Free Concerts and Live Music All Summer Long Around Ventura County

We have before us another great summer of free (and almost free), live music throughout Ventura County and surrounding areas this summer. This preliminary list is GROWING! Rock, jazz, pops, R&B, reggae, Celtic, classical, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, Classic Rock, Latin, Tribute Bands, you name it!!!

This list of course is subject to change. Contact event organizers to confirm.

Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village/Newbury Park

• May 28 to Sept 3: Free Concerts in the Park in Thousand Oaks
• June 20 to August 29: Wednesday Nights at Janss Marketplace Thousand Oaks
• June 1 to Aug 31: Free Summer Concert Series in Westlake Village (Fri/Sat nights)
  
• July 21-22: 4th Annual Tropical Daze Music Festival in Thousand Oaks ($5 admission)
  
• August: Sunday Afternoon Free Jazz at Gardens of the World Thousand Oaks
• June 28 to August 2: Thursday Nights at The Oaks Mall
  

Agoura/Oak Park/Calabasas/Woodland Hills

• June 17 to August 5: Sunday Summer Concerts in the Park in Agoura Hills
• Sunday, August 26: Music in the Park in Oak Park

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Bank of America Offers Free Admission to Over 150 Museums Nationwide in 2012

If you are a Bank of America customer, your bank card and photo ID will gain you one free admission to over 150 museums across the country on the first full weekend of each month during 2012. Visit the "Museums on Us" program website at museums.bankofamerica.com for details.

Here are the dates from May through December:

• May 5-6
• June 2-3
• July 7-8
• August 4-5
• September 1-2
• October 6-7
• November 3-4
• December 1-2

And while there are no Ventura County museums on the list, there are a number of other choices within driving range in Los Angeles:

• Autry National Center of the American West

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Spring Has Sprung in the Conejo Valley

Chris Rowell of Newbury Park captured the essence of spring nicely in this colorful photo in Thousand Oaks today. Blue skies and the budding of wildflowers marks this time of year!

A great time to be outdoor for upcoming festivals, fairs and expos, and local health and fitness events. Or try some local hikes and trails, visit a botanic garden, go horseback riding and much more.

Twelve Interesting Clubs in Ventura County That You May Not Be Aware Of

If you've clicked through this site you already know there are thousands of things to see and do throughout Ventura County, including over 100 local area clubs and organizations, service organizations, moms' clubs and charities of all types. Let's take a look at a dozen of local clubs that you may not have been aware of.

The Ventura County Kite Flyers is a group that, obviously, flies kites together with a home base of Oxnard State Beach.

The Hawaii Club of Ventura County is comprised of members from Hawaii and people who want to perpetuate the spirit and culture of the Hawaiian Islands. The groups meets regularly. The next best thing to a trip to Hawaii.

Founded in 1992, the Camarillo White Horse Association records and maintaisn the lineage of the historic breed of famous Camarillo White Horses dating back to those bred and developed by Adolfo Camarillo.

The Conejo Valley Bonsai Club meets the 3rd Thursday of each month at Westlake Village City Hall. This is the only bonsai society in Ventura County and is part of the American Bonsai Society.

The Marine Aquarium Society of Ventura County is a group of ocal reef hobbyists and enthusiasts who are dedicated to the support of reef keeping in the Ventura County area.

Stitch 'n Bitch Ventura County is for those who like to knit or crochet and live in Ventura County and nearby areas. Meetings in Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley.

The Ventura County Chess Club meets Tuesdays in Ventura and is open to all skill levels. Check it out, mate!

The Indian Friends Association is a non-profit organization of Indian Americans and others dedicated to fostering grassroots development in India. Is based in Ventura County.

The Ventura County Writers Club was founded in 1933 by four writers in the Ojai area. Since then the club has grown to more than 150 members, meets regularly and hosts annual contests.

The Ventura County Go Club provides a place for people to learn, play, or just watch the game of Go. Meetings in Camarillo are FREE and open to the public.

The National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors has a Ventura County chapter that meets monthly at Ventura College.

The Ventura County Comets Radio Control Flying Club has been around since 1965. All members must also be members of the Academy of Model Aeronautics.

Rain, Rain Go Away! On Second Thought, I Take That Back! Stay For Awhile!

This so-called winter here in Ventura County has been so lacking rain that this weekend's winter final thunderstorm is something to appreciate. We could have used more of this throughout the winter but hey, we'll take it, even this final winter weekend before Spring begins in a few days.

What to do when it is raining outside? Well here are some ideas:\

Ventura County area shopping malls

Ventura County bowling alleys

Ventura County museums

Ventura County gyms and fitness facilities

Local events calendar

Ventura County libraries

Ventura County movie theaters

Ventura County painting and ceramics studios

Rainy day fun with the kids

And of course....there's also, staying out how and vedging in front of the TV.

Moving Out of Your Comfort Zone - "Snow Daze" by Chuck Trunks

The latest work of Camarillo artist Chuck Trunks entitled "Snow Daze" depicts a snow man looking frazzled over the transition from winter to summer. We all feel some degree of discomfort when moving out of our own comfort zones; and sometime all we need is a little push. See Trunks' other work on Conejo Valley Guide by clicking here.

Interesting and Amazing Facts and Tidbits About LEGO® Blocks

My kids are LEGO® fanatics and I'm constantly being nagged for new LEGO sets. Our house must have thousands of dollars of them. So recently we visited the only LEGO store within an hour range of the Conejo Valley, at the Glendale Galleria. To make it a full day, we stopped by the Los Angeles Zoo and Griffith Park for mini-train rides. Needless to say, they loved the LEGO store and we spent quite a bit of time exploring.

Some amazing facts about LEGO bricks and products (Source: Lego.com):

• There are over 915 million ways to combine 6 8-stud LEGO bricks. Go try it for yourself! The exact number of combinations is 915,103,765.
• The LEGO Group made over 31 billion LEGO elements in 2010, or 1,000 per second.
• There are over 3,900 LEGO elements and 58 different LEGO colors.
• Over 400 million children and adults will play with LEGO bricks this year.
• Laid end to end, the LEGO bricks sold in one year would circle the earth 10 times.
• With over 300 million tires produced each year, LEGO is the world's largest tire maker.
• Nearly half a TRILLION LEGO elements have been manufactured over the years.
• Over the years, an estimated 4 BILLION LEGO minifigures have been produced, making them the world's largest population group!
• There are 4 LEGOLAND® parks in the world, including Denmark, England, California and Germany. A new LEGOLAND, the largest ever, will open in Florida (midway between Tampa and Orlando) in mid-October 2011! A 6th park is planned in Malaysia in 2012.
• Our "local" LEGOLAND here in Carlsbad, California opened in 1999 using 35 million LEGO brocks in the park's 15,000 LEGO models.

The name LEGO originated in 1934 when Ole Kirk Kristiansen took the Danish words LEG GODT "play well" and created the name that has become a household word. The LEGO Group is very protective of its brand...they require the following:

• LEGO should always be written in capital letters.
• LEGO must not be used as a generic term or in the plural (e.g. LEGOs).
• When used as part of a noun, LEGO must not appear on its own (e.g. LEGO bricks).

ROCK ON, LEGO!

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Sweet Escapes In and Around Ventura County

"Sweet Escape" by Chuck TrunksLooking for something to do around Ventura County but also looking for money missing from your wallet? Not to worry, there are plenty of escapes that won't cost you an arm and a leg around town. In fact, our mission in life here is to ensure you have hundreds of inexpensive, fun options in Ventura County and surrounding areas!

Free upcoming local events

Free things to do

Free kids' activities

Kids eat free deals

Get free food and stuff at Ventura County area eateries

That should get you started...but here's some more:

Family events

Upcoming 5K/10K events

Send your kids to a local summer camp

Go running, cycling or hiking

Swimming and water play around Ventura County

Visit a local farmers' market

Go bowling

Throw a birthday party for your kid

Visit a museum

Not enough choices? Continue exploring Conejo Valley Guide and I can guarantee you'll find something fun to do.

Join the Audience at a TV Show Taping

Hollywood is only 40 minutes from Thousand Oaks (depending on traffic). How many of you have ever been to a TV show taping?  It is free and can be a lot of fun! Out of town guests? They'll love the experience of sitting in a live audience! Talk shows, game shows, sitcoms, you name it!  Here are some websites to visit to track down free seats in the Los Angeles area, along with currently available shows as of August 2010:

On-Camera Audiences www.ocatv.com - Currently available shows include Chelsea Lately, "Baggage" with Jerry Springer, Let's Make a Deal, Catch 21 and America's Got Talent. They have other shows too, like Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, etc. with waitlists.

Audiences Unlimited www.tvtickets.com - Currently available shows include Dr. Phil, Mike & Molly, Better with You, $#*! My Dad Says, America's Funniest Videos and more (many others currently fully booked through August).

HollywoodTickets.com www.hollywoodtickets.com - Currently available Dr. Phil, Better with You, Rules of Engagement (others sold out)

TVTix.com www.tvtix.com - Currently available "Baggage," Wheel of Fortune, Let's Make a Deal, Jeopardy.

1iota.com www.1iota.com - Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Lopez Tonight, NBC's The Sing-Off, etc.

Or you can go directly to a show's website to request tickets...though usually there is a long wait. Here are a few:

George Lopez Show: www.lopeztonight.com/tickets

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/tickets

Note: Each show has different age minimums, locations, timing and rules, so make sure to read the fine print. For example, if you want to be on The Price is Right, you must be 18 years of age or older and arrive 4 hours in advance of the 2 hour taping. That could be a long day!  Wheel of Fortune, filmed at the Sony Studios in Culver City, however, allows audience participants to be as young as 8.