Editing Santa Maria, California (section)

==Arts and culture==
===Tri-tip and Santa Maria-style barbecue===
[[File:Tri-tip, baked beans and toast.jpg|thumb|[[Tri-tip]] on the grill, with a saucepan of beans and loaves of sourdough bread]]
{{main|Santa Maria-style barbecue}}
Santa Maria-style barbecue is a regional culinary tradition rooted in the Santa Maria Valley. The [[tri-tip]] steak has its roots in Santa Maria.{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}} Tri-tip is a cut of beef from the [[bottom sirloin]]. It is a small triangular muscle, usually {{convert|1.5|to|2.5|lb|g|abbr=on}} per side of beef. In the United States, this cut was typically used for [[ground beef]] or sliced into steaks until the late 1950s, when it became a local specialty in Santa Maria. "Santa Maria-style" barbecue is usually used in reference to the seasoning of tri-tip or other meats (most notably [[top sirloin]], or "top block") when rubbed with salt, pepper, and spices and cooked whole on a [[rotisserie]] or grilled over local [[Erythrobalanus|red oak]] wood. The side dishes complementing a typical "Santa Maria-style" barbecue generally consist of [[garlic bread]], [[Common bean#Pink beans|pinquito beans]], and a [[salad]].

Sunset Magazine's August 2013 issue features a 10-page spread on Santa Maria Style BBQ, crowning Santa Maria as "The West's Best BBQ Town".<ref name="santamariavalleybbq1">{{cite news |url=https://santamariavalley.com/sunsets-epic-feature-on-santa-maria-bbq/|title=Sunset's Epic Feature on Santa Maria BBQ|work=santamariavalley.com|date=July 25, 2013|access-date=July 14, 2017}}</ref>

===Wine===
{{Main|Santa Maria Valley AVA}}

Santa Maria, along with the neighboring [[Lompoc, California|Lompoc]], [[Los Alamos, California|Los Alamos]] and [[Santa Ynez Valley]]s, combine to create one of the nation's largest wine-producing regions, referred to as the Santa Barbara Wine Country.

The often foggy and windswept Santa Maria Valley is the northernmost appellation in [[Santa Barbara County]]. The region's first officially approved [[American Viticultural Area]] (AVA) enjoys extremely complex soil conditions and diverse microclimates. [[Chardonnay]] and [[Pinot noir]] are two varietals which especially benefit from the ocean's influence, and are the flagship wines of this appellation.

Santa Maria Valley grapes are also used by wineries throughout [[Santa Barbara County]] and at many wineries outside of the county. The Santa Maria Valley name is used on labels from wineries that are based far away from the Santa Barbara County sunshine. The Santa Maria Valley appellation is bounded by the [[San Rafael Mountains]] and the [[Los Padres National Forest]] to the east, and by the Solomon Hills and the city of Santa Maria to the west.

===Theatre===
Santa Maria's [[Allan Hancock College]] is the home of The [[Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts]] (PCPA), a theatrical school and production company. Notable alumni include: [[Robin Williams]], [[Kathy Bates]], [[Kelly McGillis]], [[Mercedes Ruehl]], [[Scott Aukerman]], and [[Zac Efron]]. An additional PCPA theatre is located in [[Solvang, California]] in the [[Santa Ynez Valley]].

Santa Maria is also home to one large indoor Regal Edwards movie theater, located in the Town Center Mall.

Santa Maria also has a small community theatre, the Santa Maria Civic Theatre which is located on the northwest side of town.

=== Celebrations ===
In the year 2017, the first ever Pride celebration was held in the city of Santa Maria. This was the first recorded pride celebration in the city's history. Organized by HOPE (House of Pride and Equality) in collaboration with Future Leaders of America, the festival took place in the town center west parking lot lasting 5 hours and held many activities for the community at large spanning from dancing, face painting, salsa classes, cabaret, and games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=gkim@leecentralcoastnews.com |first=Gina Kim |date=2017-08-12 |title=Santa Maria Pride Celebration and Resource Fair is a first for LGBTQ community |url=https://lompocrecord.com/news/santa-maria-pride-celebration-and-resource-fair-is-a-first-for-lgbtq-community/article_333d8c7f-ac55-5a35-905c-901f845b5e50.html |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=Lompoc Record |language=en}}</ref> The Celebration had guest speakers ranging from Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, and Alma Hernandez, who represented 3rd District County Supervisor Joan Hartmann's office. This inaugural Pride celebration paved way for this event to take place every year following, even during the pandemic with a virtual celebration. HOPE (House of Pride and Equality) plan it every year in tandem with many community organizers in hopes to foster a sense of love and community for Santa Maria's LGBTQ+ residents and beyond.