SoCal dads turn to braids and beer for solidarity and support

7 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. GOLETA — For a few minutes, the atmosphere inside Captain Fatty’s Brewery in Santa Barbara County was quiet, different from the usual Friday night clamor. On this late May evening, the 15 men gathered there were contemplating tackling something few had previously had the courage or skill to take on. Austin Nieves, a recent transplant to the area and the man who had brought this brave group together, broke the strained silence by handing out beers. Within minutes, the men, who ranged in age from 30 to 60, began chatting among themselves. The May 22 event — Goleta’s version of the viral U.K.-inspired “Pints and Ponytails” night — was sold out. The idea is to have expert hairstylists train uninitiated or intimidated fathers on how to comb and braid their kids’ hair, using salon-type head mannequins but in a setting for bros. “When the first guys got there, they were stiff,” said Nieves, a Pasadena native who moved to Santa Barbara in April 2025. “Then after that first beer, they went from sitting around the edge of the bar to jumping right into learning and giving it a shot.” Dads group members Dan Ucko, left, and Eric Schalla participate in the hairstyling event at Captain Fatty’s Brewery in Goleta. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) The gathering was one of several father functions by the Santa Barbara Dads group, which Nieves founded last spring. May’s papa party offered, along with the suds, a learning experience and camaraderie among fathers, which Nieves believes is much needed. “When my wife had our son, she immediately became part of at least five mom groups and classes that offered her help, advice, friendship and training,” Nieves said. “As a first-time father, I really only had my brothers, who had children themselves, to turn to.” Scientific studies have shown that as fathers have taken a more active role in child rearing, they’ve faced loneliness, doubt and confusion. Researchers Chris Knoester and David J. Eggebeen wrote in 2006 in the “Journal of Family Issues” that fatherhood leads “to declines in feelings of well-being and participation in social activities” as fathers spend less time with friends. Clinical psychologists Hillary Halpern and Maureen Perry-Jenkins documented that the transition from single life to fatherhood is often accompanied by a roller coaster of emotions. And researchers from Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute determined in a 2021 study that fathers might require help “during their transition to fatherhood.” After a friendly competition, Chi Jou “Belle” Lin selects the winning mannequin during the May 22 meetup. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) One such way to assist men is specifically a fathers group, according to the 2021 study. Most men “were mostly satisfied with participating in father groups and described that they positively impacted their relationship with their partner and child.” The increased contact also helped improve “their self-confidence and family equality and decreased their loneliness.” Nieves agreed that his leisure time and focus changed sharply after the birth of his child, Hudson, now 3 years old, as did his friend group updates. “They were talking about all this crazy fun or TV shows and I was talking about my son being able to lift his head,” Nieves said. “That’s when I knew I had to branch out.” Nieves, then living in Costa Mesa with his wife, Katie, created the Orange County Dads club in October 2023. Led by a wellness coach, Dad’s Link Golf Club blends community, fatherhood and fellowship to help dads focus on mental health. His group of merry men held meetups at coffee shops, beer halls and the zoo, hosted holiday hootenannies and even offered CPR classes. Its success helped spawn a chapter in the Whittier area. Though strictly a fathers club, the group, Nieves said, has grown thanks to wives and partners sharing his social media posts with their husbands. Mikhail Alfon, founder of Blue Light Media, a social media strategy agency, took his son, Santos, to multiple Orange County meetups. “This is our first child and obviously life changes a lot,” said Alfon in a social media post. “Finding peers and friends that are in the same stage of life is great.” That sense of community, however, faced a challenge as Nieves and his family purchased a home in Santa Barbara and moved in April 2025. Peter Aguilar, left, and Fredy Medel work on their technique. Medel’s partner, Daniela Fajardo, holding their 1-year-old daughter, Faylani, records the event. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) Within a month, however, he had established a Santa Barbara-based dads group. Their first meetup was in May 2025, and they’ve made a point to gather once a month. Austin Jones, a Santa

SoCal dads turn to braids and beer for solidarity and support

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