It’s no secret: Cuesta College is a commuter school. Whether they are 17 or 30 years old, without the option of on-campus housing, students are left to their own devices for entertainment.

When the sun sets on a long day of school, this is how Cuesta students blow off some steam.

Farmers Market

San Luis Obispo’s “farmer’s market” isn’t just an opportunity for locals to buy fresh produce, but a great experience every Thursday for Cuesta students to walk around downtown SLO. 

Farmer’s market, or what the locals call simply “farmer’s” allows high school and college students alike to relax before the weekend.

Farmer’s often has have live music, adding to the atmosphere that surrounds the popular event.

“It’s definitely a great thing to do on a Thursday night, if I had the time I would go more,” Sameer Wahba said, a freshman photography and film major said. “But it’s worth going to for anyone trying to experience the fresh food and restaurants that San Luis has to offer.”

Farmer’s has its own calendar, where you can view upcoming information about one of the city’s most popular events.

While other towns have their own farmer’s markets, they pale in comparison to SLO’s farmer’s market.

Line Dancing

San Luis Obispo is known for its downtown nightlife – but for those who can’t experience it yet due to their age, grab those cowboy boots and head to the Graduate for an endless night of swing and line dancing.

On Thursday and every other Saturday night, The Graduate plays a full night of country music for anyone over the age of 18. For those who are over 21, The Graduate offers an additional bar area to have a couple drinks before hitting the dance floor.

What to expect:

As you walk in, many people will be dressed in a variety of country outfits, but that does not mean it is a mandatory requirement. There are also the people that own nothing country at all and are dancing away in Converse or booties.

As for the dancing part, there is really no way to be good at every song the first time or the second. But the Cal Poly and Cuesta Line Dancing Clubs are there to help with step by step lessons starting at 8 p.m.

If lessons are not your thing, the regular dancing begins at 9 p.m. and ends at 1:30 a.m.

For more information on etiquette and some of the dances, visit Cuesta’s Line Dancing Club’s website at http://www.cuestacountrylinedancingclub.com

Party at the Pier

Innovative Dance Music Productions is a brand new events company based out of San Luis Obispo.

So far, it’s hosted several successful events, with its most recent being “Party at the Pier” in Port San Luis.

Hundreds of Cuesta students gathered at the end of the pier in the Olde Port Inn for a night of music, drinking and dancing on Saturday, March 10.

Tickets sold out online days in advance, and the Inn was packed to its maximum capacity.

Anyone over 18 could attend, however an open bar offered drinks to those over 21 with wristbands.

Many local DJs provided music for the night, including Cuesta students Milan Torne, Sam Delgado and Duncan Green.

Ryan Fullerton, Cal Poly student and founder of IDM Productions, plans on having another event soon, either in late April or early May.

The event will take place again at Port San Luis.

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/IDMproductions

Higuera Nights

One of the most infamous nightlife activities in the Central Coast exists on San Luis Obispo’s own Higuera Street: that’s right, the downtown bars.

Whether it be SLO Brew, Frog and Peach or Mother’s Tavern, downtown SLO has harbored one-too-many nights and groggy mornings for longer than most Cuesta students have been alive.

But with the largest bar scene for miles in all directions, Cuesta students need to come prepared before entering this diverse bar scene; else those looking to dance on tables in Mother’s Tavern might find themselves having a conversation with their ecco in Spike’s Pub.

Where you go depends on what atmosphere you enjoy most and, most importantly, what you like to drink.

Beer lovers might want to check out Blast 825 Taproom, where as wine connoisseurs should seek out Luis Wine Bar. If looking for crowds to meet new people, Frog and Peach is where to be, but if you’re looking for that classic college bar, Creeky Tiki is the place for you.

One of the first things students need to watch out for is cover charges – if you want to go out on a Friday or Saturday, be prepared to dish out a few bucks at each bar you enter – less of course you can beat the crowd and squat in the soon-to-be packed pub before 10 p.m.

Do not expect a quiet night on Higuera street, whether it be a Saturday or Monday. With the bars acting as a beacon for neighboring towns and two large local colleges, let’s just say you’re lucky if you can grab a booth.