Thursday, February 22 | 8:00 AM (PT) | Lundring Events Center
Join, explore, and participate in discussions on the social and economic challenges faced by undocumented families in California and their irreplaceable value for the entire state, organized by the Center for Economics of Social Issues. Register now!
MOORPARK — Moorpark College and The Colleges of Law welcome the community to attend “How to Save Democracy with David Pepper” on Feb. 22. This special event will feature a lecture by esteemed author David Pepper on election law and voting rights. Following the lecture, Dr. Jackie Gardina, Dean and Chief Academic Officer of The Colleges of Law, will engage in a conversation and Q&A session with Pepper.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Taj Mahal Quintet and Sona Jobarteh on Thursday, February 22 at 8 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Celebrated blues legend Taj Mahal brings his glorious voice and virtuosic multi-instrumentalism to this uniquely powerful evening of new world music. A musical innovator, cultural ambassador and winner of the 2023 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album, Taj Mahal’s long career touches on every imaginable strand in the fabric of roots music.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents climatologist and geophysicist Michael E. Mann on Friday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m. at UCSB Campbell Hall. With more than two decades on the front lines of climate science and policy, Michael E. Mann has become one of our best known and most valuable science communicators. Through six books, including his latest, Our Fragile Moment, Mann explains what the research means, how we should live and what we should demand of our leaders. Using Earth’s deep climate history to reframe the problems that we face today, Mann combines urgency with agency, encouraging people to appreciate the gravity of the unfolding climate crisis while emboldening them to act before it truly does become too late.
THOUSAND OAKS — Tushita Kadampa Buddhist Center to present “The Healing Power of Meditation” from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24 at the Fred Kavli Theater 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks.
“Meditation and mindfulness are scientifically proven methods that are now widely accepted as mainstream practices which lead to genuine, long-lasting well-being. Discover for yourself how to practice meditation and positive thinking techniques to cultivate a reliable source of happiness that comes from within your own mind.
SANTA MARIA — Acclaimed violinist and Festival Mozaic Music Director Scott Yoo is hosting a free masterclass for a select group of Allan Hancock College music students, and the public is invited to watch.
Yoo will conduct this free, public masterclass on Feb. 24 from 10 a.m.- 12 p.m. at the Boyd Concert Hall (bldg. F) on the college’s Santa Maria campus.
VIRTUAL & IN-PERSON
Homebuyer Workshop
Saturday, February 3, online
Saturday, February 24, in-person @ Harvest at Limoneira in Santa Paula
If homeownership is one of your goals this year (or anytime in the future), our Homebuyer Education Workshop is the place to be! Learn all about homebuying – from credit to down payment assistance and everything in between! There is no cost for you to attend and you’ll enjoy hearing from a variety of expert speakers who will give you the latest and greatest on credit, money management, real estate, mortgage loans, insurance and more! Plus get your HUD certificate which can be used to access down payment assistance programs like the upcoming California Dream for All. Register for FREE today!
VENTURA — The Ventura Downtown Lions presents “Bowl to Strikeout Cancer” from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24 at Buena Lanes, 1788 S. Mesa Verde Road, Ventura.
For just a $30 donation per person, you’ll enjoy an action-packed afternoon filled with excitement. Lace up your bowling shoes and show off your skills with three thrilling games of bowling. But that’s not all! Indulge in a mouthwatering BBQ lunch complete with all the fixin’s to keep your energy levels high.
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) President Richard Yao will speak at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center as part of the 19th annual CSU Super Sunday on Feb. 25.
The CSU’s annual Super Sunday event is an opportunity for California State University (CSU) system leaders, campus presidents, administrators, and students to visit predominantly African American churches throughout the state to share personal stories and important college-related information to advance access, opportunity and success for Black and African American students. Since its launch in 2005, more than a million people have participated in this signature awareness event for CSU’s African American communities.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Leila Josefowicz, violin on Sunday, February 25 at 4 p.m. at Campbell Hall. An invaluable advocate for living composers, Leila Josefowicz has premiered dozens of new works for violin including concertos written expressly for her by John Adams, Esa Pekka-Salonen and many others. Josefowicz’ program illuminates the path to contemporary music that travels through expressionism. Works by Debussy and Szymanowski transport us to a lush, harmonic fantasy world, while those by Tüür and Stravinsky continue our journey into a more visceral realm that delights us with unexpected humor, excitement and passion.
Janna Ireland lives in Los Angeles, where she is an assistant professor in the Department of Art and Art History at Occidental College. A broad selection of Ireland’s work was included in the exhibition Family Album: Dannielle Bowman, Janna Ireland and Contemporary Works from LACMA at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Charles White Elementary School Gallery. Ireland’s photographs are held in the permanent collections of institutions including LACMA, the Nevada Museum of Art, the California African American Museum, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago.
SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present the Ying Quartet at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27 at SBMA’s Mary Craig Auditorium, 1130 State St., Santa Barbara.
The Ying Quartet occupies a position of unique prominence in the classical music world, combining brilliantly communicative performances with a fearlessly imaginative view of chamber music in today’s world.
CAMARILLO — Employment law firm LightGabler LLP is presenting a free employment law webinar for employers, “Handbook Time: Retooling Your Employee Handbook for 2024.” The webinar is Tuesday, February 27 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
A critical “to-do” for every California employer in 2024 is retooling their employee handbook to create a legally compliant and strategically written document. A retooled handbook is one of the greatest sources of protection against employee lawsuits. It is a fountain of information for supervisors on how to properly interact with subordinate employees, and helps meet the employer’s obligations to provide notices and information to employees
If you have not yet attended our “50 Years Beyond Vietnam” exhibit talk, our next presentation will be take place on TUESDAY, February 27, 2024 at 2:00 pm, hosted by the Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum at 801 Grand Avenue, Suite 102, San Luis Obispo.
This history presentation is FREE to attend. Please register to ensure seating is available for all.
THOUSAND OAKS — Ventura County’s economy is contracting, according to recently released GDP data. Because economic growth creates rising standards of living and greater economic mobility, it is critical to make the case for economic growth in the region. In response, “The Case For Growth” was chosen as the theme for the 2024 Ventura County Economic Forecast event on Feb. 28, presented by California Lutheran University’s Center for Economic Research and Forecasting (CERF).
Join Economic Development Collaborative Go Global Trade Program (EDC GGTP) and the Women in International Trade Orange County (WITOC) as we partner with Krieger Worldwide for an informative webinar explaining the key provisions of the forthcoming MoCRA Act and how it establishes new requirements for the importation of cosmetics.
Join EDC, Women’s Economic Ventures and SCORE for a NO-COST webinar on how you can use AI to leverage your business! Spanish interpretation will be available.
AI for Small Business Marketing: Supercharge your Social Media Content Creation with the Power of AI
February 28 @ 12:00 pm
Explore the real-world applications of AI. Don’t miss out on unlocking the potential of AI for your business success.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour – two nights, two programs – on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour returns for two nights of exhilarating mountain adventures at larger-than-life scale. Featuring the world’s best films on subjects ranging from base jumping in Pakistan to freediving the Mara Islands of South Korea, the tour delivers adrenaline-packed thrills alongside profound messages about human potential and the natural world. Curated and hosted by Roman Baratiak, A&L Associate Director Emeritus, an entirely different program of films screens each night.
SANTA BARBARA — Cottage Primary Care presents a FREE Virtual Meet the Doctor event on Thursday, February 29, from 4 – 5 p.m., featuring primary care physicians, Dr. Yana Gristan and Dr. Arielle Kanner, who will discuss the importance of primary care in maintaining overall health and managing chronic conditions.
Drs. Gristan and Kanner will share insights into the role of primary care in wellness and preventative care, early detection of health conditions and personalized care and treatment plans. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in meaningful conversation with the physicians.
FILLMORE — King & King Ranch Field Day will be held from 7:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29 at 684 E. Guiberson Road, Fillmore.
The event will feature a bird walk, a series of talks given by the growers, researchers and agricultural professionals, and a tour of a newly planted hedgerow, followed by lunch. Topics include:
VENTURA COUNTY — Those interested in working to identify unique and innovative affordable housing solutions in Ventura County, are invited to provide input during Housing Trust Fund Ventura County’sAnnual Meeting. During the meeting the nonprofit will present a 2023 year in review and itscurrent programs and services, along with “A Home for Education: Housing solutions on educational properties,” on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Grand Salon at California State University Channel Islands.
CAMARILLO — Registration is open for CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI)’s 13th Annual Conference for Social Justice in Education, scheduled for Saturday, March 2 in the Grand Salon on the CSUCI campus. The keynote speaker is nationally renowned educator Gloria Ladson-Billings, Ph.D., author of numerous critically acclaimed books on culturally relevant classrooms and practices including “Dream-keepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children” and “Crossing Over to Canaan: The Journey of New Teachers in Diverse Classrooms.”
“The purpose of this annual event is to showcase the social justice-oriented work being done in and around schools and educational institutions in the region and to network with others who believe in the power and necessity of such work,” said CSUCI Dean of the School of Education Elizabeth Orozco Reilly. “We want to learn from one another about how best to teach, learn and lead in ways that promote equity, peace, and integrity in public education.”
Join us for a captivating book talk on “Rancho Guadalasca: Last Ranch of California’s Central Coast” by Colleen M. Delaney. As a professor of anthropological archaeology at California State University-Channel Islands, Delaney skillfully unravels the untold stories of the resilient women who shaped this historical ranch.
In this event, we’ll explore the rich cultural tapestry of Rancho Guadalasca through archaeological discoveries, historical records, and captivating oral histories. Delaney’s expertise and engaging storytelling bring to life the challenges and triumphs of the women who left an indelible mark on this last ranch of California’s central coast.
NYTImes Critic’s Pick In a bustling Mexican household, seven-year-old Sol is swept up in a whirlwind of preparations for the birthday party for her father, Tona, led by her mother, aunts and other relatives. As the day goes on, building to an event both anticipated and dreaded, Sol begins to understand the gravity of the celebration this year and watches as her family does the same. This poignant and emotionally expansive film from Lila Aviles (The Chambermaid) cements her skill at directing dynamic, ensemble performances in her stunning sophomore effort.
Dr. Kathy Gruver is an award-winning author, professional speaker, Psychedelic Integration Specialist and ACC certified coach with over 30 years of experience in mind/body medicine and human behavior. An entertainer and educator imbuing all her programs with practicality and passion. With a West Coast mentality and an East Coast delivery her humorous, down to earth, and engaging style has captivated hundreds of audiences on four continents, three cruise ships and a handful of islands. It’s been her true honor to have delivered two TEDx talks.
OXNARD — In coordination with the Mexican Consulate in Oxnard, the Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation (OPAC) is pleased to announce its next visual arts exhibition, Árbol de la Vida, as part of its Gallery Initiative at the Consulate. The…
Over the last 75 years, Artemisia Gentileschi has developed into an icon of female empowerment and the emotive drama of baroque painting. Identified with images of Judith decapitating the general Holofernes, she has come to be understood as a woman who succeeded in a man’s world, overcoming considerable obstacles to do so
SANTA BARBARA – UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Meow Meow on Thursday, March 7 at 8 p.m. at Lobero Theatre. Named one of the Top Performers of the Year by The New Yorker, Meow Meow’s award-winning solo works have been curated by David Bowie, Pina Bausch, Mikhail Baryshnikov and numerous international arts festivals. Her new show is a wildly enjoyable tip-of-the-top-hat to the Weimar Republic’s notable “wild women” – both fictional and real – that channels the era’s urgent blend of art, entertainment and winking social commentary.
SANTA BARBARA — ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! (Viva) is back with another exciting free community event. Enjoy three free exhilarating performances from Afro-Latin music group, Quitapenas.
Founded in 2011 and born under the warm California sun, Quitapenas share a love of dance rhythms from the tropical Afro-Latin diaspora.The group is made up of first generation sons of immigrant parents from Guatemala and Mexico. They borrow aesthetics from the radical 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Their songs are a remix of history, and invite one to engage in the liberating evenings of Angola, Peru, Colombia, Brazil and beyond. The name means “to remove worries.” Everybody has a “pena” and the mission of Quitapenas is simple: to make you dance and leave you without a worry.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Tommy Emmanuel, CGP on Saturday, March 9 at 8 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Recognized as one of the best acoustic guitar players on Earth, Tommy Emmanuel brings a sense of palpable joy to every note he plays. Incorporating the sounds of blues, country, rock, classical and Spanish music, his unique style encompasses a multi-dimensional landscape of masterful guitar playing. A four-time winner of Australia’s “Golden Guitar” Award, his long-awaited 2023 album Accomplice Two features scores of musical legends ranging from Michael McDonald to Billy Strings.
With her ravishing vocal presence and extraordinary ability to draw enormous feeling from a single note, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Sierra Ferrell embodies a transcendent eclecticism that utterly defies categorization. Born in West Virginia and based in Nashville, Ferrell has garnered critical acclaim and a dedicated fanbase on the strength of her magnetic live shows. After releasing her debut album, Long Time Coming, in 2021, Ferrell won the coveted Emerging Act of the Year honor at the 2022 Americana Awards. Delightfully unbound by genre or era, Ferrell’s original songs instantly transport her audience to an enchanted world.
WEDNESDAY: Nick Musica’s “I ate San Pedro. Now I Psychically Talk with Animals.” Topic: “I ate San Pedro. Now I Psychically Talk with Animals” Date: Wednesday, March 13th, 2024 Times: 5:00pm to 9:00pm (Roundtable Discussion at 6:30pm) Where: LoDo Studios, 216 E. Gutierrez…
VENTURA — Focus on the “Masters Popular Artist Spotlight Interviews Return with A Conversation with Perla Batalla” on Sunday, March 17, 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Namba Performing Art Center – 47 S. Oak St., Ventura.
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Perla Batalla earns critical acclaim for her distinctive voice, emotional honesty, and culture-merging compositions. Perla was born into a family immersed in music.
Join local unions, organizations and leaders to commemorate the 121st anniversary of the Japanese-Mexican Labor Association (JMLA) Strike. It was the first successful multiracial strike in U.S. history.
The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.
OXNARD — The City’s Public Works Department Environmental Resources Division (ER) is an enterprise fund operation that provides Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) services such as the collection, sorting, processing, and disposal of waste to 34,154 residential properties and 16,378 commercial customers.
The last time the City Council approved a cost of service study to evaluate solid waste rates was in May 2012, with a rate increase effective January 2013. Over the past 10 years, the City’s residential solid waste rate (96-gallons) only increased by 63 cents per month or 2.1% for residential service. The most popular commercial rate (4-yard/once per week) increased by 2.7% or $6.05. Yet, over the same decade, the consumer price index increased by 33.9%.
¡Raíces: First Year and Beyond! is hosting a Rally and Campus Unity March across the SBCC campus bridge to the Winslow Maxwell Overlook. This event will be held on Thursday, March 21, 2024 from 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. starting at the West Campus Center. Everyone is welcome!
This event is part of the ¡Sí Se Puede!: Student Advocacy Series during March 2024 to honor el Movimento and the liberation grassroots activism can manifest.The rally and march will begin with speeches by Mariam Martinez Gama and Fabián Pavón.
Acclaimed as an “outstanding ensemble…cohesive yet full of temperament” (New York Times), the Verona Quartet has firmly established itself amongst the most distinguished ensembles on the chamber music scene today. The quartet received the Chamber Music America’s coveted 2020 Cleveland Quartet Award and has captivated audiences at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, and Wigmore Hall, as well as at numerous festivals worldwide.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — SoCal Museums announces the 19th Annual Museums Free-for-All on Saturday, March 23, 2024. Over 30 museums—presenting art, cultural heritage, natural history, and science—will open their doors and invite visitors to attend free of charge.
Locally, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (SBMNH), and the Museum of Ventura County, all members of SoCal Museums, will participate in offering free admission. In the case of SBMNH, booking advanced reservations by visiting sbnature.org is encouraged and free admission is for the museum only, not the Sea Center.
Celebrate Nowruz at the Museum of Ventura County! Immerse yourself in the joyous festivities:
Food Delights – Safir Catering offers delectable Persian cuisine for purchase.
Dance Performance – Sahlala Dancers will enchant you from 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm with traditional Persian dance.
Live Music Experience – Illunis will serenade you from 12:45 pm to 1:45 pm with covers of Persian pop music from Ebi and Googoosh.
Farsi Calligraphy – Get your name beautifully written in Farsi.
Cultural Displays – Explore traditional presentations, including the Haft Sin.
Fire Jumping Ritual – Don’t miss the exhilarating spectacle.
CAMARILLO — Moorpark College, Oxnard College, Ventura College and Ventura College East Campus are holding free Cash 4 College workshops to help students apply for funds to help with college costs. Funds can be used for tuition, books, housing, transportation, childcare, computers and more.
In-person workshops are scheduled for February and March. The workshops are free and open to the community; anyone may attend a workshop at any location and can drop in at any time during the events.
Attend and get a HUD Certificate to help you access first-time homebuyer loans and down payment assistance programs
THOUSAND OAKS — Temple Etz Chaim welcomes you to its annual Purim Carnival from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 24 at 1080 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks.
Enjoy a festival of food trucks, carnival games, inflatables and prizes.Bring the whole family to celebrate this festive holiday with arts and crafts, hamantashen and knishes … and more!
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Roomful of Teeth with Gabriel Kahane on 4 p.m. Sunday, March 24 at Hahn Hall. Grammy Award winners Roomful of Teeth have carved themselves a niche as one of America’s most interesting contemporary vocal ensembles. Collaborating with artists and thinkers from around the world, the group seeks to amplify voices old and new and expand the capabilities of the human voice. Their engaging new program features works by founding member Caroline Shaw, special guest Gabriel Kahane and other composers known for creating meaningful and adventurous new music.
The work of acclaimed Los Angeles-based artist Janna Ireland, currently on view at SBMA and MCASB, includes her photographic interpretation of the architecture of Paul R. Williams, the renowned 20th-century Black architect who designed many of Southern California’s iconic buildings. A gifted designer across genres, Williams transformed the face of Los Angeles, including chic celebrity spots like the Beverly Hills Hotel’s Polo Lounge, the Ambassador Hotel’s Coconut Grove, and the cool jazz corridors of Central Avenue.
VENTURA COUNTY — in partnership with the City of Ventura and the Ventura Chamber of Commerce, SCORE will launch a series of in-person no cost workshops that will help local entrepreneurs and business owners gain valuable and practical knowledge from subject matter experts on a wide range of business-related topics.
The workshop series will kick off on March 27 with the topic “Four Key Marketing Strategies to Attract More Customers”. The event will be held at the Ventura City Hall Community Meeting Room at 8:30AM. The workshop will be led by Steve James who is a Digital Marketing Consultant with the firm RevLocal. Topics covered will include how to enhance your Google ranking, how to harness the power of reviews and how to master paid advertising.
In conjunction with the exhibition Made by Hand/Born Digital (on view through August 25), enjoy this conversation between ceramic and performance artist Joey Watson and SBMA Curator of Contemporary Art James Glisson. Watson takes the often bizarre and hard-to-fathom forms that life takes in the natural world—whether insects, sea creatures, or microorganism—and reminds us that being human is just one way of being alive. Watson’s sculptures are also tour-de-forces of traditional and innovative techniques. Watson uses 3D printing, fired clay, dazzling glazes, plastic, metal, and silicon among many other materials to build his hybrid sculptures and realize his complex performances.
Most business owners have heard of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), mediation and arbitration, but may not know what they mean and how you can use them in a dispute. Their effective use can minimize litigation costs and protect assets. By understanding ADR options and thinking strategically before a conflict or lawsuit arises, businesses can avoid employee disputes or limit the scope of existing disputes.
