The August Cambria Historical Society Speaker Series will explore a colorful chapter of local history: the Cambria Rodeo. Local historian Melody Coe will lead a discussion about the Cambria Rodeo, its place in Cambria’s past and the people and stories surrounding this memorable part of the community’s history. It takes place Friday, Aug. 28, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Cambria Center for the Arts Theatre, 1350 Main St. Cambria. Gourmet refreshments will be provided, and wine will be available for purchase. Admission is free for Cambria Historical Society and Cambria Center for the Arts members and $20 for nonmembers. For tickets, go to cambriahistoricalsociety.com
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Kick off the new school year with a family friendly ride/roll around the safe streets of Baywood on Saturday Aug. 29 at 10 a.m. The first Kidical Mass ride in Los Osos this past June was such a success, organizers have moved the start spot from the pier to the empty lot (by the tree swings) at the corner of 2nd and Santa Maria in order to gather more safely and hear Bike SLO County’s pre-ride safety tips.
All ages and abilities welcome! Feel free to bike, scoot, jog and bring your 4-legged friends. Stay for ice cream or bites at one of Baywood’s many local establishments.
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Central Coast Dance Community Presents: “Saturday Swing Dance” August 29 at the Morro Bay Veterans’ Hall, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Enjoy dance lessons and live band. Tickets are $10.
The evening begins with an East Coast Swing dance lesson from 5:30 pm to 6:15 pm led by one of our favorite dance instructors, Linda Drake.
Following the lesson, the Full Swing quartet will play from 6:30 to 8:00. They are experienced professional musicians on a mission to provide a wide range of live music within our community for your listening and dancing pleasure. Terrel Eaton is on vocals, sax, and flute. Tom Bethke on guitar, Gary Drysdale on bass, and Mike Raynor will play drums.
The Central Coast Dance Community is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing live music and dance opportunities in Morro Bay. They meet every third Wednesday, usually at the Morro Bay Community Center for a potluck at 12 p.m., a lesson at 12:30, and dancing from 1:30-3 p.m. The 5:30 pm – 8 pm Saturday evening dances will usually meet on the last Saturday of the month at the Morro Bay Veterans Hall. The Morro Bay Parks and Recreation will move us if a special event is planned for our venue.
For more information and to view the full schedule, go to morrobaydances.com/upcoming-events.
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If you like jigsaw puzzles, the Morro Bay Odd Fellows has solutions for you. The Bay-Rock Lodge, I.O.O.F. is holding a “Jigsaw Puzzle Exchange” fundraiser set for 2-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19 at the Odd Fellows Hall, 710 Harbor St., Morro Bay. Cost is a $10 entry fee, and they will have over 100 puzzles of varying sizes and by various manufacturers to peruse. Bring your old puzzles and take home new puzzles to assemble and help the non-profit organization raise money for its many community programs.
Manufacturers include Springbok, Ravensburger, Willow Creek and many more. Sizes range from 300 pieces to over 1,000.
Themes include holidays, animals, shaped puzzles, Americana, nostalgia and more.
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The Central Coast State Parks Association (CCSPA) celebrates its 50th anniversary at the 7th Annual Butterfly Ball, a special evening of community, conservation, and celebration, on September 12, from 4–8 p.m. at The Octagon Barn in San Luis Obispo.
This year honors five decades of CCSPA’s work supporting the 10 state park units, 60 miles of coastline, and six campgrounds across San Luis Obispo County. Guests are invited to dress in their finest monarch-inspired attire for an evening that blends education, entertainment, and
philanthropy, from a welcome hour with live music and appetizers, to a seated dinner, presentations, a silent auction, and dancing.
Highlights of the evening include the presentation of three awards honoring individuals whose work has left a lasting impact on California’s state parks, along with heartfelt stories from State Park Interpreters and a first look at CCSPA’s newest promotional film.
The John Laird Lifetime Achievement Award will honor former Congressman Sam Farr, whose nearly five-decade career in public service includes authoring the legislation that established Pinnacles National Park, leading efforts to designate the California Coastal National Monument, and playing a key role in creating the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Alongside his father, State Senator Fred Farr, he helped establish eight state parks and two federal monument designations over their combined careers.
The Metamorphosis Award, honoring significant contributions to western monarch butterfly conservation, and the Young Leaders in Conservation Award, honoring individuals under 30 for their contributions to environmental education and conservation in San Luis Obispo County, will be given at the Ball.
Proceeds from the Butterfly Ball directly support CCSPA’s mission-driven programs, including western monarch butterfly conservation, environmental education for local students, volunteer programs, and museum exhibits and park signage throughout the region’s state parks.
Tickets are available now and space is limited. Tickets are at centraolcoastparks.org.
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Get your taste buds ready! The Rotary Club of Cambria Chili Cook-Off is serving up an afternoon packed with delicious chili, cold
beverages, DJ, and community spirit on September 12 from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM at the Pinedorado Grounds. Local restaurants, clubs, and organizations will be battling it out for chili supremacy as attendees sample entries and cheer on their favorites.
For more info, go to event.auctria.com/770d7771-cc12-4313-a9b6-bc5fea2e3d06/.
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Join Estero Bay Art and Craft, Morro Bay Yarnology and The Quilted Otter for a special showing of “Practical Magic 2” at the Bay Theatre.
This Crafternoon Movie Event takes place Saturday, September 19 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $10 and will be available for purchase only at the Bay Theatre starting at 12:30 p.m. the day of the event. “Practical Magic 2” is rated PG-13 and runs for 1 hour and 50 minutes. This sequel to the 1998 classic, stars Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as the Owens sisters who return to face their family’s historical curse.
A “crafternoon” showing means the theater will keep the lights up just enough so you can see what you’re making while the movie plays. It’s not a class, but a fun place to work on your project and enjoy a movie at the same time. Bring your embroidery, drawing, knitting, crochet, stitching, travel paints, or any small (and non-messy) portable craft, and settle in for an afternoon of making and watching.
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“Below Sycamore” is a powerful, supernatural story of addiction, friendship, faith, and redemption, and the fight to bring one lost soul home. Two lifelong friends and a community forced to answer one question: How far would you go to save someone you love?
Blending raw drama, humor, music, spirituality, and the supernatural, “Below Sycamore” puts a human face on addiction — the son, brother, friend, and child of God still worth fighting for. The production premiered in San Francisco in 2019, selling out all 16 performances, and returned to the stage for two special performances at LA Comic Con in 2024. Now, seven years after its original run, it comes to Cal Poly’s Spanos Theatre in San Luis Obispo on September 19, for a special anniversary performance. This is a 16+ due to mature themes but there’s no profanity. Tickets range from $20 to $55 and are at pacslo.org.
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Enjoy a free chamber music recital at St Benedict Episcopal Church, 2220 Snowy Egret Lane in Los Osos, at 3 p.m. on Sunday, September 6. Featured performers are pianist Ann Lucas, joined by Hilary Clark on cello and Byron Mele on clarinet. They will perform Brahms’ late work Clarinet Trio Op. 114, as well as works by Chopin, Schumann, and Poulenc. All three musicians are active professionally with local orchestras and chamber groups, and this is their first collaboration as a trio. The concert is open to the public and free of charge.
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It’s been nearly a decade since Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ joined forces for their Grammy award-winning debut as TajMo. What began as a one-time collaboration became a celebrated album, earned widespread acclaim, and launched a successful international tour. Now, the legendary duo reunites with Room On The Porch, their 2025 Grammy-nominated follow-up that recaptures the chemistry and creative spark that made their first collaboration so memorable. Recorded in Nashville, Room On The Porch showcases two of America’s most influential roots musicians at the height of their powers. Blending blues, folk, jazz, country, and soul, the album is filled with songs that celebrate community, family, love, and optimism.
See them at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo from 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept 8. Get tickets at pacclo.org. They are running out fast.
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Did you know that many of the herbs growing in your garden and the spices in your kitchen cabinet — as long as they’re fresh! — can be powerful, natural medicine for you and your family? Eating as close to nature as possible, with fresh, local, organically grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs, gives our bodies the best possible landscape for a long, healthy life. Join us to learn how herbs and foods can support daily health — aiding digestion, enhancing nutrient absorption, and promoting healing, so we can keep our bodies and minds in step with the seasons.
The Los Osos Valley Garden Club September Community Program is “Creating Your Own Kitchen Farmacy with herbs, spices and garden foods” presented by Ann Newland.
Join them on Sunday, September 20, from 2 – 4 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Los Osos (rear building), 1900 Los Osos Valley Rd. All LOVGC Community Programs are free and open to the public. No signup/registration required to attend. If you have questions, go to our website calendar https://www.lovgardenclub.org/calendar or email us at info@lovgardenclub.org.
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Greenspace Speaker Series – Brian Keeley “Voices from our Garden” is Sunday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Community of Cambria, 786 Arlington St. Join us for a presentation highlighting an understanding of plant needs, their relationships, and how our gardens integrate with each other. We delve into creating root-friendly soil and dig deeper into the influence each garden can have ecologically and on the quality of our lives. Brian Keeley is a Greenspace Board Member and Conservation Steward for the Upper Salinas-Las Tablas Resource Conservation District. Brian brings a wealth of expertise in ecological restoration and wildlife ecology, along with a diverse background spanning botany, entomology, ornithology, herpetology, mammalogy, and aquaculture.
A $10 donation per person is suggested. To reserve your spot, email admin@greenspacecambria.org or call the office (805) 927-2866 or visit greenspacecambria.org for more info.
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The Cambria Center for the Arts (CCA) presents “Mix it Up,” a vibrant mixed media exhibition. This showcase celebrates creativity without boundaries, featuring the innovative work of featured artist Carolyn Chambers. Additionally, works by our local artists exploring diverse materials and techniques and combining media in unexpected ways will be on display. The exhibit runs September 1 to November 1 with and Artist’s Reception on September 5, 4:30 to 6 pm. Regular hours are12 to 4 pm, Tuesday to Sunday.
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Stone Soup Music Festival and Street Fair is on Saturday, August 29 and Sunday, August 30 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the newly renovated Ramona Garden Park with amphitheater for concerts and playground for the kids! Don’t miss this year’s Saturday Night Madonna Dance Party featuring the band Blonde Ambition. Beyond the music, the weekend will feature family fun for all ages. Kids can enjoy the Exploration Discovery Center on Saturday and the brand-new Ramona Garden Park Playground all weekend. Sunday features the Outreach Project volunteer event, assembling meals for those in need, and the Annual Mardi Paws Dog Parade with prizes for top dogs.
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The free SLO Overdose Awareness Day takes place Sat. Aug. 29 from 12 to 3 p.m. at Mitchell Park in SLO. This event is for learning and remembrance for anyone affected by overdose or substance use or for those who wish to just learn more. There will be a resource fair with over 20 local agencies participating. Free naloxone (aka Narcan), the overdose reversal drug, will be available to all visitors. Keynote presentation on “Grief and Loss: How to Talk About What No One Wants to Talk About.” The event will close with a candle-lighting ceremony presented by Hospice of SLO County to remember, and honor loved ones lost to or affected by overdose.
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Join the inaugural concert of a brand-new ensemble within Cuesta College Community Programs. Led by Dave Becker, the Central Coast Saxophone Coalition (CCSC) is a premiere saxophone ensemble bringing together some of the region’s most skilled and passionate musicians. Seven featured soloists with a twenty-two-piece orchestra and rhythm section? That’s right! You’ve never seen anything like it. In honor of Charlie Parker’s 106th birthday. It takes place at the Harold J. Miossi CPAC at Cuesta College at 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. on Sat, on Aug. 29. Tickets are $10-$40 and can be purchased at Cuesta.university.com.
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The Central Coast Challenge, part of the PBR Challenger Series, is bringing top bull riders, high-energy competition and a festive rodeo atmosphere to Paso Robles on August 29, at 7 p.m. at the Paso Robles Event Center. General admission starts around $55; secondary market/resale tickets vary with tickets range in price and are sold by several sites.
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