publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com

Solvang’s newest family-style festival drew 10,000 to 12,000 people to the downtown area Nov. 15-17 for a weekend of carnival rides, games, live music and food vendors, earning plenty of fans but a number of detractors in its first year.

In response, city officials and the Solvang Fall Festival’s promoter have promised to listen to complaints, mostly from downtown business owners, and avoid similar problems if the festival returns next year.

The social media feeds of countless people were clogged over that weekend with photos of a huge Ferris wheel on Copenhagen Drive, kids on carnival rides, and other youth performing in the Battle of the Teenage Bands.

“It was great seeing how many families that came out to enjoy the weekend. I ran into a family with four generations all together having fun, which was great. I got to see people I haven’t seen since high school,” said Solvang Mayor Ryan Toussaint.

Solvang resident Mikki Robinson said she wished this event had been around while she was growing up here, and her kids had a blast.

“I felt like there was activities for the kids to do, especially the teens, which most of our valley’s festivals lack,” Robinson said.

The headline part of the event was the concert featuring local-grown band The Mad Caddies, who drew thousands of people to Solvang Park on Saturday night. Santa Barbara-based band Jumpstart won the Battle of the Teenage Bands, with valley band Sweatervest in a close second.

“I thought it was the most fun we’ve ever had at a hometown show. It was so great to see the whole community out having a good time. Peace, love, respect and dancing, that’s what our band represents,” said Chuck Robertson, front man for the Mad Caddies.

Toussaint said that despite the great reception by many people, he is also hearing from local businesses about how the event hurt their revenue profits during one of the busiest times of the year. He encouraged those business owners to talk about their experience and provide feedback about how the event could be improved if it returns for next year.

“While we know that not all the events we have care of the local merchants, this one we really felt hit a lot of markers in giving people opportunities to shop and dine locally,” Toussaint said.

He encouraged merchants to email council@cityofsolvang.com and list what they liked, didn’t like or what improvements they suggest.

Not all local business people were critical of the first-time event.

“Whether it directly aided our business or not, bringing 10,000 people to town two weekends before Thanksgiving is a feat, and we are supportive and grateful for the town’s efforts to reach out to a wider base. It’s always tricky to navigate the needs of businesses, parking, locals, and tourists, but they made the effort,” said Anjie Park of Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards and Toccata.

Park said Lucas & Lewellen’s sales were slightly below average, and Toccata had no sales at all during the weekend.

“The organizers chose a slow weekend (unlike the bike race the weekend before that closed the streets on Veteran’s Day weekend), and the activity in town at this time of year will bring attention to the area as a fun family town with a lot going on,” Park added.

Cecco owner David Ceccinni said initially he did not want to participate as there wasn’t much time to promote the event, and his Friday sales were dismal. He said after city officials asked him to participate he was glad he did. as Saturday and Sunday his sales were the best he’s ever had.

“I know not everyone experienced this. which is frustrating, and I really hope if this event comes back they will make adjustments,” Ceccinni said.

Ron and Julie Palladino of Renaissance Antiques, in a letter to the Star, said they have heard that several of the businesses in the retail district were hurt by the event, and they encouraged the council to reconsider where similar events take place in the future.

They said they loved the concept of the event, as it drew families to town, and they said organizers were very helpful, but they lost revenue heading into the key holiday season.

Palladino said their revenue fell more than 82 percent compared to last year during the same weekend, from more than $21,000 in sales to $3,783.

“County fair-style events like this belong in places somewhere on the outskirts of town, where participants can enjoy the carnival without strangling the village by eliminating half of the parking spaces, blocking off major streets and barricading sidewalks, making it almost impossible for visitors to access the businesses that have created, nurtured and supported the existence of Solvang, its economic health and culture,” Ron Palladino wrote.

Palladino added that most of the businesses liked the concept of a family festival, but the location should be moved to the Mission Santa Ines lawn or Solvang Veterans Memorial Hall.

“The impact of this event on Solvang businesses was devastating to many and hurtful to most others. Three days of diminished revenue not only negatively affects the wellbeing and survival of our business community, but diminishes the (city’s) tax revenues substantially by lost sales and income,” Palladino said.

The owner of Sort This Out Cellars, which was directly behind the Ferris wheel, said a simple sign on the barricades saying businesses were open could have helped.

“Friday was horrible, Saturday was steady, but two weeks in a row with the streets closed doesn’t do us any good,” said owner Michael Cobb.

Michael Mendizza, who owns ZFolio, Solvang Olive Press and Solvang Flavors, said he lost between $5,000 and $8,000 in weekend revenue.

Jennifer Soni, winemaker and owner of Lion’s Peak, was similarly concerned.

“I have supported every endeavor the city has done, but I had no idea there would be a giant carnival ride outside my business, and I was greatly impacted. I did almost no sales, and someone nearly bled out in front of my business Friday night,” she said.

A police report said a 33-year-old Santa Maria man punched out the window of Ingeborg’s chocolate shop, cutting himself severely, and then left a trail of blood down to the Lion’s Peak tasting room. Daniel Meza was arrested and the case referred to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s office. It was not clear whether Meza was in town for the festival.

Soni said she averages at least $5,000 on a typical weekend but did no sales at all on Friday, then $300 on Saturday and $600 on Sunday.

“How am I supposed to make my $4,000 a month rent? The question the business owners and city should be asking themselves is, who are they marketing to? After this bit of closing off Copenhagen, I am done with that. Find another location,” she said.

Event organizer Andres Nuno said that he was very upset to hear that business owners had lost revenue. He said he worked diligently to make sure they were all involved, inviting every business to have a booth for free in the street fair.

“The businesses we are seeing that lost revenue did not participate in the event at all. I personally will go to every business who had a negative effect and see what I can do for next year to ensure this doesn’t happen,” Nuno said.

At a recent Solvang City Council meeting, Nuno said his company will give back the $25,000 that the city paid to defer upfront costs.

“We are also giving a check for $2,000 to the Solvang Arts and Music program,” he said.

Nuno said his goal for this first fall festival was to break even, and he said he profited some from the event by getting two more event jobs from local organizations.

“This event should be about bringing the community together and supporting local businesses as they head into the holiday season. Hopefully we will be back next year to make it better than this year,” Nuno said.

The Solvang City Council discussed the event further at a public meeting Nov. 25. Video of all council meetings can be seen by searching www.youtube.com for Solvang City TV.

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SYV Star Intern

A new store that sells everything from hand-made potpourri bags to crystal hangings has opened in Solvang.

Nancy Schulte launched the new business called Fairy and Frog in early May. The whimsical store sells “enchanting delights” ranging from fairy-themed décor to chocolates and teas.

Schulte owned a similar business in Santa Barbara before, but it closed nearly 10 years ago. She had been looking for an opportunity to open another store ever since.

“I saw a listing for a place in Solvang and I had never thought about opening up a store here, but the timing was right, so I went for it,” she said.

Some of the merchandise in the store is made by Schulte. There is a work space set up in the shop where she can design wreaths and other arrangements to sell.

“I always wanted to have my very own little store and share the things I love,” she said. “If you get to surround yourself with the things you love like this, you’re pretty lucky.”

Schulte had a grand opening the weekend of June 29 that included a 20 percent off sale. She plans to host similar events in the future, including holiday sales and other seasonal celebrations.

Fairy and Frog is at 1607 Mission Drive, No. 109, in Solvang. It is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com

Amy Freedman remembers going to Stafford’s Chocolates as a child with her family on special occasions in her hometown of Porterville. She loved the way the chocolate smelled, and the taste still reminds her of afternoons after church.

This Swedish candy stick was invented in 1859 by Amalia Eriksson in Granna, Sweden, and remains a popular candy tradition in Sweden.

“My family had no background in chocolate making, but when the Stafford family wanted to move on, it was really my brother’s dream that we all decided to help out with,” Freedman said.

Stafford’s Chocolates was taken over by her brother Ben Taylor and family in 2011, and it has had a big presence in Los Olivos in the small water tower next to the coffee shop for the past several years. They wanted a chance to expand but were waiting for the right opportunity.

“When we learned that the Liljeblad family wanted to go back to personal training instead of making Polkatwists (a traditional Swedish candy) we thought it would be a great chance to get into Solvang and bring our two unique candies companies together,” Freedman said.

Ubbe and Edle Liljeblad opened the Swedish Candy Factory in December 2016, and they believe it is the only place in the United States that makes the popular Swedish treat. This candy has been made in Sweden since 1859, originated by a woman named Amalia Eriksson. In Sweden, the Polkagris is so well known that everyone travels to a little town named Gränna to watch the making of the candy and get their own piece of the magic.

“We officially took over in February after going through an extensive training on how to make the polkatwists in the proper fashion. I love that our table is next to the window so as people walk by they can watch it being made and experience the magic,” Freedman said.

It is not considered a true Polkatwist unless the bakers roll out the dough on a wooden table made from planks from a bowling alley. Just as in Gränna, they roll their Polkatwists on such a table in Solvang.

Freedman said their mother’s side of the family is Swedish, so it was fitting they would operate a Swedish candy company. They plan to close the Los Olivos location and bring all their inventory to Solvang. There are big plans for the future, including polkatwist-making workshops and private parties.

Follow them on social media or sign up for their newsletter at www.swedishcandyfactory.com.

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publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com

Space VR in Solvang has been entertaining people of all ages for a year in “virtual worlds” that range from saving the planet to lying on the bottom of the ocean to watch whales swim by.

“Virtual reality is fun for any age level, and it really is fun. I had a few senior gentlemen come in and play golf, as their physical selves couldn’t get onto the green anymore. They come in regularly to enjoy a round,” said Jaime Baker, owner of Space VR.

Virtual reality is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment that people can interact with in a physical, seemingly real, way by using special equipment. Customers wear headsets that transport them to any one of hundreds of worlds.

Celebrity chef Cat Cora came in recently with her children and Baker said he was amused to see she chose to work in a diner flipping burgers for her virtual reality experience.

“She said she wanted to see what it was like,” Baker laughed.

Baker opened the virtual reality space with his wife Devra and their three children across from the Vintage Motorcycle Museum on Alisal Road. As they celebrate the first anniversary of the business, they offer a wide variety of content from more than 600 games and experiences.

Baker said his children are the real brains behind the operation, and it is something they can all enjoy together.

“You get fascinated and frustrated all at the same time, and while our target demographic is kids, we are getting more groups like military and tech people in,” Baker said.

Customers can choose from 30 or 60 minutes of play time, during which their reality becomes whatever and wherever they want it to be. Because experiences are single or multi-player, customers can play alone or with friends.

Space VR is only one of a handful of these businesses in the country. However, since the late 1950s, virtual reality technology has been evolving with projects like the Super Cockpit, a flight simulator that projected 3D maps and imagery into real-time space, inspiring other inventions and leading to the development of the first VR headsets.

“It’s so neat because you can access Google Earth and go see your childhood home, or what is going on overseas, or pop into a shop down the road to see what they’re about,” Baker said.

Baker said they are expanding with coding classes and explorer packages for summer camp with the Buellton Recreation Department.

Many of the games allow players to enter an arena where they match skills against players all over the world. Despite the technology, many of the games are sports or require active movement. Not only does this improve hand-eye coordination, but it provides a real aerobic workout.

For more information, visit www.spacevrsolvang.com or call 805-325-9769. It’s best to make reservations, because space is limited.

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Contributing Writer

For more than 30 years Maria Villegas has been making dreams come true, dressing brides for their wedding day.

Even if your childhood dream wasn’t to walk down the aisle in a flowing white gown or to attend your senior prom as the belle of the ball, your wedding dress or prom formal gown will probably be one of the most photographed pieces of clothing you will ever buy.

Villegas, the owner of Bella Bridal in Solvang, is the person who can make that moment memorable.

“I started working at a bridal shop in Lancaster, California, in 1981 doing alterations. My first husband died suddenly of leukemia at age 30, leaving me with three children to raise, so I had to grow up fast in order to take care of myself and my children. Luckily I knew how to sew. I had been sewing since I was a little child, making dolls’ clothes and then making my own clothes as a teenager,” she said.

The inventory includes accessories and jewelry.

“In no time, the owner of the shop, who was a very nice lady, asked me if I would like to work in the store and that’s where I learned the business. I opened up my own shop in 1989 and sold it after the death of my second husband. I needed a change and my sister lives in Santa Maria, so I decided to move to Solvang to be closer to her,” Villegas explained. “I moved from Lancaster to Solvang in 2016 and opened Bella Bridal on Sept. 2.”

Shortly after opening her bridal shop in Frederik’s Court, Villegas ran into some unforeseen problems. The building had been sold and was in need of extensive repairs.

“The courtyard with the fountain was torn up and the new owners had to do some major repairs to the buildings as well. With all the dust and workmen and trucks it was difficult to run a bridal shop under those circumstances. So I had to find a part-time job. I work at the Chumash Casino, doing alterations on the men’s uniforms,” she said.

Bridal shops are not like retail stores, she noted. She can work with a bride for up to a year, fitting dresses for the bride, bridesmaids, mother of the bride, and flower girls. “Some brides like to start early.”

Villegas also sells her designer wedding dresses to people from San Jose, San Francisco, Texas, and as far away as England. She also carries a wide variety of prom dresses, formal gowns, and party attire along with some accessories and jewelry.

“People come to Solvang for the day and notice there is a bridal shop in town and come into the store to have a look. I also carry a wide range of affordable prom dresses to accommodate local young women,” said Villegas.

“I do all my own alterations. Don’t open a bridal shop if you aren’t a seamstress,” she advised. “It’s very hard for a bridal shop to survive these days due to the internet. That’s why you have to know how to do alterations, because all dresses need to be fitted to conform to the individual body correctly.”

Villegas said that making a dress from scratch is not cost-effective, so ordering a designer dress and then altering it to suit the bride is the best way to go. Designers have their own different laces, for example, and they keep a tight corner on them.

“If I need to add sleeves to a dress, for example, I have to order the lace at the same time as I order the dress, and the companies make sure to only sell me a yard or so to make the alterations,” she explained.

Villegas starts her day at 4 a.m. and works into the small hours of the morning. When she is not altering clothes at the casino or dressing brides for their big day, her favorite pastime and hobby is making intricate Victorian lamp shades.

“I love what I do and I get to meet such lovely people and help make their dreams come true,” said Villegas. ”But my favorite thing to do is make lamp shades and refurbishing old lamps to go along with the shades. I love to keep busy and I love to create. It’s my passion.”

Bella Bridal is at 485 Alisal Road in Frederik’s Court in Solvang. Hours are 2 p.m. to 5 or 6 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and Sunday by appointment.

For more information, call 805-686-0762.

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Contributing Writer

Spices have been considered an essential element in food flavoring and preservation from antiquity. European spice merchants traveled to distant lands such as Egypt, China, India and Africa, via land and sea, to obtain these savory and aromatic delicacies, ultimately stimulating world trade.

Fortunately, we no longer have to travel great distances to obtain exotic spices. The Solvang Spice Merchant features spices and teas from more than 60 countries.

Passersby are drawn into the shop by the aromatic fragrance wafting into the street, which captures the senses. Inside there are rows of boxes containing the colorful spices, neatly arranged for customers to experience and sample.

The Solvang Spice Merchant is the brain child of Joy Culley and Taylor Facha. It opened on Labor Day 2018.

 “We purchase the spices from a small, family-run operation which specializes in hand blending the spices and works with us on custom blends,” said Culley. “From there we bottle and package everything ourselves, here in Solvang, which ensures the spices are fresh and potent. Our store is kind of a boutique spice shop where customers can come and taste and interact with the spices. When I’m not working in the shop, I’m bottling.”

Culley grew up in Paradise in Northern California and moved to Sacramento, where she worked for a number of years in the food and beverage industry, managing several restaurants, then later in the wine industry. She decided to go back to school to learn graphic design and marketing, which led her back into the restaurant business.

Facha lives in Sacramento and has an established bar called The Thirsty Goat in Woodland. She travels back and forth from Sacramento to Solvang with her dog, Charlie, several times a week, sharing the duties of running the spice shop. She would eventually like to move to the valley permanently.

“Taylor was inspired by a spice shop she visited in Murphys, California, a village located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. She said, ‘What do you think about doing something like this in Solvang?’ We had been kicking around tons of ideas but this one stuck.

“We marinated on it for three years and started studying up on different spices and visiting numerous spice shops while traveling. Taylor has been in the restaurant business for many years. She has an interest in culinary trends, she likes to eat and likes to cook and she really likes the culture of spices,” said Culley. “She spent many years traveling in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Europe and embraces different cultures and the mystique of spices.”

Culley said that there is a trend toward returning to the basics – cooking at home, canning, raising your own food, and looking at food as something creative rather than a convenience.

“Young people are taking a more active role in their overall health and well-being,” she continued. “What was old is new again, so I feel that our little business is right on the mark.”

“I’d planned on starting a business when my fiancée, Amy Parker, a Valley native, and I moved to Solvang in 2013 and purchased a piece of commercial property and remodeled it. But my mother became ill with brain cancer, so I decided it didn’t make sense to start a business due to traveling back and forth to Paradise, so I put my business plans on hold,” Culley explained.

 “Then in January of 2018 my mother passed away and that was a turning point in my life. We were very close. I guess it was a blessing that she wasn’t around to see her home, and the town of Paradise, burn to the ground, along with all their possessions, in the November fire,” she said sadly.

“In the spring, Amy heard of a store becoming vacant in Solvang. Taylor and I said to each other, ‘Maybe this is our shop – let’s see what we can do.’ We got in touch with the owner before he listed the space. We made a really good connection and signed the lease. It took us four or five months to build out the shop. I built all the displays and our friends helped out, even my step-dad. Setting up the shop was good therapy for him and me too,” said Culley. “It felt really nice to have a purpose.”

“The main reason we opened the Solvang Spice Merchant is we wanted to tap into the tourist market, but we also wanted to provide a niche for locals to get spices they needed without going into Los Angeles or online,” said Culley. “We want to appeal to the cooks who want to do their own blends and also to those who want a unique flavor for their dish without the knowledge of blending. It’s also important for us to keep our prices reasonable, not only for the tourists but for our local customers.”

 “Opening up this shop has really fulfilled a dream of mine. It’s not just a retail shop, it’s a hands-on labor of love for both Taylor and me,” said Culley. “I’ve managed a lot of people’s businesses over the years and it feels good to finally put that experience into my own business.”

“What I love most about this business are our customers,” said Facha. “The people who come in are food people, excited about spices. They are people who love to cook, love to share – so they spend time sharing their ideas and travels with us. They are a nice, happy mix of folks who are friendly, passionate and heart-felt people.”

The owners plan on pairing up with local chefs for food demonstrations, mixers and other community events. They are hosting a Chamber of Commerce mixer in July. They would also like to start providing bulk spices for local chefs.

 “It was important for me to be involved in the community and it makes things easier when we are getting local support, which we are. We are extremely grateful for that,” said Culley. “I really encourage locals to give us feedback and let us know what spices they’re using or can’t find. We would be happy to provide them.”

The Solvang Spice Merchant is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The shop is at 1603 Copenhagen, No. 2, with an entrance on Atterdag across from Mortensen’s Bakery.

For more information, call 805-697-7975, visit www.solvangspicemerchant.com or email joy@solvangspice.com.

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Nine local businesses participated in the second annual “gløgg contest” during the 2018 Julefest Wine & Beer Walk Skål Stroll on Dec. 15-16, and the Solvang Conference and Visitors Bureau has announced the winners.

• First Place: Wandering Dog Wine Bar, 1539-B Mission Drive
• Second Place: Sort This Out Cellars, 1636 Copenhagen Drive
• Third Place: Mad & Vin at The Landsby, 1576 Mission Drive

Also providing gløgg this year were Cali Love, Casa Cassara, D. Volk Winery, Lions Peak, Lucky Dogg and Royal Oaks.

Popular in Denmark around the Christmas holidays, Gløgg is loosely defined as mulled, spiced wine. It usually contains red wine, orange rind, cinnamon, raisins, blanched almonds, cardamom, cloves and honey as well as aquavit, rum or brandy in varying combinations.

“The 2018 Skål Stroll welcomed a record-breaking 550 guests who completed 187 ballots to vote for their favorite Solvang gløgg. Thanks to all 18 wineries, tasting rooms and breweries who participated in the Skål Stroll,” Solvang CVB Special Programs Manager Daniel Lahr revealed.

Solvang Julefest events are presented by the Solvang Conference & Visitors Bureau (SCVB) on behalf of the city of Solvang with sponsorship support from Visit Santa Ynez Valley, Chumash Casino Resort and other area businesses.

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It was a glistening evening as James and Ginger Cleland celebrated the 10th anniversary of their store, Designs in Gold, on Nov. 15 as more than 100 well-wishers dropped by throughout the evening. The wine flowed along with hors d’oeuvres catered by K’Syrah.

The Cleland’s hail from St. Louis, where they had a jewelry store for 20 years. They are considered experts in antique jewelry, and they consider themselves preservationists with an extensive knowledge of jewelry history, construction, gemology and repair. Ginger has a deep fondness for early American silver pieces.

“In the 1900s St. Louis was ranked No. 2 in jewelry manufacturing in the world, next only to Paris,” said James. “The city was called the Gateway to the West because of its location. It was in the center of the great trade route between Philadelphia and San Francisco.”

It wasn’t until the Clelands embarked on a Mediterranean cruise that they decided to make a move to the Santa Ynez Valley.

“I’d been selling antique jewelry as a consigner to many stores for more than 20 years, one of which was the Solvang Antique Center,” said Ginger. “In May 2007 Ron and Julie Paladino, former owners of the Solvang Antique Center, hosted a Mediterranean cruise … We became aware that the people on board were spending lots of money at each of the ports of call. At the time we had no idea that people on the West Coast were spending such huge amounts on luxury items and we thought to ourselves, ‘What are we doing in the Midwest? Let’s move to California.’

“It was a struggle at first,” she continued. “The cost of living in California is so high but with a ton of hard work and frugality we survived and flourished. We brought our experience in the jewelry business with us to the valley, and here we are celebrating our 10th anniversary.”

James has a degree in biology and gemology and is also a certified hand engraver. He considers himself an old-school artisan who, just for fun, creates three-dimensional engraved pendants of houses whose doors open to reveal amusing and surprising interiors. His work has been exhibited in the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and in the St. Louis Art Museum, and he has been featured in Art Buzz and Art Jewelry Today.

“I have fun making art sculpture pieces,” he said.

The store has a new laser welding machine that, according to James, facilitates the repair of most jewelry, even if the pieces have sensitive stones, because the area around the damage doesn’t heat up.

Expert jeweler Dave Espino, formerly of Johnson’s Jewel Box, and James work the laser machine. Penny Mull came onboard to help with the store in 2015.

The Clelands have been married for 31 years and have two sons.

Designs In Gold is at 1640 Copenhagen Drive in Solvang. For more information, call 805-693-8700.

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SYV Star Intern

Space VR in Solvang is a virtual-reality arcade that allows customers to feel that they are walking in Africa, exploring the deep sea, or even playing mini golf in the sky.

This business uses the latest in HTC Vive technology, offering eight separate room-size immersive virtual reality booths that allow for 360-degree participation in a variety of computer-created environments.

”Almost everyone who is local has already been back a second and third time —some people even a fourth time. I have a grandmother from Nipomo who brings her grandkids down every other week. Lots of service men and women from Lompoc as well,” owner Jamie Baker said.

Customers wear headsets that transport them to any one of hundreds of worlds.

In those worlds you can be a wizard, perform surgery, create and walk through 3-D paintings, dance in an ’80s disco, cavort with magical pets, explore the ocean depths, ride a roller coaster through ancient Greek myths, find your way out of an escape room, be a detective in a film noir mystery, or go on an amazing nature trek.

Virtual reality is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment that people can interact with in a seemingly real physical way by using special equipment.

Space VR is only one of a handful of these businesses in the country. However, since the late 1950s, virtual reality technology has been evolving with projects like the Super Cockpit, a flight simulator that projected 3D maps and imagery into real-time space, inspiring other inventions and leading to the development of the first VR headsets.

In 2010, an 18-year-old entrepreneur named Palmer Luckey developed the prototype of the headsets in use today. Virtual reality finally became mainstream in 2017 and is a burgeoning technology expected to have applications across a wide variety of industries.

Space VR, across from the Vintage Motorcycle Museum on Alisal Road, has a huge library of content offering more than 600 games and experiences, allowing players to choose experiences that are customized to their own tastes.

Customers can choose from 30 or 60 minutes of play time, during which their reality becomes whatever and wherever they want it to be. Because experiences are single or multi-player, customers can play alone or with friends.

I enjoyed my experience when I played mini golf in the clouds and played with a robotic dog. Some games such as “The Lab” have mini games inside the actual game. If you are not afraid of heights, I would recommend playing “Richie’s Plank Experience” on the fire level.

The business offers a new fun way for kids, families, teens and adults to be entertained when they are looking for activities in Solvang, but that doesn’t mean you are limited to competing with just the locals.

Many of the games allow you to enter an arena where you match your skills against players all over the world. And don’t think that because it’s virtual that it’s passive. Many of the games are sports or require active movement. Not only does this improve hand-eye coordination, but it provides a real aerobic workout.

For more information, visit spacevrsolvang.com or call 805-325-9769. It’s best to make reservations because space is limited.

Logan DeLeon is an eighth-grader at Solvang Elementary School.

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SYV Star Intern

Not many people are willing to be locked into a room by a stranger, but recently people have been spending money to do just that.

The “escape room” is a new entertainment industry in which a group of people are locked into a room (usually with a theme, such as zombie apocalypse) and have to work together to find clues and solve puzzles in order to escape.

Now the escape room trend has come to Solvang; Ultimate Escape Rooms opened Aug. 9 in Frederik’s Court in Solvang.

The business is owned by Alexis Crouse, her husband Scott Crouse and her stepmother, Annette Cortez. The first of its kind in the Santa Ynez Valley, the location has three rooms inspired by Danish culture and California history.

“It’s fun to watch and be able to give people some exciting, challenging things to do as a family or with your friends,” Cortez said. “It’s not a thankless job!”

The idea to open the Ultimate Escape Rooms came to Cortez in 2016 after she and some friends experienced a Las Vegas escape room. The challenge was exhilarating.

“After we solved each puzzle, we would laugh and giggle. We were excited that we solved what we thought was impossible,” she remembered.

Adrenaline still pumping through her veins, Cortez left the escape room that night knowing she wanted in.

“It seemed like a great opportunity to get in on while the industry is still in its infancy,” she explained.

When Annette told Alexis that she was planning to open an escape room of her own, Alexis and her husband decided to risk it all and become partners. After resigning from teaching at a preschool, Alexis became a stay-at-home mom. Scott Crouse left his job as an IT technician to spend more time building up the new business.

The first Ultimate Escape Rooms location opened in Ventura in late 2016. It quickly became popular and, only a year later, the family began looking for a second location.

They chose Solvang because “the demographic of tourism is a really great supply of customers, and it’s not a bad place to visit!” Cortez explained with a laugh.

The main challenge of securing permits for their second location, she added, was negotiating with the town on how to “legally lock people in a room.”

Like pieces in an escape room puzzle, Cortez and the Crouses work together to manage all sides of their business. Alexis is the creative director, Annette manages everything business-related, and Scott works on social media, marketing and anything that involves computers.

After they decided on Danish and California themes of their three escape rooms, Alexis had the main role in designing each room and its puzzles. As a former teacher, she decided to have each room teach its occupants something new.

The Mischievous Nisse escape room is inspired by Jul, or Danish Christmas, and teaches about Danish cultural traditions. The Snow Queen escape room is inspired by the Han Christian Anderson fairy tale that was the basis for the movie “Frozen.” The third room, called Gold Fever, is inspired by the California Gold Rush.

“You really do learn about Danish culture or about the gold rush without even realizing it,” she said.

To get more information or book an escape room, go to www.theultimateescaperooms.com/solvang/ or call 805-474-4208.

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