Lil’ Critters Club is a weekly event that takes place every Tuesday from 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. at the Paraiso amphitheatre for kids ages 0 to 5 and their parents. By signing up for a Lil’ Critters Club Membership you become eligible for special discounts specifically created for the Lil’ Critters Club by participating retailers.  Takes place every Tuesday, May - October.  Arts and crafts afer each Lil' Critters Club event.  Prizes! 

June Lineup:

June 3 “Sing Along with Claire Mills” Music and stories with guitarist Claire Mills and her puppet friends

June 10 “A Summer Adventure with Safari Sam” Get ready for a safari filled day of fun

June 17 “A Patriotic Morning with Twinkles the Clown” Join Twinkles and her puppet friends for fun sing patriotic sing along

June 24 “Everyone’s Favorite Music Man, Bob Harrison” Bob will have kids on their feet clapping, jumping and dancing

July Lineup:

July 1 “A Hilarious Morning Romp with Slapstick and Vaudeville” A bone tickling comedy act from Epoxy Unglued

July 8 “Fun with Kate the Clown” Jump, dance, sing and party with this adorable clown

July 15 “Magic Time with Scott the Great” A fun and interactive magic show

July 22 “Mimi the Mermaid” Take a summer splash with a real mermaid and her sea friends

July 29 “Fun and Magic with Jersey Jim Wells” One of LA’s best comedy magicians

August Lineup:

For additional info and future events, visit www.paraiso.com or call 805.376.8300.  Paraiso at Dos Vientos Ranch is a village like community shopping center located at 350 Via Las Brisas, Newbury Park.

Cost: $75.00 ($100.00 at the door). An evening of Las Vegas style games  (blackjack, craps, roulette) and entertainment. Live and silent auction. Fantastic food. Showgirls. Incredible sunset. Thousands in prizes! Attire: class, taste, and creativity encouraged.  Call Dixie Vollmer at 805.495.2145 or visit http://www.lasvegascool.org/ for more information.

Kick off the Thousand Oaks Arts Festival with a 10k, 5K or 1-mile family run/walk. Easy course around central Thousand Oaks beginning at The Lakes and ending at Gardens of the World. Proceeds benefit the Alliance for the Arts Kids and the Arts Education Program. For more info or to sign up online visit www.allianceforthearts.org.

Location:  The Lakes at Thousand Oaks, 2200 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.

• 5K (8 am)

• 10K (8:30 am)

• 1 mile Fun Run/Walk (8:30 am)

• Pre-Registration $20, Day of Race $25 (T-shirt included)  (COST IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE; THESE REPRESENT PRIOR YEAR REGISTRATION FEES)

• Day of Race Registration begins 6:30 am

• Prizes for first, second, and third male and female in 13 age divisions awarded at The Lakes Amphitheater

• Free Parking at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza

For information call the Alliance office (805) 449-2590.

ROUTE for 5K and 10K(2x): (Start in front of The Lakes) Thousand Oaks Blvd. east to Duesenberg north to Hillcrest, then east to Erbes Road, south to Thousand Oaks Blvd., to the finish line at Gardens of the World entrance.

Fun Run ROUTE: Thousand Oaks Blvd. (in front of Gardens of the World) west to Erbes north about a quarter of a mile and then back to finish at Gardens.

Fabulous DOOR PRIZES will be given away to participants whose numbers are drawn and who are present at Awards ceremony.

The Kids and the Arts Fun Run is in conjunction with the Thousand Oaks Arts Festival.

Proceeds from this event support the Alliance for the Arts Kids and the Arts School Outreach program.

Two-day Thousand Oaks Arts Festival showcases local artists of all styles both visual and performing. Event includes demonstrations, and hands-on children's art experiences. Entertainment on two stages ongoing both days. Admission and parking are free, refreshments available. More than 60 exhibitors. Event hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  For more info visit www.toartsfestival.com or call 805.498.6591.

Event is located at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Mary and Richard Carpenter Plaza Park, 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard.

Fairy Tales in the Park is brought to you by Gypsy Productions, the Gypsies in a Trunk, Creative Acting Theater School, C.A.T.S. Summer Camps, Manners do Matter, and your local Park & Recreation Department. These free, live theatrical performances are geared toward children ages 3-99.

In 1995 John and Roxanne Diesel co-founded Gypsies in a Trunk, an all-volunteer troupe of actors performing free fairy tales for the young and young at heart. The troupe’s love of children’s theatre has led them to perform every May through September since 1995 all over Ventura County. The tour has grown to include Camarillo, Simi Valley, Ventura, Westlake Village and the Channel Islands Harbor. The troupe's goal is to create an environment where families could introduce live theatre to their children in a casual setting at the right price – free! All Fairy Tales in the Park performances are held outdoors in a variety of venues and is always free of charge, though the players pass the hat to help cover costuming and travel costs, donations are always voluntary.

All Fairy Tales in the Park are outdoor shows. Most venues do not have shade, so sunscreen and hats are appropriate. Bring water, juice, snacks, picnics.  Blankets and low-slung chairs are recommended. Please leave doggies at home (not that they don't love them).  The shows are designed to run approximately 45 minutes, which coincides with the attention span of our target age group, 3-8 year olds.

LOCATIONS

SIMI VALLEY: Rancho Simi Bicentennial Amphitheatre (Erringer & Royal) MAP IT

WESTLAKE VILLAGE: Foxfield Park, 31965 Foxfield Dr. (Lakeview Canyon & Lindero) MAP IT

CAMARILLO: Pleasant Valley Community Center, 1605 E Burnley St (Carmen & Burnley) MAP IT

VENTURA: Barranca Vista Park, 7050 Ralston. (Johnson & Ralston) MAP IT

CHANNEL ISLANDS HARBOR: Harbor View Park. HARBOR MAP (Between Marine Emporium Landing & Port Royal Restaurant, NEAR 3600 Harbor Blvd) MAP IT

CALL (661) 718-3968 for more information, or to arrange performances in other areas.

The Harvest Festival at the Ventura County Fairgrounds Seaside Park (10 West Harbor Road, Ventura) is 3 days of fun, food, entertainment and one of a kind handmade arts & crafts. Hundreds of artisans featuring truly unique product – from eye catching jewelry, colorful glassware and ceramics, hand-woven and embellished clothing, photography, specialty foods, home décor and more.  There’s something here for everyone in the family, including a Kids Zone with activities to keep the little ones busy.

Admission is $9 for adults, $4 ages 13-17, $7 ages 62+ and 12 and under are free with an adult.  One ticket is good for all 3 days.  Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m on Fri/Sat and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.  Click here for more information and to buy tickets online.

The Agoura Hills Department of Community Services presents the following free family concerts and movies this summer.  For more information visit www.ci.agoura-hills.ca.us or call 818.597.7361.

Concerts in the Park

(6 p.m. at Chumash Park, 5550 Medea Valley Drive in Agoura Hills, all on Sundays)

• June 15:  Surfin' Safari

• July 6:  Platinum Groove (followed by fireworks!)

• July 20:  Chet McCracken of the Doobie Brothers

• August 3:  Face to Face: Tribute to Elton John and Billy Joel

Movies in the Park

(Dusk at Reyes Adobe Park, 31400 Rainbow Crest Drive in Agoura Hills, all on Saturdays)

• June 7:  "Bee Movie"

• June 28:  "The Wizard of Oz"

• July 26:  "Mrs. Doubtfire"

• August 30:  "Ghostbusters"

Janss Marketplace host monthly open mic night and Fountain show event on the second Thursday of every month!

THOUSAND OAKS - The Janss Marketplace shopping center invites musicians of all ages to showcase their talents during a new monthly Open Mic Night!  The event kicked off on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007 and several talented performers turned out to give wonderful performances.  

The Open Mic Night run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month at the center's recently renovated fountain courtyard. The event will be bookended by special 20-minute-long water-and-light shows at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Remaining dates scheduled for 2008 are:

May 8                           June 12                         July 10                          August 14

September 11                October 9                     November 13                December 11

The Janss Marketplace is located at Moorpark Road and Hillcrest Drive in Thousands Oaks. Its centerpiece is a new $850,000 fountain that features dancing water, music and lights. Its design is Native American-themed, with a central sculpture atop a nine-foot rock.  For additional information, call 805-495-4662.  

The Camarillo Arts Council presents the 2008 Summer Concert and Film Series at Constitution Park in Camarillo at the corner of Carmen Drive and Paseo Camarillo.  All events are on Saturday nights.  Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m and films at 8 p.m.  Events are free but audience donations are encouraged as they are a major source of funding for these great summer events. 

Concert Lineup:

June 7th:  Susie Hansen Latin Jazz Band - Latin Jazz

June 21st:  Eddie Money - Classic Rock

July 5th:  Super Diamond - Songs of who else...Neil Diamond

July 19th:  Moorpark Symphony Orchestra - Classical/Pop

August 9th:  Caught Red Handed - Country

August 23rd:  Kahuna Beach Party - Beach Boys and Surf Music Tribute

September 6th:  Raymond Michael:  A Tribute to Elvis

Movies:

June 28th:  Bee Movie (2007 animated feature)

July 26th:  Hairspray (2007 John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken)

Five outdoor Saturday night jazz concerts at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza, 880 S. Westlake Boulevard are coming soon.  Doors open at 6 p.m. and concerts start at 7 p.m.  Tickets are $47.50 for open seating or $95 for VIP seating with dinner and drinks included.

Visit www.westlakejazzseries.com or call 805.557.1234 for more information and to purchase tickets.

The Lineup:

June 28th:  Acoustic Alchemy

July 12th:  Euge Groove

July 26th:  Mindi Abair

August 16th:  R'n'R (Rick Braun and Richard Elliot)

September 13th:  Peter White

Billed as the Conejo Valley's longest running auto show!  Sunday, October 5th at Countrywide Financial Corp, 31303 Agoura Road, Westlake Village.  Music, raffle, food, great cars, etc.  Show opens at 10 a.m. and awards at 2:30 p.m.  Admission is free.  For more information, click here for a flyer or call 805.370.0035.