This event is a NEW addition to the Museum’s annual Vaquero Gala, Show and Sale lineup, and features a fun evening out for individuals and families!
SANTA YNEZ — Put on your dancing boots! The Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum and Parks-Janeway Carriage House (SYVHM) is excited to announce a new addition to the Vaquero Gala, Show and Sale event lineup – a Pig Roast and Barn Dance with live country-swing music by Monte Mills & the Lucky Horseshoe Band! The festivities take place on Saturday, November 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the famed Pork Palace, home of “Heritage Pork.” Single tickets are $65 and family tickets are $125. They may be purchased in advance at the Vaquero Show, online at santaynezmuseum.org or at the door.
“Now that we can gather together again this year, the Museum wanted to try something new to welcome back our members and to make new friends,” says Brian Stenfors, Ph.D., Executive Director. “The Pig Roast and Barn Dance is a fun way to introduce our wonderful organization to people that live in and beyond the Santa Ynez Valley. We are looking forward to welcoming newcomers and their families who have decided to settle here.”
The Pork Palace is located 3 miles south of Buellton at 1503 Highway 101. What makes the venue unique is the Jones family’s long-standing passion for natural and sustainable agriculture that does not sacrifice quality and flavor. They also share a passion for preserving the history and heritage of the area by maintaining the farm’s historic 300 foot-long barn that once housed cows and now is home to numerous breeds of heritage pigs who are allowed to come and go as they choose. Today, locals in the Santa Ynez Valley have come to know the Pork Palace as a respected source of heritage breeds of pigs, goats, turkeys and farm fresh eggs. Both Debbie and Randy Jones support the local 4H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) as well as their involvement in Rotary, Vikings of Solvang, The Santa Ynez Valley Foundation and other local organizations.
Attendees are encouraged to don their favorite cowboy hat, jeans, boots and Western wear. Dinner will include a roasted pig and assorted side dishes. During and after dinner, guests will be treated to the foot stomping sounds of classic country-western hits performed by Monte Mills and his Lucky Horseshoe Band. Monte has become an icon of the California Central Coast. He’s not only one of the last of the yodeling cowboys… he’s the best! A farrier and auctioneer by trade, he’s more than just a singing cowboy. He’s part of life around the Valley and beyond. Monte has been instrumental in keeping traditional Western swing country music alive introducing it to thousands each year. 2021 marks 45 successful and fun-filled years for Monte and the band. They play about fifty “gigs” a year, ranging from Barn Dances, Weddings, Bar-B-Qs, election campaigns, jail dedications, birthday parties to full-blown concerts. The group is known as a country band and they do play mostly country music, but they can just as easily slip into 50s and 60s oldies rock and roll, 1940’s big band or Gospel. Monte personally loves to play and sing those old Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys western swing tunes. The band’s repertoire is mostly pre Garth Brooks. Instead of performing the new songs heard on the radio, Monte has chosen to feature the songs that have become classics. Songs like “Your Cheatin’ Heart”, “Jambalaya”, “Workin’ Man Blues”, “Crazy”, “Silver Wings”, etc. will be with us always. The same can be said for the old Rock standards like “Johnny Be Good”.
For more information, Please contact Teresa Mills at (805) 688-7889 Ext. 104 or at info@santaynezmuseum.org.
About the SYVHM Vaquero, Show and Sale — The Annual Vaquero Gala, Show and Sale is Santa Ynez Valley’s most popular fall event celebrating Western lifestyle and horsemanship in the community. The 3-day fundraising event, which begins with the Gala, where the honor of “Vaquero of the Year” is bestowed on a community member, and includes a Western Collectible Sale as well as horsemanship and traditional California dance demonstrations, celebrates the unique culture and equine skills of the California “Vaquero” (cowboy).
About SYVHM — Founded in 1961, the mission of the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum and Parks-Janeway Carriage House is “Preserving, interpreting and celebrating the history of human experience in California’s Santa Ynez Valley and Central Coast by informing, educating, inspiring and engaging Museum guests of all ages and backgrounds.” The Museum is the official caretaker of the Valley’s rich cultural history, housing one of the finest collections of antique, horse-drawn carriages and wagons in the Western United States, examples of finely crafted Chumash and other Native American basketry, pottery and artifacts, one-of-a-kind horse saddlery and tack from days gone by and Western sculptures, paintings, books and handicrafts. As the “hub” for social gatherings in the Valley, the Museum sponsors events and celebrations throughout the year including gallery openings, Festival of the Vines, Vaquero Gala, Show and Sale, Wild West Camp and educational tours for children and food and wine tastings that highlight the economic importance of the wine and agricultural industries in shaping the Valley’s future. To learn more, visit and become a member, visit www.santaynezmuseum.org.