Chanukah Celebration in Newbury Park on Sunday, December 14, 2025

Chabad of Newbury Park's annual Chanukah Celebration will take place on Sunday, December 14, at The Village at Dos Vientos, 350 Via Las Brisas, Newbury Park, from 4:30- 6:00 p.m.

The event will feature the lighting of the menorah, live musical performance, latkes and donuts, and Chanukah crafts, and gelt drop. Free admission, all are welcome. For more information, visit chabadnewburypark.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 December at Grant R. Brimhall Library (GRB) and Newbury Park Library (NPL). 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, please visit www.tolibrary.org/calendar.

NEW

Ghost Hunting Kit

The Thousand Oaks Library is excited to announce a spooky new addition to our Library of Things: a Ghost Hunting Kit. Patrons can now explore the world of paranormal investigation with tools designed to detect and document unusual activity. The kit includes an EMF magnetic field detector, a spirit box, a digital voice recorder, and a protective case. It’s everything you need to begin your ghost-hunting adventure. This unique offering invites curious minds to learn, investigate, and experience something a little out of the ordinary. Check out our catalog today to borrow a kit and start your ghost-hunting adventure!

ALL AGES

Board Game Club

Tuesday, December 2 • 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!

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+.

Gosh Yarn It

Friday, December 12 • 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+.

Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday Concert

Wednesday, December 17 • 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm • GRB Community Room

Flutist Ann Erwin and Pianist Christine DeKlotz will perform music from the era of the famed writer of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma.

Agents of Discovery: Power of the Card Missions

December • 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+.

KIDS

Homework Help

Mondays, December 1, 8, & 15 • 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Tuesdays, December 2, 9, & 16 • 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Wednesdays & Thursdays, December 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, & 18 • 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm • GRB Community 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 December 22-31.

Reading Buddies

Reading Buddies will be taking a cozy winter break, and we’ll resume in January. See you next year!

Dog Days

Tuesdays, December 2, 9, & 16 • 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm • GRB Children’s Program Room

Thursday, December 4 • 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.

Music Time with Mr. Michael

Thursday, December 4 • 10:15 am – 10:45 am & 11:15 am – 11:45 am • GRB Community Room

A fun-filled, interactive concert, where Mr. Michael creates a joyful atmosphere for kids and parents alike. Registration required.

Pinecone Pets with CReATE STUDIO

Saturday, December 13 • 10:15 am – 11:00 am • GRB Community Room

Make a cat, bird, sheep, or whatever animal you can imagine using a pinecone base! No experience necessary. This creation will make a great holiday gift or keepsake! For ages 5-11. All materials provided. While supplies last.

Children's Craft Table: Paper Snow Globe

Both Libraries • Saturday, December 20 – Sunday, January 4

Stop by either library to decorate a paper snow globe. While supplies last. For ages 3+.

TWEENS & TEENS

Financing and Preparing for College Workshops

Fridays, December 5 & 12 • 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm • GRB Technology Training Room

Learn about budget and debt accumulation, spending, and saving wisely during college on December 5 during the Managing Debt Accumulation session. Take a realistic look at everyday expenses after college, loan management options, managing budget, and setting and achieving financial goals on December 12 during the Managing Debt After School session. Taught by Financial Beginnings. Recommended ages 15+ or families preparing for college. Registration required.

3D Pen Holiday Creations

Tuesday, December 9 • 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm • NPL Tech Space

Tuesday, December 16 • 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm • GRB Teen Space

Create your own custom holiday creations, such as gifts, ornaments, or décor, with a 3D pen. Registration required. Just for ages 11-18.

Reading Rocks Book Club

Tuesday, December 9 • 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 When You Trap A Tiger by Tae Keller for Rocks and Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee 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 at a Boba or Burger gift card. Read more books for more chances to win. For ages 11-18.

ADULTS

Ask a Doula

Monday, December 1 • 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, December 2, 9, 16, & 23 • 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.

Scheming Wives and High-Stakes Hilarity with Author Sue Hincenbergs

Tuesday, December 2 • 11:00 am – 12:00 pm • Online

Buckle up for a wild ride and join us as we sit down for an online chat with debut author Sue Hincenbergs to discuss her novel The Retirement Plan, in which murder is the name of the game. When the only thing standing between three best friends and a sunny beachfront retirement condo are their husbands, what ensues is a diabolical plan to collect on their spouses’ life insurance policies.

Many Voices Book Club

Wednesday, December 3 • 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 The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley. Walk-ins welcome. This will be the final meeting of the Many Voices Book Club.

Happily Ever After Book Club

Monday, December 8 • 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 Nightmare Before Kissmass by Sara Raasch. Walk-ins welcome.

Spanish at Your Library

Wednesday, December 10 • 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, December 10 • 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 December 24.

ESL (English as a Second Language) Conversation Group

Thursday, December 11 • 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, December 15 • 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.

Crafternoon

Friday, December 19 • 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm • GRB Community 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 Painted Holiday Candles. Materials provided. Registration required. Starting January 2026, Crafternoon will only be happening once a month and will alternate locations between GRB and NPL.

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!

2025 Holidays at the Inn at the Stagecoach Inn Museum Newbury Park December 5 and 6

Holidays at the Inn 2025 is planned at the Stagecoach Inn Museum December 5 and 6.

Experience the magic of the season as the museum halls and grounds are adorned with festive and historically inspired decorations. During the nighttime celebrations, guests will enjoy a spectacular tree lighting ceremony that sets the tone for a memorable evening. Roving carolers will fill the air with classic holiday melodies, creating a cheerful atmosphere throughout the complex.

Children are invited to participate in holiday crafts, offering hands-on fun and creativity. For those looking to begin their holiday shopping, a Marketplace will be available, featuring a variety of unique gifts and seasonal items.

The museum complex will be alive with the sights and sounds of the holidays, providing a truly immersive experience for visitors of all ages. Don’t miss a special visit from Santa and his Reindeer—note that the reindeer will be present on Saturday only!

Holidays at the Inn
Friday 12/5 6:30-8:30PM and Saturday 12/6 1-4PM and 6:30-8:30PM
Ages 14+ $15, ages 5-13 $5, under 5 free

Stagecoach Inn Museum, 51 S. Ventu Park Rd., Newbury Park  
805.498.9441 www.stagecoachinnmuseum.com

Veterans Day Celebration & Ceremony at the Stagecoach Inn Museum in Newbury Park on Saturday, November 8, 2025

Wear red, white & blue or your military uniform and join the Stagecoach Inn Museum for Veterans Day on Saturday, November 8, 2025. Docents will honor some of our earliest Conejo Valley pioneers who served. Their service spans the years from the Civil War to the present. Pictures, uniforms, medals, and other regalia will be featured.

Enjoy patriotic music while touring the beautiful museum and grounds, get your picture taken in front of a 10’ by 14’ American flag loaned for this special day of remembrance by volunteer and veteran, Darrell Jones. Children can make crafts, pan for gold, join in a fall critter hunt, and learn the importance of Veterans Day.

$10 Seniors, adults and teens; $5 Children 5-12; Free for children 4 and under; CVHS members (with card) free

Stagecoach Inn Museum, 51 S. Ventu Park Rd., Newbury Park

805.498.9441 www.stagecoachinnmuseum.com

3rd Annual Festival de los Muertos Event at Borchard Community Center in Newbury Park on Saturday, November 1, 2025

Scene from inaugural event in 2023.

Conejo Recreation & Park District (CRPD) announces its 3rd Annual Festival de los Muertos event, a vibrant celebration of the cherished Mexican tradition, will be taking place on Saturday, November 1, 2025, from 4-8PM at the Borchard Community Center, located at 190 N. Reino Rd, Newbury Park.

Enjoy crafts, live music, vendors, food vendors and more. The event will be open to the public, and admission is free. Families and individuals of all ages are encouraged to attend and join in the festivities.

For more information and event updates, visit www.crpd.org/muertos

Inaugural Fall Arts, Crafts & Antiques Festival at the Stagecoach Inn Museum Newbury Park on October 18, 2025

The Stagecoach Inn Museum in Newbury Park presents its inaugural Fall Arts, Crafts & Antiques Festival on Saturday, October 18, 2025 from 10am to 4pm. Entrance is free, which includes an open house at the Stagecoach Inn Museum Complex (there will be a $5 charge to tour the Inn, free to tour out buildings). There will be live music and plenty of artisans on the beautiful museum grounds.

The Museum is located at 51 S. Ventu Park Rd. in Newbury Park. www.stagecoachinnmuseum.com

Boney Mountain Trail Half Marathon & 7K in Thousand Oaks on Saturday, February 7, 2026

The 2026 Boney Mountain Trail Half Marathon and 7K is planned planned for Saturday, February 7th. The race takes place in Point Mugu State Park, starting at Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa in Newbury Park. Challenging, single track, switchback climbs and descents, creek crossings and climb up the Old Boney trail.

Half marathon starts at 8am. 7K at 8:30am. Register at ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=129437

2025 "Voices of Old Conejo" Living History Performances at Stagecoach Inn Museum Newbury Park October 4-5, 11-12

The Museum Theater of The Stagecoach Inn Museum is presenting The Voices of Old Conejo: The History of Television, on Saturday and Sunday evenings, October 4, 5, 11, and 12 at 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM each evening at the Stagecoach Inn Museum, 51 South Ventu Park Road, in Newbury Park. Tickets are $20 for the general public, and $15 for members of the Conejo Valley Historical Society.

The Voices of Old Conejo: The History of Television, is delightfully absurd comedy that begins with the question, “What if television had existed in 1876 at the time of The Grand Union Hotel’s heyday?” What would people have watched? Would there have been many of the types of programming we see today, even commercials? Join us for a fun filled romp as an 1876 era family spins the Television dial. Through the course of the evening, you will experience familiar characters of the Conejo, like Frances and Egbert Newbury, John Edwards, James and Martha Hammell, and Maria Del Carmen Rodriguez de Lorenzana, in ways you never have before. National figures like Rutherford B. Hayes, Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson, Wild Bill Hickock, Florence Nightingale, Oscar Mayer, Henry Wells, William Fargo, and even the Hatfields and the McCoys, will drop by during the evening to join the shenanigans and bring history vividly, and even ridiculously, to life!

The Voices of Old Conejo: The History of Television, is a new play written by Michael Gregory, directed by Bill Ackerman, produced by Ruth Dods, and stage managed by Bob Maron. The show features a cast 19 that includes: Bill Ackerman, Megan Alfaro, Sam Alfaro, Zoe Alfaro, Peter Alvarez, Chris Carnicelli, Neil Davies, Sarah Ely, Mike Gregory, Lisa Halub, Liz Hoskinson, Carly Kosmatka, Payton Mead, Casey O’Brien, Grigor Panosyan, Sargis Panosyan, Susan Robb, Stasia Simrall, and Greg Seymour

Tickets available at stagecoachinnmuseum.com or at the gate.

Stagecoach Inn Museum is located at 51 S. Ventu Park Rd., Newbury Park

Open Mosque Day at Islamic Center of Conejo Valley on Sunday, November 2, 2025

On Sunday, November 2, 2025 from noon to 3 pm, the Islamic Center of Conejo Valley will be opening its doors and inviting all local residents to explore the building and the beliefs and practice of those who worship there at its annual Open Mosque Day. Islamic Center of Conejo Valley is located 2700 Borchard Rd, Newbury Park. There will be guided tours, Q&A sessions, and light refreshments.  www.iccv.org

Harvest Festival at the Stagecoach Inn Museum in Newbury Park on Saturday, October 25, 2025

Harvest Festival at the Stagecoach Inn Museum from 1-4pm on Saturday, October 25, 2025.
 
The Stagecoach Inn loves the fall season from the turning of the leaves to pumpkin everything. Celebrate with us at this fun and festive Fall event. Come in costume and have fun on our beautiful 5-acre property. There will be lots of things to do including games and activities for children to play throughout the afternoon. They can get vote on their favorite decorated Scarecrow, and make seasonal crafts or pan for gold.
 
Or perhaps you would just like to take a break and have fun listening to music or one of our two, resident witches telling ghost and pioneer stories And yes, we will continue to offer our fun Harvest Scavenger Hunt where you will look for a variety of metal objects with a Fall theme around the property and get a prize in the Gift Shop after turning in your tracking map.

The Stagecoach Inn Museum welcomes visitors on Wednesdays & Saturdays from 1:00-4:00 pm. Seniors, Adults & Teens $10 per person; $5 for children 5 to 12, children under 5 are free.

Stagecoach Inn Museum is located at 51 S. Ventu Park Rd., Newbury Park.
805.498.9441 www.stagecoachinnmuseum.com