There is a weekly Swap Meet and Farmers Market at Ventura County Fairgrounds, 10 W. Harbor Boulevard, every Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Free parking. Admission is $2. For more information visit www.facebook.com/Ventura-County-Fairgrounds-Swap-Meet-Farmers-Market-279401113415.
The Malibu County Mart encompasses 90,000 square feet of high-end retail, dining and service offerings housed in an eclectic mix of architectural styles including Mediterranean, modern and rustic influences. The structures are complemented by world-class gardens, unique sculptures, outdoor dining and picnic areas, and the popular children’s playground.
Notable restaurants at Malibu Country Mart include Taverna Tony and Nobu among others.
Visit www.malibucountrymart.com or call 310.456.7300 for more information. Plenty of free parking. Located at 3835 Cross Creek Road, Malibu.
Located at 28914 Roadside Drive in Agoura Hills, Whizin Market Square is an eclectic mix of shops, eateries, services and entertainment.
As of July 2022, restaurants and entertainment at the Square include The Canyon Club, Wood Ranch BBQ, Tifa Chocolate, Sage Plant Based Bistro & Brewery, Plata Taqueria, Carrara Pastries, Blue Table an Two Doughs Pizza.
You will find a variety of very unique, non-franchise type stores in here, including antiques, The Flying Owl Paper Boutique, beauty stores and more. Visit the Whizins Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WhizinMarketSquare and website at www.whizinmarketsquare.com for more information.
The Collection at RiverPark is an outdoor shopping center located on the northeast side of the 101 freeway in Oxnard, between the Oxnard and Vineyard exits.
The 650,000 sq ft center includes a combination of entertainment, retail, restaurants, various services, open space with fountains, parks and playgrounds and quality art. Parking is available on the streets as well as several parking lots.
As of September 2020, the following businesses operate at The Collection:
Retail: Here’s a small fraction of stores at The Collection - Chico’s, Ethan Allen, Finish Line, Forever 21, Gap, H&M, IT’Sugar, Jos. A. Bank, Lane Bryant, MAC Cosmetics, Pet Food Express, REI, Sleep Number, Soma Intimates, Target,, The Container Store, ULTA Beauty, Urban Outfitters, Victoria’s Secret, Whole Foods Market and many more.
Entertainment: Levity Live Comedy Club & Dinner Theater, Century RiverPark 16, Color Me Mine, The Painted Cabernet, Jump ‘N Jammin Indoor Play. NOW OPEN (Oct 2021): Bowlero bowling lanes
Other: Bank of America, 24 Hour Fitness SuperSport, Massage Envy Spa, Ventura County Credit Union and more.
Restaurants include:
After’s Ice Cream,
Ben and Jerry’s
Bottle & Pint (at The Annex)
Burnin’ Mouth Nashville Hot Chicken
Copper Blues Rock Pub & Kitchen
Da Hickory House
Don Waffly (at The Annex)
Five Guys Burgers & Fries
GEN Korean BBQ
It’s Boba Time
Kabuki Japanese Restaurant
King & Queen Cantina (coming soon as of November 2021)
Larsen’s Grill
Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar.
Los Agaves Mexican Restaurant
Love Pho Cafe (at The Annex)
Luna Grill
Menchie's Frozen Yogurt
Panera Bread
Pizza Man Dan’s (coming soon to The Annex as of November 2021)
Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters (at The Annex)
Red Robin
Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana,
Silverlake Ramen
Starbucks
Taqueria El Tapatio (at The Annex)
Texas de Brazil
The Blend Superfood Bar (at The Annex)
The Cheesecake Factory
Whole Foods Bar Rincon
Yard House.
Also at The Collection: The Annex, a 16,000 sq ft collection of micro shops, boutiques and eateries (included above). Across the street from Levity Live/Copper Blues.
There is unique public art placed throughout the center, including metal sculptures, ceramic tile murals, fountains and more. Shea Properties has spent around $1 million on art, bringing in seven artists for 18 individual art installations. Artists include Frank Bauer with his ceramic tile murals and benches and tile sidewalk medallions, and Michael Amescua with his cut metal sculptures.
Visit www.thecollectionrp.com or visit their Facebook page to learn more. To get there from the 101 North, exit on Oxnard Boulevard and turn right. Turn right again on Town Center Drive.
Playground at The Collection
Places that have come and gone from The Collection: Toby Keith's Bar & Grill closed in Spring 2015. Sabra Fish Grill opened in 2015 and closed in late 2017. Famous Dave’s BBQ. Gandolfo’s New York Deli, ANGL. General Chow closed in October 2019, EMC Seafood, Maria’s Italian Kitchen (closed April 2020), Seoul Sausage Company, PokeCeviche.
The Camarillo Premium Outlets at 740 East Ventura Boulevard offers nearly 160 stores.
Open 11am-7pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-8pm Friday and Saturday and 11am-7pm on Sunday (as of October 2021). More information at www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/camarillo.
Get there by taking the 101 to either Carmen (make a left over the freeway and then right on Ventura Blvd.) or Los Posas (left over the freeway and then left on Ventura Blvd.). If you're on a diet, you might take Los Posas as the Carmen route takes you past a large, alluring In-N-Out Burger.
As you can see on the map below, there are three main sections. The original outlets are on the left side, including the Main Court and across Camarillo Center Drive is the Fashion Court. In 2009 the outlets expanded to the west between the Edwards Movie Theater and Las Posas Road to include The Promenade section.
The Main Court contains suites 100-744, Fashion Court suites 800-1118 and The Promenade suites 1200-1514. The CP Outlets website has a listing by store type as well as a map.
The outlets are massive. You can park anywhere and walk the entire way, though I prefer to park in the Main Court and cover the Main Court and walk across Camarillo Center Drive to get to the Fashion Court.
You can also walk to The Promenade section, where you’ll find eateries such as Johnny Rockets, Panera Bread, Cracker Barrel, Ubatuba Acai and Pink’s Hot Dogs.
A small kids’ playground area was added in 2019 to The Promenade section near Wetzel’s Pretzels/Lids/Sunglass Hut.
Not a great pic but gives you a feel for the kids’ playground area at The Promenade (new in 2019)
Join the VIP Club to receive special discount offers and coupons at www.premiumoutlets.com/vip/
The two videos below provide a quick drive-through around the Main/Fashion Courts and the newer The Promenade.
Eateries that have come and gone from the Camarillo Premium Outlets:
Los Arroyos Mexican Restaurant - Late 2019
Smashburger - Early 2020
PizzaRev - Mid-2020
Yogurtland - 2020
Located at the southeast corner of Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard, The Promenade at Westlake is an architecturally appealing outdoor mall that has an assortment of things to do, including two large fountains, a koi pond and the Cinepolis movie theater.
One of two fountains at The Promenade at Westlake.
Eateries include The Grill on the Alley, Marmalade Cafe, Farfalla Trattoria, Kreation Organic, Fresh Brothers, Lemonade, Paul Martin's American Grill and Soom Soom Fresh Mediterranean (opened in September 2018) and Shake Shack (opened in October 2018).
Other stores include Cost Plus World Market, See's Candies, Sprinkles Cupcakes and Ice Cream and a variety of clothing and specialty stores, including Restoration Hardware, Brandy Glanville, Intermix, Lululemon Athletica, Sephora, Sharon Segal / Nina Segal the closet, Chico's and more.
Lots of outdoor seating around the fountain area outside of Barnes and Noble. There is usually live music on Friday/Saturday nights during the summer months.
The Promenade at Westlake is the sister mall of the similarly appointed The Commons at Calabasas.
The Promenade is located at 100 Promenade Way, Westlake Village (southeast corner of Westlake and Thousand Oaks Boulevards). Visit www.ShopPromenade.com or call 805.497.9861 for more information.
Previously at The Promenade:
Vintage Grocers abruptly closed their doors on March 15, 2019.
Bristol Farms announced in advance their last day of operation would be March 15, 2016.
Public School 805 closed on June 17, 2018 (space now occupied by Shake Shack).
Macaroni Grill closed in September 2013.
Loteria Grill closed in Feb/Mar 2017.
The Melt closed in December 2015 after a short, 7 month stint.
La Salsa closed in spring 2011.
Champagne French Bistro closed in the summer of 2020.
Channel Islands Harbor is located in Oxnard; take the 101 Freeway to Ventura. Exit Victoria Avenue. Turn south onto Victoria Avenue. Continue on Victoria for approximately 5 miles until you reach Channel Islands Harbor.
Channel Islands Harbor offers a variety of activities for the entire family. Throughout the year various events are held including the Celebration of the Whales, visits by Tall Ships, Concerts by the Sea, Fireworks by the Sea on July 4th, the Ventura County Boat Show, Ventura Vintage Rods Harbor Run Classic Car Show, and the annual Parade of Lights.
Harbor restaurants include The Waterside Restaurant and Wine Bar, H.C. Seafood & Co., Fisherman's House, The Lookout Bar & Grill, Moqueca Brazilian Cuisine, Mrs. Olson’s Coffee Hut, Honey Cup Coffee Bar, Toppers Pizza Place, The Masala Twist, Ventura BBQ Co., Spudnuts and Sea Fresh Channel Islands.
Visitors may rent boats at Hopper Boat Rentals, or Channel Islands Kayak Center, visit the Channel Islands Maritime Museum or just enjoy a beautiful day at one of the local beaches. Weekends offer live musical entertainment. Fresh fruits and vegetables plus arts and crafts may be found at the Harbor's Farmers' Market held at the Marine Emporium Landing from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. every Sunday, rain or shine! Or just ride bikes!
For more information, visit www.channelislandsharbor.org or call 805.985.4852.
We stop by the harbor as often as possible for various events and to walk around, as well as to walk a few blocks over to the beach! Quite a nice opportunity to beat the Conejo Valley heat...and only 15 to 20 minutes away!
After I posted a video showing the cool koi pond at the Simi Valley Town Center, a Conejo Valley Guide reader reminded me about the koi pond at Green Thumb Nursery, 1899 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura. Well it is, toward the back on the left side. These happy koi were swimming around and enjoying their summer afternoon.
The Lakes at Thousand Oaks is a 7 1/2 acre, 48,000 square foot development next to the Bank of America Performing Arts Center Thousand Oaks where you can relax and enjoy park-like landscaping, two lakes, fountains, waterfalls and a children's play area, while grabbing a bite and do some shopping. The Lakes opened in 2005.
Restaurants include P.F. Changs, California Pizza Kitchen and Sunlife Organics. Rounding out the offerings are a Lassen's Health Foods and Kalologie Skincare.
The Lakes at Thousand Oaks is really a beautiful, peaceful place, daytime and nighttime.
There is a kids club that meets every Wednesday morning from Spring through Fall. The Lakes hosts a very popular outdoor ice skating rink. Younger ones enjoy it here because there is a lot of room to run around, run across the bridge, around the lake, etc.
We like the koi at The Lakes. They're cool to watch. But we don't feed them as cute as they are as they are obviously well fed!
The Lakes is located at 2200 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard. Visit www.shoplakes.com or call 805.497.9861 for more information.
The Lakes Memory Lane: Former tenants at The Lakes include Claim Jumper (closed 2/23/14; now Lassen's), Nate 'n Al Deli (closed 1/4/12), Sushi Ko (2005 to August 2009 in Nate ‘n Al Deli space), Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (closed 7/18/11), Blizz Frozen Yogurt (closed early Spring 2011), Ben & Jerry's and 9021Pho (July 2016). Others: Tommy Bahama. Umami Burger closed 1/4/20, nearly eight years after opening on 5/3/12. Sabor Cocina Mexicana closed in March 2020.
The Commons at Calabasas is an open-air, Mediterranean style shopping center located at 4799 Commons Way. It is an attractive center with nice landscaping and fountains. There are about 35 businesses, including a Ralph's supermarket, the Edwards Grand Palace Stadium movie theater, Barnes and Noble, lululemon athletics, LOFT, Siany, White House Black Market, Williams-Sonoma, Rite Aid, Chico's, Kate Spade and other stores.
Dining options at The Commons includes Marmalade Cafe, Corner Bakery, King's Fish House, Fresh Brothers, Starbucks, Sugarfish by Sushi Nogawa, Toscanova, Menchie's Frozen Yogurt, Pick Up Stix, Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop, Le Pain Quotidien and SunLife Organics. And soon, Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop.
The Commons also hosts a weekly Kids Club and numerous other events and entertainment. There's also a nice pond/fountain area on the west end of the center, featuring koi and turtles.
Visit www.shopcommons.com or call 818.637.8922 for more information.
Universal Citywalk is a 23 acre entertainment and retail area adjacent to Universal Studios. It is a popular destination for entertainment, dining, shopping and getting out and about. Always lively, festive and colorful, and easy to get to, to me, Citywalk is a no-brainer destination when you have out of town guests or just want to get out and about from Ventura County.
Other than walking around and gazing at the people and interesting sites, there are plenty of things to do at Citywalk, including movie theaters, IMAX theater, a comedy club, the Gibson Amphitheatre, Jillian's (which has food, billiards and a large arcade), iFly Hollywood indoor skydiving and much more.
My kids absolutely love the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co so we usually eat there when we go. But there's a lot of other choices, like Buca di Beppo, Karl Strauss Brewery, Wolfgang Puck Cafe, Hard Rock Cafe, Saddle Ranch Chop House among others.
We also usually stop by Sparky's for a little sugar fix after our meal. They have chocolate covered Twinkies, s'mores, Rice Krispie treats, pretzels, bacon, jalapeno, you name it. Their candied apples look mouth watering too.
I've barely scratched the surface in this post, so visit www.citywalkhollywood.com to learn more. Click here for directions.
Oh, there's another thing. As of January 2015, general parking is $17 before 3pm ($10 after). While I kind of expect that when I visit an amusement park, it is harder for me to part with that kind of cash if I'm going mainly to have a meal and walk around for an hour. So let me impart some wisdom on you:
If you are planning on going to the movies, the box office will give you a rebate of $11 if you park before 3pm and $5 if you park after 3pm. That reduces your parking cost quite a bit.
The Thousand Oaks Farmers’ Market is located at The Oaks Shopping Center located on the east end parking lot at the corner of Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Wilbur Road. Operating hours are 1:30 pm to 6:30 pm. on THURSDAYS.
This long-running farmers' market is a great place to buy fruits, vegetables, plants, eggs, nuts, honey and flowers from local farmers, as well as delicacies such as fresh tamales, baked goods and other goodies from local vendors.
Visit the VCCFM website at www.vccfarmersmarkets.com for details.
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT VENTURA COUNTY FARMERS' MARKETS, CLICK HERE
Conejo Valley Guide covers events, activities and things to do throughout Ventura County and surrounding areas.
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