Kids' Swap and Sell at Rancho Simi Rec & Park Center in Simi Valley on Saturday, December 6, 2025

The Rancho Simi Recreation & Park District is hosting Kids Swap N’ Sell on Saturday, December 6, 2025 from 7:30 am to 11 am at Guardian Activity Center, 4201 Guardian St, Simi Valley. Youth vendors can sell their gently used toys, sports equipment and clothes or swap them with other vendors. www.rsrpd.org

Upcoming Events and Free Programs at the Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park Branch Libraries

Thousand Oaks (Grant R. Brimhall) Library.

Thousand Oaks (Grant R. Brimhall) Library.

There are two great Thousand Oaks libraries; the Grant R. Brimhall Library at 1401 E. Janss Road in Thousand Oaks (805.449.2660) and the local Newbury Park Branch is at 2331 Borchard Road (805.498.2139).  These libraries provide year-round free events, activities and programs for all ages. Selected events from time to time will be covered here.

Visit the library website at www.toaks.org/library to learn more. 

The following is a list of programs happening at the Thousand Oaks Library during the month of November, with GRB denoting Grant R. Brimhall Library and NPL denoting Newbury Park Library. All Library programs are free and open to the public; some require registration, and all are subject to change or cancellation without prior notice. For the latest information on Library events, visit www.tolibrary.org/calendar.

ALL AGES

Board Game Club

Tuesday, November 4 • 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm • GRB Teen Space

Love strategy board games but have a difficult time finding a consistent group to play with? Us too! Ages 14+ are invited to join us monthly to play games like Forbidden Island, Dungeon Mayhem, and Wingspan, or bring your own games to share with others!

The Great Puzzle Race

Saturday, November 8 • 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Form a team of 2 to 4 people and race against other teams and the clock to complete a 500-piece puzzle in 2 hours. One registration per team.

Gosh Yarn It

Friday, November 14 • 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm • GRB Community Room

Relax, crochet, and socialize at our crochet club! Beginners and experts alike are welcome to bring your own supplies and hang out with fellow crocheters as we sip tea and work on our projects. For ages 11+.

FTOL Book Sale

Saturday, November 15 • 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm • Newbury Park Library

Shoppers can enjoy fantastic bargains—5 books for just $1, unless otherwise marked. The sale will feature fiction and nonfiction titles for all ages, including a large selection of children’s winter holiday books. Early entry at 11:30 am for Friends members.

Maker Mondays: Thanksgiving

Monday, November 17 • 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm • GRB Teen Space

Stop by and choose a Thanksgiving-inspired design/experience using one or all of our ‘maker’ machines: Button maker, VR headset, 3D printer, and Cricut machine. For ages 11+.

Agents of Discovery: Power of the Card Missions

November • Both Libraries

Join us for a scavenger hunt to find out what you can do with your library card. To play, download the Agents of Discovery app, find the “Power of the Card” mission that corresponds to your library branch, and complete all eight challenges! For ages 11+.

Creating Comics: From Idea to Page with Jordan Morris

Saturday, December 6 • 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm • GRB Community Room

Jordan Morris is a TV writer, podcaster and author of the graphic novels Bubble and Youth Group. He's also written for Archie Comics, Marvel and IDW's Godzilla. In this presentation, he'll explain how a comic book goes from idea to pitch to script to finished product! For ages 11+.

KIDS

In-N-Out Cover to Cover Club

Ends Saturday, November 15 • Both Libraries

Read 5 books or 300 minutes and earn a coupon for a free hamburger or cheeseburger at In-N-Out. For ages 4-12 only. To sign up, please speak with a librarian at the library. While supplies last.

Enrichment Playtime

For babies (0-12 months): Tuesday, November 4 • 10:15 am – 10:50 am

For toddlers (12-36 months): Wednesday, November 5 • 10:15 am – 10:50 am

For preschoolers (ages 3-5 years): Thursday, November 6 • 10:15 am – 10:50 am

Join us for 30 minutes of unstructured playtime in the GRB Community Room.

Homework Help

Tuesdays, November 4 & 18 • 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Wednesdays & Thursdays, November 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, & 20 • 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm • GRB Community Room

Mondays, November 10 & 17 • 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Struggling with challenging school assignments? Our volunteers are here to help! For students in kindergarten through 8th grade. September 2025 – May 2026, closed on all CVUSD holidays & breaks. No session on November 3, 11, & 24-28.

Dog Days

Tuesdays, November 4 & 18 • 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm • GRB Children’s Program Room

Thursday, November 6 • 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Readers of all levels and abilities are invited to come and read to a certified therapy dog! Participants will sign up for a brief 10-minute session with a dog and their owner. No session on November 11.

Reading Buddies (Waitlist Open)

Tuesday, November 4 • 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Wednesdays, November 5 & 12 • 3:10 pm – 3:40 pm or 3:45 pm – 4:15 pm • GRB Community Room

A weekly program for students in grades 1-4 to practice and gain confidence in their reading with the support of a volunteer. Registration required.

PACT with First 5 Ventura County

Friday, November 7 • 10:30 am – 11:15 am • NPL Meeting Room

Join First 5 Ventura County for a series of classes that mimic the Parent and Child Together (PACT) classes offered at Neighborhoods for Learning sites for children prenatal to 5 years. Classes include books, songs, music and movement, guided play with open-ended materials, and parent education.

Music & Movement

Saturday, November 8 • 10:15 am – 10:45 am & 11:15 am – 11:45 am • GRB Community Room

Dance, clap, and sing along with Ms. Cheryl Lev during this fun, interactive program. For ages 0-5 years. Registration required.

Future Einsteins - The Magic of Water!

Friday, November 14 • 4:30 pm – 5:15 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Learn about the magical properties of water and create your own water striders. Led by a Teen Volunteer. For ages 5-10 and grades 1-5. Registration required.

Pathways to Science: Light and Sound!

Friday, November 21 • 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm • GRB Community Room

Learn about the science of light and make some color filter glasses. Led by a Teen Volunteer. For ages 5-10 and grades 1-5. Registration required.

Children's Craft Table: Woven Paper Pumpkin

Friday, November 21 – Sunday, November 30 • Both Libraries

Stop by either library to weave a paper pumpkin. For ages 3+. While supplies last.

LEGO Play

Wednesday, November 26 • 10:15 am – 11:45 am • GRB Community Room

DUPLO® bricks are available for younger builders. Recommended for ages 5+.

TWEENS & TEENS

Coding Contest: Light Quest

Ends Sunday, November 30 • Virtual

Create a video game that guides the robots on their quest to reignite the light of Planet Fiero! Prizes for select winners! Log into your Fiero Code account or set up a free coding account through the Library for details to participate. For ages 8-18.

Financing and Preparing for College Workshops

Fridays, November 14 & 21 • 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm • GRB Technology Training Room

Determine return on investment in education, career, and school finances on November 14 during the Comparing Schools & Costs session. Explore options to pay for school and discuss loans, interest, payback options, FAFSA, and other alternative resources on November 21 during the Financing School session. Taught by Financial Beginnings. Recommended ages 15+ or families preparing for college. Registration required.

Reading Rocks Book Club

Tuesday, November 18 • GRB Children’s Program Room

Rocks (Grades 4-5): 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Boulders (Grades 6-8): 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Join us monthly to discuss books with strong female characters. This month’s books are Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery for Rocks and A Game of Noctis by Deva Fagan for Boulders. Registration required.

Books for Buttons, Boba, or Burgers

Come to the Library and pick up a “Books for Buttons, Boba, or Burgers” form. Finish reading a book with more than 200 pages, submit to get a pin button, and enter for a chance for a Boba or Burger gift card. Read more books for more chances to win. For ages 11-18.

ADULTS

Ask a Doula

Monday, November 3 • 11:00 am – 12:00 pm • GRB Children’s Program Room

Ask a Doula provides an open and welcoming space where families can ask questions about pregnancy, birth, postpartum recovery, newborn care, and infant sleep. Led by Sharon Cody, PhD, a former scientist turned certified doula, the session combines evidence-based information with practical, real-life support. For expectant parents, new parents, and caregivers of young children. Babies and little ones are welcome!

Conversations with Mom

Tuesdays, November 4, 18, & 25 • 11:00 am – 12:00 pm • GRB Community Room

This free support group is for moms and their newborns to get together, express their joys and concerns, and meet other new moms in the community. Other caregivers, including fathers and grandparents, are welcome to attend the program on the last Tuesday of the month. No session on November 11.

Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity with Award-Winning Journalist Joseph Lee

Wednesday, November 5 • 11:00 am – 12:00 pm • Virtual

You’re invited to learn from journalist and author Joseph Lee as he chats online with us about his stirring memoir, Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity. In it, he explores Indigenous identity in proximity to land that serves as an iconic vacation spot for the wealthy — the “island paradise” of Martha’s Vineyard.

Using LinkedIn Learning

Wednesday, November 5 • 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Thursday, November 20 • 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm • GRB Technology Training Room

Learn relevant, professional skills through LinkedIn Learning; free with a Thousand Oaks Library card. Registration required.

Many Voices Book Club

Wednesday, November 5 • 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm • GRB Technology Training Room

Join us in reading and discussing books in a wide variety of genres by authors from a wide variety of cultures. This month’s book is Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley. Walk-ins welcome.

Crafternoon

Friday, November 7 • 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm • GRB Community Room

Friday, November 21 • 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Adults are invited to join us at the Library to socialize and make a different craft each month! This month, we will be making a Punch Needle Coaster. Materials provided. Registration required.

Happily Ever After Book Club

Monday, November 10 • 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm • GRB Technology Training Room

Join us as we chat about our favorite romance novels, where a Happily Ever After (HEA)—or a Happily For Now (HFN)—is always guaranteed. This month’s book is The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava. Walk-ins welcome.

Introduction to 3D Printing

Wednesday, November 12 • 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm • GRB Technology Training Room

Learn the basics of 3D Printing as well as how to use Tinkercad, a free, easy-to-use web app for 3D modeling. In this class, you will use Tinkercad to create a name tag suitable for 3D printing. Registration required.

Spanish at Your Library

Wednesday, November 12 • 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm • GRB Technology Training Room

Advanced & intermediate learners are invited to join our informal Spanish conversation group to practice and improve with fellow language lovers, guided by a native speaker! Registration recommended. Walk-ins welcome.

Open Mic Poetry Nights

Wednesday, November 12 • 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Come listen to local poets and share your own work every second and fourth Wednesday of the month, in collaboration with The Ventura County Poetry Project. No session on November 26.

The Search for Truth and the Persistence of Love Across Time with Novelist Amanda Peters

Thursday, November 13 • 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm • Virtual

Join us in an online conversation with acclaimed writer Amanda Peters as we discuss her instant bestselling novel, The Berry Pickers, as well as her tender short fiction collection, Waiting for the Long Night Moon: Stories.

ESL (English as a Second Language) Conversation Group

Thursday, November 13 • 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm • GRB Technology Training Room

Practice speaking English in an informal and friendly group setting, open to all non-native speakers. Registration preferred, walk-ins welcome.

Movie Matinées

Monday, November 17 • 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm • GRB Community Room

Enjoy free movie matinées at the Library! Check our online schedule to see what’s playing and make your next afternoon a movie day.

Unlock the Secret Language of Connection with Supercommunicator Charles Duhigg

Tuesday, November 18 • 11:00 am – 12:00 pm • Virtual

Get yourself primed for the holiday season and join us for an online conversation you won't want to miss! Charles Duhigg, author of the bestselling books The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better, presents the ultimate guide to communicating and connecting with anyone at work, home, and in life in his latest work, Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection.

Artificial Intelligence: Is it Real?

Wednesday November 19 • 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Join us for a discussion on ‘Artificial Intelligence’ as speaker Craig Reinhart, Ph.D., defines the term, reflects on AI's past and present, and talks philosophically about our ability to create an ‘Intelligent’ being.

Sedalia Ragtime Orchestra

Wednesday November 19 • 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm • GRB Community Room

The Sedalia Ragtime Orchestra will perform a selection of ragtime music from between 1897 and 1917 at the Grant R. Brimhall Library.

ON THE REGULAR

LevelUp Lounge

Fridays • 10:00 am – 5:30 pm • GRB Teen Space

Access all ages gaming with the Library’s Xbox Game Pass! Hang out and relax with games like No Man’s Sky, Powerwash Simulator, Forza, Sea of Stars, and over 250 more options!

Board Games at the Library

Grant R. Brimhall Library

Stop by the Information Desk to borrow board games to play while inside the Library! Games available include Wingspan, Parks, Forbidden Island, and more.

Dungeons and Dragons Starter Kit

Grant R. Brimhall Library

The Thousand Oaks Library offers Dungeons & Dragons Starter Kits, each packed with guides, handbooks, a game master screen, dice sets, and more for D&D 5th Edition. Find them alongside the Book Club in a Box collection. Perfect for your next adventure!

Stay & Switch

Newbury Park Library

Level up your visit with the Nintendo Switch Lite, available to borrow with your library card at the Newbury Park Library Information Desk. Loaded with fun digital games, the Switch Lite is perfect for in-library play. Come check it out and enjoy some gaming time!

Halloween in the Park in Camarillo on Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Halloween in the Park

Wednesday, October 29, 5:30-8pm

Community Center Park

1605 E. Burnley Street, Camarillo

Cost: FREE

Join in on a spooky evening out at Community Center Park on Halloween night with pumpkin painting, lawn games, food trucks, a costume contest (6pm) for all ages and trick or treating. This event is FREE to participants.

Food trucks will be on site offering tasty options for a purchased dinner or dessert.

More details at www.pvrpd.org/2025-10-29-halloween-in-the-park

Jingle Bell Jump at Janss Marketplace Thousand Oaks on Friday, November 28, 2025

Santa Claus will jump from the sky for a spectacular parachute landing at Janss Marketplace at noon on Friday, November 28, 2025.

Santa’s targeted landing location is in front of Sharky's, facing Moorpark Road. There is plenty of parking in the parking garage accessible from Hillcrest Drive or Brazil. The best viewing area is around the main fountain, near Buca di Beppo and Sharky's.

The free holiday celebration continues until 3 p.m. with face painting, kids’ crafts, story time with Mrs. Claus, live seasonal music, and photos with Santa.

janssmarketplace.com/events/jingle-bell-jump-3

Halloween Haunted Trail, Costume Contest and Trick-or-Treat Street in Thousand Oaks on Saturday, October 18, 2025

The Conejo Recreation & Park District will be offering a night full of Halloween fun specifically for young children on Saturday, October 18, 2025 from 6:00-9:00pm at the Thousand Oaks Community Center, located at 2525 N. Moorpark Road.

The annual Haunted Trail is a short Halloween hike appropriate for kids of all ages and packed full of fun. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.  At the end of the trail there will be a hayride that returns “hikers” to the “haunted trailhead.” Tickets are $5 per person (ages 2+) and MUST be purchased in advance at crpd.org.  The “Trail” will be open from 7:15-9:00pm and tickets are sold by 5 minute time slot.  (There will also be a standby line at the event; $5 per person; cash only) EVENT WILL SELL OUT, SO BUY TICKETS EARLY!

Those dressed in costume may participate in the costume contest.  Age groups range from two and under through adults.  Great prizes will be awarded for each category!  Contest starts at 6:00pm. Registration is free and takes place onsite 20 minutes prior to contest.

The popular Trick-or-Treat Street features Halloween-themed houses created by local organizations who will be ready to hand out treats from 6-8:30pm. Admission to Trick-or-Treat Street is free.

A free live reptile show will take place after the costume contest at 7:00pm.

The event takes place on the soccer fields behind the community center. For more information, visit www.crpd.org/2025-10-18-haunted-trail-costume-contest

Halloween Haunt in the Park in Oxnard on Saturday, October 25, 2025

On Saturday, October 25, 2025, The Downtown Oxnard Improvement Association will present “Halloween Haunt in the Park.” The kid-friendly thrills occur all evening from 4:00pm-7:00pm at Plaza Park in Downtown Oxnard. Event will feature Trick-or-Treat Village, with booths created by local organizations, bounce houses, face painting, crafts, games, music and more. Costume contest starts at 5:30pm.

More details at www.facebook.com/events/1443595630053028

13th Annual Ventura County Farm Day on Saturday, April 11, 2026

Fifteen Ventura County farms, ranches and agricultural organizations will open their doors to the public to experience a day of free agricultural activities and tours during the 13th Annual Ventura County Farm Day on Saturday, April 11, 2026* from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The day includes behind-the-scenes tours, tractor-with-trailer rides, tastings, giveaways and kid-friendly activities. Farm Day allows the public to meet local farmers who grow the food we eat.

Check the Farm Day Trail Map at vcfarmday.org/map for the latest list of participants. Some locations require reservations.

The nonprofit 501(c)(3) Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) organizes Ventura County Farm Day. SEEAG’s mission is to educate students and the greater community about the farm origins of our food and agriculture's contribution to our nutritional well-being.

For more information about Ventura County Farm Day and a list of participating farms, visit vcfarmday.org.

*Date changed - originally planned for November 8, 2025

2025 Peace Pumpkin Fest in Camarillo on Saturday, October 25th

The 15th Annual Peace Pumpkin Fest at Peace Lutheran Church, 71 Loma Drive, Camarillo is planned for Saturday, October 25, 2025 from 10am to 3pm.  Free admission.  There will be hay rides, carnival games, inflatables, craft vendors, kids’ art show, Lionel train exhibit, Lego train exhibit, food available for purchase, pumpkins available for purchase, and more. www.peacecamarillo.com/pumpkin-fest.html

Trick-or-Treat at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard on Wednesday, October 22, 2025

The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard is hosting a Trick-or-Treat event on Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at 5pm. Event includes Hocus Pocus Party in the park, photos opps, DJ, trick or treating at shops (bring your own bag), and more.

RSVP will be required - updates at https://thecollectionrp.com/portfolio/trick-or-treat-at-the-collection-2025.