Halloween Events and Activities In and Around Ventura County

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Here, once again, is our boo-rific compilation of Halloween events, activities and goings on around Ventura County and surrounding areas for the 2019 Halloween season! Spooky houses, pumpkin patches, trick or treating, carnivals, community events, storytelling and more! 

Dates/times subject to change; contact event organizers to confirm. For calendar view, click here.

Pumpkin Patches in Ventura County and Surrounding Areas

Ongoing Events/Activities

Other Events/Activities

Tennis Courts Open to the Public In and Around Ventura County

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Looking to play a little tennis in and around Ventura County? There are over 150 tennis courts open to the public throughout the county. Here they are compiled into one list. 

Contact us with any additions!

Thousand Oaks/Newbury Park

Agoura/Oak Park/Calabasas

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Camarillo

Oxnard

  • Carty Park, 3900 South F Street - 1 court

  • College Estates Park, 1400 Gary Drive - 1 court

  • Community Center West Park, 801 Hobson Way - 8 lighted courts

  • East Park, 351 Indus Place - 1 court

  • Fremont Tot Park, 1130 North M Street - 2 courts

  • Lemonwood Park, 2055 East San Mateo Place - 2 courts

  • Marina West, 1300 South Novato Drive - 2 courts

  • Orchard Park, 2130 Edelweiss Street - 1 court

  • Peninsula Park, 3333 South Peninsula Road - 2 courts

  • Rio del Mar Elementary, 3150 Thames River Drive - 1 court

  • Rio Lindo Park, 841 Blanca Street - 1 court

  • Sea Air Park, 2011 Ninth Street - 2 courts

  • Seabridge Park, 3900 LMD, W. Wooley - 2 courts

  • Via Marina Park, 3301 Keel Way - 1 court

  • Wilson Park, 350 North C Street - 1 court

Ventura

Simi Valley

Moorpark

Ojai

Port Hueneme

  • Moranda Park, 200 Moranda Parkway - 8 courts

Tennis courts at Borchard Park in Newbury Park are nicely maintained.

Tennis courts at Borchard Park in Newbury Park are nicely maintained.

Wedding Reception Venues In Ventura County and Surrounding Areas

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Conejo Valley Guide focuses primarily on events, activities and things to do in the Conejo Valley, Ventura County and surrounding areas.

Since we're out and about so much, we thought it might be helpful to have a comprehensive list of over 170 local wedding, wedding reception and meeting venues.

(Contact us for additions/edits to this list.)

Simi Valley Wedding Reception Venues

Moorpark, Somis Wedding Reception Venues

Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Oak Park Wedding Reception Venues

Ojai, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Piru Wedding Reception Venues

Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Goleta

Craft Breweries with Onsite Tasting Rooms In and Around Ventura County and Adjacent Areas

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According to the Brewers Association, there were 6,372 total U.S. breweries at the end of 2017, up 16% from one year prior (and over double the number of breweries in 2013). Over 98% of these breweries are craft breweries, consisting of microbreweries, brewpubs and regional craft breweries.

A craft brewer is defined as being small (annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less), independent and traditional (flavors derived mostly from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients).

We've seen and experienced this growth in and around Ventura County, so how about if we summarize them right here! This list includes local craft breweries with onsite tasting rooms ranging from the Conejo Valley out just past Ventura County into Carpinteria.

Conejo Valley (Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills)

14 Cannons Brewery and Showroom opened at 31125 Via Colinas, Suite 907 in Westlake Village opened in September 2017, featuring a handful of freshly brewed craft beers as well as an actual brewery showroom. www.14cannons.com 818.652.6971

Ladyface Alehouse & Brasserie, the Conejo Valley's first microbrewery and brewpub, opened in November 2009 at 29281 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills. Offering a full selection of craft brews and full lunch/dinner menus daily. ladyfaceale.com 818.477.4566

Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company opened its Westlake Village taproom at The Shoppes at Westlake, 30770 Russell Ranch Road, in December 2015. Offers up craft beers brewed onsite as well as at other locations in Santa Barbara. Also a full-service restaurant with indoor/outdoor seating open daily. www.figmtnbrew.com 818.874.1305

Five Threads Brewing Company at 31133 Via Colinas, Suite 109, Westlake Village opened in October 2015. Offers fresh brewed craft beers in its tasting room seven days a week. www.fivethreadsbrewing.com 805.457.5990

Twisted Oak Tavern opened in 2015 at 30105 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills, offering a full gastropub experience with a full lunch/dinner menu and over 30 craft beers on tap made onsite. Open daily. www.twistedoaktavern.pub

Tarantula Hill Brewing Company is now open at 244 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks. It is the first (and currently only) craft brewery located in the City of Thousand Oaks. They offer a number of craft brews on tap, along with several ciders and wine. Fantastic outdoor patio, wood-fired, organic pizzas and organic, made from scratch ice cream too! tarantulahillbrewingco.com 805.538.1191

Pedals & Pints Brewing Company is coming in Fall 2019 to the former home of Red Lobster at The Oaks mall east parking lot, between Olive Garden and Bank of America. www.pedalsandpintsbrewing.com

Ventura

Topa Topa Brewing Company is a microbrewery at 104 E. Thompson Boulevard in Ventura that opened on June 6, 2015. Offers a variety of microbrews in a small tasting room area. www.facebook.com/topatopabrewingco 805.628.9255

Poseidon Brewing Company opened its tasting room on August 11, 2014 at 5777 Olivas Park Drive, Unit Q, Ventura and is open Tuesday through Sunday. Ooh, they offer up a free pint on your birthday if you present Valid ID with birthdate! www.poseidonbrewingco.com 805.477.0239 Also a dog-friendly tasting room.

Anacapa Brewing Company opened its doors in 2000 with a seasonal rotation of over 25 beers in this full service restaurant/brewery in the heart of Downtown Ventura at 472 E. Main Street. anacapabrewing.com 805.643.BEER (2337)

Flat Fish Brewing is a brewery co-owned and located with Cantara Cellars at 126 N. Wood Road, #104 in Camarillo. Taproom offers both beers (9 of them at last count) and wines. Currently open Wednesay through Sunday. flatfishbrewing.com 805.484.9600

MadeWest Brewing Company opened its doors in January 2016 and is located at 1744 Donlon Street, Ventura, offering a variety of craft beers, plenty of indoor/outdoor seating, food trucks and more. www.madewest.com 805.947.5002 More recently (Spring 2019), MadeWest opened a taproom on the Ventura Pier, above the Beach House Fish eatery.

Ventura Coast Brewing Co. is at 76 S. Oak Street in Downtown Ventura. Offers indoor/outdoor patio seating, flights, 4 and 16 ounce pours of its creations. Open 7 days a week. www.vcbc.beer

Leashless Brewing opened in early July 2017 at 585 E. Thompson Blvd, Ventura, offering organic, Belgian style ales. Over 10 beers on tap. www.leashlessbrewing.com. Open Mon-Thu 4-10pm, Fri 3-11pm, Sat noon to 11pm and Sun noon to 9pm. 805.628.9474

Concrete Jungle Brewing is located at 4561 Market Street in Ventura in the former Surf Brewing location. The offer 20 house-brewed beers on tap. Open daily at noon, except Mondays (closed). Learn more at concretejunglebrew.com. 805.650.4816

Transmission Brewery and Tasting Room is being built at 1098 East Front Street, Ventura.

Seaward Brewing is now open at 1920 Goodyear Ave., Suite D, Ventura. www.seawardbrewing.com Seaward is a microbrewery offering craft beer brewed onsite with 10 rotating taps. Food trucks available on weekends. Food can be brought in. Family and pet friendly! Hours are Tue-Thu 3-9pm, Fri 3-10pm, Sat Noon-10pm and Sun noon-7pm.

A second Rincon Brewery (the original one is in Carpinteria) is open at 4100 Telegraph Road, Ventura. Follow their Facebook at www.facebook.com/pg/rinconbreweryventura and visit rinconbrewery.com/ventura-location. 805.676.0020 Open Sunday to Thursday, 11am to 9pm and Friday/Saturday 11am to 10pm.

Tap’d Ventura at 546 E. Main St serves 43 taps of craft beer “by the ounce” along with fast/casual foods including burgers, flatbread pizzas, salads and more. tapdventura.com 805.667.8771

Camarillo, Oxnard

Institution Ale Company is a microbrewery founded in 2013 that recently moved to a larger location and tasting room at 3841 Mission Oaks Boulevard in Camarillo. Food offered includes artisan flatbread pizzas and soft baked pretzels. Indoor seating with 7 TVs, game room and outdoor patio are with fire pit. institutionales.com 805.482.3777

Casa Agria Specialty Ales is a small brewery located at 701 N. Del Norte Boulevard, Suite 310 in Oxnard, brewing up a handful of specialty beers since February 2015. There is now a small onsite tasting room open to the public Thursday through Sunday. www.casaagria.com 805.485.1454

Red Tandem Brewery is a nanobrewery featuring 7 high quality ales brewed onsite to customers at its tasting room at 109 Harbor Boulevard, Oxnard Shores at Channel Islands Harbor. It was founded in September 2014 and opened to the public in May 2016. Open Wednesday through Sunday. www.redtandembrewery.com 805.236.2105

Moorpark, Simi Valley

Enegren Brewing Company opened in July 2011 in Moorpark and is now located at 444 Zachary Street, #120 (a newer, 15 barrel brewery opened in January 2015).  www.enegrenbrewing.com 805.552.0602

Mad Era Brewing will be coming soon (Fall 2018 anticipated) to the former home of Marie Callender's at 20 W. Cochran Street in Simi Valley (cross street Madera Road. Hmm. Mad Era. Madera. Hmm.)

Other Local Cities

The Ojai Valley Brewery Tap Room is located at Azu Restaurant and Bar at 457 E. Ojai Avenue. The brewery is located 3 blocks away. The taproom is open noon to close 7 days a week. ojaivalleybrewery.com/the-tap-room 805.640.7987

Rincon Brewery at 5065 Carpinteria Avenue in Carpinteria is a craft brewery and restaurant open 7 days a week. rinconbrewery.com 805.684.6044

Institution Ale Company in Camarillo brewery/taproom has a 2nd taproom at 516 State Street, Santa Barbara. Open 7 days a week. Food offered includes artisan flatbread pizzas and soft baked pretzels. Indoor seating with 10 TVs, outdoor patio area and extended back room area. institutionales.com 805.482.3777

Island Brewing Company has been brewing in Carpinteria since July 2001 at 5049 Sixth Street (Linden at the railroad tracks). Its open redwood beam tasting room was originally built as a packing house for lemons and citrus. Located right next to Carpinteria State Beach too! Open 7 days a week. www.islandbrewingcompany.com 805.745.8272

BrewLAB is an artisanal nano-brewery located at 4191-8 Carpinteria Avenue in Carpinteria. Tasting room is open Thursday through Sunday. www.brewlabcraft.com 949.922.9152

Other Options on Tap

Some additional craft beer tasting options in the area are highlighted below. These ones serve up tap beers from other craft breweries and/or produce the beer elsewhere. We have included on this list bars/taverns serving up at least a dozen craft beers on tap.

Conejo Valley

The Dudes' Brewing Company Tasting Room opened at Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks on July 15, 2016. Although the beers and are not brewed on site (this is done in Torrance), they have 20 tap handles for your imbibing pleasure. www.thedudesbrew.com

Bottle & Pint is a specialty craft beer store and taproom at 1714 Newbury Road, Suite G, Newbury Park. Open seven days a week, they have a revolving list with 20 beers on tap. Bring your own in or have it delivered. 805.480.9500 www.bottleandpint.com.

Draughts Restaurant & Bar at 398 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks has 45 craft beers on tap as well as a full restaurant. 805.777.7883 www.draughtsrestaurant.com

The Crown and Anchor at 2891 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd, Thousand Oaks has 17 draft beers and ciders on tap, serves food, lots of TVs and periodic live entertainment. www.crownnanchor.com 805.497.0070

Boney Mountain Pizza Co. (formerly Boney Mountain Tavern), located at 722 N. Wendy Drive, Newbury Park, has 25 beers on tap, including a variety of craft beers. www.facebook.com/BoneyMountainPizzaCo 805.498.6511

Finney's Crafthouse & Kitchen is located at the Westlake Plaza, 982 S. Westlake Boulevard, Westlake Village, in the former home of Galletto. They serve up 30 craft beers on tap. www.facebook.com/Finneyscrafthouse 805.230-9950

Wades Wines at 30961 Agoura Road, Suite 321, Westlake Village offer over 50 beers on tap, wine tasting and thousands of other spirits for sale and tasting. Retail store is open daily. Tasting is open Thursday through Sunday. www.wadeswines.com 818.597.9463

Other Local Cities

McGregor's Craft Beer and Wine is a new tasting room/bottle shop at 144 W. Los Angeles Avenue #105 in Moorpark, with 16 rotating taps and an expanding library of wine. Open daily. 805.553.9818 www.mcgregorscraftbeer.com

Bottle & Pint has a 2nd location at The Annex, a cool food "court" area within The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard.

Barrelhouse 101 at 545 E. Thompson Blvd, Ventura has an insane number of craft and micro beers on tap...over 100. Open daily with full menu. www.barrelhouse101.com 805.643.0906

The Local Beer & Wine Bar is located at 795 Camarillo Springs Road in Camarillo, Suite E. It is open daily at noon (11am on Sundays). 16 rotating taps are offered. thelocalcamarillo.com

The Dugout Sports Grill serves about 22 taps of beer along with cocktails, food and 32 TVs at 109 W. Cochran Street, Simi Valley. www.thedugoutsimi.com 805.955.9200

Winchesters Grill & Saloon at 632 East Main Street in Ventura has over 30 beers on tap, mostly craft types. They also have a full menu and full bar. www.winchestersgrill.com 805.653.7446

Yard House at The Collection at Riverpark in Oxnard has well over 100 beers on tap of all varieties.  www.yardhouse.com/locations/ca/oxnard/oxnard-the-collection-at-riverpark 805.981.8707

Cask Alehouse is located at 5952 Telegraph Road in Ventura (at Victoria), offering a rotating selection of 32 beers on draft, many of which are brewed here in Ventura County (such as Surf Brewing, Made West, Topa Topa, Poseidon and Five Threads). www.facebook.com/caskalehouse 805.765.4201

Two Trees Restaurant and Taps is located at 7822 Telegraph Road in Ventura, serving up 28 beers on tap along with full breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. www.twotreesrestaurantandtaps.com 805.659.3365

Fluid State Beer Garden, located at 692 E. Main Street, Ventura, offers craft beers, sourdough pizzas and more. www.fluidstatebeer.com 805.628.3107

LOOKING FOR WINE? CLICK HERE FOR LOCAL WINE TASTING OPTIONS

NIGHTLIFE OPTIONS IN AND AROUND VENTURA COUNTY

Closed

Darryl's Couch was a craft beer bar located at 795 Camarillo Springs Road in Camarillo.  www.darrylscouch.com They closed on Sunday, March 11, 2018, after operating for 5 1/2 years. Now located there is The Local Beer & Wine Bar.

Surf Brewery was the first packaging craft brewery in Ventura County when it opened in June 2011. It closed in early 2018. Now operating at this location is Concrete Jungle Brewing.

Westlake Brewing Company opened its small volume brewery in early 2016 at 31111 Via Colinas #200, Westlake Village. The taproom closed its doors in June 2019.

Southern California Edison Has Announced Possible Public Safety Power Shutoffs

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Southern California Edison (SCE) and other energy companies in California have announced the possibility of preventative power shutoffs in areas where there are elevated wildfire risks.

Much of the Conejo Valley and greater Ventura County are considered to be of extreme risk, according to a the California Public Utilities Commission. A map showing high fire threat areas is at https://ia.cpuc.ca.gov/firemap/.

This is how Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) works, according to SCE:

  • When elevated fire conditions (e.g. strong winds) present a clear danger, SCE may shut off power temporarily on specific power lines for public safety.

  • SCE intends to notify customers of potential shutoffs 2 days in advance via email, text or phone call. They may also send another notice to customers a day in advance.

  • SCE will also notify local governments, the emergency management community and first responders.

  • SCE will update customers regularly via its website and social media.

SCE can sign up for alerts at www.sce.com/outagealerts.

Additional information and updates will be posted at www.vcemergency.com.

Additional safety tips during an outage from SCE:

  • Disconnect all sensitive electronics to prevent damage or loss of data.

  • If you use a portable gas generator, use it outdoors only.

  • Don’t connect a generator to your home’s circuit breaker panel.

  • Consider obtaining extra fuel for your generator for extended outages and keep the fuel in approved containers in a safe location away from ignition sources.

The Story Behind Those Historic El Camino Real Bell Markers on the 101 Freeway

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Like me, perhaps you've wondered about those unique bell markers seen frequently on the 101 Freeway with the sign that says "Historic El Camino Real."

One of those ubiquitous Historic El Camino Real bell markers we see along the 101 Freeway.

One of those ubiquitous Historic El Camino Real bell markers we see along the 101 Freeway.

El Camino Real is Spanish for "The Royal Road" and in California is the name for the 700 mile historic California Mission Trail that connects 21 missions, 4 presidios (military forts) and several pueblos (towns) from Mission San Diego de Alcala in the south to Mission San Francisco Solano in Northern California. El Camino Real is designated as California Historical Landmark #784.

California State Assembly Bill 1707 defined the El Camino Real route, which includes portions of Routes 280, 82, 238, 101, 5, 72, 12, 37, 121, 87, 162, 185, 92, and 123 and connecting city streets and county roads in a continuous route from Sonoma southerly to the international border.

So what's up with those bell markers on the 101? According to the California Department of Transportation, the Mission Bell Marker system has existed on the historic El Camino Real route since 1906. The original marker system called for installation of bells one mile apart along the entire length of the El Camino Real. By 1913, over 450 markers were in place, but over the years the bells were removed due to damage, vandalism and theft. In 1959, the Division of Highways was legislatively mandated to maintain the marker system. Legislation in 1974 reiterated that responsibility.

Caltrans initiated a plan to maintain the system beginning in 1974, when less than 100 of the original Mission Bell Markers remained. The bells are exact copies of the original 1906 bells; in fact, the original bell molds were used to fabricate the new bells. Mission Bell Marker locations were chosen based on safety, constructability, visibility and scenic quality of the site. Spacing between marker locations varied based on existing site conditions and limitations. An average spacing of 1 to 2 miles was sought when identifying the locations.

The Caltrans Landscape Architecture Program began in 1996 to fulfill its vision to restore the historic El Camino Real Mission Bell Marker system from San Diego to Sonoma. The portion of the system from San Diego to Los Angeles was not addressed by the restoration project because those bells are mostly located on local streets outside of the State’s jurisdiction. The first phase of the restoration project, between Los Angeles to San Francisco, was completed in early 2005. The second and final phase of the restoration project was completed between San Francisco and Sonoma in late 2012. The Mission Bell Marker system as originally envisioned in the earlier part of the last century has finally been realized!

Caltrans received nearly $2 million in Transportation Enhancement grants to fund restoration of the Mission Bell Marker system on the El Camino Real from Orange County to Sonoma. Funding was received for the manufacture and placement of 585 Mission Bell Markers, placed approximately one to two miles apart along the roadside in the northbound and southbound directions of State Routes 101, 82, 37, 121, and 12. Mission Bell Markers located within the roadside of a state route are maintained by Caltrans. Maintenance of Markers located on local streets that are the responsibility of the local entity.

So that explains why you see all of those interesting bell markers on the 101 Freeway! How would you like to have one of these authentic California El Camino Real Bell Markers in your own yard!? Visit the California Mission Bell company website at www.californiabell.com.

Older El Camino Real bell marker on display at the Old Mission Santa Barbara .

Older El Camino Real bell marker on display at the Old Mission Santa Barbara.

Birthday Party Places In and Around Ventura County

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Trying to figure out what to do for your kids' birthday parties in and around Ventura County? We've got you covered with this compilation of over 150 birthday party options in and around Ventura County, spanning from Ventura to Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Westlake Village, Newbury Park and surrounding areas. We have categorized venue by "type" as best we can.  Contact us if you have something to add!