Recapping 2025 in HB || 1.1.26

Hope you’re staying dry today folks ☔️

In lieu of a normal email this week, we’ll look back on some highlights and lowlights from the past year.

• Best of 2025

• New Year’s resolutions?

• Live music list for this weekend

PS - don’t worry, next Thursday’s newsletter will have Events and News sections like normal again.

BEST OF 2025

Boardriders Cafe opens 😋

HB’s first seed oil free spot opened off Bushard & Banning in July.

Shipley’s 50th 🎂 

Shipley Nature Center celebrated its 50th anniversary in May.

Other notable celebrations included Pacific City's 10th anniversary and Historic Wintersburg’s 100th anniversary.

Notable debuts 👀 

HotRods ‘N Helos held their inaugural event down by the beach in late March.

Wango Tango, featuring Gwen Stefani, Doja Cat, and David Guetta, had their first festival here in HB.

PRJKT shines 🤠

SeaSalt partnered with award-winning Heritage Barbecue.

SeaLegs hosted free comedy nights with Iliza Shlesinger, Craig Robinson, and Patrick Warburton over the summer.

Losing local barbecue 😥

Beale’s Texas BBQ (Peter’s Landing) shut down in March and Old Crow Smokehouse (Pacific City) closed at the end of November.

Will 2026 be the year Holy Smokes finally opens off Edwards & Edinger?

City Council debates 📰

City Council pumped the brakes on the Symphony of Flowers, a controversial light show that had been proposed for Central Park.

Among other decisions that drew interest from Around HB readers, City Council also…

• passed stricter e-bike rules in response to reckless riders

• approved the sale of alcohol at the Sports Complex

• designated September 18 as Kolby Aipa Day

• appointed Andrew Gruel as Tony Strickland’s replacement

• tabbed Casey McKeon as the next Mayor

• named Butch Twining as Mayor Pro Tem

POLL

Last week’s results: “What's your favorite Christmas movie?“

• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (29 of 150 votes - 19.33%)

• A Christmas Story (24 of 150 votes - 16%)

• other (19 of 150 votes - 12.67%)

• Elf (16 of 150 votes - 10.67%)

• A Charlie Brown Christmas (15 of 150 votes - 10%)

• Home Alone (14 of 150 votes - 9.33%)

• It’s a Wonderful Life (11 of 150 votes - 7.33%)

• Die Hard (11 of 150 votes - 7.33%)

• How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (7 of 150 votes - 4.67%)

• The Polar Express (4 of 150 votes - 2.67%)

“[Home Alone] Fond memories of seeing this movie with our six year old and five year old twins in NY at Christmas”

“[Elf] Always makes me laugh and happy!”

“[A Christmas Story] I got a red Ryder, but never shot my eye out 😂😂😂”

“[other] Christmas with the Kranks”

“[other] Miracle on 34th Street”

“[other] A Christmas Carol, almost any version.”

“[other] How could you forget about LOVE ACTUALLY My favorite!!”

“[other] Love actually. it's obvious”

FEATURED PET

Lavender Lemon is a ~2 year old female tuxedo cat currently up for adoption with Huntington Pet Vet (LINK)

FEATURED HOME

Looks like this beautiful single-story home in Sol Vista recently sold for $1.9M (LINK)

LIVE MUSIC

Thursday, January 1

• 2nd Floor · Brayden Nguyen @ 8p

Friday, January 2

• Mother’s Tavern · Foxy Codon @ 5p

• Sebastiani’s · Lili Lewis @ 6p

• Taco Surf · Steel Parade @ 6p

• Baci · Jennifer Hart @ 6:30p

• Pelican Isle · The Blue Byrdes @ 7:30p

• Perqs · Parkaimoon @ 9p

Saturday, January 3

• Mother’s Tavern · Cat Reed @ 1p

• Bella Terra · Kaitlyn Weathers @ 4p

• Mother’s Tavern · The Roamers @ 5p

• Sebastiani’s · Bob Bartosch @ 6p

• Taco Surf · Zero G @ 6p

• Baci · Larry Fresch @ 6:30p

• Old World · Mind/Cryme and OzzMania @ 8p

• Cruisers · Muffler @ 8p

Sunday, January 4

• Old World · Hard Day’s Night @ 12p

• Mother’s Tavern · Juke Joint Preachers @ 1p

• Bella Terra · Andrew Peña @ 1p

• J King Neptunes · George Fryer @ 4p

• Mother’s Tavern · The Deweys @ 5p

WEATHER

Thursday, Jan 1

64 🌡️ 59 | 🌧️ | 96% | 💨 S 10 mph (9 knots)

Friday, Jan 2

64 🌡️ 60 | 🌧️ | 88% | 💨 SE 6 mph (5 knots)

Saturday, Jan 3

60 🌡️ 56 | 🌧️ | 92% | 💨 WNW 5 mph (4 knots)

Sunday, Jan 4

62 🌡️ 55 | ☁️ | 25% | 💨 NW 1 mph (1 knot)

I said it last year but I’ll say it again now, 2026 is gonna be a good one. See ya next Thursday :-)

-Ethan