OXNARD — Pipiripau will host the fourth annual Panteón Fest on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Heritage Square in downtown Oxnard from 1:00 to 9:00 PM. This year’s festival pays homage to Chespirito, the beloved Mexican comedian and creator of El Chavo del Ocho and El Chapulín Colorado.
“Panteón Fest is about bringing our community together to celebrate our culture, remember where we come from, and create something meaningful for the next generation,” said co-founders Rolando and Heriberto Rubalcava.
The Port of Hueneme’s 13th Annual Banana Festival set a second consecutive attendance record as nearly 19,000 guests came to the Port for a celebratory day of live music, banana treats, tours, a classic car show, and family-friendly fun. This year’s theme, “Gateway to the World,” highlighted the Port’s role in connecting local consumers to global goods and markets.
Celebrate Día de los Muertos with a Free Family Day
Sunday, October 25
11 am – 4 pm
Explore a vibrant display of community-created altars, engage in hands-on art activities for all ages, and enjoy a festive Calenda procession featuring traditional music and dance from Oaxaca and Guerrero.
Now in its third year, the procession, produced by the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, celebrates Mexican traditions while bringing the community together in a joyful expression of remembrance, culture, and connection.
Scholar Heidi Amin-Hong explores how systems of colonialism, militarism and global capitalism create displacement and treat people and environments as disposable.
Read more about the issue
We’ll be holding two shows over the next month at the Rubicon Theatre. Let’s keep the streak alive! Come out and support and share these events with your “peeps”.
• Thursday, Oct 27: Good Company. Hosted by Lachlan Patterson with Aida Rodriguez, Francisco Ramos, Chris Estrada and Chad Goes Deep. Benefitting Westside Community Development Corporation. Get tickets
• Monday, Nov 2 — The Line-Up of Extraordinary Women with Laurie Kilmartin, Aparna Nancherla, Beth Stelling and Emily Catalano. Benefitting Women’s Economic Ventures. LOW TICKET WARNING: Get tickets
Sat. October 10th 2026, 7:00 pm
Have you heard the buzz about Teatro De Las Americas’s spectacular production of Diego Rivera: His Story – A One?Night Theatrical Event performed by Herbert Siguenza? It’s an event you absolutely can’t miss! Secure your seat today by grabbing your tickets online. Join us for an unforgettable experience!
23 seats left for scones, sandwiches, and lively brass at the historic Pierpont Inn – get yours now, because these won’t last the weekend!
Some traditions are worth dressing up for. Picture it: a sunny Sunday afternoon at the historic Pierpont Inn. A pot of tea at your table. Warm scones, delicate finger sandwiches, and a tempting tower of pastries. And then, the trumpets. Tea & Trumpets is one of those VMF experiences that, once you’ve been, you make sure you don’t miss. It’s civilized and joyful in equal measure, and this Sunday, it opens our 2026 Fall Series. There are just 33 tickets left. Once they’re gone, they’re gone, so grab your seat before someone else gets your scone!
THOUSAND OAKS — TOArts is bringing National Geographic Live back to the Bank of America Performing Arts Center for the 2026–27 season, with four acclaimed explorers whose work spans wildlife filmmaking, ecology, photography and the science of sound. This year, with support from Bank of America, TOArts is adding on to the on the onstage experience with creative programming and expanded student access designed to bring audiences even closer to the ideas, stories and people behind each presentation.
SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) is excited to announce that the JSB Café is now open and ready to serve students, faculty, staff, and members of the community. The cafe will once again serve as both a restaurant and a training ground for students in SBCC’s School of Culinary Arts with direction from Chef Roberto Lopez Carrillo.
“It is with great joy that we announce the reopening of the JSB Café for our campuses and the community-at-large,” shared SBCC Superintendent/President Dr. Erika Endrijonas. “The reopening marks another milestone for SBCC in the recovery from COVID-19 and adding another community resource at our Cliff Campus. Thank you to the amazing Chef Carrillo and culinary students.”
VENTURA — Halloween gets a coastal twist this October as Ventura Harbor Village welcomes families, witches, zombies, four-legged companions and Halloween enthusiasts to celebrate Fall with a festive lineup of Seaside Halloween happenings.
Set against the scenic backdrop of Ventura Harbor, this year’s Halloween festivities feature a dog costume contest, family-friendly trick-or-treating, Halloween entertainment and activities, and the colorful spectacle of costumed witches and warlocks paddling across the harbor. Visitors can also enjoy waterfront dining, shopping, harbor views and attractions throughout Ventura Harbor Village.
Jungleland, USA celebrates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the legendary tourist attraction that put Thousand Oaks on the map. Jungleland was home to animal stars of the silver screen like Tamba the Chimp and Leo the MGM Lion, and featured animal trainer Mabel Stark.
VENTURA — A new live webcam overlooking the historic Ventura Pier and City beach is giving residents, visitors, and viewers around the world a real-time look at one of Ventura’s most treasured landmarks. The launch comes just in time to celebrate the 154th anniversary of the original Ventura Wharf, completed on October 5, 1872. Today, the Ventura Pier is the oldest pier in California.
Now open for research, the collection provides scholars, students and community members with a rich resource for studying Chicano literature, grassroots activism and social movements.
Read more about the Luis J. Rodriguez Papers
“Homecoming is a celebration of the people and partnerships that make Cal State Channel Islands such a welcoming and vibrant community,” said CSUCI Interim President Susan Andrzejewski. “We look forward to bringing alumni, students, families, friends and neighbors together to share in our Dolphin pride and strengthen the connections that extend well beyond our campus.”
Fans of the spooky season will love our October events and classes! Don’t miss our Halloween-themed Free Family Day, creative classes inspired by ghosts, skulls, and haunted houses, and more frightfully fun ways to celebrate fall.
Last Saturday, more than 250 people came together for CEC’s Green Gala: Rooted in Hope — a celebration of the people, partnerships and practical climate solutions shaping the future of the Central Coast.
PORT HUENEME — The Port of Hueneme’s 13th Annual Banana Festival set a second consecutive attendance record as nearly 19,000 guests came to the Port for a celebratory day of live music, banana treats, tours, a classic car show, and family-friendly fun. This year’s theme, “Gateway to the World,” highlighted the Port’s role in connecting local consumers to global goods and markets.
Festivalgoers had the opportunity to find banana treats from a variety of local vendors while enjoying live music including headliner Twisted Gypsy. Bus and Boat tours gave visitors vision to the inner workings of a busy operating port and revealed how the Port of Hueneme moves much more than bananas. While bananas are big business for the Port with more than 5 billion coming in per year, Hueneme is also the only West Coast port authorized to import Peruvian blueberries. Other commodities that come across its docks include avocados, melons, pineapples, and liquid fertilizer.
Get ready to see Mary Cassatt in a new light. Come see Cassatt & Friends, a new exhibition that offers an intimate look at the creative connections between drawing and printmaking among Mary Cassatt and her contemporaries. While Cassatt is best known for her luminous paintings, she was also an accomplished printmaker—and SBMA’s permanent collection includes a number of her printed works. At the heart of the exhibition is Simone in a White Bonnet Seated with Clasped Hands (No.1), a unique counterproof created by dampening a pastel drawing and pressing it onto another sheet of paper to transfer the pigment and create a mirror image.
In a multinational megastudy, social psychologist Hongbo Yu and collaborators analyze gratitude practices across 34 countries, with findings that illustrate the importance of cultural context.
Read more about practicing gratitude
MOORPARK — Moorpark College and the Moorpark College Foundation will kick off a year of celebrations marking the college’s 60th anniversary with Moorpark College Serenades: The Premiere, a free outdoor concert on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 4–6 p.m
In mid-September, I had the opportunity to enjoy watching some of the finest flamenco dancing I had ever seen. The event, dubbed “Danzas y Canciones” (“Dances and Songs”) was held on the campus of Oxnard College in its Performing Arts Building.
Anyone with curiosity who hears the passionate cries of a flamenco dancer and observes the intricacies of the step patterns and rhythms of the dancer’s feet will instinctively want to know something about the origins of this highly expressive art form.
Panteón Fest – 4th Annual
Saturday, October 17, 2026 • 1:00–9:00 PM
Join us in Historic Heritage Square in Downtown Oxnard for the 4th Annual Panteón Fest, a celebration of Día de los Muertos through art, music, and culture. Enjoy eight hours of live performances, community altars, an art gallery, the Catrín & Catrina Contest, local vendors, delicious food, and drinks.
This year’s theme celebrates the world of Chespirito. Come dressed as your favorite Chespirito character and join us for a day of culture, nostalgia, and community as we honor Día de los Muertos together.
… The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is expected to attract thousands of visitors for a full day of live entertainment, food, family activities, local vendors, and opportunities to experience the working Port up close through bus and boat tours. Admission and event parking are free. Guests are encouraged to park at Hueneme Beach.
The Banana Festival was created as a way to celebrate the Port’s role as a major gateway for imported bananas and other refrigerated agricultural products. The banana trade came to Hueneme in 1993 as the Port developed the largest cold storage capacity on the West Coast. Today, the Port of Hueneme ranks 5th in the nation for both automobiles and refrigerated cargo.While it imports 5 billion bananas per year, it also brings in Peruvian blueberries, avocados, mangos, and much more.
There’s a common thread running through October: from the violin at the heart of Birth of Impressionism, putting you inside a revolution in musical history, to the genre-defying strings of TAKE3, where Bach sounds like a stadium show, to two fiddle legends performing in the open air at golden hour. The series then expands outward into a 19-piece big band paying tribute to one of the most restlessly creative minds in American music, and finally, at the very end of the year, twelve voices filling a sanctuary with five centuries of choral music. And it all begins with the return of a cherished VMF tradition: Tea & Trumpets on October 11th, the perfect opening note.
‘An Evening of Magical Memories — 23rd Annual Fundraiser’ will be presented on Oct. 10 at Las Posas County Club. The event is a fundraiser for the Brain Injury Center of Ventura County.
The work by UC Santa Barbara’s Danyi Zhang and Tamas Vami demonstrates a novel method for searching for particles. The results will inform theories and future searches.
Read more about their findings
SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) has something for everyone over the next twelve months — from prints and pastel by American artist Mary Cassatt and her European contemporaries, and dramatic Pictorialist photography, to the joyful art installation and mid-career survey of FriendsWithYou and the cool and surreal paintings and drawings of the American dream by artist and actor Martin Mull.
Three local artists have been selected to receive funding from the California Arts Council’s Individual Artists Fellowship in recognition of their artistic practice, professional accomplishments, and community contributions. VCAC collaborated with five regional partners, led by Arts Council Santa Cruz County, to connect Central Coast artists with this opportunity as part of California’s ongoing investment in its creative workforce. Read more
I want to personally thank you for your incredible support of our third annual Taste of History Gala. It was truly a magical evening, and its success would not have been possible without all of you.
Whether you supported Taste of History as an event sponsor, through an in-kind or live auction donation, by purchasing tickets, raising a paddle, or simply joining us for the evening—thank you. Your generosity brought us incredibly close to our fundraising goal and, most importantly, directly supports the Museum of Ventura County and the work we do to preserve and share the history, art, and culture of our community.
To our wonderful sponsors, an additional thank you for your partnership and generosity. And stay tuned—a little treat is in store!
Sept. 18 & 19 7:00 P.M.
Sept. 20 2:00 P.M.
Last Weekend for Our One Acts, Featuring Brand New Directors!
Teatro de las Américas celebrates the final weekend of our One Acts Festival, showcasing three original pieces directed by emerging artists from our community. Each work offers a fresh, bold, and deeply human perspective, highlighting the talent growing within our Teatro.
SANTA BARBARA — The Music Academy of the West and Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (DSBIA) invite the community for a ceremonial groundbreaking marking an exciting new chapter for arts education and performance in downtown Santa Barbara. The event will take place on Thursday, October 15, at 5:00 PM at 901 State Street, the future home of the Music Academy’s Music Education Center, The Muse.
We cannot wait to see so many of you so soon at our 20th Raising Justice Community Celebration & Fundraiser! (4 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17)
If you’re on your way or chipped in from afar, if you’re one of the many generous Sponsors, or volunteered your time to put this event together, we’re so grateful for each and all of you!
If you’re planning on joining us in person — wonderful! — please know there’s no need to bring a ticket, just bring yourself!
Food and drinks are ready — and we’ve got an inspiring line up of speakers on a historic moment in our environmental justice campaign:
LOMPOC — Fall looks good on Lompoc.
Cooler days, vineyard views, pumpkins, seasonal treats, and just the right amount of spooky make this an especially fun time to visit.
Whether you’re planning a weekend in wine country, a family getaway, or simply looking for a reason to hit the road, Lompoc has plenty of ways to make the most of the season.
Let’s Go Back to School!
After a career in the medical field, Ventura watercolorist Gail Faulkner (1947-2023) enrolled in art school in her 30s, proving it’s never too late to go back to school—or try something new.
Scroll down to learn about our new exhibition honoring Gail, get to know Museum Educator Janice Allen, check out our fall-themed art classes, and more.
LOMPOC — Everyone knows California is wine country. But have you heard about Lompoc?
This laid-back Central Coast wine destination is the perfect place to sip small-production wines, meet the makers, and explore a wine scene that feels refreshingly unhurried.Add beautiful vineyard views, cool coastal temps, and plenty of chances to discover a new favorite, and you’ve got the makings of a seriously good wine weekend.
Get ready to see Mary Cassatt in a new light. Cassatt & Friends opens this Sunday at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, bringing together the work of the pioneering American Impressionist and the artists who shaped her world. Celebrated for her intimate, luminous depictions of women and children, Cassatt was also a daring innovator in pastel, drawing, and printmaking. Featuring a remarkable counterproof from SBMA’s collection alongside works by Berthe Morisot, Édouard Manet, Paul Cézanne, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the exhibition captures the energy, experimentation, and creative exchange of a transformative moment in art history.
VENTURA — We hope we’ll see you in just one week at our big community celebration and fundraiser, Raising Justice! And this year, we have a historic victory to celebrate — This year’s celebration feels especially meaningful — not only because we’re marking 25 years of organizing for justice across Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, but — because we’re celebrating a historic victory that you helped make possible:
Coast Veterans Memorial Museum invites our community to remember, reflect and help preserve the stories of a day that changed America.
Our new special exhibit, “On 9/11, I remember…”, is now open, presenting the events of September 11 and the lasting impact they had on our nation, our military and generations of veterans and their families.
Last Sunday I had the pleasure of attending a concert of the Ojai Pops Orchestra at the outdoor Libbey Bowl in downtown Ojai. Admission to these concerts is free, but donations are requested. Money that is contributed is used to offer music scholarships, lessons, instruments, and education to children in our community.
CAMARILLO — Cal State Channel Islands’ (CSUCI) Department of Art and Art History will open the new academic year with “Double Landing,” a solo exhibition featuring the work of acclaimed artist Rafael Perea de la Cabada.
Opened on Sept. 14, at the campus’ Napa Hall Art Gallery, “Double Landing” brings together dozens of original works that showcase Perea’s distinctive creative approach and the wide range of media he employs in his practice. The exhibition presents a diverse collection shaped by experimentation, keen observation and the interplay of construction and continual revision.
“When we opened the facility, our goal was simple: to create an amazing, reliable place where people could play pickleball, make friends and feel part of a community,” said owner Ted Guggenheim. “Over the past few months, we’ve listened closely to our players, our staff, and the people who walk through our doors every day. In response, we are moving away from a membership model and lowering the pricing by offering a player Pass system. This allows us to focus on the occasional customer as much as our regulars.”
Global economic analyst Rana Foroohar, two-time Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu, OB-GYN Mary Claire Haver and MacArthur Fellow Danielle Allen will address topical issues including the economy and national security, academic freedom, women’s health and how we define success
MCASB presents two solo exhibitions: Alexis Childress: Migration, Memory, Movement and Tristan Esmino: sa gawi ng araw as part of the ongoing MCASB Satellite Gallery program at the Riviera Beach House in the heart of Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone neighborhood. Childress is a recent MFA graduate from UCSB, and Esmino is an MFA candidate at USC. Linked by the artists’ use of textiles and themes of landscape and ancestry, the two exhibitions will be installed throughout the gallery, in conversation.
First Thursdays Food Trucks returns to Downtown Oxnard this Thursday, Sept. 3rd! Dinner, dessert, drinks — and plenty of choices all in one place. Grab your crew and make a night of it in Downtown Oxnard!
Live music + 13 Food Trucks + Marketplace
This special event would not be possible without our incredible award recipients and the meaningful work they do for our Ventura County community, as well as our presenters, sponsors, donors, performers, volunteers, vendors, and United Way staff. We are so grateful for your support and partnership in making this celebration a success!
SANTA PAULA — The Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce a robust lineup of community events throughout September 2026. From the beloved monthly Cruise Night — kicking off a festive Labor Day weekend — to a Candidates Forum ahead of the November election, a ribbon cutting celebrating new housing investment and a downtown business mixer, September promises to be one of the most active and community-centered months of the year in historic Santa Paula.
This month, Free Family Day returns! Plus, don’t miss the premiere of Gail Faulkner: A Lasting Impression, an artist talk with Ojai artists Wrona Gall and Ted Gall, more than a dozen new classes, and more.
Exhibitions & Events
Sept 1 – 13
Sing Karaoke and
Create Your Own Art!
‘Robot Karaoke’ written in bold yellow and blue text over an image of silhouetted people singing karaoke.
Image courtesy of Jamie Brew
ROBOT KARAOKE
Thursday, September 3, 5 – 8 pm
On your 1st Thursday Art Walk, sing songs you know with never-before-sung lyrics generated from bizarre Internet datasets. Spam emails to the tune of “Sweet Caroline” OkCupid profiles in the style of “Pink Pony Club” The choice is yours! Comedian and writer Jamie Brew creates parodies for you to perform in real time using software from the utmost frontier of karaoke research. This event celebrates the final month of the special exhibition RANDOM-ACCESS MEMORY: Internet Art. FREE.
LEARN MORE
Thursday, September 10 | 5:30–9:30 PM
Sherwood Country Club, Thousand Oaks
Step back into the glamour of the 1920s for an unforgettable evening celebrating Ventura County’s remarkable role in the early days of filmmaking. Join us for Taste of History: The Silent Movie Era, featuring fine dining, vintage-inspired cocktails, live entertainment, dancing, and an exciting live auction.
The evening will also feature the presentation of the Museum of Ventura County’s Lifetime Achievement Awards honoring Chuck Cohen and Joanie Young. Celebrate their extraordinary contributions to Ventura County and their lasting impact on our community.
Computer scientist Michael Beyeler and colleagues use a deep-learning model to design patterns of electrical stimulation for electrodes temporarily implanted in a blind participant’s brain.
Read more about the findings
Only one week left to secure Early Bird pricing for the 36th Latino Leadership Awards. Join El Concilio Family Services on Friday, October 2, 2026, and reserve your seats before prices increase on September 2.
CAMARILLO — Rebozo Festival Inc., is pleased to announce that awards of up to $20,000 will be granted to qualified non-profit organizations that focus on the cultural, social and/or educational needs of the Ventura County community. The application process will open September 1st and will close September 30th, 2026, at 5:00 pm.
Rebozo Festival, Inc., encourages non-profit organizations that meet the following requirements to apply: Nominated organizations must be located in Ventura County serving primarily Ventura County Latino residents and must be an IRS 501©(3) non-profit organization/institution or operate under the fiscal sponsorship of a qualified organization/institution.
For decades, I worked primarily as a non-representational painter, creating heavily textured abstract works rooted in emotion and material exploration. Several years ago, however, a health crisis forced me to step away from many of the toxic materials I had relied upon. What initially felt like a loss became an unexpected opportunity—a chance to rethink not only my process, but the very nature of my self-expression.
Out of that transition emerged a new visual language that combines digital tools with hand-painted papers, collage, drawing, photography, and paint. These works blend traditional and contemporary processes into layered visual narratives inspired by travel, gardens, changing seasons, nature walks, and the quiet beauty of everyday life.
SANTA BARBARA — Ever wonder where great-tasting fruits and vegetables are grown? Find out at the 8th Annual Santa Barbara County Farm Day, Saturday, September 19. Visit farms in Santa Barbara County to learn how fruits, nuts, produce and wine are produced, harvested and delivered.
Twenty farms and agricultural organizations will open their doors from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. during Santa Barbara Farm Day. Guests will experience behind-the-scenes farm tours, tractor rides, produce tastings and giveaways, and plenty of kid-friendly exhibits all at no cost.
Ag participants this year range from large, international agricultural operations to family-run, organic farms.
CAMARILLO — The West Ventura County Business Alliance (WVCBA) invites the community to honor local service members at the 29th Annual Military Appreciation Dinner on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. The event will take place from 6:00 to 9:30 pm at the Holiday Inn Oxnard-Ventura, located at 600 E. Esplanade Drive, Oxnard, CA 93036.
“Our local military personnel and their families are an integral part of Ventura County,” said Andy Conli, President & CEO of the WVCBA. “The Military Appreciation Dinner is a powerful tradition that allows our business community to stand together, say thank you, and celebrate the incredible sacrifices and volunteer contributions these heroes make both on and off duty.”
Tea & Trumpets
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11 at 3 PM
THE HISTORIC PIERPONT INN
A lively local favorite returns to the beautiful and historic Pierpont Inn for an afternoon of tradition. Guests are welcomed with a full afternoon tea: warm scones, delicate finger sandwiches, and a tempting array of pastries, served in one of Ventura’s most gracious settings. The music comes courtesy of a spirited brass quintet, whose program moves easily between classical favorites and jazz standards. LEARN MORE
VENTURA — The sidewalks of Ventura Harbor Village will become colorful canvases when the Ventura Art & Chalk Festival returns Saturday and Sunday, September 12–13, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Presented by Rotary Club of Ventura, this free, family-friendly festival celebrates creativity, community and giving back against the beautiful backdrop of the Ventura waterfront.
Throughout the weekend, talented chalk artists will transform ordinary pavement into extraordinary works of art, creating colorful, large-scale pieces right before visitors’ eyes. Guests can stroll along the harbor, meet artists, watch their creations take shape and experience the fascinating process behind this unique form of temporary public art. This year’s festival will feature more than 30 chalk and craft artists, bringing together an exciting variety of artistic styles and mediums, including artist duos and 3D artists.
Basil Kincaid, whose work is featured in the exhibition Remixed, joins SBMA Assistant Curator Lauren Karazija, to explore ancestry, connection and conversation. Crafted from salvaged fabrics, quilts offer far more than physical warmth—they retain the indelible traces of past lives. Describing quilting as a “spiritual technology,” Kincaid engages in a dialogue across time and space through lived-in materials charged with the enduring energy of loved ones. Tickets are selling quickly; reserve yours today at sbma.net.
