JANUARY 7 – JANUARY 20, 2024
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SANTA YNEZVALLEYSTAR.COM
Santa Ynez Valley Year in Review 2024
INSIDE
An entire year of events and happenings, both good and bad By the Santa Ynez Valley Star Editorial Board
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he Santa Ynez Valley saw quite a few news stories and events happening in the region that includes Buellton, Solvang, Santa Ynez, Los Olivos, Los Alamos, and other surrounding areas. The area got a visit from a sitting U.S. president while waiting to see who would be the next Commander-in-Chief; meanwhile, Buellton and Solvang elected new mayors and City Councilmembers who were actually familiar faces. Santa Ynez High School welcomed a new principal, and saw three of its sports teams win CIF titles. An unwelcome Folks gather at the Solvang Park Christmas tree before the Solvang New Year’s Eve Celebration. The park would fill up before the afternoon development was the Lake Fire, was over. Photo by Mike Chaldu which prompted some evacuations, although nearby cities were relatively unharmed. As usual, we got to enjoy our annual events like Danish Days, A new wrinkle in the Julefest calendar, afternoon event and concert draws a the Solvang Vikings Car Show, and sizable crowd at Solvang Park Julefest. Here’s a roundup of the news in noon New Year’s bash. ers: The countdown came at 3 p.m., By Mike Chaldu our pages throughout 2024: For the first time, the City of Sol- when the clock struck 12 in Denmichael@santaynezvalleystar.com vang put together a New Year’s Eve mark. Locals shocked at sudden closure anta Ynez Valley residents party as part of its Julefest celebraSolvang’s first New Year’s Eve of Pea Soup Andersen’s and tourists got an early tion. However, instead of staying up celebration came out of a desire for start to 2025 on the after- and counting down until midnight a post-Christmas activity to bridge Published Jan. 16: Shortly after the start of 2024, residents, diners, city noon of Dec. 31, as a big crowd in U.S., the attendees celebrated the gap between Dec. 25 and the CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 filled up Solvang Park at an after- with the country of Solvang’s foundCONTINUED ON PAGE 18
Solvang celebrates a Danish New Year
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Spotlight | Pg. 10 Santa Ynez Valley Librarian Carey McKinnon retires News Briefs . . . . . . . . . Pg. 2 • Buellton announces city’s January featured art News . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 3 • Solvang Tree Burn puts the cap on Julefest Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 6 • Dunn School graduate is selected first overall in MLS Superdraft Community . . . . . . . . . Pg. 8 • Solvang Nativity Pageant draws crowds beyond expectation Arts & Nonprofits . . . . . . Pg. 9 • Mezzo-soprano Tivoli Treloar teams with pianist Lucy Tucker Yates in next show of SYV Concert Series Lifestyles . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 12 • Starting the year on Jan. 1 is relatively new in world history Spotlight . . . . . . . . . Pg. 14 • 2024 Year in Review Calendar . . . . . . . . . . Pg. 19 • Government meetings and events