Category: Cultural

Through June — County of Ventura Older-Adult Art Show on display at the Hall of Administration Atrium Gallery

The exhibition showcases the vibrant creativity and talent of artists ages 60 and older within our community through an open call. While there is no specific theme, artwork is encouraged that explores the sharing of experiences, traditions, customs, and stories across generations.

June 3 —  Oxnard Film Society presents ’La Chimera’

After the death of the love of his life, English archaeologist Arthur (Josh O’Connor) is desperate to find the mythical door to the afterlife — but to do so, he must team up with a network of tomb raiders who break into ancient tombs in search of archaeological wonders to sell on the black market. 

June 5 — Bilingual report — Next Dementia Friendly Ventura County event t be held at the Gobble Adult Community Center in Thousand Oaks

The public is encouraged to stop by anytime during the “Living Well, Caring Well” event and meet with many local providers who can assist with dementia-related issues, which may include adult day centers, adult protective services, the Alzheimer’s Association, caregiver resources, financial resources, in-home care, health insurance counseling and advocacy, legal and advanced planning, long-term care ombudsman, neurology, and public benefit programs.

June 8 — Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — Join us for the Mujeres Summit!

Created by the founders of Mujeres Makers Market, Mujeres Summit 2024 helps existing and potential small business owners learn from entrepreneurs’ experiences and challenges and share valuable and practical resources.

Get a Chance to Meet EDC Director of Strategic Relations Alondra Gaytán!

EDC Director of Strategic Relations Alondra Gaytán, will speak about insights on forging pathways to inclusive economic development.

Click Alondra’s image below to read her bio!

June 8 — Two new exhibits opening at the Museum of Ventura County highlight the county’s rich artistic legacy with a focus on Master Artists and Young Innovators

VENTURA — Two new exhibits opening at the Museum of Ventura County highlight the county’s rich artistic legacy with a focus on Master Artists and Young Innovator.

Masters from the Museum of Ventura County Collection 
(June 8, 2024 -January 5, 2025)
***
InnoVision: Ventura County Artists to Watch

(June 8, 2024 – May 11, 2025)

June 17 — Oxnard Film Society to present ‘Housekeeping for Beginners’

North Macedonia’s Submission to the Academy Awards for Best International Film.

After the death of the love of his life, English aFrom acclaimed filmmaker Goran Stolevski comes a story exploring the universal truths of family, both the ones we’re born into and the ones we find for ourselves. Dita never wanted to be a mother, but circumstances force her to raise her girlfriend’s two daughters, tiny troublemaker Mia and rebellious teen Vanesa. A battle of wills ensues as the three continue to butt heads and become an unlikely family that must fight to stay together. NYTimes Critic’s Pick

Through June 30 — 68th Annual Conejo Valley Days

THOUSAND OAKS — The 68th Annual Conejo Valley Days is set hrough June 30 (dark, June 24 and 25) at Conejo Creek Park South (23 Freeway/Janss Rd. exit) in Thousand Oaks.

Festival goers can enjoy carnival rides from Kastl Amusements plus midway games for all ages along with traditional fair foods. CVD features live rock and country bands including the Colette Lovejoy Band, 805 Social Club, The Tin Drum Family Band and Double Wide.

June 21 — Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum to present History Talk with Guest Speaker, Erik Brun

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the War Department moved to mobilize Filipino men living in the United States who had been barred from service by law, despite a forty year history of Philippine Scout service in the Army. On December 21, 1941, the United States Congress passed the Filipino Naturalization Bill, allowing a Filipino combat unit to be formed.

June 22 — Bilingual update — Experience Traditional Chumash Cooking in Oxnard

Join us for an afternoon of cultural enrichment and culinary exploration as we delve into traditional and modern fusion Chumash recipes using native plant ingredients. This hands-on class will be a unique opportunity to learn from Chumash chefs hi ho stoqos?lo?q hi xus about the rich heritage and sustainable practices of the Chumash people. The event is free and open to all ages. A Spanish Interpreter will be present to interpret live.

June 26 — Bilingual report — Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) presents ‘Marketing Your Brand Online and on Social Media’

Join the City of Oxnard to learn how to take your business to the next level with a digital presence and by marketing on social media! Learn the tips of the trade with two expert presenters, Steve James and EDC Small Business Development Center advisor Wangari Njathi.

Attendance is at NO-COST, but registration is requested

Date: Wednesday, June 26 at 9:00 am

Address: Oxnard Public Library, 251 S. A Street – Room B

CLICK HERE to register

June 29 — LA-based Latin psych-soul band, Chicano Batman to perform at The Kia Forum

This performance marks the grand finale of their highly successful tour following the release of their critically acclaimed album, Notebook Fantasy, which the LA Times called “the arrival of what Chicano Batman was always meant to sound like.” It’s a huge full-circle moment for the guys, who grew up right here in LA. Check out their performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and their interview about the Forum on KTLA. Can you join us that night?

Through June 30 — Music, Rides, Food and Fun At 68th Annual Conejo Valley Days

THOUSAND OAKS — The 68th Annual Conejo Valley Days (CVD) will feature 10 days of carnival rides, food and live entertainment. Dates are through June 30 (dark, June 24 and 25) at Conejo Creek Park South (23 Freeway/Janss Rd. exit) in Thousand Oaks.

Kastl Amusements will operate over 15 rides plus midway games for all ages at CVD as well as offer traditional fair and specialty foods. The Thousand Oaks Elks Club will be serving tri-tip sandwiches and other favorites.

This year, CVD is bringing back its “Whiskeroo Contest” Sunday, June 23 at 3:00 p.m. on the CVD Carnival Stage. To enter, call or text Steve Comstock, Whiskeroo Contest organizer, at 805-908-2248. Contestants will have an opportunity to show off their beards in one of five categories: Longest Beard, Softest Beard, Best Moustache, Best Goatee and Best Overall Beard.

July 1 — Oxnard Film Society to present ‘Taste of Things’

Set in France in 1889, the film follows the life of Dodin Bouffant as a chef living with his personal cook and lover Eugénie. They share a long history of gastronomy and love but Eugénie refuses to marry Dodin, so the food lover decides to do something he has never done before: cook for her.

July 3 — District 216 to present Danny Lewin’s ‘Exploring Sleep, Circadian Health, And Sleep Consciousness’

Speaker: Danny Lewin, PhD, D.ABSM, CBSM
Board Sleep Doctor, Sleep Health & Wellness CenterDanny Lewin, Ph.D., D.ABSM, CBSM is a licensed clinical psychologist, sleep medicine researcher, clinician and pediatric psychologist. He was the founding director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine and Pulmonary Behavioral Medicine Program at Children’s National Hospital and an associate Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the George Washington University School of Medicine. Danny served as the Director of Clinical Sleep Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, National Center on Sleep Research. He has published more than 50 articles and chapters. Danny is particularly honored to have served as a mentor and supervisor of hundreds of pre-and post-doctoral fellows in psychology, medicine, nursing and dentistry. He is passionate about educating providers and the public about sleep health.

July 4 — Bilingual report — Downtown Ventura transforms for 4th of July festivities

VENTURA — The City of Ventura’s annual 4th of July Street Fair and Pushem-Pullem Parade returns on Thursday, July 4, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Ventura’s Downtown District. 

The Pushem-Pullem Parade, presented by the Rotary Club of East Ventura, will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Main Street in front of Cemetery Memorial Park and continue into the Street Fair in Downtown Ventura. No registration is required. 

This year’s Street Fair features artisan vendors, a car exhibit, live entertainment, a kids’ activity area, a corn hole zone, and more. Attendees can also enjoy Downtown’s local shops and outdoor dining as part of Main Street Moves. 

July 4 — Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation Hosts Free Patriotic Outdoor Concert with Santa Barbara’s Prime Time Band

SANTA BARBARA — Celebrate Independence Day with Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation’s free outdoor concert featuring Santa Barbara’s 75+ member Prime Time Band. The concert is on Thursday, July 4, 2024 at 5:00 PM at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Gardens (1100 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101).  

Delight in an hour of patriotic and inspiring music! The musical lineup includes tributes to the Olympics and John Williams, as well as celebrations of the 100th anniversaries of Santa Barbara’s Fiesta celebration, and the Granada Theatre. Special guest vocalist Anikka Abbott, TV News Personality, will perform. 

“Each year we look forward to gathering with the community to celebrate 4th of July and also reflect on those who have bravely fought and continue to fight for our cherished freedom,” said VFW Lifetime Member and PCVF co-founder Lt. John Blankenship (USN, former). 

July 5, 6 — Music Academy of the West 2024 Summer Music Festival in Full Swing with upcoming events

SANTA BARBARA — The Music Academy of the West, 2024 Summer Music Festival, which kicked off June 12 and runs through August 3 at the Music Academy’s idyllic campus — and throughout the stunning setting of the American Riviera in Santa Barbara, California — features nearly 130 live events including special performances by Lawrence Brownlee, Sasha Cooke, Jeremy Denk, Steven Isserlis, Leila Josefowicz, Richard O’Neill, as well as Bizet’s Carmen and a stunning Teaching Artists Showcase.

July 13 — Santa Paula Museum of Art’s Douglas Shively and Friends’ to open this weekend

Saturday, July 13, 2024 • 4 PM to 6 PM

$5 SPAM Members • $10 Non-members

Join us for the premiere of “Douglas Shively and Friends” at the Santa Paula Art Museum on Saturday, July 13! The exhibit features over 50 original artworks by historic Santa Paula artist Douglas Shively and friends, a group of painters who epitomize the Southern California fine art scene of the 1920s and ’30s, including Jessie and Cornelis Botke, Robert Clunie, John Cotton, Lawrence Hinckley, Ralph Holmes, George Demont Otis, Paul Sample, F. Grayson Sayre, and Nell Walker Warner.

“Douglas Shively and Friends” will be on view from July 13, 2024, to November 3, 2024.

July 14 — Bilingual report — Museum of Ventura County to present ‘Threading Together: Weaving Our Indigenous Heritage’

VENTURA — Experience the artistry of Zapotec weaving firsthand in a dynamic showcase and demonstration presented in collaboration with MICOP.

The artist in charge of these weaving workshops is Eduardo Jiménez. Jiménez is from Teotitlán del Valle, a town of 5,000 inhabitants, twenty miles from the city of Oaxaca, famous for its ancestral weavings. Jiménez’s style of weaving is extremely popular in Teotitlán del Valle and is one that uses the pedal loom, which was incorporated by the Spanish kingdom during the conquest of the Americas to speed up its process.

July 14 — ‘California, Quilted: Wild in the Oak Woodland’ to open at California Nature Art Museum in Solvang

From butterflies to bullfrogs to bobcats, Oak Woodland habitats support thousands of animal species all over California. Inhabitants might find shelter in the open grasslands between trees, scattered shrubs, fallen logs, streams, and tree canopies. The wonders of this important habitat – its creatures, colors, and lines of the land – all inspire Julia Laraway’s collection of fabric collages and quilts featuring flora and fauna of the coastal oak woodland.

July 15 — Oxnard Film Society to present ‘RUN LOLA RUN’

Lola (Franka Potente) answers a call from her boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtru), a small-time courier for a big-time gangster. He has a problem: His boss is coming to pick up 100,000 Deutsche Marks in twenty minutes, and he doesn’t have the money. With Manni’s life on the line, Lola runs through the streets of Berlin to reach him and somehow pick up 100,000 marks along the way, making split-second decisions and encountering acquaintances, family, and strangers. As the clock ticks down, the tinies choices become life-altering (or life-ending), and the fine line between fate and fortune begins to blur.

July 20 — MVC’s Members-Only Artists and Amplifiers Fête

VENTURA — In honor of our 2024 Bonita C. McFarland Scholarship for the Visual Arts award winners (view awardees HERE) , this garden fête and award ceremony will feature live music, specialty mocktails, a silent auction, remarks from MVC’s Chief Curator, private after-hours tours of the galleries, and a chance to meet the artists of InnoVision, MVC’s newest exhibition. 

Registration is free and open to MVC members and invited guests only. This is an all-ages event. Membership will be confirmed for all registrations. To purchase or renew your MVC membership, please visit: www.venturamuseum.org/membership. Dress to impress!

MVC Members Register Here

Made Possible in part by Aera Energy

July 20 — Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara to present ‘Sangre de Nopal’

You are invited to the opening celebration of the exhibition Sangre de Nopal/Blood of the Nopal: Tanya Aguiñiga & Porfirio Gutiérrez en Conversación/In Conversation. New commissions and existing work from fiber artists Tanya Aguiñiga and Porfirio Gutiérrez will be featured alongside Oaxacan textiles from the Fowler collection.

In the spirit of Guelaguetza, the Zapotec word for offering or reciprocity, the evening celebration will include an Indigenous welcome, live performance by Filarmónica Maqueos Music, and exhibition preview.

July 20 — Voices of Hope Gala to raise support for children’s camp and mentoring program

“Our Gala’s theme is centered around Hope and the funds we raise will provide support to victims of trauma to help end cycles of abuse and introduce hope into their lives with resources, programs and community” said Vanessa Melendrez Jimenez, Executive Development Officer of Ventura County Family Justice Center Foundation.

July 23 — Bilingual report — Scoop up Safety: Join Ventura Police for ‘Cones with a Cop’ at Coastal Cone

VENTURA — The Ventura Police Department invites the community to enjoy ice cream, shakes, floats, and friendly conversation at ‘Cones with a Cop.’ This sweet summertime event will be hosted on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.…

July 25 — Allan Hancock College to debut new piano during ‘Midday Mini-Concert’

ANTA MARIA — Allan Hancock College is inviting community members to see and hear the newest addition to the college’s Boyd Concert Hall: a world-class concert piano.

The instrument, a Steinway Model D concert piano, is the overwhelming choice of the world’s greatest pianists and will make its debut during a Festival Mozaic Midday Mini-Concert at Boyd Hall in the college’s Fine Arts Complex (bldg. F) on July 25 from 12-1 p.m.

July 25 — Grammy Award-winning composer and musician Ted Nash in collaboration with SBCC’s Summer Jazz program to perform at SBMA

Enjoy jazz composed and performed by students in SBCC’s Summer Jazz program in a collaborative workshop with Grammy Award-winning composer and musician Ted Nash.

Inspired by works in the current exhibition A Legacy of Giving: The Lady Leslie and Lord Paul Ridley-Tree Collection and Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree’s love of music and support of education.

July 28 — A Taste of Camarillo Wine, Brew & Food Festival Premiere Charity Event in Ventura County

CAMARILLO — The Meadowlark Service League is hosting A Taste of Camarillo Wine, Brew & Food Festival this year on Sunday, July 28, from Noon – 4:30 pm, at the Camarillo Ranch.  Exhibitor & Vendor spaces are already filling up for the region’s longest-running Wine, Food, and Brew Festival. 

Through July 28 — CLU’s Kingsmen Shakespeare Company performs ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Much Ado About Nothing’

THOUSAND OAKS — It’s “The Season of Love” this summer as the Kingsmen Shakespeare Company performs two of William Shakespeare’s most beloved plays: “Romeo and Juliet” and “Much Ado About Nothing.” The comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” kicks off the 27th Annual Shakespeare Festival with performances through July 7; “Romeo and Juliet” follows from July 12–28. All performances are at 8 p.m., Friday through Sunday.

This is the first time since 2012 that the nonprofit, professional theatre company of California Lutheran University has produced these two plays.

Aug. 2, 3, 4 — Ventura Music Festival announces upcoming events including performance by Perla Batalla (Aug. 2)

Perla Batalla

Friday, August 2, 2024
7:00 PM
Ventura College PAC

A festival favorite returns! Singer-songwriter Perla Batalla earns critical acclaim for her distinctive voice, emotional honesty, and culture-merging compositions.

Aug. 3 — Bilingual report — Allan Hancock College to host one-day fire camp for women

Women who sign up for this event will have the opportunity to work with staff from Hancock’s fire technology program and the college’s state-certified Fire Academy. Several female Hancock College Fire Academy graduates, who are now professional firefighters, will be on hand to share their knowledge and experience. Participants will take part in various team-building exercises and hands-on training with the techniques and equipment used by firefighters.  

Through Aug. 3 — Music Academy of the West Kicks Off 2024 Summer Music Festival

SANTA BARBARA — The Music Academy of the West, now in its 77th season, inspires artists and concert-goers alike with the 2024 Summer Music Festival themed “The Magic of Music.” The Festival showcases talented young musicians and outstanding teaching and guest artists in a wide array of one-of-a-kind performances, chamber concerts, public masterclasses, and competitions.

Aug. 5 — Oxnard Film Society to present ‘Evil Does Not Exist’

In the rural alpine hamlet of Mizubiki, not far from Tokyo, Takumi and his daughter, Hana, lead a modest life gathering water, wood, and wild wasabi for the local udon restaurant. Increasingly, the townsfolk become aware of a talent agency’s plan to build an opulent glamping site nearby, offering city residents a comfortable “escape” to the snowy wilderness. When two company representatives arrive and ask for local guidance, Takumi becomes conflicted in his involvement, as it becomes clear that the project will have a pernicious impact on the community.

Aug. 8 — Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present docent recruitment reception

If you have a passion for art and are interested in serving the community, the SBMA Docent Program is a rewarding and supportive environment to learn and have fun. Volunteer docents engage with visitors of all ages through guided tours to make works of art accessible to everyone. An art background is not required.

Aug. 10 — California Nature Art Museum in Solvang to free End-of-Summer Family Day

SOLVANG — The California Nature Art Museum (calnatureartmuseum.org) in Solvang will hold its annual free-admission, End-of-Summer Family Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. This event invites visitors to bring the whole family and enjoy free admission to the Museum and participate in a variety of art-and-nature inspired activities.