Second half of 2025 began with fireworks, ended with an afternoon countdown
PART TWO OF TWO
The Santa Ynez Valley spent 2025 maintaining a lot of traditions, welcoming its usual crowds of tourists while trying to keep the things that make the area livable for its residents. Longtime annual events like Danish Days, the 4th of July fireworks show, and Julefest continued to roll along, while newer yearly staples like Buellton’s Fall Fest, the Holiday Lights Festival and the Viking Classic Car Show in Solvang solidified their footprints into the local culture. Cities also saw some transition, and people looked to the future with projects taking shape and (hopefully) moving slowly but surely. Here’s a look at 2025 for the Santa Ynez Valley, from Month 7 to 12.
July
The seventh month of the year kicked off with, of course, the Fourth of July parade and the annual fireworks show at Mission Santa Ines. The parade came off beautifully over sunny skies, taking on the theme of “Anything is Possible in America,” to celebrate the country’s 249th birthday. The day and evening was topped off by the city’s annual fireworks show that night after attendees enjoyed activities, food, and live music until the sun went down, and local pyrotechnician Kief Adler took care of the fireworks.
Also during the month, Highline Adventures, the outdoor park between Buellton and Solvang, introduced its new feature, Skynet Playground, an elevated netted zone designed for safe climbing and bouncing for all ages. Meanwhile, the Buellton City Council approved the establishment of a private school, Hundred Hills School, by the new library, after a contentious meeting with both advocates and opponents speaking out.
August
The month began with the naming of Santa Ynez High student Addie Madrid as 2025’s Danish Maid, who would preside over the city’s Danish Days festival in September. Addie, 17, was the fourth in her family to earn the title, after her grandmother, mother, and older sister served as Danish Maids.
Santa Ynez High made news by announcing a new sport, girls flag football would be making its debut in the fall, with Hannah Wright and Maddie Quiroga, both SYHS grads serving as co-head coaches. With school also opening for session in August, the SYHS football team began its season with a big win over Dos Pueblos. In other news, national politics was at center stage on Aug. 16, as local protesters in Solvang took part in a nationwide “Protect Our Checks” demonstration against President Trump’s proposed policies on Social Security.
September
Like every year, September is noted for its annual Danish Days, a three-day festival celebrating the city’s culture. As Danish Maid Addie Madrid presided, crowds enjoyed several activities, including folk dancing, and, of course the popular aebleskiver eating contests held on Saturday and Sunday. Another local staple, the Cars and Cowboys car show, found itself at a new site, Rancho San Marcos Golf Course, and offered many great vehicles to view and good food, all to raise money for Buellton’s Meals on Wheels.
Also in September, two local citizens took on important jobs. Carla Mead was sworn in as Buellton’s new City Councilmember after winning a special election in August, and Tori Martinez was promoted to SYHS principal — with Kimberly Sheehan remaining as district superintendent.
October
Santa Ynez Valley communities ended the month with frights and fun, as Solvang again put on its latest haunted house production at the Solvang Festival Theater for the second year in a row, while Santa Ynez had it’s own program on Sagunto Street, featuring a costume contest and movie viewings. All this after a month of pumpkin patches doing business and businesses putting up their displays for the Scarecrow Fest.
Meanwhile, another event that’s becoming an October staple, the Viking Classic Car Show, took place for the third year with 250 entries being displayed on Solvang streets. Also, Solvang, nearing 40 years as an incorporated city, held its State of the City address, noting its dedication to tourism, but also that it needs to serve the people who are there year-round.
November
Buellton celebrated its big (and getting bigger) annual event, the Fall Fest for the fifth time, which according to organizers was the most successful one yet. Avenue of Flags was awash with carnival rides, food booths, vendors, and activity. Oh yes, and music too, as two stages provided live entertainment all day for three days, with reggae legend Paco Banton a highlight on the Saturday night show.
A couple of other annual events happened also: Veterans Day came and a ceremony was again held at the Solvang Veterans Hall honoring those who served, while a crowd looking to start off Thanksgiving morning on an energetic note took part in the Turkey Trot at Sunny Fields Park in Solvang. In other news, the effort to get a new aquatic center built on the campus of SYHS got some help and both the Solvang and Buellton City Councils pledged money toward the effort.
December
The last month of the year arrived, and for Solvang, that meant Julefest, the weeks-long celebration of Christmas and New Year’s. The city got it kicked off with its tree lighting on the first Friday of December, with the usual holiday entertainment, and its Christmas parade the next day. However, Solvang wasn’t the only city doing Christmas stuff: Santa Ynez, Buellton, and Los Olivos had their own trees lit, with Buellton really doing it up with its Winter Fest that offered a large patch of manmade snow, along with rides, food, Santa, and the adjacent Holiday of Lights at the SYV Botanical Garden.
Later in the month, the Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church reminded us of “the reason for the season,” with its annual Solvang Nativity Pageant, retelling the story of Christ’s birth, and then Solvang rang in the New Year a little early on the afternoon of Dec. 31 with the Copenhagen Countdown, as the crowd celebrated 2026 at 3 p.m., the same time it hit New Year’s in Copenhagen, Denmark, amid a spirited concert by local band favorite The Molly Ringwald Project.
Here’s wishing a fantastic 2026 to all in the Santa Ynez Valley.
