Search results for

“Have you ever wondered if it’s too late to write that novel, become an artist, learn to skydive, or play the piano?” local author Deborah Brasket muses.

Community members are invited to explore that question at a free event on Sunday, March 22 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Santa Maria Public Library, 420 S. Broadway in Santa Maria.
Join Brasket and Jeanne Sparks, co-executive director of Santa Barbara County Action Network, for a candid conversation about how Brasket came to publish her debut novel, When Things Go Missing, later in life. Brasket will share her journey, read from her book, answer questions, and sign copies.
The event is sponsored by SBCAN and Friends of the Santa Maria Public Library.

When Things Go Missing is about the fragility and resilience of family life. When the mother who has been holding her family together mysteriously disappears, it sets into motion a ripple of anger, grief, and regret that reshapes the lives of those left behind--her two troubled adult children and distant husband. Each embarks on their own journeys to fill the missing pieces in their lives and make their family whole again.

Visit her website www.deborahjbrasket.com to learn more. Or contact her at seastonepress@gmail.com
A limited supply of When Things Go Missing will be available to purchase (cash or check only) at the event. It’s also available locally at Gavin’s Books, 230 Betteravia Rd, Suite K, Santa Maria. It’s available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover formats online at Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble. Attendees are encouraged to purchase the book in advance to bring to the event for signing.

Riceboy Sleeps (2022) is a tender and deeply personal work written, produced, edited, and directed by Anthony Shim. The film traces the bond between a Korean single mother and her son as they build a life in the suburbs of Canada in the 1990s. Drawing in part on Shim’s own childhood, the film follows So-young (Choi Seung-yoon) and the young Dong-hyun (Dohyun Noel Hwang, Ethan Hwang), whose hopes for a better future are tempered by the racial and cultural challenges that confront them.

Filmmaker Anthony Shim will join moderator Miguel Penabella (Carsey-Wolf Center, UCSB) for a post-screening discussion of Riceboy Sleeps.

This event is presented in conjunction with the the Carsey-Wolf Center and UCSB Reads program. The program’s 2026 selection is Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. For more information and tickets to attend Zauner’s free public lecture at Campbell Hall on Thursday, May 7 at 7:30 PM, please visit this page.

Register Now
Join UCSB Reads and Goleta Valley Library for an afternoon of poetry readings in celebration of National Poetry Month!

The event will kick off with a reading by current Santa Barbara Poet Laureate George Yatchisin and UCSB Professor Emerita Shirley Geok-Lin Lim. Afterward, other participants will read their selected poems to the audience.

Inspired by UCSB Reads and this year’s selection, Crying in H Mart, the event highlights poetry as a creative practice that, like memoir, allows personal stories to take form through creative expression and be shared with others.

How to participate? Please complete this form with your name and the title and author of the published poem you’d like to read by April 13th. All genres and styles are welcome. You are also welcome to submit original work. Participants will be confirmed and notified by April 15th. Whether you're sharing a published work or something you've written yourself, we encourage a diverse range of voices and styles.

This event is free and open to all students, staff, faculty, and community members.

The event may be photographed or recorded.

Bring your own journal and we'll provide a treasure trove of upcycled papers, fabric scraps, vintage ephemera, and more. Let your creativity run wild as you embellish your pages!

All tools and material provided. Ages 13+.

Located in the EE Makerspace upstairs above Art from Scrap.

California Coastal Horse Rescue (CCHR), a nonprofit dedicated to saving, rehabilitating, and rehoming horses in need, will host its annual Help a Horse Day celebration on Sunday, April 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the rescue ranch located at 600 W. Lomita Avenue in Ojai. The event promises a joyful day for horse lovers, families, and community members of all ages, with proceeds supporting the care and rehabilitation of rescued horses.

Help a Horse Day is a national awareness day dedicated to spotlighting the vital work of equine rescue organizations. CCHR’s celebration transforms this important cause into an unforgettable community gathering entirely focused on the horses.

Food vendors will be on site serving up delicious fare throughout the day, and Ojai Ice Cream will be on hand to keep things cool and sweet. Adults looking to raise a glass to the horses can visit the CCHR “Hope, Hops & Horses” Beer Garden, where every sip supports the rescue’s mission.

EVENT DETAILS
California Coastal Horse Rescue — Help a Horse Day
Sunday, April 26, 2026 | 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
600 W. Lomita Avenue, Ojai, California
Admission: $10 Adults | Free for children 10 years and under | Free parking
For more information, visit: www.californiacoastalhorserescue.com


About California Coastal Horse Rescue

California Coastal Horse Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to rescuing horses from neglect, abuse, and slaughter. Based in Ojai, California, CCHR provides comprehensive rehabilitation services and works to place horses in safe, loving forever homes. The organization relies entirely on the generosity of donors, volunteers, and community supporters to continue its lifesaving work.

Employment law firm LightGabler LLP is presenting a free, live webinar for employers on best hiring practices in California. “Picking A Winning Team: Effective (and Lawful) Hiring of California Employees” will be held on Thursday, March 19 from noon to 12:50 p.m.

Building a quality workforce begins with effective and lawful hiring techniques. Employers need to be aware of new laws imposing hiring restrictions and requirements to avoid violating California's hiring laws, deter discrimination claims from applicants, and develop an effective employment relationship from the outset.

Webinar topics include job postings and advertisements, documentation needed for hiring, AI in the hiring process, job applications, interview questions to ask, background checks, substance testing and offer letters.

Conducting the webinar is LightGabler LLP employment law partner, Angela Lopez.

Register by going to https://www.lightgablerlaw.com/seminars. Login instructions will be provided prior to the program.

For more information about LightGabler LLP, visit www.LightGablerlaw.com or call 805-248-7208.

The Good Good Show is Santa Barbara's longest running monthly stand up comedy show featuring the hottest comedians working today that you've seen or heard on Comedy Central, HBO’s Crashing, Netflix Jimmy Kimmel Live, Amazon Prime, Starz,Sirius XM and more.

FEATURING: Clark Jones, Gabby Lamb, The Puterbaugh Sisters and Julie Weidmann

Tickets are ONLY $10 so come have some laughs with us and enjoy a delicious craft beer (wine available too)!


7:30 p.m. $10


Show is 21+

A talk by Neal Graffy

Wednesday, March 11
Two opportunities!
11:00 AM TICKETS
5:30 PM TICKETS

In February of 1851, Antonio de la Guerra and Judge Joaquin Carrillo were appointed by the City Council to apply names to the new streets resulting from the Salisbury Haley survey. Unlike other towns whose streets bore the unimaginative A - Z, numbers or names of presidents, they gave names to 51 streets that portrayed the geography and botany of our town, honored the Chumash, early settlers, governors and showed a distinct sense of humor and sarcasm.

Join us on Sunday, May 3, for C.A.R.E.4Paws’ Happy Tails Celebration & Fundraiser at Santa Barbara's seaside Cabrillo Pavilion, 1118 E Cabrillo Blvd. Our inspiring event reflects the power of community supporting community and benefits Central Coast animals and pet families in need. Enjoy a vegetarian dinner by Whiskey ’N Rye, drinks on the oceanfront terrace, exciting live and silent auctions, and “happy tail” stories from families we serve—all in support of keeping pets safe, healthy and with the people who love them. For tickets, sponsorship opportunities and donating to our live and silent auctions, visit care4paws.org/happytails/ for more details.

The Folk Orchestra of Santa Barbara presents its Celtic concert - a vibrant celebration of Celtic music just in time for St. Patrick’s Day and a fan favorite. Featuring beloved melodies from Ireland with touches from Brittany, Cornwall, and Galicia, this year’s program weaves together lyrical beauty and lively dance traditions from across the Celtic world. Enjoy favorites like My Lagan Love, The Sligo Maid, O’Carolan’s Dream and even U2, Ireland’s most famous rock band. Concertgoers will enjoy Celtic harp, Irish whistles, tenor banjo, mandolins, the accordion and, of course, the Folk Orchestra’s signature bagpipes, along with a full orchestral string section for an evening of warmth, energy, and timeless charm. The Folk Orchestra is the only one of its kind in the United States, comprised of entirely local musicians, and is ready to make you smile as you feel the grooves.