Despite cloudy skies that followed overnight rain, the Santa Ynez Airport drew a sizable crowd to its annual Airport Day on May 17.

Those who came to the free event at Kunkle Field off Highway 246 were greeted by a sea of aircraft on the runway, about 44 total, with pilots on hand to discuss their planes to curious onlookers.

And as in past years, the day was highlighted by the awarding of three aviation scholarship given to flight students in the Santa Ynez. The recipients were Kyle Mahon, Cristian Sotelo, and Jonas Weinman, and they were presented with their scholarship on the lawn in front of the airport office by Bill Krauch, longtime member of the Santa Ynez Airport Authority.

“We have three candidates who have been pursuing their aviation careers at their own expense,” Krauch said. “We expect this scholarships to expedite the process for them to become commercial pilots.”

Krauch also introduced two important members of the scholarship team: Jerry Long, who is the chief fundraiser for the scholarships, and Ryan McGill, a commercial airline pilot who oversees the students’ instruction.

One of the three scholarship winners, Mahon, has been an employee of the airport for two years and has had aviation in his blood.

“My father and grandfather were pilots and I’ve always just been around it,” he said. “I tried to be around it as much as possible, and one day I came to the airport to ask if they were hiring, they said they were, and I started working here. I’ve just met a lot of amazing people.”

Mahon hopes to use his scholarship to be a corporate or airline pilot for his career.

“I don’t know which way I will go on that right now, but I’ll just use this money to my advantage and see where it takes me,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sotelo has much of his training done and is close to getting his private pilot’s license.

“I’m getting the license pretty soon,” said Sotelo, who wants to pursue a career with the military or with Cal Fire. “I’m definitely toward the end of that with 40 hours done and a couple more to go, and the scholarship will go toward that. There more training for that and after that getting my instrument rating.”

While the other two recipients are working toward their licenses, Weinman has already obtained his, and his scholarship will go toward getting his instrument rating.

“The instrument rating is an attachment onto my private pilot’s license, which allows me to fly in clouds and in bad weather,” he said. “Basically, it’s being able to fly without being able to see anything outside and just going off your instruments.”

Weinman has long had an interest in aviation, but he said it was really piqued a few years ago.

“I’ve always loved planes, and I’ve always loved airports and everything,” he said. “But it really struck probably when I was around 15 years old and I went up on a ‘discovery’ flight as a passenger and really got hooked after that.”

Weinman is hoping to become a commercial pilot after all his training is done. “Yeah, I’m definitely looking at a career in the airlines,” he said.

While the aspiring aviators were getting their scholarship, down at the runway, many pilots, professional and otherwise, were engaging with crowd members on their planes.

One such plane stood just by the steps down to the tarmac; it was on display for a cause. The aircraft was part of SafeLaunch, an anti-drug program based in Santa Barbara that provides “parents and decision makers with information and support that they need to prevent adolescent drug and alcohol use before it starts,” as its website, safelaunch.org, states.

Co-founder Ron Cuff, a retired Naval aviator, was manning the group’s table in front of a white plane that doubled as a canvas of sorts as kids were invited to paint on the side of the plane, which in the window had names of youths who died from drugs. Cuff also present youths with a card containing an anti-drug pledge which he had the youths recite aloud.

“This is our 71st aviation event overall, and we’ve been to this event [in Santa Ynez] four or five times now,” Cuff said. “We have our presentation here at the table, showing how companies try to market drugs to kids with deceptive advertising. I’m all for free enterprise, but not when you try to advertise drugs and alcohol and poison our kids with it. There’s a limit to ‘free enterprise'”

Meanwhile, on the other end of the runway, another pilot used his plane to engage with people. Joey Hickox’s plane was red and white with the Chick-fil-A logo on the tail. The branding was appropriate as Hickox’s is the owner of the Chick-fil-A franchise in Santa Maria.

“I have my restaurant there, and I bought a plane and after about a year I had to repaint, so I got permission from corporate to put the logo on the tail and fly around with it,” he said. “I heard about this event and this is the first time I’ve been to this one. I love flying and was in the Air Force for 30 years, and was a good way to combine my job and my hobby.”

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During its regular meeting on Monday, May 12, the Solvang City Council discussed the viability of the Design Review Committee in the building permit process before ultimately deciding that the DRC should remain as a city committee.

Councilmember Elizabeth Orona was absent from the meeting.

The DRC was formed by the City Council in early 2021 as a successor committee to the Branding and Design Committee (BDC), and the Board of Architectural Review (BAR), which was disbanded in 2020.

However, in its Sept. 9, 2024, meeting, the council voted 3-2 to put a discussion item on a future meeting agenda on the possible elimination of the DRC. No reason was given, although some applicants had expressed to city staff that the DRC process was cumbersome and time-consuming.

In his report on the item, Solvang Planning and Building Manager Rafael Castillo stated that since the September meeting, changes in the city zoning ordinance had streamlined the application process and modified the role of the RDC. Among those changes were the codification of objective standards and elimination of subjectivity, establishment of a pre-application reviews to give the DRC flexibility, and the elimination of the requirement for DRC to review residential projects for consistency with adopted Housing Element policies.

Also in late 2023, changes to the application process introduced checklists that outlined minimum requirements for applications, helping alleviate the adversarial atmosphere between applicants and the DRC when the paperwork is incomplete.

Castillo said with these changes, DRC has been able to give clear direction to applicants, and “highly” recommended that the committee be retained.

When Councilmember Claudia Orona asked Castillo about recent feedback on the application process, Castillo said the checklist bring a “certainty” to the process with each side knowing what’s required.

Mayor David Brown stated he was one of the councilmembers in September who wanted the discussion on the RDC.

“I wanted to document the relevance, because the complaint came from a developer with difficulties in the process,” he said. “Now we’ve baked in codes, I’m for the DRC. It maintains our brand of why we’re the Best Little City in the West. I back keeping DRC.”

In public comment, Dennis Beebe wondered if, “with the state sticking its nose into our business,” the city shouldn’tgive even more influence in design decision and touched on Brown’s “Best Little City in the West” reference.

“Do you think Solvang would have won that ‘Best in the West’ award if not for the decisions of the DRC?” he stated.

DRC Chair Esther Jacobson Bates spoke to advocate for the role of her committee and complimented Castillo and his staff for objectifying and making clear the elements of design.

“With that clarification, we don’t have that adversarial role that Rafael described earlier,” she said.

After public comment, councilmembers all voiced support for keeping the RDC. As Orona put it, “If it isn’t broke, don’tfix it.”

Infanti moved for the RDC to not be eliminated, with Orona seconding. The motion passed 4-0.

In other business:  

During his Manager’s Report, City Manager Randy Murphy introduced Santa Barbara County Fire Battalion Chief Tom Himmelrich and Station 30 Capt. Andrew Weddle to brief council on the May 2 fire at the “Water Wheel Building” on 2nd Street and Molle Way.

Himmelrich said the “Molle Incident” was first reported at 5:29 a.m. that morning when two callers reported smelling smoke in downtown Solvang. Station 30, located in the same building on Oak Street as the Council Chambersresponded to the incident and arrived with the building in flames.

Himmelrich then said more engines were called, and four engines and one battalion chief answered the call. Answering questions from Infanti and Brown, he said the fire was currently under investigation and the building was a total loss.

Brown praised the firefighters for their efforts: “Thank you and your team for an awesome response and efforts to prevent damage to other buildings.”

After the item on the RDC, council voted to receive and file the Solvang Entitlement and Building Checklist.

Council unanimously passed a motion to change the name of the Measure U Citizens’ Oversight Committee to the Revenue Measures Oversight Committee.

Council agreed to table the discussion item on the city camping ordinance. The ordinance was amended in 2023 due to related court decisions in Idaho and Oregon, but those decisions have now been overturned. Brown suggested councilpostpone the item until they could properly review some “11th-hour feedback” from the county.”

With the fourth Monday of May being Memorial Day, the City Council will next meet on Tuesday, May 27, at 6:30 p.m.

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Two senior student-athletes from Santa Ynez High School are make plans for the next level.

Joined by their families, teammates, and friends, volleyball player Ben Stuerman and wrestler Santino Alvaro made their intentions known during a signing ceremony on the SYHS campus May 6. Both are headed for similar destinations: smaller NAIA schools on the West Coast.

Stuerman, team co-captain of the Pirates’ boys volleyball team that just won the CIF Central Section Division II championship, is going to Simpson University in Redding, California.

Stuerman, who also played water polo at SYHS, said he got on Simpson’s radar thanks to a couple of former teammates on Flight Academy, his club volleyball team.

“A couple of guys, my very best friends, were up there and said the coach was asking about me constantly,” he said. “I met with the coach (Steven Brasher), and he was really great. Plus, it’s a Christian school and I’m very religious, so that was awesome, and it seemed to good to be true.”

However, it was a visit to the Simpson campus that clinched it for Stuerman.

“I went up and had an amazing tour, and an amazing practice with the team,” he said. “The teammates were awesome, and the area was just really pretty. After that everything just kind of fell into place I had no doubt after the visit that I would be going there.”

Simpson is an NAIA school that competes in the California Pacific Conference with four other in-state college programs. The Red Hawks finished 7-17 overall this season, although they were .500 (4-4) within the CalPac. Stuerman said he plans to study kinesiology at the school and aspires to be a firefighter after graduation.

Alvaro, meanwhile, is coming off a high-school wrestling career that saw him win back-to-back CIF Central Section titles, having won the 126-pound championship this past February. He will continue wrestling at Southern Oregon a public university in Ashland, Oregon.

Alvaro had been hearing about SOU for awhile from a personal connection.

“My sister’s boyfriend went to school there, and she was always telling me how nice it was, and she took me for a visit,” Alvaro said. “It was really nice, and there were a lot of things to do outside of school. It’s real outdoorsy there, and I really liked that.”

The interest in Southern Oregon, as it turns out, was mutual.

“I had contacted a number of schools about joining their program,” Alvaro said. “And Southern Oregon was the one school that got back to me very quickly and showed a lot of interest.”

Alvaro said as far as a major and field of study, he is still undeclared and plans to take general requirement classes his first year while he decides.

The wrestler will be joining an SOU program that finished ninth in the NAIA Championships, it’s best finish in eight years. The Raiders had a 19-3 overall record in duals, including a 12-1 mark in the Cascade Collegiate Conference and a first-place finish in the conference championships.

Before Alvaro and Stuerman signed their letters of intent, they both took the time to thank their respective parents for their part in helping them along in this journey.

The parents of both were pleased with the schools that their sons selected.

“It’s great to see him reach this point — he’s been working toward this since he was 8 and started wrestling,” said Rudy Alvaro, Santino’s father. “We took him up to Southern Oregon and he like it right away; he’s gotten to know those guys up there and I think he’ll do well.”

With Santino ready to leave in a few months for SOU, the Alvaros are expecting more excursions up north.

“We’ll be taking trips, a lot of trips,” said his mother Tracy. “Me might even be looking at houses when we’re up there.”

For Stuerman’s parents, Shawn and Krista Sue, the process was made easier once Ben took a look at Simpson.

“It was a blast, but we just wondering what kind of school would be best for him, but once we went to Simpson we all knew that would be the best for him,” Shawn said.

“I actually went to school at Westmont [in Santa Barbara] years ago and was hoping he’d go there, too,” Shawn said laughing, “but they didn’t have a volleyball team, so that was out. However, we’re all very happy with Simpson.” 

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After months, and for some years, of anticipation, the newest building to be seen from Highway 246 now has out the welcome mat as the Chumash Museum and Cultural Center opened to the public on Thursday, May 15.

The opening culminates two decades of planning by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.

“Twenty years ago, we were an advisory committee and now we’re a board,” said Museum Chairwoman Kathleen Marshall. “It has been a journey, but we appreciate it.”

The 14,000-square-foot facility, which is located on the corner of Highway 246 and Edison Street in Santa Ynez, showcases a portion of the tribe’s collection of more than 24,000 historically significant cultural items, including baskets, musical instruments, hunting tools, ceremonial items, and regalia — highlighting the richness and diversity of Chumash culture.

A huge part of the “journey” leading to the museum’s opening was obtaining the artifacts, which was no easy feat, according to Marshall.

“Unfortunately we’ve had to purchase all our items, because they were stolen from us,” she said. “It’s been quite a process and we’ve been purchasing from personal collectors for a while, just trying to get our collection up to open a museum.”

Another feature of the museum is its unique architecture, which was designed by the award-winning Jones & Jones Architects (also designed the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.), and is anchored by large dome structures that pay homage to the Chumash people’s traditional dwellings, the tule ‘ap. Outdoors, the 3.5-acre cultural park features exhibits and over 11,000 California native plants, including nearly 100 species used by the Chumash.

Although the museum had been open for a short time on the morning of May 15, Marshall marveled at the reactions she heard from visitors.

“The expressions we see when they walk in here [to the entrance] is something to see,” she said. “I just heard someone come in here and then say ‘this is unbelievable.’ It’s reactions like that I like to hear.”

While the museum was opening to the public for the first time, Marshall said it had already been open enjoyed by tribal members for a while.

“We had our grand opening for the tribal members a few weeks ago,” she said. “Opening the doors and seeing their emotions, their tears, their family unity, has been amazing. Clearly it was important for the tribal people to see it first. It was important to let them have their time with it before we opened it to the public.”

Now that the museum is open to the public, Marshall planning how to make it a destination for people in the Valley and beyond.

“Well, we’re looking to host school groups on visits and field trips,” she said. “We’ll probably start contacting schools at the beginning of the next school year. We’ll be closed to the public in the middle of the week, so we can bring those groups in on those days.

“We also want to bring in events and outside attractions, like basket weavers and flint knappers, or do an art show. The doors are wide open, and we have all kinds of things in mind. We’ll see how it plays out.”

Early on May 15, a good crowd came through to see the exihibit and explore the outside park, and reviews were very positive.

Tony Amastres and his wife Krista, of Goleta, said they had been driving by the building for months and wondered when it would open.

“We were at the golf course and someone told us it was opening today,” Tony Amastres said. “So, we came up to see if that was true, and it was.”

The Amastreses were very pleased with what they saw.

“It’s fantastic. It’s a great thing to have here,” Tony said. “I look forward to coming back, and bringing some other people we know in Goleta.”

Tony Amastres said he enjoyed the walk-through main exhibit.

“I love the way that it transitions from the ancient history to, for lack of a better word, current era and the mission history,” he said. “It obviously has a lot geared for kids, but if you really sit there and dig through it, you get a ton of information.”

Meanwhile, Courtney Connolly of Grover Beach, was getting ready to go into the museum with her kids Ortiz, 4, and Orla, 2, who go to Acorn Village Forest School in Santa Ynez Valley.

“I’ve been waiting for it to open ever since I’ve been driving past it, and I saw it was opening day, so I decided to check it out,” she said. “I’m planning to get a membership so the kids and I can do some stuff together, and then I can come by myself and actually digest all the stuff.”

Reactions like that are what pleases Marshall and hopes they bring more people to the museum.

“We’re honored to have this, and I think people are really going to have a great experience, walking in our footsteps for a little bit,” she said. “I’d just like to tell them, ‘Come visit and learn about our people. You will learn so much about who we were and who we are.'”

The museum’s hours of operation will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, and tickets are available for purchase at www.sychumashmuseum.org. Admission is $15 for adults (18-64), $12 for seniors (65+), $12 for teens (13-17), $10 for children (3-12), $12 for military members (with ID) and free for toddlers (2 and under).

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The revised schedules include enhanced routing and the introduction of new and permanent stops to better serve the community’s needs. Among the key updates:

• New permanent stops at the Chumash Casino and the Tribal Health Clinic, offering easier access to two of the region’s most frequented destinations.
• A new stop at the Buellton Library, giving residents and visitors improved transportation options to this important community resource.

“These changes are part of our ongoing commitment to improving accessibility, reliability, and convenience for SYVT riders,” said Bridget Paris, the City of Solvang’s public works director. “We’re excited to make public transit work betterfor everyone in the Santa Ynez Valley.”

Riders can view the updated schedules and route maps at www.syvt.com or pick up a printed schedule on board any SYVT bus.

For more information, please contact SYVT Customer Service at (805) 688-5452 or info@syvt.com.

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Santa Barbara County nonprofit, Santa Ynez Valley Pride (www.SYVPride.org), is planning for the fourth annual Pride celebration to take place in the region’s various wine country towns, a multifaceted lineup of events spanning June 1-30, 2025.

“This year’s Pride theme, ‘Lead with Love,’ is about a bold and brave kind of love that requires action. It will ask us to stand up for all members of our community, especially our trans and immigrant neighbors,” said Lauren Lastra, president of SYV Pride. “It will require that we act with kindness in the face of adversity and that we garner strength and hope through community. It will empower us to create safe spaces throughout the Valley where folks can unapologetically be themselves and know that they belong here.” 

Formed in 2022, SYV Pride’s mission is to create a safe, supportive, and empowering home for the local LGBTQ+ community in the Santa Ynez Valley through the education and celebration of LGBTQ+ culture. In June 2022, SYV Pride organized and successfully completed its inaugural Pride celebration held in varied locations throughout the Santa Ynez Valley.

Pride month (2025) with SYV Pride is blasting off on Sunday, June 1, with a Pride Brunch at Brave & Maiden Estate in Santa Ynez, followed by a disco-themed Pride kick-off event at the Future Perfect Wine tasting room in Los Olivos. Beginning Tuesday, June 3, continuing each Tuesday in June, the legendary Maverick Saloon in the town of Santa Ynez will host “Gayraoke.” On Thursday, June 12, Stolpman Fresh Garage hosts “All Colors of the Rainbow,” a wine event in Los Olivos.

The month’s main attraction arrives on Saturday, June 14, as the SYV Pride Parade (11 a.m.) will roll through downtown Solvang with floats, music, and more, ending with a family-centric Pride Festival at 12 p.m. in the center of town, in and around Solvang Park (corner of Mission Drive and First Street). Festival attendees should expect a kid-friendly afternoon complete with bounce houses, face painting, vendor booths, a beer and wine garden, food vendors, and live music, including a performance by The Molly Ringwald Project and tunes by DJ Darla Bea.

The June 2025 SYV Pride celebration is open to the public with ticketed and non-ticketed events. Event updates will be announced on the SYV Pride website (www.SYVPride.org), and Instagram and Facebook feeds: @SYV.Prideand facebook.com/SYVPride. Proceeds, in part or in whole, and donations from all events will benefit SYV Pride.

SYV Pride wishes to thank sponsors and supporters, including: Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians; Farmacy Santa Ynez, Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden; Allan Hancock College; Lefty’s Coffee Co.; Rio Vista Chevrolet; and Carla & Jon Mead.

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Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital (SYVCH) is proud to announce that it has earned a 5-star rating from the National Rural Rating System (NRRS), which recognizes excellence and commitment in rural healthcare. SYVCH has also been named to the National Rural Honor Roll.

This designation is a testament to SYVCH’s dedication to delivering high-quality care and meaningful patient experiences. The NRRS evaluates hospitals based on rigorous standards, including patient satisfaction, quality of care and overall hospital performance.

“We take great pride in being a trusted source of care for the Santa Ynez Valley community,” said Katie Gorndt, vice president of Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital. “This recognition is especially meaningful because it underscores the trust our community places in us and highlights our commitment to delivering exceptional care.”

The 5-star rating reflects SYVCH’s ongoing commitment to meet the unique healthcare needs of the rural community it serves. This recognition highlights the hospital’s success in providing outstanding medical services, despite the challenges often faced by rural healthcare facilities.

The 2025 National Rural Honor Roll honorees include rural hospitals that have met the highest standards for patient experience, based on cumulative ratings submitted by Oct. 31, 2024. This annual recognition reinforces NRHA’s commitment to supporting and uplifting rural health care facilities as pillars of their communities.

Since 1964, the not-for-profit SYVCH has provided high quality outpatient surgical services, inpatient care, comprehensive imaging, on-site laboratory, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, cardiac clinic and 24- hour emergency services to the community.

The National Rural Honor Roll was created to honor rural and critical access hospitals and clinics that consistently deliver exceptional healthcare, showcasing them as leaders in patient-centered care within their communities. Facilities included on the Honor Roll receive recognition for their dedication and excellence that sets them apart, demonstrating their commitment to patient well-being. For more information visit RuralRatings.US

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Academic awards are bestowed each spring at Muhlenberg College’s annual Honors Convocation — a formal academic ceremony designed to honor and celebrate leadership and scholarly excellence in the college community. This year’s convocation was held on Sunday, April 27, in Egner Chapel.

Sydney Vogel of Santa Ynez received the Novartis Endowed Science Scholars Program Award, given to a junior or senior science major who has achieved a 3.5 or higher grade point average in the major field of study and who has clearlyindicated the intention to pursue postbaccalaureate work in the sciences leading to an advanced degree.

A graduate of Dunn School, Vogel is studying biology at Muhlenberg College.

Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is a highly selective, four-year residential, liberal arts college in the city of Allentown, Pennsylvania, with nearly 2,000 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree-seeking students. The college’s curriculum and experiences are designed to open doors to new ideas, discoveries, friendships and a lifetime of personal and intellectual growth.

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An early-morning fire engulfed an abandoned three-story building on the corner of 1st Street and Molle Way in Solvang on Friday, May 2. The building is Hans Christian Andersen Square, informally known in town as the “Water Wheel Building.”

Santa Barbara County Fire responded to a 5:29 a.m. for a structure fire, and firefighters arrived at the scene with the building already fully in flames. Originally a two-alarm fire, the incident was upgraded to a third alarm, with a strike team from the Operational Area being ordered.

“We went into defensive operations to keep the fire from spreading to adjacent building,” said County Fire PIO Scott Safechuck in a video posted on X. “[We also] evacuated a block in either direction due to the fire conditions and the heat coming off the building.”

Safechuck reported the fire was knocked down at 7:19 a.m. County Fire said an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.

The property at 1st and Molle consists of three buildings that hosted a number of shops and a museum, but has sit abandoned for over a decade.

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After taking on a science fiction air last year, with the event being on “May the 4th,” this year’s Buellton Brew Fest, the 12th annual food, drink, and fun event at River View Park took on more of a “down-home” feel.

“Bust out those cowboys hats and boots,” organizers proclaimed in the lead-up to the May 3 event, and many in the crowd followed suit with western wear evident throughout the park. Along with that, the Burbank-based band Country Nation belted out several honky-tonk hits from the main stage, and behind the audience could be found a mechanical bull, where Brew Fest attendees could test their ability to last 8 seconds on the contraption.

Entertainment on the stage also included Santa Barbara-based musician Will Breman and Santa Ynez Valley local DJ Peete.

The “country” atmosphere of the event was proving to be a success, according to Buellton Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kathy Vreeland.

“We’re getting a good turnout; it looks like we’ve got about 1,500 people here,” she said while enjoying the Country Nation concert. “We brought in some new things this year, like the mechanical bull, and more things for photo ops. Also, while we have a lot of breweries here, we also have some vendors offering non-alcoholic drinks for those who want that.”

While the event would fall under a different theme (like last year’s “Star Wars” vibe), Vreeland speculated the country theme might not be going away.

“We had some fun with the ‘Star Wars Day’ thing last year, with the event being on May 4, people really seem to be enjoying this,” she said. “We might decide to stick with this and keep it to a country theme for the next few years.”

Of course, the main attraction of the Brew Fest is the number of breweries and beverage-makers setting up shop for the public. More than 50 breweries were in the lineup for this year’s event offering up their libations.

Local standouts like Firestone Walker and Figueroa Mountain were on the grounds, along with many others from the Santa Ynez Valley. One notable business there was Solvang Brewing Company, along with it offshoot brand Sunny Fields Cider, which was serving its drinks along with some great news.

The SBC’s location on Mission Drive in Solvang has been closed since Jan. 20, when a fire gutted the kitchen and did a little damage to the smoke area. However, SBC Brewer Josh Sabin, who was manning the booth, said the location will be opening back up on May 15. 

“It’ll be great to be back,” Sabin said.

Also at the Brew Fest was a booth for The Sports Bar at Chumash, an establishment at the top floor of the Chumash Casino, serving up its exclusive Valley Fog brew.

“We just opened last year, and we’re getting the word out about the bar,” said Assistant Manager Heather Gill. “We have a big screen TV and then a bunch of them along the walls, where you can watch a lot of games at once. We also have five small kitchens around so you can pick from five different kinds of food.”

There were more things folks could do aside from imbibing — in addition to the mechanical bull, games of cornhole and giant beer pong (substituting plastic trash barrels for red Solo cups) could be played, along with a rotating camera for anyone that wanted to take a revolving selfie.

Codie Blea and Jacob Powell, of Lompoc, were in a spirited game of giant beer pong (using volleyballs) with their friends Luis Hernandez and Garrett O’Reilly, also from Lompoc. Blea said coming to the Brew Fest is a yearly thing.

“We always enjoy coming over here for this,” he said. “It’s just a chance to get outside and enjoy some refreshment. We always have a great time here.”

Also enjoying the atmosphere in the food-truck area were longtime locals like Ron and Kim Williams, who were with Vickie and Matt Mendenhall, all sporting their best cowboy hats.

“I’m actually working the event, and it’s just good to see people coming to see what Buellton has to offer,” she said.

Across the table from the Williamses and the Mendenhalls were Vanessa Ando, Penny Patel, and Britney Carranza. The three were there to celebrate Ando’s birthday.

“We’re all from Santa Maria, and we thought this was an excellent place to celebrate Vanessa’s birthday,” she said. “Buellton’s always a lot of fun.”

The 2025 Buellton Brew Fest was presented by Rio Vista Chevrolet, with additional sponsors including Chumash Casino Resort, Mechanics Bank, Jim Vreeland Ford, Buellton Chamber of Commerce, Sable Offshore, Farm Supply Company, 805 Selfie Booth, En Fuego Events, GPM Pavement Management, UVA Design Studio, Allan Hancock College, 13 Stars Media, First American Title, and Marborg Industries.

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