Events in and around Ventura County and surrounding areas, including Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Newbury Park, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Malibu, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Somis, Fillmore, Santa Paula, Ojai, Camarillo, Ventura, Oxnard, Santa Barbara and Port Hueneme.
Find events in Ventura County and surrounding areas in this section, by category at this link and in the Events Calendar. Community events of broad public interest can be submitted at this link for possible inclusion in this section (at our discretion).
We encourage posting of other events, activities, fundraisers, classes, workshops, sales, shout-outs, etc. directly to the COMMUNITY FORUM section!
The Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center is hosting an Indoor Community Flea Market on Saturday, December 9, 2017 from 7am to 2pm at 27040 Malibu Hills Rd, Agoura Hills. Enjoy food trucks and up to 30 vendors showcasing antiques, jewelry, clothing and other household items. Call 818.880.2993 for more information. ahccc.org
ShelterLife is a nine-part documentary about Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS).
BINGE-WATCH all 9 Episodes This Summer!
Episodes 1 - 3 Saturday, July 15th, 2017, 8:00pm - 9:30pm
HERITAGE SQUARE - 715 South A. Street, Oxnard
Episodes 4 - 6 Saturday, July 22nd, 2017, 8:00pm - 9:30pm
CAMARILLO PREMIUM OUTLETS - 740 E. Ventura Blvd., Camarillo (Next to Chipotle.)
Episodes 7 - 9 Saturday, July 29th, 2017, 8:00pm - 9:30pm
SIMI VALLEY TOWN CENTER - 1555 Simi Town Center Way, Simi Valley
(Park near Marshall's. Event is next to Charming Charlies.)
NOTE: The VC Star reported in January 2018 that the Rotary Club of Simi Valley will no longer be hosting the annual fireworks show as it has done for the last 48 years. The city and park district both contribute to the annual show and a new host is being sought.
The Rotary Club of Simi Valley and co-sponsors City of Simi Valley and Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District are upping the ante this 2017 Independence Day by hosting a two day Stars and Stripes Festival on Monday, July 3 and Tuesday, July 4, 2017.
The festival opens on Monday, July 3rd from 3pm until 10pm with carnival rides and live music. Admission is $5 entry on Monday with ages 5 and under free. $20 carnival ride wristband is good for all day unlimited rides. Active military with ID free entry.
On Tuesday, July 4th, the festival continues from noon to 10pm and admission is free this day. $20 wristbands will be available for all day unlimited carnival rides. Pie eating contest at 1pm. Robert Singer's Performing Dogs at 2pm. Live music starts at 2:45pm. Flyover by vintage aircraft at 6pm. Fireworks at 9pm. Food vendors, food trucks, craft beers, wine garden and other vendors on hand.
Location: Rancho Santa Susana Community Park 5005 Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley
Bring blanket and chairs, then dance and enjoy!
Visit starsandstripesfireworksfestival.org for more information.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley invite youth to ‘get a little muddy’ at the Family Fun Run 2K Mud Dash on Saturday, April 15, 2017 at Redwood Middle School, 233 W. Gainsborough Road, Thousand Oaks. Check-in begins at 8 a.m. and the first wave of runners starts at 9 a.m.
The 2k course is designed for the entire family to participate and starts and finishes at the same point. Participants will have fun as they loop in and out of tires, jump hay bales, climb mini-walls and, of course, get a little dirty! Finisher medals and t-shirts will be provided to all participants. An Easter Egg Hunt will also be part of the event beginning at 10:30 a.m. Music will be provided by Oakheart County Music Festival.
The Family Fun Run is presented by Logix Federal Credit Union and Variety, The Children’s Charity. The cost for early registration is $10 for 9-year-old and under & after-school members and $20 for 10-year-old and up. Day-of-race entry is $15 for 9-year-old and under & after-school members and $30 for 10-year-old and up.
Registration can be made at www.active.com. To inquire about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, call 818-706-0905 or visit the website at www.bgcconejo.org.
About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley are open before and after school, during lunch, on weekends, throughout the summer for the camp program and all day during school vacations with tours of the Clubs available upon request. For more information about supervised youth programs, to donate, volunteer, or register online, visit www.bgcconejo.org or call 818-706-0905.
The Commemorative Air Force Airpower History Tour, a National Air Tour of Historic WWII Aircraft, flies in to the Camarillo Airport at the CAF So Cal Wing, 445 Aviation Drive, on Tuesday, April 18 through Sunday, April 23, 2017 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Ramp access cost is $15 for adults and $8 for youth (ages 11 to 17. Children 10 and under are free. Price includes B-29 cockpit tour when the aircraft is available.
Aircraft tours available as follows:
Attending aircraft include the B-29 Superfortress FIFI, the premiere bomber of WWII (ride times available at Sat/Sun online), C-45 Expeditor Bucke of Bolts (ride times sold onsite - seats start at $75), T-6 Texan, the legendary trainer of WWII (ride times sold onsite) and Fairchild PT-19, an open cockpit trainer (ride times sold onsite).
Visit www.airpowersquadron.org to learn more.
The Santa Monica Mountains Trail Council is looking for volunteers to help improve local trails Friday through Sunday, April 28-30, 2017. No experience required.
Trail Days is a weekend for individuals and groups to build new trails and restore old ones. And help restore native plants. Volunteers can either meet on Saturday/Sunday morning and work for the day or alternatively, the park service is providing free camping on Friday and/or Saturday nights at the Danielson Multi-use Area located under the sycamores and oaks in the heart of Point Mugu State Park.
In addition to providing a great public service, volunteers will also obtain a better understanding and appreciation for local trails and plants, a chance to meet and work with some great local people and some outstanding exercise in the outdoors!
Bring lunches, beverages, snacks and water. Tools are provided but you can bring your own. There's also a Saturday night barbecue free for volunteers. RSVP for camping reservations requested by April 24th.
Campers will meet on Friday/Saturday late afternoon/early evening on the Newbury Park side of Point Mugu State Park (off of Reino/Potrero) and others will meet at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday/Sunday mornings. Additional details and register online at www.smmtc.org/maint/traildays.php.
Contact the SMM Trails Council for more information at 818.222.4531 or visit www.smmtc.org.
California Lutheran University’s dramatic Sankta Lucia Festival, in which a student wears a crown of lighted candles, will be held at 11:25 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, in Samuelson Chapel.
Undergraduate students select five female and five male representatives whose depth of character and faith make them leaders in the Cal Lutheran community. In the festival, Lucia, her attendants and their escorts enter to the accompaniment of an ancient hymn and read an adaptation of the legend. Attendants then light the candles in Lucia’s crown.
The Swedish ceremony pays homage to the Christian martyr who died at the stake on Dec. 13, 304 A.D. and symbolizes the spirit of a centuries-old legend of Christian service. The tradition, which was brought to America by Swedish immigrants, has been part of the university’s holiday celebrations since its early years. The festival honors the character traits of mercy, humility and purity of heart, as seen in the Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew.
The Office of Campus Ministry at Cal Lutheran is sponsoring the free event.
The chapel is located at 165 Chapel Lane on the Thousand Oaks campus. Additional parking is available in the lot at the corner of Olsen Road and Mountclef Boulevard. For more information, contact Elizabeth Lohr-Myers at campusministry@callutheran.edu or 805-493-3228.
Santa may be the busiest guy you know around the holiday season, but he is taking his time out of his toy-making schedule to once again help the Westlake Village Junior Women’s Club host the 37th annual Santa Comes to Westlake/Agoura & Beyond food drive.
This year's non-denominational event takes place in the Agoura Hills’ DIY HomeCenter parking lot on Saturday, December 10, 2016, from 8:30am-11:00am. Participants can help bag collected food and assist in the deliveries.
Founded originally by George Annino and the Agoura Optimist Club, the annual food drive has helped over 21,000 Conejo Valley families. Its goal is to brighten the holiday season for predetermined local families in need by delivering bags of groceries directly to their door step. Numerous organizations including local churches, schools, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Girl Scouts of America participate in hosting food drives and sorting canned and packaged foods for delivery. In addition, residents of the Conejo Valley help by donating money towards a bag of groceries for a family in need.
1. The Westlake Village Juniors encourage the community to join them on December 10 to sort and deliver the food. This is a great opportunity for groups, families with kids, and individuals to help their neighbors and spread the holiday joy.
2. Purchase a bag of groceries for a needy family. It is $20 per bag. Checks can be made out to the Westlake Village Junior Women’s Club and mailed to: P.O. Box 4412, Thousand Oaks, CA91359.
3. Donate at one of the designated food drives.
Visit www.westlakejuniors.org/events/santa-comes-to-westlake-agoura/overview for updates on food drive locations.
For questions contact santa@westlakejuniors.org or visit www.westlakejuniors.org
CI celebrates Day of the Dead with ofrendas, sand murals, and dancers
CSU Channel Islands (CI) students will help professional artist Sergio Hernandez create a sand mural in front of the John Spoor Broome Library as part of CI’s 8th Annual Day of the Dead celebration.
Hernandez and the students will begin designing the sand mural in a 4-foot by 8-foot frame at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1 so it will be ready for the celebration, scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m.
The public is invited to the event, which will begin with a traditional Aztec blessing, followed by a performance from Danza Tlaloc Ollin, an indigenous Aztec dance group made up of CI students.
Roberto Rodriguez of the Mexican Consulate will be among the guest speakers. He will provide an overview of the meaning, history and differences in the way the Dia de los Muertos is celebrated in various regions of Mexico.
Celebrated throughout Mexico and parts of Central and South America, the Day of the Dead is an opportunity for families to remember family and friends who have passed, and to support them on their spiritual journey. It is an ancient tradition that was transformed when the Spanish explorers arrived in Mexico more than 600 years ago.
“When the Spaniards arrived in Mexico, they tried to replace the old traditions with traditions they brought from Spain,” Rodriguez said. “The celebration became a combination of the old Aztec tradition with All Saints Day, part of Spanish Catholicism.”
Ofrendas, or “offerings” describe homemade altars in homes that will contain common elements such as flowers, water, photos, and cherished articles from the deceased.
“Every article has meaning,” Rodriguez said. “And the elements are different in different parts of Mexico. In Ecatepec, for example, they prefer candles. In Michoacan, the 1st of November is dedicated to the elders and the 2nd of November is for the children.”
The CI celebration will include colorful ofrendas created by CI’s Art program. Guests are invited to view them on display in the John Spoor Broome Library Gallery.
Rodriguez explained that the Mexican states closest to the U.S. border tend to combine Halloween with the Day of the Dead, mixing jack-o-lanterns with traditional sugar skulls and the ubiquitous “La Calavera Catrina” or just “Catrina.”
Catrina is a zinc etching done in the early 1900s by a Mexican printmaker depicting a female skeleton in an elaborate hat. Catrina became synonymous with Day of the Dead.
The event is sponsored by CI’s Art program, Intercultural Services, and the Mexican Consulate.
Limited parking is available on campus with the purchase of a $6 daily permit; follow signs to the parking permit dispensers. Free parking is available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road with bus service to and from the campus. Riders should board the CI Vista Bus to the campus; the cash-only fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org.
About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.
Conejo Valley Guide covers events, activities and things to do throughout Ventura County and surrounding areas.
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