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Category: Events
January at the Santa Paula Art Museum
In 2025, the Santa Paula Art Museum welcomed 5,600 visitors to its exhibitions and events. The Cole Creativity Center delivered more than 100 classes in fine arts, fiber arts, and ceramics to 892 students of all ages. In addition, the Museum provided 1,677 hours of free arts education programming to more than 6,400 K-12 students throughout Ventura County. And 2026 is shaping up to be even bigger!
VCCF Power of Purpose – December 2025 Newsletter
Dear Ventura County Community Foundation Family,
I spent yesterday morning enjoying a delightful coffee and croissant with one of your community foundation board members, Catherine Sepulveda. As always, time with Catherine is just so good for the soul!
For those who have not yet met her, Catherine is a bright light, kind, generous, deeply thoughtful, endlessly curious, creative, optimistic, and rooted in her values. It was only a few moments into our conversation when we found ourselves marveling at the kindness and generosity we have witnessed across Ventura County this past year and sharing our hopes and dreams for our community’s future.
Holiday Music & Greetings from Ventura Music Festival
We wish you a restorative holiday season and look forward to making more music with you in 2026! In the meantime, please enjoy the holiday music of our Music Director, Nuvi Mehta, on violin.
Community Environmental Council (CEC) — Season’s greetings: Together, we power hope
Thanks to your support, we’ve continued making a real difference for our communities and the environment. Even amid federal rollbacks and new proposals to expand offshore drilling along our beloved coastline, your generosity helps us fill the gap and protect what makes the Central Coast home.
Happy Holidays from the Santa Barbara Museum of Art!
As we reach the end of the year, we are filled with gratitude for the community that surrounds and sustains the Museum. Your curiosity, your presence at our exhibitions and programs, and your belief in the power of art to deepen our lives have made 2025 a year of connection, discovery, and joy.
SYV People Helping People fulfills a holiday wish for vulnerable families
SOLVANG — People Helping People (PHP) teamed up with generous local businesses, volunteers, and community members to create the 31st annual Fulfill-A-Wish Boutique, bringing relief and joy to 144 low-income households.
The festive boutique at Veterans’ Memorial Hall in Solvang on December 10th and 11th supplied everything parents needed to create a warm holiday memory for their children from presents to wrapping paper.
All recipients are clients of PHP who live, work, or go to school in the Santa Ynez Valley or Los Alamos.
Bilingual report — EVACUATION WARNING Issued for Identified Properties in Santa Barbara County Associated with the Lake Fire
EVACUATION WARNING Issued for Identified Properties in Santa Barbara County Associated with the Lake Fire
***
ADVERTENCIA DE EVACUACIÓN emitida para propiedades identificadas en el Condado de Santa Barbara asociadas con el Incendio Lake
Read More | Lea Más
City of San Luis Obispo — Five Ways to Prepare for the Upcoming Storm
The National Weather Service is forecasting a moderate to strong storm that will impact San Luis Obispo County from Tuesday, December 23 through Saturday, December 27. Heavy rainfall is expected with high rainfall rates and high winds.
A Flood Watch is in effect from Tuesday, December 23 at 4 PM until Thursday, December 25 at 10 PM and a High Wind Watch in effect from Tuesday, December 23 at 12 PM until Thursday, December 25 at 3 PM.
Bilingual report — The latest news from the County of Ventura
Thank you for staying up-to-date on news at the County of Ventura! Want to sign up for our newsletter?
Community members who are not already subscribed may sign up to receive our newsletter in English here and in Spanish here.
Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara — ’25 Wrapped!
Santa Barbara Museum of Art announces 2026 Winter/Spring exhibition schedule
In the new year, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art offers a sweeping look at how artists engage with time. Works grounded in personal histories, inherited traditions, and collective memory speak to the past while giving us new ways to access it in the present. Contemporary materials and lived experience illuminate the world as it is now, yet they also open space for reflection and reinterpretation. Digital experimentation and visionary forms gesture toward the future, and at the same time expand how we record, memorialize, and remember. Seen together, these exhibitions reveal art as a continuum—one in which past, present, and future coexist, overlap, and remain vividly alive today.
Ventura County Arts Council announces new Atrium Gallery Exhibition: ‘The Sound of Silence’ opening on Dec. 18
“The Sound of Silence” opens to the public at the Atrium Gallery TOMORROW, Dec. 18, with a free opening reception from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. The exhibition, featuring work by artist Cheyenne Proctor and other local artists, runs through January 23, 2026.
This show is part of a series of exhibitions addressing mental health as part of VibeWell Ventura County, a county-wide initiative that uses art and culture to raise awareness of mental health conditions.
Museum of Ventura County — Season of Gratitude
As we approach the end of the year, we are deeply grateful for a community that believes in the power of history, art, and shared stories.
Each day, the Museum of Ventura County preserves the history of our region by collecting and caring for its stories through oral histories, objects, photographs, and archival materials. We serve as the steward of Ventura County’s collective memory, ensuring that the people, places, and moments that shaped our community are protected for generations to come.
UCSB — The Current — ‘NIH backs UCSB virtual reality project to help older adults build real social connections’ and more news, events
The $3.8 million grant supports professors Tamara Afifi and Nancy Collins in their research goals: extending lifespan and improving quality of life.
UCSB Arts & Lectures Justice for All programming initiative adds four timely speakers to its 2026 Winter and Spring calendars
Illuminating a wide spectrum of systemic injustice, UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) Justice for All programming initiative looks to today’s great minds and creators and to the courageous leaders across the globe who are forging a new path forward. Join us as we learn from those confronting uncomfortable questions, solving difficult problems, and guiding us all toward a more equitable world.
Teatro de las Américas — Will you be at opening night for Noche de Película/Movie Night on Dec. 19?
OXNARD — Opening night for Noche de Película/Movie Night is almost here and we’d love for you to join us! Your support means the world to us, and we can’t wait to share this special moment with you!
40th Annual California Strawberry Festival call for applicants: Makers of unique, quality handcrafted artwork and craft items
VENTURA — The 40th Annual California Strawberry Festival is accepting applications from individual makers of quality, handcrafted works by artists and crafters for this year’s festival taking place May 16 and 17 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. The deadline to apply is February 9.
The festival, which attracts more than 50,000 visitors, features dozens of different kinds of foods and beverages made from fresh strawberries. About 150 artisans from throughout California showcase their original works including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, children’s toys, accessories, photography, textiles, outdoor furniture, jewelryand specialty foods.
Bilingual report — Santa Paula City Council Selects New Mayor and Vice Mayor for the 2026 Term
SANTA PAULA — During a ceremonious and festive Council meeting on December 10, 2025, the Santa Paula City Council held its annual leadership reorganization, resulting in the appointment of a new Mayor and Vice Mayor for the upcoming year.
Outgoing Mayor Chavez, who made history as the first openly gay Mayor in both Santa Paula and Ventura County, received enthusiastic and appreciative public comments recognizing his leadership, integrity, and the many accomplishments achieved under his tenure. Community members expressed gratitude for his commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and elevating civic engagement across Santa Paula. The Council also thanked him for his accomplishments and stewardship throughout the past year.
Additionally, the Council unanimously appointed outgoing Vice Mayor Carlos Juarez to serve as Mayor of Santa Paula for the new term.
Bilingual report — Teatro de las Américas — La Posada del teatro | Movie Night | Casting Call | Vision Board
*** Teatro’s Christmas Party ***
Let’s celebrate another year of art, stories, friendship, drama, and smiles.
Saturday, December 13
Starting at 6 p.m.
7 p.m. Araceli Collazo & The Ensamble
8 p.m. Karaoke Night with DJ Mannu
Bilingual report — County of Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors meeting to be held on Dec. 16
2025 Annual Report and Accomplishments from Federal and State Legislative Advocates and 2026 Legislative Platform Adoption
(Estimated Time: 30 minutes)
Bilingual report — Ventura Police spread holiday cheer at annual Shop with a Cop
VENTURA — The Ventura Police Department helped make the season brighter for local families on December 10, 2025, during its annual Shop with a Cop event, held at Walmart and hosted in partnership with the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura and the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation.
This year, 30 children from low-income households and families facing childhood cancer were paired with Ventura Police officers for an unforgettable evening of one-on-one shopping. Each child received $150 to choose gifts for the people they love, turning what can be a challenging time of year into an afternoon of joy and connection.
Climate Stewards Winter 2026 Enrollment: Turn climate anxiety into community power
As federal policy and funding rollbacks threaten decades of environmental progress, it’s never been more important for all of us to step up, care for our neighborhoods, restore our ecosystems, and protect the places we love.
CEC’s Climate Stewards Certification Program empowers individuals from all backgrounds to advance bold climate solutions right at home. High school and college students, recent grads, teachers, community members, non-profit staff, business owners, retirees, and more are all invited to join us as we take collective action to move forward meaningful climate progress.
Holiday Magic at Heritage Square Oxnard
Call for Entries: Gingerbread House Contest & Exhibit
Looking for a fun holiday project? Our annual Gingerbread House Contest & Exhibit is the perfect way for family and friends to gather this weekend and create something sweet together.
Entries are due by next Tuesday, December 15.
Your gingerbread creation will be featured as part of our holiday display at Heritage Square.
View entry information: https://forms.gle/y7e8bHAoNfiiQcXC7
Inspiration from past entries here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/137180328@N06/albums/72157720188275462/
UCSB — The Current — ‘UCSB physicists accept Nobel Prizes in Sweden’ and more news, events
In a ceremony full of splendor, music and admiration, professors Michel Devoret and John Martinis, alongside their mentor, UC Berkeley physicist John Clarke, on Dec. 10 officially received their Nobel Prizes from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
Bilingual report — Registration for Ventura’s Spring 2026 Activity Guide begins Jan. 6
Every Ventura resident will receive a printed copy of the Activity Guide in the mail. Additional copies are available for pick-up at City Hall and other City facilities during business hours, including the Westpark Community Center, Barranca Vista Community Center, Ventura Aquatics Center, and Ventura Avenue Adult Center.
History, Art, Community & Connection at Museum of Ventura County
GIVE THE GIFT OF HISTORY
As you make your year-end giving plans, we invite you to support the Museum of Ventura County and help preserve the stories that define our community. A meaningful way to give this season is by donating appreciated stock. Gifts of stock may offer significant tax advantages while making a lasting impact on our exhibitions, education programs, and preservation work.
Bilingual report — Register for the largest corporate competition in SoCal!
“Our goal is to strengthen connections within your team and inspire collaboration among new ones,” said Recreation Supervisor Tyler Nelson. “Together, you’ll gain a renewed sense of unity both on and off the field.”
Bilingual report — Holiday Heroes to bring magic to children at Ventura County Medical Center
VENTURA — Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC) is excited to announce its upcoming Holiday Heroes Rappel event for pediatric patients. On Monday, Dec. 15, members of the Urban Search and Rescue Regional Task Force, including firefighters from Oxnard, Ventura City, and Ventura County, will dress as Santa Claus and beloved holiday characters such as elves and rappel from the hospital roof to the pediatric unit playground.
Gold Coast Transit District unveils 2025 Holiday Bus: The Holiday Express – Ride into the Magic
OXNARD — Gold Coast Transit District (GCTD) is excited to announce the official launch of its 2025 Holiday Bus, The Holiday Express: Ride into the Magic. Inspired by the timeless Polar Express Christmas story, this year’s festive bus invites riders of all ages to step aboard and experience the wonder of the season.
GCTD hosted a special Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Wednesday, December 3rd, where community members, staff, and local leaders gathered to witness the unveiling of the transformed bus. Wrapped in winter scenery, twinkling lights and whimsical holiday illustrations, The Holiday Express sets the stage for a magical ride throughout Ventura County.
Downtown Oxnard — A Storybook Christmas season …
OXNARD — Celebrate the season on Sat., Dec. 6th, at the Oxnard Christmas Parade. This year’s theme “A Storybook Christmas” will showcase creative floats, colorful marching bands, equestrian units, local school groups, and the man of the hour – Santa! This year’s Grand Marshal is Anderson .Paak. It all begins at 10:00 a.m. on Sat., Dec. 6th. Stake out your viewing spot on the route on A Street from 9th to 5th and north on C Streets in Downtown Oxnard.
Port of Hueneme — DOCK TALK – Community Newsletter – November 2025
Join Hospice of Santa Barbara in celebrating 42nd Annual Light Up a Life ceremonies, honoring loved ones this holiday season (Dec. 6, 7, 13, 14)
SANTA BARBARA — Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) is honored to invite the community to its 42nd Annual Light Up a Life ceremonies. This cherished holiday tradition returns to offer a warm, uniting space for the communities of Goleta, Santa Barbara, Montecito, and Carpinteria to remember and honor the loved ones whose absence is felt during the holiday season. The ceremonies are free and open to the public.
While the holiday season is often associated with joy, it frequently stirs a complex mix of feelings. For individuals navigating this time while grieving a loss, the emotions can be especially raw. HSB understands that this period requires both remembrance and support, which is why we proudly host Light Up a Life annually to honor those who are deeply missed.
UCSB — The Current — ‘¡David Avalos, Presente!’ at UCSB’s Art, Design & Architecture Museum on Dec. 5
The Art, Design & Architecture Museum hosts a celebration of the late artist’s legacy and his impact on the Chicano Art Movement in California.
Bilingual report — County of Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors to meet on Dec. 9
View this email online The next regular meeting of the County Board of Supervisors is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, December 9, 2025 County Administration Building Board Hearing Room, 4th Floor 105 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara The public may participate…
Ventura Improv Company announces December, January events
VENTURA COUNTY — Passionate about fostering creativity and community through improvisational comedy, Ventura Improv Company has been bringing laughter to Ventura County since 1989. Ventura Improv Company is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
UCSB — The Current — ‘ParalympicsGB makes UCSB its training base for LA 2028’ and more news, events
Slated for summer 2028, in the runup to the Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, the team’s Preparation Camp at UCSB is expected to be one of its largest ever.
Senior Concerns’ Golf Tournament rallies critical support for area seniors & family caregivers
THOUSAND OAKS — Senior Concerns, a leading nonprofit serving older adults and family caregivers throughout western Los Angeles and eastern Ventura counties, held its 4th Annual “Par and Away” Golf Tournament presented by Logix Federal Credit Union on November 18 at Moorpark Country Club.
More than 200 golfers, sponsors, and supporters participated to raise critical funds for programs that support seniors across the region.
The tournament featured breakfast, the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders, a putting contest, on-course games and activities, and exceptional food and drink vendors throughout the day. An awards dinner with former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher and two-time World Series Champion, and former manager of the Los Angeles Angels, Mike Scioscia, and auctioneer Zack Krone led the live auction.
County of Santa Barbara December 2025 Newsletter
December at the Santa Paula Art Museum
Season’s Greetings!
We’re feeling extra thankful after November’s premiere party for The 16th Art About Agriculture Exhibition, which drew 200 guests despite the rain. We’re also delighted to share that seven artworks sold during the exhibit’s opening week! You can see the show now through March 8, 2026.
This year has been the Museum’s busiest yet thanks to the support of our donors, members, and volunteers, and we’re excited to close 2025 with some extra-special events. Scroll down to learn more.
Community Colleges of Ventura County earn innovation honor from Ventura Chamber
CAMARILLO — Big ideas are reshaping what’s possible for students and their future careers across Ventura County. At the 2025 Poinsettia Awards Luncheon, the Ventura County Community College District will be honored with this year’s Innovation Award. Presented by the Ventura Chamber of Commerce, this recognition highlights the ongoing work of the Community Colleges of Ventura County to advance student success and opportunity through forward-thinking pathways and transformative programs.
The annual Poinsettia Awards celebrates excellence in business, public service, and education, honoring individuals and organizations who are making a lasting difference in the Ventura community.
“To be honored by the Ventura Chamber of Commerce is a powerful affirmation that our work is making a real difference,” said Rick MacLennan, chancellor of the Community Colleges of Ventura County. “It tells us that the innovation happening across our colleges is not only visible: it’s valued, and it’s meeting the needs of the community we’re proud to serve every day.”
Ventura Music Festival — DOUBLE your gift of music!
This year, we performed in parks, museums, schools, hospitals, concert halls, senior centers, and neighborhoods across Ventura County — reaching thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds with live music that uplifts, inspires, and connects.
And this week, on Giving Tuesday, we’re asking for your help to make that reach even greater.
Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara — You’re Invited: Support, Celebrate, Engage
Campaign match:
Gifts up to $250 will be matched by two anonymous donors until 12/31 to support the Roots & Branches Arts Fellowship – empowering emerging artists whose work is rooted in their cultural communities, nurturing the next generation of creative leaders in Santa Barbara
Bilingual report — 805UNDOCUFUND newsletter update — Major Advocacy Wins & Giving Tuesday 2025/Principales Logros en Defensa y Martes de Donaciones 2025
Major Advocacy Wins & Giving Tuesday 2025/Principales Logros en Defensa y Martes de Donaciones 2025 Community Win #1: Santa Barbara County Halts Transfers & Layoffs Victoria de la Comunidad #1: El Condado de Santa Bárbara Detiene Traslados y Despidos On…
Guest commentary — Central Coast Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) — Buy CA for CA – We’re Standing on Business
Whether you work in the field or an office, run a small business or a kitchen, raise children or are grinding through school – your hard work fuels the 4th largest economy in the world. The California you’ve built should work for you – not billionaires and corporations.
Small businesses, workers, and families like yourself keep our state running, not the billionaires. Our wallets should support the people who treat us with respect, pay fair wages, and reinvest in our communities.
That’s why today we’re launching Buy California For California, a campaign to use our buying power to support community over cruelty.
Until the end of the year, we’re asking you to boycott businesses that profit from our pain and instead spend your hard-earned cash on the people from our neighborhoods, who really fuel our cities, care for their workers, treat customers with respect, and reinvest in their community.
A Season of Giving: Port of Hueneme donates 1,000 turkeys to local families across Ventura County
PORT HUENEME — This year, the Port of Hueneme is celebrating a powerful season of giving with a series of hosted and partner-supported community events across Ventura County. In total, the Port helped distribute approximately 1,000 frozen turkeys and holiday meal kits to military families, seniors, farmworkers, local residents, and community members.
Throughout November, Port Commissioners, staff, volunteers, and sponsors came together to support multiple food distributions, each focused on uplifting and empowering families during the holiday season. These efforts included the Drive Out Hunger military and veterans meal giveaway, local community holiday distributions, and nonprofit-supported events across Oxnard and Port Hueneme, ensuring families from all backgrounds could enjoy a holiday meal at home.
County of Ventura District 2 Supervisor Jeff Gorell — Thank you! Update on food assistance, housing resources, crisis help, or mental health services
Dear Neighbors,
From my family to yours, I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful Thanksgiving!
The holidays are a time of connection and celebration, but they can also be a time of need for many families. If you or someone you know could use support — whether it’s food assistance, housing resources, crisis help, or mental health services — 2-1-1 Ventura County is available 24/7 to connect you with programs across our region.
For neighbors in the Conejo Valley, Food Share, Manna Conejo Valley Food Bank, Adelante Comunidad Conejo and other local organizations continue to provide essential support.
Bilingual report — Ventura businesses invited to join Window Wonderland
VENTURA — The City of Ventura’s Economic Development team is inviting local businesses to participate in the 2025 Window Wonderland program. This festive initiative encourages storefronts throughout Ventura to celebrate the season with creative holiday window displays that brighten commercial corridors and inspire residents to shop locally.
Businesses are also invited to take part in this year’s photo submission opportunity. By sharing photos of their decorated storefronts, participants will be entered for a chance to win free advertising opportunities. Photos may be submitted now throughout December, and winners will be announced in January 2026.
“Ventura is filled with creativity, and our local businesses help set the tone for the season,” said Economic Development Manager Meredith Hart. “Window Wonderland is a fun way to showcase that spirit while encouraging residents and visitors to explore and support our shopping districts.”
UCSB — The Current — ‘New student housing projects at UCSB progressing on schedule’ and more news, events
The East Campus project won approval from the UC Regents in their November meeting, while the San Benito project, under construction since May, is on track for completion in 2027.
Ventura County Arts Council — CALL TO ARTISTS: ‘The Sound of Silence’ at the Atrium Gallery
“The Sound of Silence,” featuring lead artist Cheyenne Proctor, is one in a series of art exhibitions addressing mental health that is part of VibeWell Ventura County, a county-wide initiative that uses art and culture to raise awareness of mental health conditions. VCAC invites submissions from local artists to be juried for potential display alongside the lead artist. Monetary prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third place winners. All levels welcome.