is also witnessing the rejuvenated fascination with Basque waist dresses—which Judge and her team also sometimes create using silk-and-nylon blended Mikado fabric—romantic accessories from older eras are making a comeback, too. Many brides these days are especially fond of adding gloves.

“They’re such a fun way to personalize a look or add a really sophisticated touch,” Judge said.

WINNER:

on veils, gowns, earrings, headbands, shoes, detachable capes, and even bridal manicures.

“Pearls were once considered bad luck at weddings because in some cultures they look like tears,” Ohanyan said. “Our modern brides, they completely redefined it. They’re embracing the pearls as a symbol of elegance and grace and more timeless beauty.”

Are 2025 brides ready to push the envelope a little further and eschew the classic white of wedding gowns?

“I will be honest with you, it’s a bit tricky for our area,” Ohanyan said. “I would say a lot of brides on the East Coast would go for it and wear the color and show off a little more contemporary versions of dresses and colors. Our area is definitely more safe, in a way, when it comes to the color.”

Still, brides can dream. Ohanyan displays a purple and pink Senstudio number reminiscent of chic cotton candy in her boutique.

“We’ve had so many brides opt for a really cool lace glove or a beaded glove to pair with their dress as well.”

Statement pieces like ornate veils, sometimes even ones that are cathedral length, have been plucked from the past.

“There was a trend for a long time where brides weren’t wearing a veil at all, but now they really want a beautiful cathedral-length veil with a dramatic lace trim or a floral motif, and even in our case, hand-beaded details,” Judge said. “So, it’s definitely trending towards that historical look.”

In fact, Mareh Couture Bridal’s Ohanyan is elbow-deep in more than 200 orders for veils.

“Some of these veils, they’re as long as if you were to walk down from the Mission all the way to the Network [shopping center] building,” she said.

Some veils come with a hefty price tag.

Ohanyan stocks a long veil worth $8,000 that bears a white cascade of 1,000 handmade flowers. It hailed from Senstudio, owned by luxury bridal couture sisters Nicole and Felicia Chang. The designers made fashion headlines recently after pop star Taylor Swift wore their gowns on her global Eras Tour.

“I had to fight for getting such a high-end line in the Central Coast because usually those kinds of designers like to be in bigger cities,” Ohanyan said. “But I saw them in New York Bridal Fashion Week, and I absolutely fell in love.”

Despite the latest love for all things historic, brides are also shunning superstitions of the past. Take it from the abundance of pearls found

“[Brides] still end up ordering the ivory color version of the dress after trying the colors,” she said with a laugh. “It’s so fun having it! They kind of also bring joy to the store itself, because it’s the variety that you get to explore.” ❍

Reach New Times Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal, from the Sun’s sister paper, at brajagopal@ newtimesslo.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAREH COUTURE

BASQUE IN GLORY: Torso lengthening, hourglass figure-forming Basque waist wedding dresses are all the rage as a throwback to the romanticized Victorian era.

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNTAMED PETALS

ELBOW DEEP: SLO’s Untamed Petals founder Amanda Judge noted that lace and beaded gloves are popular choices these days to immediately elevate a bridal look.

JUST LOOKING: SLO bridal designer Mariam Ohanyan said that while Central Coast brides aren’t ready to give up the ivory white, it’s always fun to try on and window-shop for colorful wedding gowns like this Senstudio creation.

by:

Photo

Matrimony Media

Rightful returns

BY EMMA MONTALBANO

Two baskets; a steatite stone model of a Chumash tomol, or plank canoe; and an early 1900s photograph of Santa Ynez Chumash ancestors.

These four culturally significant items were recently returned to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians by the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum in compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The federal law, revised last July, requires that museums and institutions return remains and cultural artifacts to their rightful owners, including lineal descendants, culturally affiliated American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and Native Hawaiian organizations.

The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians is the only federally recognized Chumash tribe in the United States, according to the tribe’s cultural director, Nakia Zavalla. Because of this, the protection and repatriation law allows the tribe to go into museums and institutions to identify “sacred items” from ancient ancestors, such as funerary and ceremonial items.

“We’re able to bring these items back home,” Zavalla said. “We’re able to study them, spend time with them, and have the ability to connect.”

so much. We’re still in this place of learning more about our culture, and having those items returned back home just helps us out with continuing to share that with our community members.”

For Zavalla and many others in the Chumash tribe, this return is part of a much larger effort to heal from historical injustices and assert the tribe’s right to take back what belongs to them.

“This is part of us healing as a nation, as a people, and showing our next generation how important it is to care for these items and the importance of exercising our rights as a federally recognized tribe to enforce these federal laws on institutions when so much wrong has been done,” she said.

Zavalla will continue to work with museums and institutions to recover the tribe’s cultural heritage, describing her role in the return process as “legacy work.”

“I’m doing it for my grandchild and greatgrandchildren and many generations to come,” she said.

a great person. You can tell her heart’s in the right place, and it really demonstrates our local museum wanting to do what’s right and return these items back to the tribe with no issues at all.”

Since 2022, Zavalla and Castillo have collaborated to initiate a successful and amicable return of artifacts to the Chumash tribe.

Highlight

The recent visit to the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum for the return of artifacts led to the identification of additional Chumash items, which will be reviewed for a possible future cultural return. Zavalla expressed immense gratitude toward the museum, specifically Executive Director Krissy Castillo, for facilitating a smooth return process.

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Every returned artifact has a unique spiritual and historical significance. Zavalla explained that returns are especially important for sharing and preserving cultural knowledge for future generations.

“Our Chumash people are known for our basketry,” she said. “As a cultural item, it means

to spotlight@santamariasun.com.

“They really opened their doors to us,” Zavalla said. “Most of the time, we’re knocking on doors, saying, ‘Hey, we want to come see these items.’ The new director there, she’s just fabulous. She’s

“It’s been a really nice understanding of our collection,” Castillo said. “Them telling us about it, and us telling them about it. We have newspaper articles about the collection, who donated it to us and when it was donated, and that’s been fun because we’re all kind of finding our way in this new world. It’s been really enlightening.”

Castillo emphasized that she feels grateful to be a part of the return process, adding that “it’s just the right thing to do.”

“They are the rightful owners,” she said. “It comes from them. We shouldn’t be telling their story. They know their story. We can only pretend to know their story.”

• This spring, the Lompoc Public Library System will join Neighborhood Forest’s 16th annual Free Tree Program to promote youth environmentalism and a greener community. Parents and guardians can register online by March 15 to receive a free 6-to-12-inch tree during Earth Week. Species details will be announced in early April, and trees will be delivered to the library. Staff will notify registrants when their trees are ready for pickup, which is expected to be around April 22, or Earth Day. Planting instructions and other tree care details will be emailed before delivery and available on the Neighborhood Forest website. To register, visit neighborhoodforest.org/parentregistration. ❍

Staff Writer Emma Montalbano can be reached at emontalbano@newtimesslo.com.

ANCESTRAL ARTIFACTS: The Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians have a collaborative relationship that recently allowed for the smooth repatriation of four culturally significant items, facilitated by (from left to right) Nakia Zavalla, cultural director for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians; Krissy Castillo, Historical Museum executive director; Kathleen Marshall, Chumash elders council member; and Clara Lum, Historical Museum archivist.

What’s your favorite slogan from the President’s Day protests?

84% Nobody elected Musk.

16% Presidents are not kings.

0% Democracy not oligarchy.

0% Make 1984 fiction again.

6 Votes

Vote online at www.santamariasun.com.

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How do you create a lasting peace when you do not include in negotiations the people who need to be involved to make it work (Ukraine and Gaza)?

How does someone who considers himself a shrewd negotiator sacrifice his trump cards (NATO, Donbas) before negotiations even begin?

How do you believe and trust people who have shown repeatedly that they do not honor their commitments that they agreed to (Russia, China, Trump)?

How do you trust people whose decisions are swayed by spite and retribution?

How do you cut the cost of living for Americans by imposing tariffs that increase the prices of the goods that they buy?

How do you cut the cost of groceries when you deport the people you need to pick the crops and get them to the market?

How do you increase your exports to your trading partners when you slap a tariff on what you import from them, and they retaliate?

How do you improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government through layoffs of hundreds of thousands of employees irrespective of the talent you will need to move forward?

How do you improve relations with your allies when you bully and insult them?

How do you “make America great again” considering the above?

You don’t!

Much of what is transpiring in the new administration does not make sense to me. I am not alone. Yet, neither the president’s cabinet nor Congress is questioning the merits of his blitz of executive orders, pronouncements, and his actions. I would hope that they would challenge him to forestall making strategic blunders. But in the fable, “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” no one was willing to tell the emperor about his new suit before he made a fool of himself. They were afraid that they might fall out of favor. I am concerned that an analogous situation applies here. I am a loyal, concerned citizen. I am not a member of any political party. When I see what does not make sense to me, regardless of party, I question it. I believe that is my patriotic duty!

Ian Jacobsen Solvang

© 2025 Sun Speak

Don’t Palestinians have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

No matter who is in our White House, Israel rules our country. Three hundred and twentynine members of our House of Representatives are supported by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) political action committee. In the last congressional elections, AIPAC spent millions of dollars to defeat candidates who would not do their bidding. A majority of our senators are funded by AIPAC, as well. If a congressman or senator is not supported by AIPAC, they are by J Street, the Republican Jewish Committee (RJC), Democratic Majority of Israel (DMFI), the U.S. Israel PAC, or NORPAC.

Is there any question then why Benjamin Netanyahu receives standing ovations when he speaks to our Congress? Does it surprise you that both houses of Congress voted to approve billions of dollars for weapons that leveled Gaza and killed tens of thousands of innocent Palestinian women and children? The deal is that AIPAC funds a majority of our congressional campaigns, and Congress funds Israeli wars.

When it comes to the White House, our presidents do the bidding of Bibi Netanyahu. If Bibi wants to level all of Gaza and drive all the Palestinians out, Joe Biden funds his desire. If Israel wants to cleanse Gaza of all Palestinians, Donald Trump proposes to move all Palestinians out of Gaza to Jordan and Egypt so Gaza can be developed into a seaside resort for the people. Which people?

It has always been Israel’s dream to cleanse Israel of the Palestinians. They have stated this openly since the late 1800s. Now under Donald Trump they may realize their dream.

In America, even criticizing Israel on college campuses or in the halls of government is considered antisemitic.

What about the Palestinians? The people who have lived in Palestine for hundreds of years. Do they have any rights? Donald Trump has said that after they leave Palestine, they have no right to return.

The current Israeli

WRITE NOW! We want to know what you think about everything. Send your 250-word letter to Sun Letters, 801 S Broadway Suite 3, Santa Maria, CA 93454. You can also fax it (1-805-546-8641) or e-mail it (letters@santamariasun.com). All letters must include a name, address, and phone number for verification purposes; may be edited for space or clarity; and will be posted to santamariasun.com.

government paints Israelis as the victims. They use Oct. 7 as the justification for all the carnage they have caused in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria. Their real purpose is to annex lands in Syria, Gaza, and the West Bank to re-create an Israel that only existed in the scriptures long ago.

What about Americans? How do we view the carnage in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria? Do we look at history and see how Zionists, who were initially welcomed by the Palestinians into their communities, have step by step taken Palestinian homes and land from their hosts? Do Americans realize that it is Israel that occupies Palestinian lands and annexes Palestinian territory? Are Americans moved to see Gaza leveled and tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in their own homes? Don’t Palestinians have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

When we elected a new president, didn’t we hope for a peace in Israel based on the humanity shared by Israelis and Palestinians alike? Palestinians have lived through occupation and apartheid. Are they now to lose the land promised to them by the United Nations when Israel was created? Do America and Israel have the right to say to the Palestinians, “Get out of here and don’t come back?” Or, instead, don’t Israel and America have the responsibility to rebuild what they have torn down and make out of Gaza not a resort but a Palestinian home?

We broke it and it is our job to fix it.

Gale McNeeley Santa Maria

County supervisors deserve the pay raise

I can already hear the howls of outrage about the proposed pay hike for our Board of Supervisors. What I don’t hear is an understanding of how hard they work, and how grossly underpaid they have been for far too long. Consider this:

According to a recent survey of comparable counties, Santa Barbara County Supervisors are paid 32.8 percent less than the median pay of their counterparts. In fact, they are paid 27.8 percent less than their own chiefs of staff.

“Their current salary is equal to what an entry or journey level professional might earn in the county organization,” according to the staff report accompanying the recommendation. Yet these are the people who are responsible for all county programs and departments. They are expected to know about all of them and to make decisions that affect everything the county does.

If you haven’t interacted much with the supervisors, you may not know that they work seven days a week, early and late. They read volumes of material; take endless meetings with constituents and staff; sit on dozens of committees; visit site after site … and more. To be paid 32 percent less for the same work as supervisors elsewhere, while living in a county with incredibly high housing costs, is simply unacceptable.

Just because elected officials are public servants doesn’t mean they deserve poor pay. Even with the proposed increase, they will make far less than department heads or executives in the private sector. If we want talented, committed people leading our county, we should pay them a wage that reflects the importance of what they do, and how hard they work doing it.

Lee Heller Santa Barbara

IT’S A PRETTY BIG DEAL THAT WE’LL BE CELEBRATING ALL MONTH LONG

It’s our anniversary and that time of the year when we get to thank our loyal customers and introduce new customers to the best of hometown banking. It’s also a great opportunity to introduce you to our full range of products and services. Come and join us if you would. Plus, enjoy complimentary snacks and refreshements every Friday and Saturday. It’s a pretty big thing.

Free Document Shredding

Droves of local residents are speaking up in fear of the past repeating itself, in opposition to a present danger, and in defense of the future. They’re speaking out at local government meetings, making demands and expressing concerns. Their public comments and protests are not falling on deaf ears, but local leaders’ hands are tied.

On Feb. 18, hundreds of students from Santa Maria and Orcutt junior high and high schools and Allan Hancock College walked out of class, exercising their rights to participate in civic or political events. Their quest: get the city to create a 2-mile buffer around schools, churches, parks, and hospitals where Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers can’t make arrests—an idea that the walkout organizer, 17-year-old Cesar Vasquez, got from proposed state legislation.

After more than 300 students marched to City Hall, about 30 stayed for the Santa Maria City Council meeting, where Mayor Alice Patino addressed their request.

(Five 50lb. boxes per customer) (Open to Public)

Every Saturday in March, 9AM-12PM at both branch locations

“We want people to feel safe interacting with all city employees, especially police officers without fear,” Patino read from a statement. But, she continued, the protesters’ requests were outside the city’s powers, as the council lacks the “legal authority to prohibit the federal government from conducting law enforcement actions.” Even so, participants in the well-organized walkout deserve props for marching to “defend their future,” as Vasquez said. Perhaps it will indeed inspire the City Council to draft a letter supporting the state legislation, as Councilmember Gloria Soto proposed. Meanwhile, the county is hampered in its efforts to prevent a repeat of not-so-distant history. But that didn’t stop 122 members of the public from taking their three minutes each to comment on Sable Offshore Corporation’s steps toward restarting its pipeline. During the Feb. 25 Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting, the supervisors and other county officials used their one tool to scrutinize Sable’s ability to make good on its safety promises.

Ordinance 25B in the local petroleum code enables the county to take part in the permittransfer process—which is happening now as Sable seeks to take over from Exxon-Mobil, which took over pipeline assets from Plains AllAmerican in 2023.

“This is really the county’s kind of one and only opportunity to hold a public hearing and take public comment,” county Energy, Minerals, and Compliance Division Director Errin Briggs said. So the county dove into the oil company’s financial condition and found “a sizeable cash balance,” Briggs said.

Not surprising. And neither was it reassuring to public commenters and environmental groups, who are determined to avoid another oil spill from that pipeline. The spill 10 years ago cost the operator $870 million to clean up.

Even so, Sable says it has the cash to clean up after itself. And the county can’t do jack to prevent the company’s plans from going forward. The state and the feds have final regulatory powers here, especially since the pipeline runs through two other counties, and especially since the pipeline’s been permitted since the ’80s.

Nipomo’s in a similar boat with its newly approved battery energy storage system facility.

The January Moss Landing battery plant fire has communities and lawmakers scared yet stuck between a rock and a hard place. The state is the agency that makes the rules for such facilities, and the state has clean-energy goals to meet.

What’s a local to do? At the very least, don’t stop speaking up. m

The Canary is walking out. Send posters to canary@santamariasun.com.

Janet Silveria President & CEO

Hot Stuff

ARTS

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS

MOON OVER BUFFALO

As described by Orcutt Community Theater, “this madcap comedy centers on two fading stage actors who may have one last shot at stardom if they can just keep their act, and relationship, together.” Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m., March 1 7:30 p.m. and March 2 1:30 p.m. $15-$20. my805tix.com. Klein Dance Arts, 3558 Skyway Drive, suite A, Santa Maria.

BALLROOM, LATIN, AND SWING DANCE

CLASSES Social ballroom, Latin, and swing lessons for all ages. Beginner and advance classes. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m. $45-$55. (805) 928-7799. Kleindancesarts.com. Klein Dance Arts, 3558 Skyway Drive, suite A, Santa Maria.

DANCE CLASSES: EVERYBODY CAN

DANCE Classes available for all skill levels. Class sizes limited. Everybody Can Dance, 628 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria, (805) 937-6753, everybodycandance.webs.com/.

FREE BOOK SUNDAYS FOR AGES 0-17

Visit the Youth Services Desk on the first Sunday of each month to receive a coupon for a free book of your choice from the Library Bookstore. For ages 0-17. First Sunday of every month Free. (805) 925-0994. cityofsantamaria.org/services/ departments/library. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

THE GAME’S AFOOT Step into the mystery of a lifetime with William Gillette, as the acclaimed actor, known for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, hosts a star-studded Christmas Eve at his eccentric Connecticut mansion. The plot thickens when one guest meets a tragic end. March 7-23 my805tix.com. Santa Maria Civic Theatre, 1660 N. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING In Shakespeare’s cherished comedy, love, wit, and mischief entwine. The results are hilarious and heart-aching in this timeless battle-of-the-sexes. Through March 2 pcpa.org. Marian Theatre, 800 S. College Dr., Santa Maria.

SANCTUARY CITY In this powerful coming-of-age story, two teens forge a deep bond amid the complexities of immigration, identity, belonging, and love. Feb. 27- March 16 Marian Theatre, 800 S. College Dr., Santa Maria, pcpa.org. In this powerful coming-of-age story, two teens forge a deep bond amid the complexities of immigration, identity, belonging, and love. Presented by PCPA. Feb. 27March 16 Severson Theatre, 800 S. College Dr., Santa Maria, pcpa.org.

SATURDAY CRAFTERNOON: CRAFT

BAZAAR Get creative and make something uniquely you. This workshop is free, and all materials are provided. Registration is required, for patrons 18 and older. March 8 10:30 a.m.-noon Free. (805) 925-0994. cityofsantamaria.org/services/ departments/library. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

VALLEY ART GALLERY: ROTATING DISPLAYS Featured artists of Santa Maria’s Valley Art Gallery frequently display their works at the airport. Check website for details on monthly exhibits and full list of the gallery’s artists. ongoing valleygallery.org. Santa Maria Airport, 3217 Terminal Drive, Santa Maria.

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

COLOR AND COMPOSITION The exhibit highlights paintings by featured artists Gerry Winant and Britt Friedman. March 1 -31 gallerylosolivos.com/. Gallery Los Olivos, 2920 Grand Ave., Los Olivos, (805) 688-7517.

FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING Castle has long been interested in shamanic rituals and the masks associated with them. This exhibit provides a rare glimpse of the many sides of Castle that unfolded while creating this series. Through April 6 elverhoj.org/. Elverhoj Museum of History and Art, 1624 Elverhoy Way, Solvang, (805) 686-1211.

NEW PERSPECTIVES AT GALLERY LOS OLIVOS Gallery Los Olivos is excited to welcome eight new members, with a featured show, “New Perspectives.” Mondays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. through Feb. 28 GalleryLosOlivos.com. Gallery Los Olivos, 2920 Grand Ave., Los Olivos, (805) 688-7517.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

OLIVER Directed by Shannon Lowrie and Nataly Plotner, collaborating with Music Director Dakota Simpson. Visit the link to purchase tickets and get more info. Feb. 28 , 7 p.m., March 1 , 7 p.m. and March 2 2 p.m. $17. my805tix.com. The Studio of Performing Arts, 805 Grand Ave., Grover Beach, (805) 709-5293.

CENTRAL COAST PRINTMAKER SHOW

Stop by to check out a diverse collection of original artwork through the month of February. The Central Coast Printmakers’ Show reception is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 25 from 2-4p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays, 12-6 p.m. through Feb. 27 Free. (805) 4899444. centralcoastprintmakersofCa.org. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

CHARACTERS AND RELATIONSHIPS: IMPROVISATIONAL THEATER CLASS

Learn to access emotion in the moment, build characters and relationships on emotional perspectives, and use patterns of emotional behaviors to drive scenes forward. Sundays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. through April 13 $80. (805) 556-8495.

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN?

Gallery Los Olivos presents Color and Composition, a new solo exhibition slated to debut on Saturday, March 1, and remain on display through the end of March. The exhibit highlights paintings by featured artists Gerry Winant (whose piece, Roaring Storm, is pictured) and Britt Friedman. The gallery is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more details, visit gallerylosolivos.com.

—Caleb

improvforgood.fun/. Women’s Club of Arroyo Grande, 211 Vernon St., Arroyo Grande.

DANCE FITNESS ART AND CULTURE FOR ADULTS Discover dance as a form of artistic expression and exercise, using a wide range of styles and genres of music (including modern, jazz, Broadway, ethnic). Tuesdays, 4-5 p.m. $10 drop-in; $30 for four classes. (510) 362-3739. grover.org. Grover Beach Community Center, 1230 Trouville Ave., Grover Beach.

SECOND SATURDAY IMPROV MEETUP

Have you ever wanted to try improv? Or are you an experienced player looking for opportunities to practice? Join to play short-form games and share smiles in the supportive environment of improv. Second Saturday of every month, 2-4 p.m. through Dec. 13 improvforgood.fun/. Flex Performing Arts Studio (Studio D), 1820 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

ACTOR’S EDGE: ACTING CLASSES Actor’s Edge offers film and television acting training in San Luis Obispo, plus exposure to Los Angeles talent agents. All ages and skill levels welcome. Classes available in SLO, LA, and on zoom. ongoing $210 per month. actorsedge.com. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

ADAM CAROLLA LIVE With a long-standing career in comedy, radio, writing, and film, Adam Carolla will hit the stage to share a set of stand-up comedy. This is an all ages event. Feb. 28, 7 p.m. $29. The Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 546-8600, fremontslo.com.

ALL AGES SCULPTING WITH JOHN ROULLARD John a retired school teacher who patiently guides potters of all ages to sculpt and work on details and design. Saturdays, 1:30-3 p.m. $40. anamcre.com.

Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

ALL LEVELS POTTERY CLASSES Anam Cre is a pottery studio in SLO that offers a variety of classes. This specific class is open to any level. Teachers are present for questions, but the class feels more like an open studio time for potters. Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. $40. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, anamcre.com.

ART AFTER DARK Art After Dark features an art opening of world-class artists. Refreshments will be served. First Friday of every month, 5-8 p.m. through March 7 Free. slocountyarts.org/art-after-dark.

EDNA Contemporary, 967 Osos St, San Luis Obispo, (805) 459-1711.

ARTIST RIKI SCHUMACHER AT ART CENTRAL GALLERY Schumacher’s work is pensive and introspective, inspiring one to take a solitary walk on a cloudy day. Wander in to reflect on her “delicious, wistful landscapes.” Mondays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays, 12-4 p.m. Free. (805) 747-4200. artcentralslo.com/galleryartists/. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

BEYOND THE BASICS OF WATERCOLOR WITH VIRGINIA MACK This is a class for those who love imagining ways to further their visual expressions. A watercolorbased course, but one that branches out into other media. Fourth Thursday of every month, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $35 per class. (805) 747-4200. artcentralslo.com. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

CERAMIC LESSONS AND MORE Now offering private one-on-one and group lessons in the ceramic arts. Both hand building and wheel throwing options. Beginners welcomed. (805) 835-5893. hmcruceceramics.com/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

CLAY BABY HANDPRINTS Offers a unique experience of pressing your baby’s hand/ foot into clay so parents can cherish this time forever. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays $55. anamcre.com/babyhandprints. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

CLUE: THE MUSICAL An interactive evening where every note could be your

last clue, and every suspect has a secret to hide. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8-10 p.m. and March 2 2-4 p.m. through March 8 $19 students; $30 general admission. (805) 756-1465. theatredance.calpoly. edu/clue-musical-winter-2025. Spanos Theatre, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

DAISY PATTON: BEFORE THESE WITNESSES Check out Massachusettsbased artist Daisy Patton and her work, which includes large scale, mixed media paintings with found photographs layered with vibrant colors and floral patterns. Mondays-Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. through March 14 Free. (805) 546-3202. cuesta.edu. Harold J. Miossi Gallery, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

DATE NIGHT POTTERY Bring your date and throw a cup on the pottery wheel. Next, texture a clay slab and press into a form creating a personalized piece. Guest are welcome to bring drinks; venue provides aprons. Pieces are fired, glazed, and ready in two weeks. Saturdays, 6-7:30 p.m. $140. anamcre.com. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo. ESTEBAN CABEZA DE BACA: REMEMBERING THE FUTURE Ranging from 2015 to 2024, the eleven paintings in the gallery explore issues of belonging and identity, activism, and joy and celebration. Through June 22, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. (805) 543-8562. sloma.org. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

FAMILY FRIENDLY WORKSHOP: LARGE PLATTER CLASS Fun for all ages. Instructors will guide you in creating large platters and decorating them. Create pieces together for your home. Saturdays, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $50. anamcre.com. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo. FIRST FRIDAYS Visit SLOMA on the first Friday of each month for exhibition openings, music, and wines provided by regional winery partners. Admission is free and open to the public. First Friday of every month, 5-8 p.m. Free. (805) 5438562. sloma.org/events/first-fridays/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

Wiseblood

COURTESY

BY GERRY WINANT

FREE DOCENT TOURS Gain a deeper understanding of the artwork on view with SLOMA’s new docent tours.

Every Saturday, join trained guides for interactive and engaging tours of SLOMA’s current exhibitions. Saturdays, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. (805) 543-8562. sloma.org/visit/ tours/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

IMPROV COMEDY SHOWS AT THE HUB

The show contents will be rotated among the group’s ensemble, house, and musical improv team casts, as well as stand-up and student shows. Fourth Friday of every month, 6 p.m. my805tix.com/. The Hub, 1701 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

JAPANESE CALLIGRAPHY AND ART

Owen and Kyoko Hunt from Kyoto, Japan offer classes for Japanese calligraphy (Fridays, 5:30-6:30 p.m.), a Japanese art called “haiga” (Fridays, 10-11:30 a.m.) and more at Nesting Hawk Ranch. Fridays $45. (702) 335-0730. Nesting Hawk Ranch, Call for address, San Luis Obispo.

JULIE ALPERT: STRANGE MAGIC As you step into Strange Magic, artist Julie Alpert’s first solo show in California, you’ll know one thing for certain: “Life is being lived.” Through March 2, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. (805) 543-8562. sloma.org/ exhibition/julie-alpert-strange-magic/. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

LEARN TO WEAVE MONDAYS An opportunity to learn how a four-shaft loom works. You will get acquainted as a new weaver or as a refresher with lots of tips and tricks. This class includes getting to know a loom, how to prepare/dress a loom, and much much more. Mondays, 1-4 p.m. $75 monthly. (805) 441-8257.

Patricia Martin: Whispering Vista Studios, 224 Squire Canyon Rd, San Luis Obispo, patriciamartinartist.com.

THE MEMOIRS OF BEATRICE MILLER A radio theater broadcast event. Set in 1940 at the World Famous Breckschnider’s Department Store, Beatrice Miller learns Aunt Ruth’s eccentric and unconventional technique of letting go. Feb. 28 - March 1 my805tix.com. CongregationHouse, 11245 Los Osos Valley Road, San Luis Obispo.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET On a Tuesday night, shortly before Christmas 1956, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley gathered at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee. This was their only performance together, and a cultural flashpoint that caught rock ‘n’ roll at the moment of creation. WednesdaysSaturdays, 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays, Sundays, 2-4 p.m. through March 9

$30-$55. SLO Rep, 888 Morro St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 786-2440, slorep.org/.

OPEN MIC COMEDY Sign-ups at 6:30 p.m.

Hosted by Aidan Candelario. Mondays, 7-9 p.m. Free. (805) 540-8300. saintsbarrel. com/event-calendar. Saints Barrel Wine Bar, 1021 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo.

PICKET PAINTING PARTY Decorative picket purchasing opportunities are available to show your support and help fund maintenance and educational

TWO OF US

The cast of the Pacific Conservatory Theatre’s (PCPA) production of Sanctuary City features Kiara Plaza (left) as G and Andrew Missael Banderas (right) as B, two teens who “forge a deep bond amid the complexities of immigration, identity, belonging, and love,” according to press materials. The show opened at the Severson Theatre in Santa Maria on Thursday, Feb. 27, and is scheduled to run through Sunday, March 16. Visit pcpa.org for tickets and more info.

—C.W.

every Friday after school. Fridays, 3:30-5 p.m. $40. anamcre.com. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

AQUARIUS 2025 WATERMEDIA EXHIBIT

Central Coast Watercolor Society presents its annual juried exhibit at Art Center Morro Bay, featuring excellence in all forms of watermedia by California artists. See website for info and frequent updates. Through March 31 ccwsart.com/aquarius2025-prospectus. Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St., Morro Bay, (805) 772-2504.

COASTAL WINE AND PAINT PARTY Listen to music while enjoying an afternoon of creativity, sipping, and mingling. The party includes a complimentary glass of wine and canvas with materials. Saturdays, 12-2 p.m. $55. (805) 394-5560. coastalwineandpaint.com. Harmony Cafe at the Pewter Plough, 824 Main St., Cambria.

THE COLOR OF LIGHT: AN ALL MEDIA PAINTING GROUP EXHIBITION This group show showcases how its featured painters capture the interplay of color and light through various fine art painting media. Through Feb. 27 Free. (805) 7721068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.

COSTA GALLERY SHOWCASES Features works by Ellen Jewett as well as 20 other local artists, and artists from southern and northern California. Thursdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays, 12-4 p.m. (559) 799-9632. costagallery.com. Costa Gallery, 2087 10th St., Los Osos.

FINE ART ACRYLIC PAINTINGS BY LAURA MURPHY Murphy is a Central Coast artist who creates abstract, non-representational art using acrylic and inks on canvas. Through Feb. 27, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. (805) 772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.

FINE ART PAINTINGS, POETRY, AND SMALL WORKS BY GEORGE ASDEL

Robert Fleming, have an ongoing show of originals and giclee prints of Morro Bay and local birds. ongoing (805) 772-9955. Seven Sisters Gallery, 601 Embarcadero Ste. 8, Morro Bay, sevensistersgalleryca.com.

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS AGING WELL IN SANTA MARIA: WILLS, TRUSTS, AND ESTATE PLANNING Join Attorney Julianna Malis from Santa Barbara Estate Planning and Elder Law, for an informative workshop on wills, trusts, and estate planning. Registration required. March 1 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. (805) 925-0994. cityofsantamaria.org/services/ departments/library. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria. ANDROID PHONE CLASS First Thursday of every month Oasis Center, 420 Soares Ave., Orcutt, (805) 937-9750. CENTRAL COAST CORVETTE CLUB Open to Corvette owners and enthusiasts. First Thursday of every month, 7 p.m. Free. (805) 934-3948. Home Motors, 1313 E. Main St., Santa Maria.

D-AND-D AND BOARD GAMES AT THE LIBRARY Come play board games, Dungeons and Dragons, and other tabletop games, presented by the Santa Maria Valley Adventurers League. Tutorials and game materials are provided. March 9 1-4:30 p.m. Free. (805) 9250994. cityofsantamaria.org/services/ departments/library. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria. EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION GALA Includes a delectable sit-down catered dinner featuring appetizers, two entrées and dessert, along with live entertainment by the Central Coast-based dance band, Steppin’ Out. March 6, 4:30-10 p.m. my805tix.com. Santa Maria Fairpark, 937 S. Thornburg St., Santa Maria.

programs in the Children’s Garden. Second Saturday of every month, 1-4 p.m. $75 per picket or 2 for $100. (805) 541-1400. slobg. org. San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo.

PLEIN AIR PAINTERS OF THE CENTRAL COAST A self-directed fun group of dynamic artists who enjoy painting and sketching outdoors. Artists meet on site at various locations. Weekly plein air destinations are provided by Kirsti Wothe via email (mrswothe@yahoo.com). Wednesdays, 9 a.m.-noon SLO County, Various locations countywide, San Luis Obispo.

SATURDAY FAMILY POTTERY CLASS

This family-friendly open studio time is a wonderful window for any level or age. Saturdays, 11 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. $40. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, anamcre.com.

SCULPTURE SERIES: SPIRIT ANIMAL

Beginners welcome. This six-visit sculpture class meets twice a week for a total of three weeks. Mondays, Fridays, 10 a.m.-

noon through March 21 $250. anamcre.com. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

SECOND ANNUAL CHINGONAS SHOW: ART AFTER DARK RECEPTION A collection of portraits of women. Visit site for more info. March 7 5-8 p.m. (805) 4393823. my805tix.com/e/chingonas. Corazón Café, 847 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo. SLO COMEDY FESTIVAL Visit website for the full festival lineup and tickets. How to sum up the fest briefly? “It’s gonna be nuts!” Feb. 27- March 2 my805tix.com.

SLO County, Various locations countywide, San Luis Obispo.

SLO COMEDY UNDERGROUND OPEN

MIC NIGHT Enjoy a night of laughs provided by the local SLO Comedy Community. It’s open mic night, so anyone can perform and “you never know what you’ll see.” Tuesdays, 8 p.m. Free. Libertine Brewing Company, 1234 Broad St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 548-2337, libertinebrewing.com.

STAVROS HALKIAS: THE DREAMBOAT TOUR A comedian, writer, and podcaster known for his sharp wit and down-toearth humor. March 5 7 p.m. $25-$49.50. The Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 546-8600, fremontslo.com.

VIRGINIA MACK: BEGINNING

WATERCOLOR This is a watercolor class designed to let you jump in and try out this engaging medium through experimentation. It’s designed for beginners and those with watercolor experience who wish to expand their knowledge of painting in watercolors. To enroll please contact Mack via email: vbmack@charter.net Wednesdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m. $35. (805) 747-4200. artcentralslo.com/workshops-events/. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

YOUTH POTTERY CLASS Teens love this class. Learn handbuilding techniques and throwing on the potter’s wheel. Held

Asdel has been creating small works featuring his poetry and art for many years here on the Central Coast. Through Feb. 27, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. (805) 772-1068. galleryatmarinasquare.com. Gallery at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero suite 10, Morro Bay.

FIREFLIES Enjoy this By The Sea Production, written by Matthew Barber and directed by Anita Schwaber. Visit site to get your tickets and learn more about the show. Through March 9, 7 p.m. $29. St. Peter’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, 545 Shasta Ave., Morro Bay, (805) 772-2368, stpetersmorrobay.org/.

FOREVER STOKED PAINT PARTY Join us at the gallery, for a few hours to travel on a creative paint journey. You will receive as much or as little instruction as you prefer. No artistic experience is necessary. Saturdays, 7-9 p.m. $45. (805) 772-9095. foreverstoked.com. Forever Stoked, 1164 Quintana Rd., Morro Bay.

THE PLEIN AIR TEAM Acrylic artist, Nancy Lynn, and husband, watercolorist,

FEEL GOOD YOGA Tuesdays, Thursdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. (805) 937-9750. oasisorcutt. org. Oasis Center, 420 Soares Ave., Orcutt. FIRST FRIDAY First Friday of every month facebook.com/firstfridayoldtownorcutt/. Historic Old Town Orcutt, S. Broadway and Union Ave., Orcutt. FREE BOOK SUNDAYS FOR AGES 0-17 Visit the Youth Services Desk on the first Sunday of each month to receive a coupon for a free book of your choice from the Library Bookstore. For ages 0-17. First Sunday of every month Free. (805) 925-0994. cityofsantamaria.org/services/ departments/library. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria. GROUP WALKS AND HIKES Check website for the remainder of this year’s group hike dates and private hike offerings. ongoing (805) 343-2455. dunescenter.org. Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, 1065 Guadalupe St., Guadalupe.

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INTERNSHIP AND LEADERSHIP

OPPORTUNITIES IN SB COUNTY Panel of 15 plus county organizations who provide internship and leadership opportunities will share about their programs and how students can get involved. March 9 5-6:30 p.m. Free. (805) 770-1593. youthwell.org/workshops. Online (Santa Barbara County), Visit website, Countywide.

MARDI GRAS BENEFIT DRAW AND CASINO NIGHT

The Kiwanis Club of Santa Maria invites you to experience the excitement and revelry of Mardi Gras at this annual Benefit Draw and Casino Night. March 1 6 p.m. $100. us.givergy.com/ KiwanisClubofSantaMaria. Elwin Mussell Senior Center, 510 Park Ave., Santa Maria.

RAINBOW READS BOOK CLUB

Centered on books with LGBTQIA+ authors and themes. March’s book is The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. Registration required. March 8 3-4 p.m. Free. (805) 925-0994. cityofsantamaria.org/services/ departments/library. Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

CELEBRATE THE WINSTON’S FIFTH

ANNIVERSARY

Experience the best of Solvang and join in celebrating five years of exceptional service and community spirit at The Winston’s anniversary event. Feb. 27 5-7 p.m. The Winston, 486 1st Street Solvang, Solvang, (805) 688 2965, thewinstonsolvang.com/.

LOMPOC/VANDENBERG

LOMPOC ART WALK Lompoc transforms into a celebration and showcase of local artists during this monthly event, which features live music, art, exciting exhibitions, performances, and a variety of unique vendors. First Thursday of every month, 5-8 p.m. Old Town Lompoc, H and I St., Lompoc.

THE VILLAGE TREASURE CHEST This event is for the whole family. There will be vendors selling their wears, music, facepainting, and some kind of food booth. Come out and spend part of your Saturday supporting local vendors. First Saturday of every month, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

Vandenberg Village Community Services District Office, 3745 Constellation Road, Lompoc, (805) 291-6370.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

BEGINNING BALLET FOR ADULTS

Enjoy the grace and flow of ballet. No

previous experience needed. Wednesdays, 5:15-6:15 p.m. $12 drop-in; $40 for four classes. (510) 362-3739. grover.org.

Grover Beach Community Center, 1230 Trouville Ave., Grover Beach.

BODY FUSION/EXERCISE AND FITNESS CLASS Do something good for yourself and stay fit for outdoor sports, while enhancing flexibility, strengthening your core to prevent lower back issues, improving your posture through yoga, and more. Tuesdays, Thursdays, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. (970) 710-1412. Avila Beach Community Center, 191 San Miguel St., Avila Beach, avilabeachcc.com.

BRIDGING GENERATIONS: KEY TALKS FOR SENIORS AND FAMILIES Hosted by Sea Coast Seniors. March 5 10 a.m. my805tix.com. Hilton Garden Inn, 601 James Way, Pismo Beach.

COMMUNITY NATIVE GARDEN MONTHLY VOLUNTEER

HERE COMES THE BRIDE

The Harold J. Miossi Art Gallery in San Luis Obispo presents Before These Witnesses, a collection of wedding-themed artworks, through Friday, March 14. The large-scale pieces in this solo show were created by Massachusettsbased multi-disciplinary artist Daisy Patton. The gallery is located inside room 7170 at Cuesta College. Visit cuesta.edu to find out more.

WORKDAY Volunteers accomplish a variety of tasks including pathways maintenance, litter patrol of the garden perimeter, weeding, irrigation system expansion/repairs, pruning, and plantings. Volunteers should bring work gloves, a hat, drinking water, and tools related to the above activities. First Saturday of every month, 9 a.m.-noon Free. (805) 710-3073. Nipomo Native Garden, Camino Caballo at Osage, Nipomo.

DONATION-BASED YOGA FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, EMTS, AND CARETAKERS Class schedule varies. Contact empoweryoga805@gmail for details and reservations. ongoing (805) 619-0989. empoweryoga805.com. Empower Yoga Studio and Community Boutique, 775 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach. FREE HANDS-ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WORKSHOP FOR WRITERS The Coastal Dunes California Writers Club presents a hands-on complementary artificial intelligence workshop for writers by publishing consultant Brian Schwartz. March 1 10 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Free access; no tickets required. (805) 929-3994. coastaldunescwc.com. Nipomo Library, 918 W. Tefft, Nipomo.

FRIENDS OF THE NIPOMO LIBRARY BOOK SALE Come find it all: adult fiction, nonfiction, mystery, romance, biography, gardening, travel, history, cookbooks, children’s books, CD’s, DVD’s, and jigsaw puzzles. March 8 , 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (805) 9293994. friendsofnipomolibrary.org/. Nipomo Library, 918 W. Tefft, Nipomo.

HERITAGE SQUARE BARK AND LEARN:

A DAY OF FUN AND LEARNING Central Coast dog parents, join this one-day training event with four unique classes. Limited spots—sign up now. March 1, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. $50. (805) 458-7109. emberleash.com/pages/classes. Heritage Square Park, 201 Nelson St., Arroyo Grande. MAKE YOUR OWN KOKEDAMA

WORKSHOP You will be able to choose a plant from a selection of plants and leave with a beautiful kokedama that you made yourself. March 2 2-3:30 p.m. $35. (805) 270-4083. theplantedparlour.com. The Planted Parlour, 592 W Grand Ave., Grover Beach.

MULTICULTURAL DANCE CLASS

FOR ADULTS Experience dance from continents around the earth, including from Africa, Europe, and more. Described

RESTORE YOUR WELL-BEING WITH JIN SHIN JYUTSU Learn how to harmonize your energy and enjoy greater resilience and well-being. Register with Pismo Recreation. Tuesdays, 6-7:30 p.m. through March 18 $150 for 6; or $30 drop-in. (805) 773-7063. pismobeach/ org/recreation. Shell Beach Veterans Memorial Building, 230 Leeward Ave., Pismo Beach.

SOCIAL GROUP FOR WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS Call for more details. Second Saturday of every month, 10 a.m. (805) 904-6615. Oak Park Christian Church, 386 N Oak Park Blvd., Grover Beach.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

ASTROLOGY BASICS: HOW TO READ YOUR BIRTH CHART

with more practices. Led by certified Awareness Through Movement teacher. Mondays-Saturdays, 6:10 a.m. and Fridays, 3 p.m. $35/week or $125/month. (646) 280-5800. margotschaal.com/qigong. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo. DISCOVER THE POWER OF YOUR DNA SPONSORED BY THE SLO COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY Join Michelle Leonard, the well-known genealogist from Scotland, as she presents information regarding the fundamentals of DNA, the organization of DNA Results, and all about using DNA in your family research. March 1 8:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m. $50. (805) 478-1951. slocgs.org. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

—C.W.

as “a wonderful in-depth look at the context and history of cultures of the world.” Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. $10 dropin; $30 for four classes. (510) 362-3739. grover.org. Grover Beach Community Center, 1230 Trouville Ave., Grover Beach.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WATCH AND CLOCK COLLECTORS, CHPT. 52

Come join a friendly meeting of watch and clock collectors. Members bring watches and clocks to show, plus there are discussions of all things horological. Second Sunday of every month, 1:30-3 p.m. (805) 547-1715. new.nawcc.org/index. php/chapter-52-los-padres. Central Coast Senior Center, 1580 Railroad St., Oceano.

QI GONG FOR LESS STRESS AND MORE ENERGY Experience the energy of Qi Gong through simple standing movements promoting flexibility, strength, relaxation, and increased energy. Suitable for all ages and fitness levels, Qi Gong revitalizes and enriches your life. An outdoor class overlooking the ocean. Wednesdays, 4-5 p.m. $14 per class or $55 for 5-class card with no expiration. (805) 440-4561. pismobeach.org. Margo Dodd Gazebo, Ocean Park Blvd., Shell Beach.

Build community during a sixweek deep dive into personal astrology. Perfect for beginners and those looking to strengthen their foundation. Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. through March 27 $150. (805) 242-1168. anc.apm. activecommunities.com. Cuesta College Community Programs, Building 4100 Cuesta College Road, San Luis Obispo.

BEYOND MINDFULNESS

Realize your potential through individualized meditation instruction with an experienced teacher via Zoom. This class is for those who wish to begin a practice or seek to deepen an existing one. Flexible days and times. Certified with IMTA. Email or text for information. Mondays-Sundays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Sliding scale. (559) 905-9274. theartofsilence.net. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

CAL HOPE SLO GROUPS AT TMHA Visit website for full list of weekly Zoom groups available. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays calhopeconnect.org. Transitions Mental Health Warehouse, 784 High Street, San Luis Obispo, (805) 270-3346.

CENTRAL COAST DIALYSIS ORGAN

TRANSPLANT SUPPORT GROUP Not faith based. All are welcome. Please wear a mask. First Saturday of every month, 9:3011:30 a.m. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church SLO, 650 Pismo St., San Luis Obispo.

DAILY QIGONG PRACTICE For the early riser or commuter, every weekday morning. Maintain or improve concentration, balance, and flexibility. Includes weekly Friday 3 p.m. class

HEALING DEPRESSION SUPPORT GROUP A safe place to share feelings of depression with those who suffer and those who have recovered to a full, healthy outlook on life. Mondays, 6-7 p.m. Free. (805) 528-3194. Hope House Wellness Center, 1306 Nipomo St., San Luis Obispo. LGBTQ+ FED THERAPIST LEAD SUPPORT GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM) A pro-recovery group offering space to those seeking peer support, all stages of ED recovery. We understand recovery isn’t linear and judgment-free support is crucial. Share, listen, and be part of a community building up each other. First Wednesday of every month, 7-8 p.m. Free. galacc.org/events/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo. MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION (ONLINE) Zoom series hosted by TMHA. Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.-noon Transitions Mental Health Warehouse, 784 High Street, San Luis Obispo, (805) 270-3346.

PUBLIC TALK: DISCOVER EVER PRESENT LOVE ACTIVE IN YOUR LIFE All are welcome to this inspiring talk centered around love. The conversation can also be accessed online. March 2 1-2 p.m. Free. (805) 543-5853. christianscienceslo. org/talks-events. First Church of Christ, Scientist, 1326 Garden St., San Luis Obispo. Q YOUTH GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM) This is a social support group for LGBTQ+ and questioning youth between the ages of 11-18. Each week the group explores personal, cultural, and social identity. Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. Free. galacc.org/events/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

SLO PHILATELIC SOCIETY Stamp Collector? The SLO Philatelic Society (SLOPS) meets in the SLO UMC Conference Room on the first and third Tuesday of

Hot Stuff

each month. Visitors welcome. For more info, contact SLOPS at slostampclub@ gmail.com. First Tuesday of every month, 1-3 p.m. (805) 801-9112. SLO Senior Center, 1445 Santa Rosa St., San Luis Obispo, slocity.org/seniors.

SUNDAY EVENING RAP LGBTQ+

AA GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM)

Alcoholics Anonymous is a voluntary, worldwide fellowship of folks from all walks of life who together, attain and maintain sobriety. Requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. Email aarapgroup@gmail.com for password access. Sundays, 7-8 p.m. No fee. galacc.org/events/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

TEEN MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

GROUP Learn more about mental health and coping skills to help you through your journey towards wellness and recovery. Thursdays, 4:30-6 p.m. Free. (805) 5406576. t-mha.org. Hope House Wellness Center, 1306 Nipomo St., San Luis Obispo. TRANS* TUESDAY A safe space providing peer-to-peer support for trans, gender non-conforming, non-binary, and questioning people. In-person and Zoom meetings held. Contact tranzcentralcoast@gmail.com for more details. Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m. Free. GALA Pride and Diversity Center, 1060 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, (805) 541-4252.

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

BEHIND THE GATES: OVERSTOCK

SUCCULENT PLANTS AND POTTERY

SALE Local plant vendors and master ceramicists will be selling an amazing lineup of succulent/landscape/house plants, all half-off. Features gorgeous handmade pots (many discounted 25 to 50 percent). March 1 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. (805) 602-7817. Steve Super Gardens, 2016 9th St., Los Osos.

CENTRAL COAST WOOD CARVERS

Learn the art of wood carving or wood burning. Join Central Coast Wood Carvers in Morro Bay at St. Timothy’s. Open for beginners, intermediate, or advance. Learn a wide range of techniques and skills. Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, 962 Piney Way, Morro Bay, (805) 772-2840, sttimothymorrobay.org/index.html.

MEDITATE WITH DAWN Hosted by Aurora Sacred Events. Visit site for tickets and more info. March 4 , 10-11:15 a.m. my805tix.com. Aurora Sacred Events, 21 24th St, Cayucos.

FOOD & DRINK

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS

BEER YOGA AT NAUGHTY OAK Bring a mat and be ready to sip on your favorite brew while you stretch. March 2 , 11 a.m.-noon my805tix.com/. Naughty Oak Brewing Co., 165 S. Broadway St. suite 102, Orcutt.

FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS AT COSTA DE

ORO Featured vendors in the series include Cali Coast Tacos, Cubanissimo, Danny’s Pizza Co., Chef Ricks, and more. Call venue for monthly schedules. Fridays (805) 922-1468. costadeorowines.com. Costa De Oro Winery, 1331 S. Nicholson Ave., Santa Maria.

FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS AT WINE STONE

INN Fridays, 5-8 p.m. Wine Stone Inn, 255 W. Clark Ave., Orcutt, (805) 332-3532, winestoneinn.com/.

FRIDAY NIGHT FUN Karaoke with DJ Nasty. With Beer Bucket specials. Kitchen stays open late. Come out and sing your favorite song. Fridays, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, (805) 623-8866.

PRESQU’ILE WINERY: WINE CLUB Call or go online to make a reservation to taste at the winery or find more info on the winery’s Wine Club offerings. ongoing presquilewine.com/club/. Presqu’ile Winery, 5391 Presqu’ile Dr., Santa Maria, (805) 937-8110.

TUNE IN

Cruise Control Contemporary in Cambria presents Romeo and Juliet, an exhibition of aerosolized acrylic paintings by Laguna Beach-based artist Joey Belardi, through Saturday, March 22. This solo exhibit features 11 paintings with a classic cartoon style inspired by the work of animators and comic artists such as Chuck Jones, Charles Schulz, Ralph Bakshi, and others. For more info, visit cruisecontrolcambria.com.

—C.W.

SECOND SATURDAY OPEN AIR MARKET:

LOS ALAMOS A carefully curated open air artisan and farm market. Features great vintage finds, handwoven and hand dyed textiles, hand-spun yarn, organic body care products, and locally grown organic eats. Second Saturday of every month, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. (805) 722-4338. Sisters Gifts and Home, 349 Bell Street, Los Alamos.

SIPPIN’ SUNDAYS Every Sunday, come cozy up inside the tasting room and listen to great artists. Sundays, 1-4 p.m. Free. (805) 937-8463. cottonwoodcanyon.com. Cottonwood Canyon Vineyard And Winery, 3940 Dominion Rd, Santa Maria.

TACO TUESDAY Tuesdays, 5-8 p.m. Wine Stone Inn, 255 W. Clark Ave., Orcutt, (805) 332-3532, winestoneinn.com/.

THURSDAY EVENING BAR TAKEOVER

Call venue or visit website to find out about featured vintners. Thursdays stellerscellar.com. Steller’s Cellar, 405 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt.

WINE AND DESIGN CLASSES Check

Wine and Design’s Orcutt website for the complete list of classes, for various ages. ongoing Varies. wineanddesign.com/ orcutt. Wine and Design, 3420 Orcutt Road, suite 105, Orcutt.

LOMPOC/VANDENBERG

HEAD GAMES TRIVIA AND TACO

TUESDAYS CLASH Don’t miss Head Games

Trivia at COLD Coast Brewing Company every Tuesday night. Teams can be up to 6 members. Earn prizes and bragging rights. Kekas will be serving their delicious local fare. Fun for all ages. Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m. Free. (805) 819-0723. coldcoastbrewing. com. COLD Coast Brewing Company, 118 W Ocean Ave., Lompoc.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

ITALIAN CATHOLIC FEDERATION MARDI

GRAS FISH FRY The St. Patrick’s Italian Catholic Federation is hosting a Mardi Gras Fish Fry dinner. Take-out food will be available. Feb. 28 4-7 p.m. $10-$20. St. Patrick’s Church, 501 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande, stpatsag.org.

MONTHLY FERMENTATION CLASSES

New topics each month with a thorough demo and explanation of the process that creates non-alcoholic, probiotic, and nutrient-dense fermentations. Leave the class confident and prepared with recipes to make your own at home. Limited seating; reserve spot prior to class by phone/email. Second Sunday of every month, 3:30-5 p.m. $30. (805) 8016627. kulturhausbrewing.com/classes/. Kulturhaus Brewing Company, 779 Price St., Pismo Beach.

TRIVIA NIGHT Join BrainStew Trivia for a hilariously witty evening of trivia in Pismo. Teams of 1 to 4 people. Prizes awarded to

the first and second place teams. Kitchen is open until 7:30 p.m. for brain fuel. Beer, cider, wine, and non-alcoholic options available. First Thursday of every month, 6:30-8 p.m. Free to play. (805) 295-6171. kulturhausbrewing.com. Kulturhaus Brewing Company, 779 Price St., Pismo Beach.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

IMPROV COMEDY SHOWS All the improv you see will be on the spot from your audience suggestions. First Thursday of every month, 6 p.m. (805) 540-8300. my805tix.com. Bang the Drum Brewery, 1150 Laurel Lane, suite 130, San Luis Obispo.

PIÑATAS ON THE PATIO What is more festive than a piñata? Join for some brunch drinks and a couple of good hits to a piñata (or two). Good times and goofy prices promised. Turns will be determined on a first come, first served basis. First Sunday of every month Free. SLO Public Market, South Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo.

SLO GRANGE HALL PANCAKE

BREAKFAST Join the SLO Grange Hall for a good old-fashioned pancake breakfast. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, juice and coffee; all for a low suggested donation price of $10, with proceeds to benefit SLO Grange Hall 639. Second Sunday of every month, 8-11 a.m. $10. (805) 543-0639. San Luis Obispo Grange Hall, 2880 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

MUSIC

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS

HAPPY HOUR MUSIC SERIES Enjoy live music at the winery most Friday evenings. Check site for concert schedule. Fridays presquilewine.com. Presqu’ile Winery, 5391 Presqu’ile Dr., Santa Maria, (805) 937-8110.

LADIES NIGHT OUT Music by DJ Van Gloryious and DJ Panda. Features delicious daiquiri specials. Thursdays, 8 p.m.-midnight Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, (805) 623-8866.

LIVE MUSIC AND FOOD BY LOBO

BUTCHER SHOP Check out live music every Friday night from a variety of artists at Steller’s Cellar in Old Orcutt. Dinner served by Lobo Butcher Shop between 5 and 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 5-9 p.m. Varies according to food options. (805) 623-5129. stellerscellar.com. Steller’s Cellar, 405 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt.

LIVE MUSIC AT STELLER’S CELLAR

Various local musicians rotate each Friday. Fridays, 6-8:30 p.m. Free. Steller’s Cellar, 400 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt, (805) 623-5129, stellerscellar.com.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

GATSBY GALA

MUSIC AT ROSCOE’S KITCHEN Live DJ and karaoke every Friday and Saturday night. Featured acts include Soul Fyah Band, DJ Nasty, DJ Jovas, and more. Fridays, Saturdays, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, (805) 623-8866.

MUSIC LESSONS AT COELHO ACADEMY

BLÜ EGYPTIAN RETURNS TO FROG AND PEACH PUB West Coast jamband Blü Egyptian is set to return to Frog and Peach Pub to deliver a groovy set of blended funk, Latin, reggae, bluegrass, and rock ‘n roll beats. For ages 21 and over. Feb. 28 9-11:55 p.m. Free. bluegyptianband.com. Frog and Peach Pub, 728 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 595-4764.

LIBERTINE PRESENTS: SKIPPING BREAKFAST WITH THE HUMMINGBIRDS Join these two bands at this 21 and over show. The night will also be the welcoming party for the SLO Comedy Festival. Feb. 27, 8-11:55 p.m. Free. Libertine Brewing Company, 1234 Broad St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 5482337, libertinebrewing.com.

LIVE MUSIC FROM GUITAR WIZ BILLY FOPPIANO AND MAD DOG Join “Guitar Wiz” Billy Foppiano and his trusty side kick Mad Dog for a mix of blues, R&B, and more. Saturdays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (805) 544-2100. Bon Temps Creole Cafe, 1819 Osos Street, San Luis Obispo, bontempscreolecafe.com.

Learn to play piano, drums, guitar, base, ukulele, or violin, or take vocal lessons. (805) 925-0464. coelhomusic.com/ Lessons/lessons.html. Coelho Academy of Music, 325 E. Betteravia Rd., Santa Maria. SUNDAY NIGHT FUN End the weekend with some good vibes. Music by DJ Van Gloryious. Sundays, 8 p.m.-midnight Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, (805) 623-8866.

BRASS MASH: FIRST FRIDAY First Fridays are magical nights filled with the vibrant energy of an all-horn band. Join the festivities at Liquid Gravity and immerse yourself in the unique fusion of your favorite rock and pop songs. First Friday of every month, 6-10 p.m. my805tix.com. Liquid Gravity, 675 Clarion Court, San Luis Obispo.

THE WEARING OF THE GREEN DANCE

Get groovy at this dance event. Visit site for more info. March 9, 1:30-4 p.m. Free. (775) 813-5186. RiptideBB.com. Featuring Riptide Big Band. Free admission thanks to grant funding by the Community Foundation of San Luis Obispo County. March 9, 1:30-4 p.m. Free. (775) 813-5186. RiptideBB.com. Elwin Mussell Senior Center, 510 Park Ave., Santa Maria.

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

CENTRAL COAST JAZZ GUITAR FEST

A weekend of listening and learning. Featuring classes, artists, concerts, exhibitors, jam sessions, and more. Feb. 28 - March 2 my805tix.com. Santa Ynez Valley Marriott, 555 McMurray Road, Buellton.

LIVE MUSIC SUNDAYS Sundays, 2-6 p.m. Brick Barn Wine Estate, 795 W. Hwy 246, Buellton, (805) 686-1208, brickbarnwineestate.com.

WINE DOWN WEDNESDAYS Wednesdays, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Brick Barn Wine Estate, 795 W. Hwy 246, Buellton, (805) 686-1208, brickbarnwineestate.com.

LOMPOC/VANDENBERG

KARAOKE AT COLD COAST BREWING

CO. Pick out a song, bring your friends, and get ready to perform. Wednesdays, 6-9 p.m. COLD Coast Brewing Company, 118 W Ocean Ave., Lompoc, (805) 819-0723, coldcoastbrewing.com.

THE BUNKER SLO PRESENTS BRYNN ALBANESE: CD RELEASE PARTY Visit site for tickets and more info on this upcoming release party. March 1 2-4 p.m. my805tix.com. The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Road, San Luis Obispo.

CAL POLY ARAB MUSIC ENSEMBLE WINTER CONCERT The concert will feature world-class guest artists and a dance troupe that sets the music in motion with original choreographies and beautiful costuming. The group will perform selections of Arab art, popular and folk music, and more. March 1 7:30 p.m. $17 and $22 general; $12 students. (805) 756-4849. music.calpoly.edu/ calendar/ame/. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

CAL POLY INSTRUMENTAL STUDENT

RECITAL A free recital presented by Cal Poly Music Department student instrumentalists. March 4 7:30 p.m. Free. (805) 756-2406. music.calpoly.edu/ calendar/free/. Cal Poly Davidson Music Center, Room 218, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Spread the word!

Send event information to calendar@ santamariasun.com.

LONESOME ACE STRINGBAND AT THE HISTORIC OCTAGON BARN CENTER Listen as The Lonesome Ace Stringband bridges oldtime, bluegrass, and folk traditions into a seamless hybrid of original music. Hear them live by getting tickets at the link. Feb. 27 7-9 p.m. $20 - $30. (805) 235-2874. eventbrite.com. Octagon Barn Center, 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo.

NORTH BY NORTH LIVE Described as an “indie, alternative rock power duo,” North by North is set to hit the stage with support from Big Sierra and The Dirty Deluxe. Get tickets and more info at the link. Feb. 27, 6 p.m. $13. my805tix.com. Liquid Gravity Brewing Company, 675 Clarion Ct., San Luis Obispo, (805) 457-4677.

SHANE SMITH AND THE SAINTS LIVE Texas-based band will play live at this all-ages performance. March 1 , 7 p.m. $26. The Fremont Theater, 1035 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 546-8600, fremontslo.com.

SNAKE FATHER, CULTIST, COLD HEARTS Presented by GS3events. March 5, 6 p.m. my805tix.com. Humdinger Brewing (SLO), 855 Capitolio Way, suite 1, San Luis Obispo, (805) 781-9974.

ZEPPARELLA: THE LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE Join the all-female American tribute band, Zepparella, as they bring the famous songs of Led Zeppelin to town. Visit site for tickets and more info. Feb. 27 7 p.m. $28. Rod & Hammer Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, (805) 543-1843, slobrew.com.

YOUTH OPEN MIC NIGHT A fun, welcoming environment for first time performers and an opportunity for kids and teens to showcase their talent. Prizes awarded every month for Outstanding Performer. Last Friday of every month, 6-8 p.m. certainsparks.com/. Certain Sparks Music, 107 S. H St., Lompoc.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

FRANKIE MORENO: BLUE SUEDE TUNES Hailing from Santa Cruz, Moreno will perform his unique blend of rock ‘n roll and blues. Visit site for tickets and more info. March 2 , 7 p.m. $45. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande, (805) 489-9444, clarkcenter.org.

CAL POLY VOCAL STUDENT RECITAL A free recital presented by Cal Poly Music Department student vocalists. March 6, 7:30 p.m. Free. (805) 756-2406. music. calpoly.edu/calendar/free/. Cal Poly Davidson Music Center, Room 218, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

COMA PHASE TOUR Presented by Central Coast Music Productions and Anomaly House. Visit site for full lineup and tickets. March 1 6 p.m. $10-$15. my805tix.com. Humdinger Brewing (SLO), 855 Capitolio Way, suite 1, San Luis Obispo, (805) 781-9974.

CUESTA WIND ENSEMBLE AND SLO WIND ORCHESTRA PRESENT: SYMPHONIC SPECTACLE Join conductor Jennifer Martin, the Cuesta Wind Ensemble, and SLO Wind Orchestra as they present their spring joint concert. March 2 , 3 p.m. $10-$32. (805) 546-3198.

THE GRADUATES: THE SOUND OF SIMON & GARFUNKEL An energetic and heartwarming salute to the music of Simon & Garfunkel. With songs such as “Mrs. Robinson,” “The Sound Of Silence,” and more. March 1 , 7:30-10:30 p.m. $39.50-$64.50. (805) 489-9444. clarkcenter.org/shows/the-graduates/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

Harold J. Miossi CPAC at Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

KARAOKE EVERY WEDNESDAY A weekly event with barbecue offerings and more. Wednesdays, 4-8 p.m. Rancho Nipomo BBQ, 108 Cuyama Ln., Nipomo, (805) 925-3500.

MARK HUMMEL’S BLUES HARMONICA

BLOWOUT Since 1991, blues harmonica master Mark Hummel has assembled the finest blues musicians and taken them on the road. This year’s lineup includes Curtis Salgado, Rick Estrin, Nick Moss, Dennis Gruenling, Rodrigo Mantovani, Wes Starr, Bob Welsh and, of course, Hummel himself. Feb. 27, 7:30-10:30 p.m. $34-$54. (805) 489-9444. clarkcenter.org/shows/ blues-harmonica-blowout/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

DELFEAYO MARSALIS AND THE UPTOWN JAZZ ORCHESTRA: UPTOWN ON MARDI GRAS DAY. A member of The First Family of Jazz and an NEA Jazz Master, Delfeayo Marsalis will lead the vibrant Uptown Jazz Orchestra in a performance that is “full of the joy and soul of NOLA.” March 6 7:30 p.m. (805) 756-4849. calpolyarts.org. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo.

THE EXPENDABLES LIVE Blending ska, surf rock, and reggae, The Expendables have an impressive discography. Join the band on their 25-year anniversary tour. This is an 18 and over show. March

6, 8 p.m. $40. Rod & Hammer Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, (805) 5431843, slobrew.com.

FANTASTIC NEGRITO LIVE Fantastic Negrito has over the years blended R&B, blues, and roots music into his personal sound. Hear him perform live at this 18 and over event. March 2 7 p.m. $40. Rod & Hammer Rock, 855 Aerovista Pl., San Luis Obispo, (805) 543-1843, slobrew.com.

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY BACK PAGES BAND: FREE AFTERNOON PARTY SHOW This San Luis Obispobased dance band is set to play an eclectic mix of classic rock, blues, and country music originating from the 1960s to present day. March 1 , 2-5 p.m. Free. thesirenmorrobay.com/. The Siren, 900 Main St., Morro Bay, (805) 225-1312. BLUES AGENDA JAM AND SHOWCASE A rockin’ blues dance party at Niffy’s Merrimaker every first, third, and now fifth Wednesdays. The Blues Asylum house band welcomes local, visiting, and newcomers to the blues groove. Spirits, beer, and wine, with outside food welcome. Every other Wednesday, 7-10 p.m. Free. (805) 235-5223. The Merrimaker Tavern, 1301 2nd Street, Los Osos. THE GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING REBIRTH BRASS BAND The music of Rebirth Brass Band pays homage to the New Orleans brass band tradition, all while infusing their own combination of jazz, funk, soul, and R&B. Get tickets and more information at the link. March 5 7-10 p.m. $30. thesirenmorrobay.com. The Siren, 900 Main St., Morro Bay, (805) 225-1312.

MASON JENNINGS LIVE Head to the Siren to join Minneapolis songwriter Mason Jennings for a night of live music. Visit site for tickets and more info. Feb. 28 7:30-10:30 p.m. $31. thesirenmorrobay. com/. The Siren, 900 Main St., Morro Bay, (805) 225-1312.

PUNK NIGHT FEATURING CARRY THE 9, BUNKER CLUB, AND OUT OF THE RING Head to the Siren for a night of high energy and punk music from three distinguished bands. Head to the link to get tickets and more info to this show, for ages 21 and over. March 1 , 7:30-10:30 p.m. $14. thesirenmorrobay.com/. The Siren, 900 Main St., Morro Bay, (805) 225-1312. m

ARTS BRIEFS

Solvang Theaterfest announces new board executives and concert plans

In mid-February, Solvang Theaterfest welcomed some new leaders on its executive board.

Solvang Theaterfest Executive Director Chantel Green said in press materials that each individual is bringing “invaluable experience and enthusiasm to help guide our organization forward.”

The new additions to Solvang Theaterfest’s leadership team are Board Chair Don Conner, Vice Chair Brad Vidro, Treasurer Brooke Blunt, Secretary Harvey Green, Assistant Director Terri Simmons, and Logan Howard—a newly elected member of the nonprofit’s board of directors.

According to press materials, Howard is a partner attorney at Lawvex, and “an expert in business, trusts and estates, and real estate law, and is passionate about supporting nonprofits in navigating complex legal landscapes.”

With a background in finance and “a genuine passion for community development,” Chair Conner brings “strategic insight and a heartfelt commitment to ensuring the Theaterfest’s continued success,” according to press materials.

Vice Chair Vidro has a background in public service and “deep community ties,” while Treasurer Blunt (pictured) is a certified public accountant with extensive experience in nonprofit accounting. Her “commitment to fiscal responsibility will ensure the Theaterfest’s financial health and sustainability.”

A former educator with a passion for community engagement, Secretary Harvey Green has “a wealth of knowledge in communication and organizational efficiency,” according to press materials.

Assistant Director Simmons’ “experience in theater and community service will play a key role” in supporting the Theaterfest’s efforts.

“We are thrilled to welcome such a talented group of leaders to our executive board,” Chantel Green said in press materials.

Among the upcoming events organized by Solvang Theaterfest this year, an anticipated concert on April 5 will bring Grammy Award-winning band Ozomatli to the Solvang Festival Theater’s outdoor stage.

Known for its energetic blend of Latin, hip-hop, jazz, and funk, Ozomatli is set to deliver “a high-energy, unforgettable experience for all attendees,” according to press materials.

“Their unique sound will undoubtedly energize our community,” Chantel Green said in press materials. “We are excited to bring Ozomatli to our stage and continue our mission of presenting diverse, dynamic performances.”

For more info on the concert and other programs hosted by Solvang Theaterfest, call (805) 686-1789, visit solvangtheaterfest.org, or email info@solvangtheaterfest.org.

To find out about the Pacific Conservatory Theatre’s (PCPA) lineup of outdoor productions slated to hit the Solvang Festival Theater’s stage this summer, call (805) 922-8313 or visit pcpa.org. m

Center stage

Art Group holds spring exhibit at the Clark Center for the Performing Arts

BY CALEB WISEBLOOD

Creating figures with noticeably long legs is no tall order for Nipomo-based painter Jewel DeMoss.

“Everybody loves long legs,” DeMoss said in between sips of chai at Banner Coffee Company in Arroyo Grande.

DeMoss’ portfolio is full of abstracts and figurative pieces, and the latter usually contain humans or animals with legs for days—especially when she’s painting horses, each with four towering limbs that extend their upper torsos to the top of the paintings’ respective frames.

Visitors of the Clark Center for the Performing Arts during March and April will have the opportunity to spot at least one example of DeMoss’ legwork, in the form of Bluebird. Two relatively tall subjects inhabit the acrylic piece: the titular avian and one human figure.

In collaboration with the Trilogy Art Group (TAG), the Clark Center’s upcoming spring exhibition—scheduled to debut on March 1, and remain on display through April 30—will showcase figurative and abstract paintings alike from DeMoss, an active member of several artist collectives, such as the Santa Barbara Art Association and TAG.

Fellow TAG member and Nipomo resident Elizabeth Chaney works in both abstracts and portraits. She often finds portraits to be more challenging overall, and always rewards herself after completing one with an abstract painting session.

“After I finish a portrait, I always do an abstract,” Chaney said in an email

March gladness

interview. “I like to get really loose and free with my expression. It’s like a reward for all the discipline that is required for a portrait or mosaic. I usually have three or four paintings going at a time.”

A portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, titled Justice, and a wide abstract piece, titled Fast Forward, are among Chaney’s pieces set to be displayed during the Clark Center exhibition.

“What I wanted to convey in [Fast Forward] … is the capture of a single moment in time. As if you are on a moving train, looking out the window, and everything is speeding by. You are never going to have that moment again,” Chaney said. “Abstracts are … from an internal space for me. I can visualize something in my head and it just comes out.”

With portrait subjects—ranging from influential figures like RBG to people she knows personally— Chaney goes into detective mode and begins with “a lot of research,” the local artist explained.

“If it’s a portrait, I gather tons of photos of that person from all ages. Find out about their lives, either through talking to them personally, or people who know/knew them and/or finding facts/ stories on the internet,” Chaney said. “I condense all that information and put up lots of reference photos, much like a vision board. Once I feel I have a ‘sense’ of that person … then the fun begins.”

The wide range of styles and techniques on display in the upcoming Clark Center show reflect the diverse passions and creativity that members of TAG bring to the table every time the organization puts on a group exhibit, organizer and participating

artist Fred Ventura said over email. Known for his digital paintings, Ventura submitted two of his pieces into the show. One of them is Cardinal in Winter

“I tried to capture the striking beauty of a cardinal, with its vivid red plumage standing out against a crisp blue sky and on a snowy branch,” the Nipomo-based artist said. “I used a contrast of warm reds and cool blues to create a composition that I hope feels both nostalgic and alive. … The cardinal is a familiar sight to many Central Coasters, evoking memories of home, changing seasons, and deep-rooted connections to nature.” m

Connect with Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOLVANG THEATERFEST

BLINK AND YOU’LL MISS IT: The Trilogy Art Group’s upcoming display at the Clark Center for the Performing Arts in Arroyo Grande features artworks of various media by more than a dozen participating artists. One of them is Nipomo-based painter Elizabeth Chaney, the creator of Fast Forward.

COURTESY IMAGE BY FRED VENTURA

WINTER WINGS: Digital painter Fred Ventura “used a contrast of warm reds and cool blues” in his piece titled Cardinal in Winter

COURTESY

BLUE YAY: Local painter Jewel DeMoss has examples of both sides of her art output, ranging from figurative pieces like this one titled Blue Bird to abstract visions, on display in a new group show at the Clark Center for the Performing Arts.

COURTESY IMAGE BY ELIZABETH CHANEY

THAT’S THE TRUTH, RUTH: Local artist Elizabeth Chaney described her portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, titled Justice, as “a very intense piece. … Very relevant in our current status.”

Monkey see, monkey kill

Writer-director Osgood Perkins (Longlegs) adapts for the big screen Steven King’s 1980 short story about a supernatural murderous mechanical monkey inherited by twin brothers Bill and Hal (Christian Convery, young; Theo James, adult). The brothers become estranged but are forced to reunite when the gruesome deaths they witnessed as children start happening again. (98 min.)

Glen: This is such a signature Stephen King story: set in Maine, with an adult narrator recalling his youth, and an object imbued with occult powers. The film opens with the boys’ father, airline pilot Petey Shelburn (Adam Scott), attempting to return the monkey to a pawnshop. A freak accident ensues … or was it an accident at all? Soon after, Petey disappears, leaving his wife, Lois (Tatiana Maslany), to raise the boys. Fast forward to middle school. Bill, older by a few minutes, is a bully, while Hal is meek. They soon discover the monkey among their father’s possessions in the attic and fatefully turn its windup key. More graphically horrifying freak accidents ensue. The violence is cartoonish in its absurdity, and the film is populated by incongruous characters such as Rookie Priest

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

What’s it rated? TV-MA

When? 2025

THE MONKEY

What’s it rated? R

What’s it worth, Anna? Full price

What’s it worth, Glen? Full price

Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria, Movies Lompoc, Regal Edwards Arroyo Grande

(Nicco Del Rio), who comically and ineptly presides over a funeral, or the boys’ Uncle Chip (Perkins), a self-described “swinger.” It’s a wacky ride that intentionally takes every gag too far. Anna: I walked out of this film thinking, “Stephen King had fun with this one.” While his work doesn’t always translate well onscreen, this full-on piece of absurdity is perfect for it. The monkey itself is creepy with its signature smile and twirling drumsticks, and the havoc it wreaks is even more diabolical. King is such a master at these devilish short stories, packing a punch into every scene and letting the Stephen King world be brighter, bolder, and much more frightening than everyday life. From his tales, one would think that Maine is a hotbed of the occult, insane, and downright creepy. I can see why this may not appeal to people who shy away from cartoonish gore, but as a King fan and a fan of overindulgent gore, I have to say that this one was a win for me. Hopefully this director has some more of these short stories he wants to adapt to the big screen—I’ll be watching.

Glen: It’s certainly a departure from Perkins’ last film, Longlegs, a quiet, somber humorless horror film about a rookie FBI agent trying to unravel an occult serial killing mystery. In The Monkey,

the monkey business never stops. When they’re finally reunited 25 years later, Bill is still a jerk, while Hal has a young son, Petey (Colin O’Brien), who lives with his ex-wife (Laura Mennell) and her new husband, obnoxious parenting author Ted Hammerman (Elijah Wood). Hal only sees Petey once a year, fearing he might pass on his curse to his son. Wouldn’t you know it? On what’s supposed to be their last father-son trip before Ted adopts Petey and wants Hal out of his life, the deaths resume. There’s actually a lot going on about family dynamics, and it’s fun to see Hal reach his potential while Bill turns into the loser. In the final tally, there’s both justice and resignation, because this freaking monkey cannot be destroyed!

Anna: Bill becomes the loner loser who can’t get the monkey off his mind while Hal has done everything he can to distance himself from the incessant drumbeat and death that follows. These are pretty cookie-cutter characters for King’s work, and I say that with kindness not criticism. He knows how to give us an everyman to believe in and a villain to root against. I won’t be surprised if this one gets a second viewing from me at some point. It just seemed to hit a lot of things I love. Gore, humor, and that sneaky little monkey make this film so much fun. ❍

New Times Arts Editor Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Sun Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.

Where’s it showing? Netflix was familiar with Australian wellness guru Belle Gibson. Not because I’m a follower of alternative medicine influencers, but because of the wake of her scandal and the many podcasts that followed. Gibson claims to have survived brain cancer, claims to still be battling the disease, and claims that you can heal yourself from within via diet when we meet her in this Netflix miniseries.

Actress Kaitlyn Dever stars as the grownup version of Gibson, and she does so with such panache that you almost find yourself feeling bad for Belle. But don’t, because the reallife Belle convinced actual cancer patients to forgo clinically proven treatments and focus on enemas and juicing and whole-food diets. All are fine and good, but Belle’s message is directly tied to people who died because of their decision to seek alternative care.

The story also follows Milla Blake (Alycia Debnam-Carey), also based on a real person by a different name, and Lucy (Tilda Cobham-Hervey), who’s a fan of Belle’s and a cancer patient facing her own battle. Those who know this story already will dig in deep, while those new to it will likely sit in rage afterward. (six approximately one-hour episodes)

—Anna

FLOW

What’s it rated? PG When? 2024

Where’s it showing? Max

Latvian Gints Zilbalodis ( Away ) directs this two-time Oscar-nominated animated feature he co-wrote with Matiss Kaza and Ron Dyens about a group of disparate animals trying to survive a flood There’s no dialogue at all, just incredibly beautiful animation and visual storytelling about animals that would normally be at odds with one another learning to live in harmony and behave altruistically.

The film begins by focusing on a cat that lives a seemingly solitary existence in the forest. There are signs of human life, but no humans. Is this a post-human world? In an early scene that’s repeated near the film’s end, the cat sees its reflection in the water, suggesting the dawning of self-awareness. To save itself from the flood, the cat jumps on a boat with a lethargic capybara. Later they’re joined by a ring-tailed lemur, a perpetually cheerful Labrador retriever, and a white secretary bird.

Despite its themes of cooperation between competing species, the animals still act like animals rather than anthropomorphized cartoons, and though the film is

SHOCK THE MONKEY: Hal (Christian Convery) struggles to understand what role a mechanical monkey is having in gruesome deaths, in The Monkey, playing in local theaters.

emotionally impactful, it’s not sentimental. It’s nominated for Best International Feature Film and Best Animated Feature Film, and I won’t be a bit surprised if it wins both. It’s gorgeous. (85 min.) ❍

PHOTO OF COURTESY NETFLIX

SCAMMER: Kaitlyn Dever stars as Australian wellness guru Belle Gibson, who claimed to cure her own brain cancer via diet, in Apple Cider Vinegar, streaming on Netflix.

TEAMWORK: A group of animals work together to survive a flood, in two-time Oscar nominee Flow, streaming on Max.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BALTIC CONTENT MEDIA

available locally, but they’re always categorized by color.

BY CALEB WISEBLOOD

Immediately after jarring her freshly pressed juices, Kimberly Zimmerman whisks them into her Prius and begins her delivery route, made up of doorsteps and front porches across the Santa Ynez Valley.

“We are direct-to-consumer only, meaning, we do a milk man-style delivery to people’s homes,” said Zimmerman, founder of The Juicy Life. “We pick up glass jars that have been used by the client the week before, and we wash and sanitize and reuse those jars each week, and then redeliver them back to people’s homes.”

Zimmerman uses fruits, vegetables, and other produce sourced from local growers as the rotating bases for her juice blends listed on her farm-to-jar menu, which shifts each week

depending on what ingredients are available. Her typical weekly workflow consists of collecting orders from patrons by Saturday, gathering the produce she needs on Sunday, completing her orders on Monday morning, and delivering the juices between Monday afternoon and evening.

“It’s pretty much immediate. … With juice and the high perishability of an unpasteurized juice in a glass jar, we have a very small window of time to get the juices to a doorstep and making sure they’re getting into the refrigerator at their house,” said Zimmerman, who will wait for a text confirmation that somebody’s home and available to accept their juice order before leaving.

For more info on farm-to-jar juice vendor and yoga instructor Kimberly Zimmerman’s business, The Juicy Life, visit thejuicylifeyoga.com. Zimmerman will be among the featured food and drink professionals participating at this year’s Santa Barbara County Women Winemakers and Culinarians Celebration, set to run March 6 through 9. Visit sbwomenwinemakers.com to

“Although we have had clients that we’ve worked with for years where

we’re dropping it right in their refrigerator for them,” added Zimmerman, who’s been delivering juices to residents of Solvang and other valley areas for more than a decade.

“[That’s] based on trust and developing relationships, and really just taking care of people and their health needs.”

Zimmerman is also a longtime yoga instructor, and there are plenty of instances in which her two businesses find synergy. Her approach with curating juice bases directly aligns with a core yoga tenet, for example.

“Part of what my focus was, or excitement was, in doing juice this way was to use what the farmers had a lot of extra of for a couple reasons. One, that’s specifically what’s going to be best for our bodies,” Zimmerman explained. “We study Ayurveda, which is a sister science to yoga. And the things that are growing in abundance in specific areas are the things that usually the human body that’s living in that same environment or climate would benefit from.”

She used watermelon as an example and zeroed in on the fruit’s hydrating qualities and summer prevalence to illustrate her point.

“Because watermelon is high in water, and typically it grows during summer months when it’s 100 degrees outside, and as

ELECTROLYTE-NING IN A BOTTLE: The fruit and vegetable bases behind red juice, yellow juice, black juice, and other freshly pressed juices at The Juicy Life shift depending on what ingredients are

IT TAKES A VILLAGE: Local yoga instructor and farm-to-jar juice vendor Kimberly Zimmerman uses fruits,

of it, making it less wasteful for them if they don’t have a place for that watermelon to go, but also helping the client, the customer, have the most effective, efficient, nutrient-dense, and enriching juice possible for them.”

In early March, Zimmerman will be among the featured food and drink professionals at the Santa Barbara County Women Winemakers and Culinarians Celebration. Attendees can look forward to servings of The Juicy Life’s black juice, aka “the hangover juice,” with activated charcoal, honey, lavender, lemon, and more, Zimmerman explained.

humans living in this area, we’re going to be perspiring more and needing some of the additional electrolytes and sugars that are in watermelon juice,” Zimmerman said. “So having that in the juices not only helps the farmers, because they’re going to have a ton

“It’s really great after a long day of wine tasting, [and/or] eating decadent food that you might not normally eat,” she said. “It’s very hydrating, relaxing because of the lavender in it. It has aromatherapy components to it. … It’s good for decadent experiences.” ❍

Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood is staying hydrated thanks to his Brita. Send calming comments to cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.

MEET THE MAKER: While running her weekly juice delivery operation in the Santa Ynez Valley, Kimberly Zimmerman