150th CELEBRATION ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mountains to Sea Jubilee

FAMILY FAIR

Saturday, October 21

11:00 am – 3:00 pm

@Agriculture Museum

926 Railroad Ave., Santa Paula

Celebrate Ventura County’s 150th Anniversary at the Mountains to Sea Jubilee, a FREE all-day family event culminating in a music festival! The Family Fair features food trucks, kids’ zone, community stages, pumpkin patch, Exhibit opening: Ventura County, The Place We Call Home, and MORE! Get the details HERE.

Mountains to Sea Jubilee

MUSIC FESTIVAL

Saturday, October 21

2:30 pm – 8:30 pm

@Veterans Memorial Park

E. Ventura and Mill St., Santa Paula

After the Family Fair, join us at the Mountains to Sea Jubilee Music Festival! This is a TICKETED event featuring Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Mariachi Camarillo, Rey Fresco, Whiskey Business, and Charles Law Band. The Music Festival is limited capacity, $20 per person. Gates open at 12:00 pm. Your tickets + details are waiting for you HERE.

MVC 150th Pop-Up Event

Saturday, September 16

11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Ragtime Revival Festival

@Strathearn Historical Park

137 Strathearn Pl., Simi Valley

Visit us at the Ragtime Revival Festival at Strathearn Historical Park in Simi Valley. Enjoy museum games, prize giveaways, and a photo booth with props and commemorative photos, 11 am –1 pm Peace Rock Painting, and 2-4 pm Maritime History. Click HERE for more information!

September 150th Digital Puzzles

Get to know Simi Valley

The Digital Jigsaw Puzzles is an online program that offers a delightful way to explore and appreciate different cities. Each month, users can enjoy solving jigsaw puzzles featuring captivating images from a new city within the County. Solve a September puzzle HERE!

Voices of Ventura County

A remarkable collection of oral histories that commemorates Ventura County’s history over the past 150 years. Curated from the extensive archives from the Museum of Ventura County’s Research Library, these oral histories bring to life the diverse stories and experiences of the County’s inhabitants.

Thanks to a partnership with CAPS Media, KPPQ-LP and the County of Ventura, this invaluable selection of oral histories has been expertly digitized—for preservation and accessibility for generations to come. Listen HERE.

Content Warning: The following oral history contains outdated language and may include terms that are considered offensive by today’s standards. Listener discretion is advised.

Save the Dates!

October 21, 2023 – The History of Ventura County 150th Anniversary Exhibit Opening at the Agriculture Museum

October 21, 2023 – Mountains to Sea Jubilee – Family Fair and Music Festival in Santa Paula

November 2, 2023 – 150th State of the County at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Online Games & Interactives Introduced Monthly

Pop-Up Festivals: Sept. 16 at Strathearn Historical Park • Sept. 30 at Port Hueneme Banana Festival • Nov. 11 at Thousand Oaks Performing Arts Center

Visit our WEBSITE to stay up to date on the details!

COMMUNITY EVENTS

ArtWalk Ventura @ MVC

September 23 – 24

Saturday & Sunday

11:00 am – 7:00 pm

@Museum of Ventura County

100 E. Main St., Ventura

Join us for ArtWalk at MVC, where we will be hosting a few extra happenings! Our hours will be extended each day 11:00 am – 7:00 pm where MVC is hosting two installations in the outdoor plaza, individual ArtWalk participating artist showcasing in the Pavilion. Saturday only, Open Door Studio will be at MVC offering art activities from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. Click HERE for list of installation artists.

Santa Clara Valley Wellness Foundation: Harvest & Health

Pumpkin Festival

Saturday, September 30

10:00 am – 2:00 pm

@Agriculture Museum

926 Railroad Ave., Santa Paula

Mark your calendars and get ready for a fun-filled day with learning and community engagement. This is an excellent opportunity for individuals and families to come together and celebrate the season. A variety of activities will be offered including auctions, crafts, and educational experiences that promote wellness and health. Click HERE for more information.

MVC NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Disaster in the Devil’s Jaw

New Blog Announcement

One hundred years ago a tragic mix of poor judgment, navigational errors, irregular currents, and fog cost 23 sailors their lives. Shipwrecks, 100 miles north of Ventura on a notoriously treacherous point on the central coast, captivated county residents for over a month as many planned family outings to view the largest peacetime loss of U.S. Navy ships. Read more HERE…

MVC School Squad Recommends:

National Arts in Education Week

September 11-17

The arts are an essential part of a complete education, no matter if it happens in the home, school, or community. Students of all ages—from kindergarten to college to creative aging programs—benefit from artistic learning, innovative thinking, and creativity. Celebrating National Arts in Education Week is a way to recognize this impact and share the message with friends, family, and communities. Learn more HERE!

Exhibits

MUSEUM OF VENTURA COUNTY

Proximity to Water: Works from MVC’s Permanent Collection

Just in time for summer, come be inspired by the ever-changing coast captured by our regional artists.

From plein air painting to photography, the mutable coast provides an endless supply of inspiration. Art helps us admire, respect, and revere our region, reminding us of our own place in the natural world. Proximity means a closeness in space, time, or relationship. These artworks from the Museum’s permanent collection bring us closer to the water, both visually and in feeling.

This exhibit is made possible by the Esther and Thomas Wachtell Family Fund, the Paul and Anne Leavens Family Fund and the Bonita C. McFarland Fund

Spin Cycle: Unfolding the

Science of Laundry

Everybody’s clothes get dirty, so we all must deal with the dreaded laundry. Through the years people have tried different ways to clean their clothes, and now we have the science to explain why some of those methods actually work!

Using 19th and early 20th century laundry items from MVC’s historical collection, visitors will learn about the “how” and “who” behind everyone’s least favorite chore. Let’s explore how our everyday world works together.

This exhibit is made possible by the

Ventura County Credit Union

The Murder of Tom More:

A True Crime Story

In the early hours of March 24th 1877, a mob of angry settlers set fire to Thomas More’s barn and shot him at least 10 times. Motivated by a passionate battle over land ownership and water rights turned deadly, news of his murder rippled through California.

Amid the rubble of lies, perjuries, briberies, and omissions in the historical record, there are mysteries regarding his death that remain forever unsolved. His story stands today as a warning about the strong emotions unleashed over our limited natural resources.

This exhibit is made possible by

the John Hammer Family

Exhibits

AGRICULTURE MUSEUM

Exhibits From the

Smithsonian Gardens:

Pollination Investigation –

The Essential Role of Pollinators in the Natural World

Nearly 90% of flowering plants rely on approximately 200,000 species of pollinators for fertilization. Explore the essential role pollinators play in the natural world in the Smithsonian poster exhibition, Pollination Investigation.

Through “pollinator profiles” visitors can learn about different pollinators—from butterflies and hummingbirds to bats and the wind—and their favorite flowers based on floral characteristics like flower shape, color, scent, and more. The set of 14 posters is bilingual (Spanish and English) and designed to educate and inspire people to explore the natural world looking at flowers and insects. Learn more HERE.

Tomols to Trains:

County Transportation

through the 1900s

Tomols to Trains explores how transportation played a role in Ventura County’s history. Visit the communities that struggled with the changes brought about by new modes of transportation.

See how towns and cities changed, how suburbs grew, and how our farms became part of our economies. Learn more HERE.

Made possible by the

Heritage Fund at VCCF

The Farm to Market Children’s Hands-On Exhibit

An interactive exhibit promoting healthy lifestyles through role-play, the Ag Market is an immersive environment where children and families identify healthy food choices in a fun, market-like atmosphere.

Learn more about what the Agriculture Museum has to offer HERE.

Special thanks to

Santa Paula’s former mayor, Carlos Juarez for volunteering his time and

talent in building our fun-filled market

Explore More Exclusive

MVC ONLINE CONTENT

KEYT News Santa Baraba featured MVC’s latest exhibits in their evening news. Watch as Journalist Mina Wahab explores the exhibits, meets some of the staff and learns more about our local history HERE!

One hundred years ago a tragic mix of poor judgment, navigational errors, irregular currents, and fog cost 23 sailors their lives. Read the newest MVC Blog by Library Volunteer Andy Ludlum on our website HERE.

Engage with us on social media, where you’ll find our latest news and incredible artifacts, reels, and art from our collections! Also – @museumofventuracountyFB, TikTok, Twitter

MVC RECOMMENDS

Extended Exhibit

REAGAN FOUNDATION’S AUSCHWITZ. NOT LONG AGO. NOT FAR AWAY.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute announced today, after unprecedented demand – more than 130,000 visitors – the Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. exhibition has been extended through Sunday, January 28, 2024, remaining open through Holocaust Remembrance Day that weekend. This powerful exhibition is one of the most visited in the Reagan Library’s history and reminds visitors to never forget the atrocities of the past. For more information and tickets, click HERE.

A Special Thanks to Our

150th Anniversary Sponsors!

Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Please contact:

Heather Williams

(805) 653-0323

HWilliams@VenturaMuseum.org