Santa Maria, CA | Things to Do
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Hagerman Sports Complex

Hagerman Sports Complex Scores a Home Run With Residents

In Santa Maria, diamonds truly are a girl's best friend – but we don't mean the sparkling kind. Instead, softball players here have been falling in love with the 22-acre Hagerman Sports Complex. Regarded as one of the premier sports facilities on California’s central coast, the complex boasts four top-notch lighted softball diamonds with one designated for championship play. The Hagerman facility was constructed by the city in the early 1990s for two main reasons. Santa Maria was... Read More »
Foxen Canyon Wine Trail

The Famous Foxen Wine Trail Runs Through Santa Maria

California's claim to fame may be its movie stars, but its fine wine is quickly climbing to the top. Santa Maria's own wine industry continues to grow, thanks in part to a little help from the big screen. The Foxen Wine Trail was featured in the hit movie Sideways – about a wayward adventure through California's wine country – and has led movie buffs and wine connoisseurs alike to travel its path. The trail includes numerous local vineyards and wineries. At the northern-most end of... Read More »

Santa Maria-Style Barbecue Draws Foodies From Around the World

You haven’t eaten barbecue until you’ve been to Santa Maria – at least, that’s what the locals will tell you. And one savory bite of a juicy top sirloin or tri-tip steak is enough to prove them right. Santa Maria is known for several foods – authentic Mexican fare, for one – but barbecue is the star. If you’re envisioning slow-cooked pulled pork or brisket drizzled with sweet and tangy barbecue sauces, however, hold your horses. Santa Maria-style barbecue is unlike barbecue in the South and... Read More »

Local Artist Gives Visitors a Colorful Welcoming

Visitors to Santa Maria are greeted from the north and south on Highway 101 with billboards. That may sound typical, but these aren’t ordinary billboards; they are works of art. The billboards depict scenes of this central California wine country painted by famed California artist Robert Burridge. Living up to the description “Renaissance man,” Burridge is an exciting and lively artist with an impressive resume of credits, including the Philadelphia Water Color Society Gold Medal, previously... Read More »