San Benito County Local News: Art, Culture & Media

Christy Sandoval, the first female executive director of El Teatro Campesino, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Latino theater company, has been quietly making history since she assumed the general manager position in 2017.

Hollister High School’s marching band, the Scarlet Regiment, is perhaps the most visible manifestation of the Balers’ music program, having performed at six home football games, six local parades, and five competitions throughout California in 2024.

The story of Nahua peasant Cuauhtlatoatzin, later baptized as “Juan Diego,” who was granted four visions of the Virgin of Guadalupe on a hill in Tepeyac, Mexico, in 1531, has been the subject of many retellings, starting in 1648 with the “Imagen de la Virgen María, Madre de Dios de Guadalupe.”An adaptation of an 18th-century version of the story forms the basis of “La Virgen de Tepeyac,” currently in production at El Teatro Campesino through Dec. 22.

Named Merchant of the Month at Hollister Artisans Mercantile, which has a section with his photographs for sale, Adam Bell continues to build his presence as one of San Benito County’s most active photographers and photojournalists.

When it comes to fundraising, fall is our most crucial time of the year. It sets the stage for our 2025 reporting. We ask our readers to take advantage of matching opportunities to double, and sometimes triple, their donations.

On Nov. 2 Arts Audacity, Hollister Downtown Association and Hollister High School hosted their 2nd annual Dias de los Muertos event.

This year's Hollister Recreation Department's Trick or Treat event saw many residents, some scary, some fun, come through the annual event on San Benito Street. According to the Chamber of Commerce the number of participants doubled from last year.

Saul Dreier, a survivor of the Holocaust and founder of the Holocaust Survivor Band, will speak and perform at a special event in Morgan Hill on Nov. 18.

BenitoLink hosts its second annual Fall Fundraiser kickoff, Vintage 14, on Friday, Nov. 8 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Damm Vineyards in Hollister. The celebration marks the end of the harvest season in San Benito County and the beginning of BenitoLink’s NewsMatch Fall campaign. 

Artist Guillermo “Yerma” Aranda is starting on-site work on his mural for Gavilan College’s Hollister campus. The mural will be one of the last major projects before the first phase of the campus is completed in November.

BenitoLink is pleased to announce that the Community Foundation for San Benito County has awarded our nonprofit news organization a $8,750 grant to support the completion and final publication of the Vision San Benito County Listening Session condensed report.

Press Forward announced Oct. 16, the 205 newsrooms—including BenitoLink—that will receive “Closing Local Coverage Gaps” grants for this year.

As the Hollister Downtown Association’s Farmer’s Market has been bringing loads of locals to downtown Hollister on Wednesday afternoons since April, BenitoLink decided to jump in on the fun.

This very local newsroom, BenitoLink, is really much bigger than our board, our interns and our news team.

Information provided by the San Benito High School District. Lea este artículo en español aquí.San Benito High School District has received a $200,000 Farm To School Incubator Grant to procure fresh produce and meat that is locally grown and organically farmed in San Benito County. Additionally, the funding from the California Department of Food and Agriculture will fund a farm-to-fork garden and above-ground garden beds on campus that will enhance Hollister High School’s Career Technical Education (CTE) curriculum and offer opportunities for students to learn about sustainable agriculture and food stewardship.The food purchased and grown through the program will be served to students through Hollister High School’s food services program and utilized by students in Mike Fisher’s Culinary classes. The food will also be offered to the school community through campus food pantry. Hollister High School Culinary teacher Mike Fisher said the program will build upon the connections his program has with local agriculture. “We have already welcomed many industry partners who are local farmers that donate product to our class,” he said. “They have been guest speakers and describe the lifecycle and seasons of the food they grow. I am excited to use this grant to grow our relationships with these farmers.”The project, known as “Fresh Picks for Bright Minds,” will get underway in mid-September. The district will purchase meat and produce from local farmers and ranchers including Renz Beef, Windswept Farms, Pinnacle Organics and Tonascia Farms, among others.“We will be purchasing locally-grown beef, dried apricots and vegetables,” said grant author Kristy Bettencourt, San Benito High School District’s Maintenance, Operations, Transportation and Facilities Manager.Mr. Fisher said the farm-to-table program will “promote healthier eating habits and environmental awareness while supporting our local economy. Teenagers, now more than ever, are curious to try new ingredients thanks to Youtube and social media. What they don't know is that many of the products they seek are produced right here in San Benito County. Making this connection fosters healthy lifestyles and growth in our local economy.”Interim Food Services Supervisor Martha Fowles said the program will help continue the district’s commitment to serving fresh, nutritious food through its breakfast, lunch, and supper programs, which last year served more than 600,000 meals to students. San Benito High School District Superintendent Dr. Shawn Tennenbaum said that as the District continues to pursue innovative ways to support the nutritional needs of students,“I am extremely proud of MOT Manager Kristy Bettencourt, Culinary Educator Mike Fisher, and Interim Food Services Supervisor Martha Fowles for their teamwork and exceptional follow through to secure the $200,000 Farm to School Incubator Grant. In fact, it is not only the strong partnerships on campus that are thriving, but we will now have exciting opportunities to further strengthen our community partnerships by supporting local farmers and completing the Farm to School cycle on behalf of our students. It is truly an exciting day to be a Baler, as we strive for excellence in all that we do.”In announcing the grant funding, California Governor Gavin Newsom said, “Supporting healthy food access is foundational to giving our kids the best start in life and preventing chronic disease. Farm to School and the state’s other groundbreaking efforts in this space are making a real difference for thousands of California families every day, with countless benefits for our communities, local producers and the future of our state.”For this round of funding, CDFA’s Incubator Grant Program received 499 applications and $129 million in funding requests. This is almost double the number of project proposals from the previous grant cycle and six-times the number of project proposals from the inaugural year of 2021. During that time, the grant program has reached 49 percent of California students through a total of $86 million invested in 375 projects, benefitting more than 2.8 million students at 269 school districts.“These projects show the tremendous passion for farm to school in all corners of California,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “We’re excited to support each awardee with resources and training to ensure these programs continue making progress toward fresh, local foods in school cafeterias and classrooms.”The post San Benito High School District awarded $200K grant appeared first on BenitoLink.

On Sunday, September 15, 2024, Old Mission San Juan Bautista will commemorate Mexican Independence Day with a fiesta from 10:00am to 5:00pm in the historic Olive Grove.

The San Benito County Arts Council invites local artists, art groups, art and cultural organizations to apply to their 2024 Arts Express Grant Program for general operations and project-based funding for art programs, projects and activities that will take place in San Benito County between October 15, 2024- July 31, 2025.

National Night Out, an event about police and community partnerships, was held at the Veterans Memorial Building in Hollister on Aug. 6.

Local law enforcement and fire protection agencies hosted the annual National Night Out Aug. 6 in downtown Hollister, in an effort to encourage positive ongoing working relationships between public safety officials and community members.

The San Benito County Arts Council is excited to announce a call for artists for their upcoming fall exhibition titled ‘Soul Searching: An Exploration of Portrait Art.’ This exhibition aims to showcase the diverse and dynamic portrait works by local and regional artists, across all mediums.