Haley Corridor Hosts Progressive Party

A decade ago, they tried SoCo, for “South of Cota.” Then came the Lagoon District, for the dried up lagoon that gave Laguna Street it’s name. And now, this warehouse-laden neighborhood to the east of downtown is coalescing under the name “Haley Corridor” when more than a dozen business owners throw a moving party at their tasting rooms, breweries, and retailers this Saturday, June 15, 5-9 p.m. 

To me, “Haley Corridor” rings with enough existing identity and meaning that it might stick, as Haley Street is the dominant cultural hub in those parts, which also include stretches of Salsipuedes and Quarantina streets. But naming the area is the last thing on organizer Ryan Carr’s mind, as he’s just trying to stir up attention for the now-bustling area, once known more for prostitutes and petty crime than pours of pinot noir and pressed juices. 

“We aren’t trying to define an area and call it Haley Corridor,” said Carr, who moved his winery and tasting room from the Funk Zone to Salsipuedes Street in 2007. “We just wanted to highlight the fact that it’s not just a one-way street that gets you from State to Milpas or the freeway. It’s become a really nice retail thoroughfare.”

For $35, participants get a wristband and a map to 15 establishments, each of which are serving drinks and/or food. Carr Winery, for instance, is serving a flight of three wines, or a glass of one of them. Telegraph Brewing next door is doing the same with beer. There’s an empanada sampling at Buena Onda, and pairings at both Uncorked and Au Juice, which will be pouring their juice alongside bites. Twenty-Four Blackbirds is offering tours of its indoor cacao and vanilla farm, plus tastes of its newest chocolates. Keefrider Custom Furniture will do a demo and auction off a coffee table. 

The Mill at Haley and Laguna is also involved: wine at Potek, beer at Third Window, and non-alc bevvies at Millworks, where you can browse their wares. Additional participants include Pure Order Brewing, Rose Café, Catherine Gee, and the new Cajé coffee shop. 

“I just wanted to bring a little more attention to Haley,” said Carr. 

Tickets, which you’ll pick up either at Potek or Carr depending on your last name, are on sale at nightout.com.

FESTIVAL OF THE VINES:  Wouldn’t it be great for Santa Barbara County’s wine history to be collected under one roof? That’s part of the charge of the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum, which is hosting its annual fundraiser, the Festival of the Vines, at Gainey Vineyard on Friday, June 14, 5-10 p.m. 

This year, the event, which includes wine tasting and appetizers followed by a live auction and farm-to-table dinner, will honor three of Santa Barbara wine country’s most respected vintners: Louis Lucas will be crowned “Pioneer Vintner,” Dan Gainey and family will be awarded as the “Pioneer Wine Family,” and Blair Fox, who’s made Fess Parker’s wines for 15 years and also runs his own labels, is being honored as “Pioneer Wine Maker.” 

“It is imperative for the museum to capture the history of this burgeoning industry by documenting recording and exhibiting how this recent 60-year phenomenon has evolved and recognizing the players who have made it happen,” said Brian Stenfors, executive director of the museum, which was founded in 1961 and showcases Chumash, vaquero, vintner, and other Santa Ynez Valley cultures. “The museum is eager to preserve, interpret, and celebrate the history of viticulture and the wine industry in our region by informing, educating, and inspiring and engaging museum guests.”

Tickets are $125 for museum members and $150 otherwise. See santaynezmuseum.org or call (805) 688-7889. 

WINE FILM FEST:  Ever since landing on the scene more than five years ago to produce his interactive film project Vintage 2014, Wil Fernandez has worked to converge the worlds of wine and film. This year, he hosts the fourth annual Wine Film Festival, featuring 20 short films and feature film trailers from, among elsewhere, Slovenia, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Paso Robles, and Sonoma, each personally introduced by a director or producer. 

Among the films are Screwed, a modern “silent” film about a date, with a twist, from the Netherlands; Tin City, shot over five years from that warehouse district of Paso Robles; Tiny Vineyards, about hobby viticulturists in Sonoma; and (R)evolution Champenoise: The Vineyard Rules, about everyone’s favorite bubbly region. 

“You never know who you’ll meet at one of these screenings,” said Fernandez, noting that past guests have included sommeliers Fred Dame and Brian McClintic and the cast of the Australian mockumentary Plonk. “You’ll see the best of a truly international genre of films that you likely will never discover otherwise, and you’ll sip the wines featured on the big screen in front of you for a full sensory experience.” 

The fest, which costs $35, is on Friday, June 28, 7:30-9:30 p.m., at Presqu’ile Winery (5391 Presquile Dr., Santa Maria). For $20 more, there is also a dinner option this year, with sandwiches from Bob’s Well Bread, starting at 6:30 p.m. See winefilmfestival.com.