Halloween Events and Activities In and Around Ventura County

Halloween season is upon us again! Halloween 2026 looks to be a fun time with this compilation of Halloween events taking place in Ventura County and surrounding areas.

Dates/times subject to change; contact event organizers to confirm. This list will be updated regularly. For calendar view, click here.

Pumpkin Patches in Ventura County and Surrounding Areas

EVENTS COMING UP

Fri, Oct 2: Dia de los Muertos Opening Reception at The Collection at RiverPark (6PM)

Sun, Oct 11: Victorian Halloween at the Olivas Adobe in Ventura (12-4PM; RSVP)

Fri, Oct 16: Movie Night at Great Pacific Pumpkin Patch in Ventura (Sundown)

Sat, Oct 17: Trail or Treat at Camarillo Grove Park (10AM-1PM; $10 hike requires RSVP)

Sun, Oct 18: Calabasas Pumpkin Festival (10AM-5PM)

Sun, Oct 18: Tropical Trunk or Treat at Iceoplex Simi Valley (2:15-6PM)

Wed, Oct 21: 5th Annual Trunk or Treat in Camarillo Hosted by VCDCSS (4-6PM)

Wed, Oct 21: 5th Annual Spook-Tacular Celebration in Port Hueneme (5-8PM)

Thu, Oct 22: Oxnard Police Department Trunk or Treat Spooktacular (5-7PM)

Fri, Oct 23: City of Malibu Bu Bash Halloween Carnival (Ages 2-10) (3-6PM)

Fri, Oct 23: Spooky Swim at Pleasant Valley Aquatic Center in Camarillo (5:30PM) (RSVP)

Fri, Oct 23: Spooktacular Bash at Camarillo Community Center (5-7PM Age 50+)

Fri, Oct 23: Movie Night at Great Pacific Pumpkin Patch in Ventura (Sundown)

Sat, Oct 24: Howl-O-Ween Dog Costume Contest in Camarillo (10AM-1PM)

Sat, Oct 24: Peace Pumpkin Fest in Camarillo (10AM-3PM)

Sat, Oct 24: Howl-O-Ween Dog Costume Contest at Ventura Harbor Village (Noon)

Sat, Oct 24: Pumpkin Party at the Leonis Adobe Museum in Calabasas (1-4PM)

Sat, Oct 24: Halloween Haunt in the Park at Plaza Park in Oxnard (4-7PM)

Sat, Oct 24: Halloween Haunted Trail, Costume Contest and Trick or Treat Street in Thousand Oaks (6-9PM)

Sat, Oct 24: Parade of Frights at Channel Islands Harbor (7PM)

Oct 24-25: Boo at the Zoo at The Teaching Zoo in Moorpark

Sun, Oct 25: Dia De Los Muertos Celebration at Oxnard Performing Arts Center (5-9PM)

Wed, Oct 28: Candy Crawl at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard (4-6PM)

Wed, Oct 28: Halloween in the Park in Camarillo (5:30-8PM)

Thu, Oct 29: Downtown Ventura Costume Contest and Trick-or-Treating (3-7PM)

Sat, Oct 30: Seaside Trick or Treat at Ventura Harbor Village (4-6PM)

Sat, Oct 31: Halloween “BooFest” Event in Old Town Camarillo (Noon-3PM)

Sat, Oct 31: Halloween Carnival in Oak Park (Noon-3PM)

Sat, Oct 31: Halloween Carnival in Simi Valley (1-4PM)

Sat, Oct 31: Halloween Event at Stagecoach Inn Museum Newbury Park (1-4PM)

Sat, Oct 31; Halloween Night Market Dia De Los Muertos in Ventura (2-9PM)

Sat, Oct 31: Haunted High Street Event in Moorpark (4-7PM)

Oct 31-Nov 1: Boo at the Zoo at The Teaching Zoo in Moorpark

Sun, Nov 1: Dia De Los Muertos Festival in Downtown Ventura (11AM-6PM)

Sat, Nov 7: 4th Annual Festival de los Muertos Event in Newbury Park (4-8PM)

ONGOING EVENTS

Sep 18 to Oct 31: Conejo Valley Farms Pumpkin Patch in Camarillo

Sep 25 to Nov 1: Reign of Terror Haunted House at Janss Marketplace Thousand Oaks

Sep 25 to Nov 1: Nights of the Jack Halloween Experience at King Gillette Ranch

Sep 26 to Oct 31: Underwood Family Farms Fall Harvest on the Farm in Moorpark

Sep 26 to Nov 1: Fall Festival at Prancer’s Farm in Santa Paula

Oct 16-31: Boo at the Zoo at the Santa Barbara Zoo

PAST EVENTS

Ventura County Area Crime Maps Online

The Ventura County Sheriff's Office serves the County of Ventura and five contract cities of Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, and Thousand Oaks. There is a wealth of information on the VC Sheriff's website at www.venturasheriff.org, including phone numbers for patrol stations.

One tool available that shows recent crimes in these jurisdictions is located at CrimeMapping.com, a website that provides information, in map format about crimes committed on a rolling 180 day basis.

To use CrimeMapping.com, simply go to the site and type in a location - address, landmark or zip code. From there, you’ll see a map of crimes reported over the most recent week, which is the default time frame. You can change this time frame using filters on the site, up to 180 days’ worth of data. Here’s what the map looked like over a 180 day period:

crimemapping map.JPG

You can learn more about individual crimes by clicking the icons on the map. Crimes include arson, assault, burglary, disturbing the peace, drug/alcohol violations, DUI, fraud, homicide, auto theft, robbery, sex crimes, theft/larceny, vandalism, vehicle break-in and weapons.

The number 3 in a red circle in the image above indicates multiple records. I clicked it and there were 2 possession of a controlled substance - one in the 300 block of Hillcrest Drive on July 17th at 1:30pm and the other in the 2400 block of Hillcrest Drive on July 17th at 12:30pm. The third violation was fraudulent use of access card on April 1st at midnight.. Note that exact addresses are not provided; they report as specific as block number.

The first icon at the bottom right side of the image was an assault (battery) in the 2200 block of E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard at 10:05am on August 7th.

You may also create alerts on the CrimeMapping site that are sent to you via email. Click “Receive Alerts,” choose location (city, landmark, address or zip) and search distance (ranges from 500 feet to 2 miles).

Birthday Party Places In and Around Ventura County

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!

Wedding Reception Venues In Ventura County and Surrounding Areas

iStock_wedding.jpg

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 within an hour radius of the Conejo Valley.

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

Simi Valley Wedding Reception Venues

Moorpark, Somis Wedding Reception Venues

Ojai, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Piru Wedding Reception Venues

Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Goleta

Car and Motorcycle Clubs in Ventura County

Ventura County covers over 2,200 square miles, including 1,854 miles of land. Highways in Ventura include State Routes 1, 23, 33, 118, 126 and 125 and U.S. Highway 101. That's a lot of miles to cover and we love our cars...as evidenced by these local car and motorcycle clubs in and around Ventura County!

ClassicCar3.JPG
ClassicCar5.JPG
ClassicCar1.JPG

Labor Day Weekend Events In Ventura County and Surrounding Areas

LaborDay.jpeg

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It is a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The second Labor Day holiday was on September 5, 1883. In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday.

Oregon was the first state to officially enact Labor Day as a holiday by law on February 21, 1887, followed that year by Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. Since then, all 50 states have made Labor Day a state holiday.

2026 Labor Day weekend events around Ventura County and nearby areas:

Thu-Mon, Sep 3-7: Simi End of Summer Carnival at the Simi Valley Town Center

Fri-Sun, Sep 4-6: The Carnival for Las Virgenes Schools in Agoura Hills

Fri-Mon, Sep 4-7: Malibu Chili Cook-Off and Carnival

Sat, Sep 5: Ventura Nationals at Ventura County Fairgrounds (9AM-5PM)

Sat, Sep 5: Live Music at Harbor View Park at Channel Islands Harbor (4-6PM)

Sat, Sep 5: Free Concert at the Plaza in Simi Valley - Ticket to Ride (6-9PM)

Sat/Sun, Sep 5-6: Aloha Beach Festival in Ventura

Sat/Sun, Sep 5-6: C-Street Classic Surf Contest in Ventura

Mon, Sep 7: Santa Paula Labor Day Parade (10AM)

Mon, Sep 7: Labor Day Tractor Fair at Santa Paula Agriculture Museum (11AM-2PM)

Mon, Sep 7: CRPD Concert in the Park - 90’s Rock Show - Iconic Sounds of the 1990s (5PM) (CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS)

LOCAL AREA BEACHES IN VENTURA COUNTY, MALIBU AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

The Oldest Restaurants in Ventura County and Nearby Areas

We do our best to support local restaurants here in the Conejo Valley and throughout Ventura County. But local eateries come and go, for many reasons. Running a restaurant is not easy, but some of them manage to operate longer than others.

Here’s a compilation of some of the longest-operating restaurants in Ventura County.

1946: El Tecolote originated in Moorpark in 1946 and moved to its current location at 333 N. Lewis Road in Camarillo in 1952, serving traditional Mexican fare. It is the longest operating eatery under the same name in Ventura County. www.facebook.com/eltecoloterestaurant

1947: Johnny’s Mexican Food originated in Santa Paula in 1947 and moved to its current location at 176 N. Ventura Avenue, Ventura in 1961, offering, well, you know. Johnny Lopez passed away in December 1994. Before he passed, he convinced his family to keep the eatery. New ownership kept things the same when the eatery changed hands in 2004.

1949: Dominick’s Italian Restaurant at 477 North Oxnard Boulevard in Oxnard has been family owned and operated since 1949, serving delicious pasta, New York style pizza and more. dominicksoxnard.com

ElTecolate_pic.jpg

1952: Otani’s Seafood is a family owned seafood restaurant in Downtown Oxnard that has operated since 1952, featuring Japanese style seafood with a twist of Mexican flair. Located at 608 South A Street in Oxnard. www.otanis-seafood.com

1957: Thousand Oaks Meat Locker started out as a custom butcher shop in 1957, then transformed into a BBQ eatery since the mid-1970s at 2684 Thousand Oaks Blvd, Thousand Oaks. www.thousandoaksmeatlocker.com

1958: Casa De Soria Mexican Restaurant opened at 1961 E. Thompson Avenue in Ventura in 1958. They claim to have served over 7 million meals since then to Mexican food lovers! www.casadesoria.com

1959: Tony’s Pizzaria has been family owned and operated since June 1959 at 186 E. Thompson Blvd in Ventura. Founded by Johnny “Tony” Barrios and now operated by his children and nephew., Tony’s Pizzaria specializes in New York style hand tossed pizza. www.tonyspizzaria.net

1958: Neptune’s Net, with an address of 42505 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, is technically located in Ventura County in the unincorporated community of Solromar (it uses Malibu for its zip code). Neptune’s Net is open 364 days a year, closed only for Thanksgiving. This is a casual, order at the counter and find a table type of place that is located across from County Line Beach. neptunesnet.com

1961: Harold’s House of Omelettes at 2440 Thousand Oaks Blvd in Thousand Oaks. Harold Warner originally opened Harold’s at 1938 Thousand Oaks Blvd. The eatery closed May 7, 2021 but subsequently was acquired and reopened as Bo’s House of Omelettes & Waffles, so they are staying on the list. More information at houseofomelettesto.com.

1961: The Rock Store opened in 1961 at 30354 Mulholland Highway in Cornell (an unincorporated community of Los Angeles County located near Agoura Hills). originally as a small town grocery store. An extremely popular motorcyclist hangout, It currently offers breakfast and lunch Friday to Sunday. www.facebook.com/p/The-Rock-Store-100064273106365

RockStore.jpg

1963: Chester’s Asia Restaurant has operated in Camarillo since 1963 at 2216 Pickwick Drive in the Pickwick Shopping Center. chestersasiarestaurant.com

1965: Thousand Oaks Fish & Chips is currently located at 3825 Thousand Oaks Blvd in the North Ranch Shopping Center. It established itself in the Conejo Valley in 1965. www.thousandoaksfishandchips.com

t.o. fish and chips`.jpg

1966: Little Tony’s Italian Restaurant is located at 1441 Redwood Street in Oxnard, next to Weinerschnitzel. Open daily at 4pm for dinner. 805-486-1414 www.yelp.com/biz/little-tonys-italian-restaurant-oxnard

1968: Boccaccio’s Restaurant at the Westlake Landing, 32123 Lindero Canyon Road, Westlake Village, has been operating since 1968. www.boccacciosrestaurant.com

Boccccio’s ad circa 1969.

Boccccio’s ad circa 1969.

1968: Jack in the Box Thousand Oaks opened at 484 Moorpark Road this year and still operates today. it was completely remodeled in 2025.

1969: Ottavio and Noella Belvedere opened Pizza Villa on Ventura Blvd in Camarillo in 1969 and changed the name to Ottavio’s Italian Restaurant in 1974, so we’re going to credit them for 1969. The moved to a larger location at 1620 Ventura Blvd in 1977 and have operated there ever since. www.ottavio.com

1970: Cactus Patch Restaurant is a diner located at 197 E. High Street in Moorpark that has served breakfast and lunch since 1970. The original owner passed away in 2020 but other family members and staff continue to operate this eatery. www.facebook.com/CactusPatchRestaurant

cactus patch.jpg

1970: The Old Place Cornell restaurant opened at 29983 Mulholland Hwy in Cornell (Agoura Hills) in 1970. This is Los Angeles County but close to us here in the Conejo Valley . oldplacecornell.com

1973: The Newbury Park McDonald’s at 850 Wendy Drive premiered in the spring of 1970. (There’s probably other fast food places we need to research and add to this list.)

1974: The first Cisco’s Mexican Restaurant opened in Westlake Village in 1974. That location closed in 2018 but Cisco’s continues to operate at 1712 E. Avenida De Los Arboles in Thousand Oaks, making it one of the oldest eateries in the Conejo Valley. www.ciscosthousandoaks.com

1974: The first Eggs ‘n” Things restaurant opened in the same building as its current Camarillo location at 1200 Paseo Camarillo. Now Eggs “n” Things has locations in Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Ventura as well. www.eggsnthings.net

1974: Rhineland Deli Thousand Oaks has been open since 1974. It relocated to 1817 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd in 2022 as it continues to serve its signature delicious German-inspired sandwiches and other items. www.instagram.com/rhineland_deli

1974: Mrs. Olson’s Coffee Hut opened in 1974 at the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard, 2800 South Harbor Blvd. www.mrsolsons.com

1976: The Alamo Restaurant was established in 1976 at 2311 Borchard Road in Newbury Park, specializing in Mexican dishes. www.alamo-rest.com

1979: Azar’s Sport Bar & Grill originated as Azar’s Red Robin on September 19, 1976 at 2215 Michael Drive in Newbury Park, offering breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktails and live music. www.azarsportsbar.com

~1980: Don’t have the exact date, but A-Burger opened over 40 years ago at 155 S. Oxnard Blvd in Oxnard. I’m told that this was originally a Whataburger. www.facebook.com/ABurgerOxnard

A-Burger1.jpg

1982: Andria’s Seafood Restaurant and Market opened at Ventura Harbor Village on May 13, 1982 and this family business has operated continuously since that date. www.andriasseafood.com

1982: Don Cuco Mexican Restaurant opened in Simi Valley in 1982. It is located at 3991 Cochran Street. www.doncuco.com

1984: P & L Burgers at 2000-A East Avenida de los Arboles, Thousand Oaks originally opened in 1984, making it the oldest burger place in the Conejo Valley. pandlburgers.com

P&L Burgers TO.jpg

The Oldest Eateries in Ventura County that closed in recent years:

1947: Lupe’s Mexican Restaurant on Thousand Oaks Blvd in Thousand Oaks closed its doors in August 2016, after 69 years in business.

Lupe’s Mexican Food in Thousand Oaks in 1975. (Photo courtesy Thousand Oaks Library Conejo Through the Lens Collection.)

Lupe’s Mexican Food in Thousand Oaks in 1975. (Photo courtesy Thousand Oaks Library Conejo Through the Lens Collection.)

1949: The Sportsman Restaurant at 53 S. California Street in Ventura closed in 2018. The Camarillo location at 4426 Central Avenue is still open. www.sportsmancamarillo.com

Familia Diaz operated at 245 S. 10th Street in Santa Paula from 1936 to 2015. It was sold to new owners, and now operates as Chapala Mexican Restaurant. chapalamexicanrestaurantca.com

FamiliaDiaz1.JPG

Familia Diaz in Santa Paula changed ownership and is now called Chapala Mexican Restaurant. We’ll keep this image here in memory of the previous occupant.

Dorothy’s Chuck Wagon Cafe was located at 2344 Ventura Blvd in Old Town Camarillo. The building was constructed in 1944 and original owner Larry Logue opened Larry’s Malt Shop there in 1946. It was Carmen’s Snack Bar when owned by Ed and Carmen Quinn. Dorothy Johnson took over as new owner in 1983. In June 2022 she announced the cafe had closed. The building was sold in May 2022.

dorothy's chuck wagon.jpeg

The former Dorothy’s Chuck Wagon Cafe in Old Town Camarillo (closed in June 2022).

The Golden Chicken Inn was located at 701 S. Oxnard Boulevard in Oxnard (at 7th Street) opened in 1929 but changed ownership and became New Chicken in the summer of 2025. It is one of the last remaining Chinese structures in the area. www.newchickenoxnard.com

golden chicken oxnard.JPG

Golden Chicken Inn in Oxnard opened in 1929 and became “new chicken” under new ownership in 2025.

The Ranch House originally opened at its quaint location at 102 Besant Road in Ojai in 1956. In July 2025 it was reopened under new ownership as The Rochers at the Ranch House. Learn more at www.therochersrh.com.