Category: Cultural

July 15 — Local Artist Chris Gocong’s Art Exhibit MAGNETIC Opens at Helena Mason Art Gallery in Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA — Get ready for Magnetic by Chris Gocong. In each generation a handful of individuals emerge that resonate and represent the collective. Gocong’s newest portrait series attempts to capture magnetic icons through explorative portraiture. 

This event is happening on Saturday, Jul 15, 2023, from 6 – 9 pm at Helena Mason Art Gallery located at 48 Helena Avenue, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

It will be an unforgettable night filled with art, beats by Diego Rockwell, drinks by Cutler’s Artisan Spirits and Flying Embers. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be a part of something truly special. 

July 16 — Temple Etz Chaim to present Jared Diamond at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center, Scherr Forum Theatre in Thousand Oaks

Temple Etz Chaim is proud to host an annual speaker series for the local community. The 2023 Speaker Series is entitled “Our World Evolving: Global Thought Leaders in Our Community.” This is a series of socially relevant conversations with modern thought leaders, authors and scholars. Rabbi Averbach will introduce our speakers and moderate a Q&A with those in attendance after the speech. 

July 20 — Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present Reading and Conversation of ‘Blue Skies’ by T.C. Boyle

Returning to the Museum in what has become a much-anticipated and highly-animated annual event, T.C. Boyle, Santa Barbara’s prolific and perennial favorite, reads from his latest novel, Blue Skies.

Through July 21 — Bilingual report — Alternative Action Programs (AAP) presenting a 12-week Community Workgroup Series ‘Co-Parenting Groups’ in Oxnard, Ventura

OXNARD — Alternative Action Programs (AAP) in Oxnard will present a 12-week  Community Workgroup Series “Co-Parenting Groups” through July 21.

Click on images for more information.

July 28 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents The Fifth Element at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden

SANTA BARBARA — Get ready to explore the galaxy this summer with UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2023 FREE Summer Cinema line-up: “Out of This World.” The series continues with Luc Besson’s outrageous sci-fi adventure, The Fifth Element at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden on Friday, July 28 at 8:30 p.m. 

July 29 — Community Roots Garden in Oxnard will host free cultural art workshops

OXNARD — Community Roots Garden, at 1801 Joliet Pl. in Oxnard, will host  some beautiful collective workshops and conversations guided by some wonderfully talented individuals. These workshops are geared towards healing and connecting by sharing knowledge of ancestral ways of being through storytelling and cultural art practice shares. All workshops start at 10 a.m. with options to stay to help paint the mural after each workshops.

Through July 31 — Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice to present ‘Healing Grief Through Poetry’ group

Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice to present ‘Healing Grief Through Poetry’ group.

This group will provide an opportunity for those seeking a creative and inspirational way to express feelings of grief through poetry. This grief support group meets every Monday from 6:00 to 7:00 PM and will start on July 10th and end on July 31st. Registration is required.

Aug. 3 — SBMA’s Art Matters Lecture explores the Paradox of Art Restoration

Bart Devolder discusses the role a conservator plays in the life of an artwork. What does it mean to respect the artist’s original intention during a restoration treatment and can we even know what those intentions were? Using several case studies, Devolder illustrates that restoring a work of art to its former glory is not always straightforward.

Aug. 10 — Jardín Bajo Las Estrellas Fundraiser for Campus Park in Oxnard

OXNARD — Friends of Campus Park, the organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of Oxnard’s diverse community, is excited to announce a fundraiser in celebration of grants received for Campus Park’s first phase. The event will take place on August 10th at 6:30pm in Downtown Oxnard’s Heritage Square.

The fundraiser aims to commemorate the grants, which have been instrumental in bringing Campus Park to life and advancing Friends of Campus Park’s mission. It also serves as an opportunity to gather support and resources for the organization’s ongoing efforts in developing the park and creating enjoyable spaces for the community.

Aug. 11-12 — Teatro de las Américas — Will you be at opening night for Entre Pancho Villa y una mujer desnuda?

Congratulations to everyone who has worked so hard to bring this production to life. Break a leg!

Entre Pancho Villa y una mujer desnuda
Presented By Teatro De Las Americas

Aug 11th 2023, 7:00 PM
Aug 12th 2023, 7:00 PM

Aug. 14 — County of Ventura Elections Office seeking volunteers for Language Accessibility Advisory Committee

The County of Ventura Elections Office seeking citizen volunteers to serve on a Language Accessibility Advisory Committee Committee (LAAC) in Ventura County.

The next quarterly meeting will be held on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023 at 10 a.m. We will be conducting the meeting via the Zoom web conference platform. Attached is a flyer for you to share with your organizations.

Aug. 19 — Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present ‘Wares!’ exhibition artist Seth Bogart in Conversation and Free Workshop

Join WARES! exhibition artist Seth Bogart for a casual conversation, hands-on demo, and unique opportunity to create with clay and cardboard. Pinch, roll, repurpose, twist, glue, and build with the help from Museum Teaching Artists, and explore how the ordinary can be elevated. Dress for mess.

Aug. 19 — Santa Paula Art Museum to present 13th Annual Fine Art Auction Fundraiser

The Santa Paula Art Museum’s biggest fundraiser of the year is back in person! Sixty works of art will be up for grabs during the Museum’s 13th Annual Fine Art Auction Fundraiser on Saturday, August 19. The silent auction featuring 40 fine art pieces will run from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The live auction featuring 20 museum-quality artworks will run from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. led by professional auctioneer John Eubanks of California Auctioneers. Admission to the auction event is $15.00 for SPAM members and $20.00 for non-members. All proceeds benefit the Santa Paula Art Museum, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

Aug. 19, 20 — Art Comes Alive at the Channel Islands Maritime Museum

OXNARD — The Channel Islands Maritime Museum (CIMM) is pleased to present its ever-popular Art Comes Alive event on August 19 and 20.

Paintings & ship models come to life with live maritime characters from the ages at Art Comes Alive. Museum docents, museum supporters, and local actors get into character and bring the Museum’s famous collection to life. 

Through Aug. 25 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents the 2023 FREE Summer Cinema

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents the 2023 FREE Summer Cinema line-up: Out of This World, seven nights of space-inspired movies under the stars at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden, Friday nights from July 7 through August 25. (No screening Friday, August 4 due to Fiesta)

Aug. 26 — Bilingual report — Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS) joins ‘Clear the Shelters’ event

VENTURA — Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS) is thrilled to announce their participation in Clear The Shelters, the nationwide pet adoption event organized by NBC Universal.  This one-day pet adoption event will be held on Saturday, August 26th, 2023, from 11:00am – 5:00pm at both the Camarillo and Simi Valley Animal Shelters.  Shelter Director, Jackie Rose, says “The goal of Clear The Shelters is to find a loving home for every available animal in our care!”

To assist residents with the initial cost associated with adopting a shelter animal, VCAS will be waiving all pet adoption fees, though a small pet license fee may apply.  Adoption gifts provided by Hill’s Science Diet, VCA Animal Hospital, and Assemblymember Steve Bennett.

Aug. 27 — Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present ‘Dancing Out Loud: Free Public Performances’

SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present “Dancing Out Loud: Free Public Performances” at 5 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27 at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art Front Terrace, 1130 State St., Santa Barbara.

Award-winning dancer, choreographer, and deaf artist and advocate Antoine Hunter is joined by members of the Urban Jazz Dance Company, which he founded, in an imaginative, joyful celebration to accompany the exhibition The Private Universe of James Castle: Drawings from the William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation and James Castle Collection and Archive. Enjoy the electric energy of dancing out loud with this free public performance that Mr. Hunter has said, “puts the capital D in Deaf, representing power, culture, and strength.”

Through Sept. 4 — ‘Bird’s Eye View: Four Perspectives’ coming to Wildling Museum in Solvang

Exhibition: Bird’s Eye View: Four Perspectives, featuring Chris Maynard, David Tomb, Shae Warnick & Chester Wilcox On view: Through September 4, 2023
Where: Wildling Museum, 1511-B Mission Drive, Solvang, CA 93463 Website: www.wildlingmuseum.org/news/birds-eye-view

Sept. 8, 9, 10 — Bilingual report — ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! Launches 2023-2024 Season with Three Free Performances by Grammy-Nominated Perla Batalla

SANTA BARBARA — ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! (Viva) is back with the first event of its spectacular 2023-2024 season. The season will launch with a free community performance by grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Perla Batalla. A collaboration between UCSB Arts & Lectures, The Marjorie Luke Theatre, the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, and the Isla Vista School Parent Teacher Association, Viva is dedicated to bringing  the rich cultural heritage of Latin America to Santa Barbara County students and community members.

Through Sept. 17 — Santa Barbara Museum of Art Presents The Private Universe of James Castle: Drawings from the William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation and James Castle Collection and Archive

With more than 90 works, this exhibition features many of the most beautiful and accomplished drawings created by the extraordinarily gifted, self-taught artist James Castle (1899 – 1977). The Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) represents the sole venue for this show, which highlights the artist’s remarkable technical skills and attempts to foster a better understanding of his evocative and unconventional images, particularly his landscapes and architectural interior scenes. Unfortunately, the common perception of Castle and his art has tended to be very limited due to emphasis on his physical impairments—he was profoundly deaf and largely mute—and his geographic isolation, working in rural Idaho.

Sept. 18 — Unite to Light Presents ‘Mike Love Benefit Concert’ in Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA — Unite to Light, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing clean, renewable light and energy to people living without electricity, is partnering with REACH For Uganda to host the Mike Love Benefit Concert, an electrifying musical event with a purpose.

Reach For Uganda.
The concert aims to provide 2,000 solar powered Luke Lights to create Light Libraries at REACH For Uganda schools. A Light Library is where schools possess a number of solar-powered Luke Lights for students to “check out.”

Sept. 23 — Santa Paula Parks & Recreation Department Presents the 10th Annual Mariachi Dinner: A Night of Live Music, Dining, and Community Support

SANTA PAULA — The Santa Paula Parks & Recreation Department is thrilled to announce the much-anticipated return of the 10th Annual Mariachi Dinner, a captivating evening of cultural celebration, live music, and dining. Hosted by the City of Santa Paula Parks & Recreation Department, this event promises a memorable experience for all attendees, young and old.

The 10th Annual Mariachi Dinner is an opportunity for the community to come together, show support for a noble cause, and revel in the joy of shared moments. This year’s event will be held at the Parks and Recreation Community Center Auditorium located at 530 West Main St., Santa Paula, CA 93060 on Saturday, September 23rd, 2023, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Sept. 26 — Bilingual report — Cottage Virtual Care Hosts Free Virtual Event in Spanish ‘Stay Healthy: When and Where to Go for Medical Care’

SANTA BARBARA — Cottage Virtual Care will host a free virtual event in Spanish titled “Stay Healthy: When and Where to Go for Medical Care” on Tuesday, September 26, from 6-7 p.m. This event will feature Maria Rivera, Nurse Practitioner with Cottage Virtual Care, and Cottage Health experts who will be available to share their expertise on different health care options.

During the event, Cottage will provide valuable insights into the differences between healthcare options such as urgent care, virtual care and the emergency department and why understanding these healthcare options is critical to seeking appropriate care. Attendees will gain the knowledge to help make informed decisions about their healthcare.

Sept. 26 — CLU Center for Equality and Justice to present ‘Humanizing Deportation/Humanizando La Deportación’

THOUSAND OAKS  — CLU to present Center for Equality and Justice to present “Humanizing Deportation/Humanizando La Deportación” at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26 at the Lundring Events Center.

Robert Irwin, PhD, deputy director of the Global Migration Center at UC Davis, will discuss his community-based digital storytelling project, “Humanizing Deportation/Humanizando La Deportación,” which documents the human consequences of contemporary regimes of migration and border control in the United States and Mexico. 

Sept. 27 — Bilingual report — COAST to present A Ventura County Town Hall “Facing Down Fentanyl’

VENTURA — County Opioid Abuse Suppression Taskforce (COAST) will present A Ventura County Town Hall “Facing Down Fentanyl” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27 at the Ventura County Office of Education, 5100 Adolfo Road, Camarillo. Free event. Dinner provided.

County leaders will discuss the ongoing opioid crisis in our community, and what you need to know about fentanyl to protect the health and safety of your family.

Brought to you by Ventura County’s Behavioral Health Department, in cooperation with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Cesar Morales, attendees at this Town Hall event will hear from panelists:

District Attorney Erik Nasarenko
Medical Examiner Dr. Christopher Young
Public Health Officer Dr. Robert Levin
Sheriff Jim Fryhoff
Behavioral Health Division Chief Raena West

Sept. 28 — Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — FATHOMWERX Summit

FATHOMWERX Summit is an inclusive two-day event will be filled with tested technology expositions, demonstrations, tours, innovators, networking, a keynote speaker, industry and Department of the Navy program representatives and stakeholders. With participation from ANTX Coastal Trident and Venture Ventura, the two-day event explores the intersections between industry and the Department of the Navy.

Who should attend or exhibit?

30 de septiembre — ‘Empoderamiento Financiero’ de WEV, en persona en Santa Paula

SANTA PAULA — “Empoderamiento Financiero” de WEV, en persona, el 30 de septiembre, de 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM.

En esta clase gratuita de 3 horas el sábado, aprenderás a:

Tomar el control de tus finanzas personales: comprende tu “mentalidad de dinero” y crea nuevos hábitos financieros para aumentar tu confianza financiera y resiliencia
Establece metas financieras significativas: crea un presupuesto, paga deudas, administra tu dinero y logra tus metas financieras a largo plazo.
Conviértete en un(a) dueño(a) de negocio más efectivo(a) y financieramente seguro(a).

Through Oct. 1 — Yankee Dawg You Die at the Elite Theatre Company in Oxnard

OXNARD — The Elite Theatre would like to announce theupcoming production of Yankee Dawg You Die – a play by Philip Kan Gotanda, directed by Jolyn Johnson. The production runs for four weekends on The Elite’s South Stage beginning September 8, 2023 in Oxnard, California.

Long before Crazy Rich Asians or Everything Everywhere All At Once, Philip Kan Gotanda explored being Asian in Hollywood in Yankee Dawg You Die. In this play, two Asian-American men struggle to find a space in Hollywood in the 1980s: Bradley Yamashita is brash, outspoken, and opinionated; Vincent Chang is a survivor of Old Hollywood stereotypes, trying to remain regal and honorable. Bradley and Vincent’s unlikely friendship–as they talk of life, love, and Tinseltown–shows that generational divides might not be as wide as we think.

Oct. 1 — OPAC rebrands its annual arts festival to “CHELITA: Arts, Music and Miches Festival”

OXNARD — Making its post-COVID debut is OPAC’s annual arts festival scheduled for Sunday, October 1 from 11 am to 6 pm at picturesque Heritage Square, but with a twist.  Once known as “PACC the Arts Festival,” the event has been rebranded as “CHELITA: Arts, Music, and Miches Festival” and will continue to showcase local culture and creativity.

“COVID provided arts organizations an opportunity to reevaluate what we do and how we can best serve our community. PACC the Arts no longer felt on-brand for us, but CHELITA certainly does,” reflects OPAC’s Executive Director Carolyn Merino Mullin. “The concept: If Coachella and a Michelada Festival had a baby in Oxnard, it’d be CHELITA.”

CHELITA is set to transform Heritage Square into a dynamic hub of creativity, fostering an environment where art, music, and gastronomy collide to create an unforgettable experience for attendees of all ages. 

Oct. 1 — UCSB Arts & Lectures kicks off its 2023-2024 season with performance by five-time Grammy-winner Jacob Collier

SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents Jacob Collier on Sunday, October 1 at 7 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Moving fluidly across jazz, pop and R&B, Jacob Collier creates mesmerizing soundscapes using layered vocal tracks and sophisticated digital editing techniques. His multi-frame, multi-instrumental viral videos and five Grammy wins have earned him a devoted international following and a roster of collaborators that ranges from Coldplay and SZA to Hans Zimmer. An energetic and engaging live performer, Collier is known for conducting his audiences in multi-part harmonies and beats.

Pre-concert festivities on the plaza in front of Campbell Hall begin at 6 p.m. Enjoy food trucks and a live DJ set by KCRW Program Director Anne Litt. 

Oct. 1 — Bilingual report — Half a Century of Hope: Festival Celebrates 50 Years of Service to Santa Maria Families

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY — Family Service Agency is thrilled to announce Santa Maria Valley Youth & Family Center’s (SMVYFC) 50th anniversary celebration, marking half a century of dedicated service to the Santa Maria Valley community. The Santa Maria Family Festival takes place on Sunday October 1st from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Teresa Machado Plaza, located at the corner of North Pine Street and West Chapel Street.

“We invite the entire Santa Maria Valley community to come together to celebrate the remarkable achievements of SMVYFC and the countless lives it has positively impacted,” said Arcelia Sención, Chief Strategy and North County Programs Officer. “We anticipate many more years of promoting hope, strength and stability to children, families, and seniors in Santa Maria.

Oct. 3 — Central Coast Ocean Adventures Foundation and Mystic Whaler Return to Santa Barbara Harbor and Maritime Museum

OXNARD — Mystic Whaler, the educational schooner of Central Coast Ocean Adventures Foundation (CCOAF), will be returning to Santa Barbara Harbor on October 3 for a month of experiential educational programming.

Local students will be “Sailing Through Time” in a new and exclusive educational program developed by CCOAF for the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. The 5-hour program will take students from the present into the past. Using skills such as math, science, and technology as well as teamwork, determination, and problem-solving, students will be presented with a series of challenges from raising sail to navigation. This program is designed to not only instill a connection of empathy and understanding with our past but to encourage pride in hard work well done and inspire ambitions in personal education and growth.

Oct. 4 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents iconic Martha Graham Dance Company at the Granada Theatre, Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents the Martha Graham Dance Company’s Graham100 on Wednesday, October 4 at the Granada Theatre. Recognized as a primal artistic force of the 20th century, Martha Graham single-handedly defined contemporary dance as a uniquely American art form. In this evening of new and reimagined works framing a Graham classic, the company performs Hofesh Shechter’s high-energy CAVEand Graham’s Dark Meadow Suite, an abstract work about life’s journey and the search for connection with one’s self and one’s community. A reconstruction of Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo rounds out the program, with a reorchestration of Aaron Copland’s score performed by a live bluegrass ensemble led by Punch Brother Gabe Witcher.

Oct. 5 — CLU to present ‘Untold Legacies: Re-Envisioning Ventura County Through an Ethnic Studies Lens’ with José M. Alamillo, PhD

THOUSAND OAKS — California Lutheran University will present “Untold Legacies: Re-Envisioning Ventura County Through an Ethnic Studies Lens” with José M. Alamillo, PhD at 12:15 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5 at Swenson 101, 60 W. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks.

Alamillo, a professor at California State University Channel Islands, will present hidden legacies of racialized communities in Ventura County through a lens that challenges Eurocentric romantic narratives of the past centered on Spanish missions and white pioneers.

Oct. 5 — SBMA Art Matters Lecture explores The Past, Future, and Present of the Clyfford Still Museum

SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s “Art Matters Lecture” explores “The Past, Future, and Present of the Clyfford Still Museum” at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5.

The event features a lecture with Joyce Tsai, Director, Clyfford Still Museum.

Oct. 6 — Works of Protest, Resistance at Cal Lutheran

THOUSAND OAKS — On Oct. 6, California Lutheran University’s William Rolland Gallery of Fine Art opens “Print+: Sameness & Otherness in Contemporary Print Media,” a show that presents works of protest and resistance by 22 artists from different backgrounds who use the tools and techniques of printmaking in novel ways. The opening corresponds with Cal Lutheran’s annual homecoming weekend and will be on display through Feb 1.

Multidisciplinary artist Sheila Goloborotko, the curator for “Print+,” said in her curatorial statement that the exhibit “focuses on the importance of showcasing artwork where diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion create an essential and fertile ecology.”

Oct. 6 — Sacred Arts Festival in Goleta explores ‘Wonder as Worship in Orthodox Christian Art’

Beginning October 6, St. Athanasius Orthodox Christian Church is reviving its Sacred Arts Festival, first inaugurated back in 2011 when the community was worshipping in an interim building on Calle Real in Goleta.  The plan was to host an Arts Festival every two years, but the global pandemic interrupted that flow.  In 2014, the church moved into a new building on its 20-plus acres of land just down the street from Goleta Cottage Hospital.  This will be the third festival in that building.

Oct. 7 — Bilingual report — Celebrate Diversity at Free Multicultural Festival

OXNARD — Join the community in celebrating Oxnard’s cultural diversity at the 26th Annual Multicultural Festival on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Plaza Park (500 S. C St.). The event is free and open to the public.

The Multicultural Festival features a variety of fun, educational activities, entertainment and exhibits for all ages. Activities include:

Musical performances by Caliente805 Band, Heart and Soul Band, Oxnard College Ballet Folklórico Mestizo, Premier Dance Studio, and more!
A chance to learn more about the areas of the world represented in the Oxnard community. Grab a Multicultural Festival passport and receive stamps by visiting the booths representing Bolivia, Scotland, Cambodia, Chile, China, India, Kenya, Mexico, Philippines, Italy, Oaxaca and Colombia.
Attendees who submit a fully stamped passport will receive a prize and be entered into the hourly raffle.
Enjoy various activities for kids including the adrenaline-pumping fun in the jolly jumpers, City Corps Wagon Train and the Rad Hatter for a chance to create their very own silly hats and more!
Indulge in cuisine and treats for sale including Masarap Lumpia (Filipino Fusion), House of Tacos Grill Food Truck, Me Gusta Gourmet Tamales, Passion Empanadas Food Truck, Magic Hot Dogs & Churros, JK Catering Food Truck, Bell Catering Food Truck, Pan de Elote and many others!

Oct. 8 — Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present Inside Stories/Outside Tales ‘Inwardly Defiant: Yunte Huang and Celine Shimizu’

SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present Inside Stories/Outside Tales “Inwardly Defiant: Yunte Huang and Celine Shimizu.”

Celebrated author, Guggenheim Fellow and UCSB professor Yunte Huang reads from his latest book, Daughter of the Dragon, an in-depth exploration of Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American film star who both encouraged and defied the Hollywood industry’s efforts to categorize her.

Oct. 12 — VCCDC to present 3rd Annual Awards Ceremony

Join VCCDC for the 3rd Annual Awards Ceremony, “Leading People Home” on Thursday, October 12 from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. This special celebration at Spanish Hills Club in Camarillo will honor five important leaders who have inspired our work and five award winners who are making significant contributions in our community. Together with our friends and supporters, we will enjoy an evening of delicious food, heart-warming stories and inspirational award presentations. We hope to celebrate with you!

Oct. 13, 14, 15 — Bilingual report — ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! Presents Three Free Performances of Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles

SANTA BARBARA — The nation’s premier Mexican folk dance company, Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles, will hold three free public performances in Santa Barbara County October 13-15, 2023. The performances are a part of ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! (Viva), a program dedicated to sharing the rich cultural heritage of Latin America to Santa Barbara County students and community members. 

Oct. 14 — Pipiripau presenting ‘El Panteón — Celebrating Dia de Los Muertos’ at Oxnard Heritage Square

OXNARD — Pipiripau will present the inaugural “El Panteón — Celebrating Dia de Los Muertos’ at Oxnard Heritage Square from 1 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14 at 715 S A St, Oxnard.

Pipiripau, an apparel brand, will present Aztec Danzantes, a Day of the Play, live music, community altars, face painting vendors, food trucks and more events.

Through Oct. 18 — Santa Barbara City College presents Atkinson Gallery exhibition Xicana/o/x Time and Space

This exhibition presents a timeline through various forms of Chicana/o/x rhetoric (painting, text, film, photography and performance) with an overview of Mesoamerican and Chicana/o cultural traditions. Working at the intersections of rhetoric, literature and Chicana/o Studies, this multimedia, exhibit/performance will explore and present how Chicana/o concepts of time and culture can be read through a Chicana/o lens in ways to nurture and create a historical consciousness.

Oct. 21 — Bilingual report — City of Santa Paula Invites the Community to Join Together for a ‘Santa Paula Beautiful Day’ Volunteer Event

SANTA PAULA — As summer gracefully transitions into autumn and the season of decorating our homes begins, the Santa Paula Parks & Recreation Department is thrilled to announce “Santa Paula Beautiful Day.” This community volunteer event aims to unite residents of all ages once again in a collective effort to engage in civic beautification.

Join us on this special day as we embark on a project to prepare Santa Paula for thousands of Ventura County residents who will be visiting Santa Paula on October 21, 2023, for the County’s “Mountains to Sea Jubilee & Music Festival” to celebrate the County’s 150th Anniversary.

Oct. 21 — Bilingual report — Mountains to Sea Jubilee to celebrate Ventura County’s 150th Anniversary

VENTURA COUNTY — Join us at the Mountains to Sea Jubilee in the city of Santa Paula! The event kicks off with a FREE family-friendly festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21 at the Museum of Ventura County’s Agricultural Museum, 926 Railroad Avenue, Santa Paula.

The Mountains to Sea Jubilee is the culmination of the County of Ventura’s 150th Anniversary celebration and will feature performances and participation from community partners and organizations from across the County. Through a collaborative partnership, the County of Ventura and the Museum of Ventura County have commemorated the sesquicentennial anniversary of the County with a series of public events.  

Through Oct. 22 — Teatro de las Américas presents Romantic comedy ‘Stage Kiss’

Theatrikos brings the romantic comedy Stage Kiss to the Flagstaff stage. A kiss is not just a kiss in this whirlwind knockabout farce. When two actors with a history are thrown together as leads in a 1930s romantic comedy, they quickly lose touch with reality.

“This play is so much fun for the cast, as they get to play both real-life actors and characters in a play-within-a-play. When the actors really enjoy doing a play, the audience enjoys it, too. You can expect to have a rollicking good time at the theatre,” said director Stan Sutherland.

Through Oct. 22 — Moorpark College Piques Audience Curiosity with ‘The Curious Savage’

MOORPARK — The Curious Savage is coming to The Moorpark College Performing Arts Center Mainstage Oct. 12-22. This uproarious 1950s comedy set in The Cloisters Sanitorium in Massachusetts follows the story of a flamboyant widow who is forcibly admitted to the sanatorium by her greedy stepchildren when she refuses to hand over her sizable inheritance.

“This play was very ahead of its time in terms of its message and structure,” said director and Theatre Arts faculty Suzanne Fagan. “It’s hysterical, and yet, by the end of the play, you’re blown away by the social commentary surrounding mental health, stigma, and family that’s been woven in throughout the story.”