Aug. 20 — ‘Water Smart Summer’ Classes Available Through Triunfo Water & Sanitation District

The Triunfo Water & Sanitation District will present four free “Water Smart Summer” classes that discuss water-saving and drought-tolerant landscaping and gardening techniques. Each of the classes will be presented by a certified instructor from the Master Gardeners of Ventura County.

One-hour classes will be held on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Classes are at Mae Boyar Park (130 Kanan Road) in Oak Park.

Aug. 20 — Bilingual update — Ventura County invites job seekers with military experience and employers to the Military and Veteran Job Fair and Expo

Ventura County Human Services Agency Veteran Services Office will host a Military and Veteran Job Fair and Expo on Saturday, August 20, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Ventura County Office of Education, 5100 Adolfo Road, Camarillo. This event is free for active-duty military, U.S. Veterans, military spouses, transitioning military, and members of the Guard and Reserve.

“This is the area’s largest Veteran job fair,” said Jim McHugh, Ventura County Veteran Services Officer, “and an ideal place to help Veterans find good paying jobs and to help businesses in need of leadership.”

Aug. 20 — Ventura Land Trust Announces 13th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival

Ventura Land Trust’s annual benefit, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, returns for its 13th year on Saturday, August 20th at Ventura County Credit Union headquarters. This signature event raises funds each year to support Ventura Land Trust’s mission to permanently protect the land, water, wildlife and scenic beauty of the Ventura region for current and future generations. Film Festival doors open at 5:00 pm, and films begin around 7:45 pm. A virtual ticket option is available for guests who prefer to enjoy the Film Festival from home.

Aug. 20 — People’s Self Help Housing — Let the Games Begin

Join People’s Self-Help Housing for The Builder Games! Cheer on teams building playhouses for children, as they race against the clock and face fun challenges. Enjoy gourmet food, fine wine, craft beer, and live music! Funds raised benefit the programs of PSHH.

Join us to see who becomes the first to carry home the title, Builder Games Champion!

Through Aug. 21— Celebrate Earth Day with Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, other events

Over the past two weeks, artist Maria Arroyo and her supporting team from Slingshot / Alpha Art Studio have been busy at work completing her mural Nature Dream Windows. Selected by project partners Community Environmental Council (CEC), MCASB, and Paseo Nuevo from submissions from across Ventura, Santa Barbara, and SLO counties, Arroyo’s mural illustrates what Earth Day and Climate Leadership mean to her.

Nature Dream Windows will be revealed on Paseo Nuevo’s Instagram Live at 1:45 pm PST on Saturday, April 23, 2022, during Community Environmental Council’s Earth Day Celebration at the Arlington Theater.

Aug. 24 — Hospice of Santa Barbara Virtual illuminate Speaker Series Presents A Conversation with Dr. Kelly McGonigal

Since 2020, Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) has adjusted to the new realities that come with COVID-19 by creating their freeilluminate Speaker Series – a series which addresses aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic and offers active solutions to navigate through this new reality.  

Next on the line up will be Dr. Kelly McGonigal, who will present A Conversation with Dr. Kelly McGonigal on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 6:00 to 7:00 pm PDT. The conversation will be moderated by well-known NPR host, Jonathan Bastian. The event is free, but registration is required.

Aug. 24 — County of Ventura to Host Job and Career Fair

The County of Ventura Human Resources Department will host a Job and Career Fair on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

The event and parking are free and open to the public. The Job and Career Fair will take place in the main courtyard of the Ventura County Government Center, between the Hall of Administration and the Hall of Justice.

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about careers in administration and support, engineering, environmental protection, planning, agriculture, health care, law enforcement, public safety, public works, recreational services, technology, and much more.

Aug. 25 — Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) to present Inspiring Women – A Live Event Understanding Social Media Marketing

SCORE’s Inspiring Women is a free live event to help you plan a social media strategy for your business. Whether just starting out, or struggling to generate business changing results, Social Media is a critical component of your overall marketing strategy.

Speakers and Topics:

Bridget Brady “Building Your Business with the Power of Social Media”

Social Media is ESSENTIAL to every business owner and entrepreneur.
Roughly 82% of all people are active on social media and that number continues to grow each day. These are potential clients and customers.
Whether just starting out or struggling to generate biz-changing results—Social Media is a critical component of your overall marketing strategy.
Join Bridget Brady to get fully informed on what it takes to create, launch, and implement a rock-solid strategy that cuts through the confusion and leads to social media and business success!

Aug. 26 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Hot Fun in the Summertime: In the Heights

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Hot Fun in the Summertime: In the Heights, on Friday, August 26th at the County Courthouse Sunken Garden at 8:30 p.m.

Usnavi is a bodega owner who longs to go back to his native Dominican Republic. In the meantime, he spends his time in a small neighborhood in Washington Heights pining after Vanessa, who works at the beauty salon, and looking after Abuela Claudia, the elderly Cuban lady living next door who raised him. One day, Usnavi’s childhood friend Nina comes back from college with a secret, and Abuela Claudia wins the lottery. (Jon M. Chu, 2021, PG-13, 142 min.) 

Through Aug. 26 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Hot Fun in the Summertime The popular FREE Summer Cinema Series returns to the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden for 2022

UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) is thrilled to announce the return of their annual free summer cinema series to its original home in the Sunken Garden of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. The 2022 theme, Hot Fun in the Summertime, means that there will be something exciting for everyone. Bring breathable blankets, low chairs, a picnic and your friends!

UCSB students can see the films on Wednesday evenings at Campbell Hall. These screenings are co-presented with UCSB Summer Sessions. Students must present a valid current UCSB ID for admission.

“After a challenging three years I can say with confidence and unfettered joy that the SUMMER FILMS ARE BACK at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse,” says A&L Miller McCune Executive Director Celesta M. Billeci. “Our community can gather at the Sunken Garden once again to laugh and be moved by these summer-inspired buddy and adventure films – some nostalgic, some silly, and some just plain fun! Our partners at the County Office of Arts & Culture and Montecito Bank & Trust didn’t skip a beat when we asked them to join us to bring back this beloved summer tradition. Together, we’re doing this once again Santa Barbara!”

Aug. 27 — ‘Clear the Shelters’ — Fee Waved Adoptions at Ventura County Animal Services

Clear The Shelters is BACK after a 2-year break during COVID. FEE-WAIVED adoptions for all animals at the Camarillo and Simi Valley Shelters! Doors open at 11:00am for the adoption of dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, bunnies, reptiles, farm-type animals and more. Animals go home spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, flea-treated, and come with a voucher for a free first vet visit!

Online adoption sign-ups will be suspended this day only due to the event, so all adoptions are on a first-come, first-served basis. Animals can be previewed online at www.vcas.us/pets.

#ClearTheShelters is a nationwide pet adoption event organized by NBC4 and Telemundo52. Promotions do not guarantee the adoption of a shelter pet. All interested parties must participate in the full adoption process to ensure the best possible matches are made. Promotions do not include the cost of a pet license if applicable.

?Questions? Please contact us at (805) 388-4341 or info@vcas.us. Thank you!

Aug. 27 — Museum of Ventura County to present Going Wild Opening Reception

The Museum of Ventura County to present Going Wild Opening Reception from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27 at 100 E. Main St., Ventura.

For novelist Melina Sempill Watts and artist Jeff Sojka, falling in love with a landscape means interconnecting the lives of the plants and animals that make it alive.  Watts’ first novel Tree is an exploration of 229 years in the life of a California live oak from the point of view of … the tree.  Sojka dove into the book and painted his vision of the tree’s reality, each painting honoring the aliveness and richness of California’s landscapes. This multimedia experiment, with the exhibit being available both on-site and virtually, will offer the audience the opportunity to expand their imagination, stepping into the life of a tree from multiple vantage points. Consider the world from the plants’ perspective: begin going wild.

Aug. 27 — Cult Classic Kung Fu fuses with Hip Hop at OPAC

Washington DC’s legendary DJ duo, Shaolin Jazz, are making their West Coast debut this summer as part of their “Can I Kick It?” series, which scores live hip hop, soul, and funk music to cult classic kung fu films. The Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation (OPAC) is proud to bring “Can I Kick It?” to Ventura County audiences as part of an end-of-summer celebration.

Aug. 27, 28 — Hueneme Beach Festival to be held at Hueneme Beach Park

he City of Port Hueneme in partnership with the nonprofit REACH is hosting the Hueneme Beach Festival, Saturday and Sunday, August 27 and 28 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The admission is free.

The festival features live music on two stages, fair-style carnival rides and games, local vendor booths, arts and crafts, and a variety of food and drink. Carnival rides will feature kiddie, family and teen/adult options.

Live entertainment on the Main Stage includes guitarist and singer Taylor Sackson; Fleetwood Mac cover band Twisted Gypsy; classic and fresh New Orleans sounds from New Orleans Suspects; post-third wave ska band Beebs and Her Money Makers, two-time Grammy award winner The Phantom Blues Band and soul and funk The Nth Power. The Toni Young Community Stage will feature a wide variety of performances by local bands from throughout Ventura County.

Aug. 27 — Oxnard’s Los Mixos to Live Stream Concert

Los Mixos, one of Oxnard’s newest music bands, in collaboration with Red Sky Productions and HOPE Social Skills for Teens with Autism, will be performing live for a multi-camera, internet-streamed studio concert called Downtown Window (DTW), to promote their original 5-song music EP.  The concert will be performed and streamed on the internet at www.DowntownWindow.com on Saturday, August 27th at 4pm at the Red Sky Productions studio in downtown Oxnard.  Through the livestream, fans will see and hear Los Mixos’ newly released songs filmed in a music video type set with lighting, set design and props with the help of a crew of camera operators, sound engineers, a cinematographer and television director.   

Aug. 27 — Online Fine Art Auction Fundraiser Presented by Santa Paula Art Museum

Twenty stunning works of art by historic and contemporary local artists will be up for grabs during the Santa Paula Art Museum’s virtual 12th Annual Fine Art Auction Fundraiser. Online bidding opens Saturday, August 13, 2022, and closes Saturday, August 27, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. PDT. The auction artworks can be previewed during a special, in-person preview reception at the Museum on Saturday, August 13, 2022, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Admission to the preview reception is free. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Aug. 31 — Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present Activating the Spectator by Reshaping the Aesthetic Field: Op, Kinetic, and Participatory Art at Mid-Century

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art will present Activating the Spectator by Reshaping the Aesthetic Field: Op, Kinetic, and Participatory Art at Mid-Century at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31 at SBMA’s Mary Craig Auditorium, 1130 State St., Santa Barbara.

Art historian Alexander Alberro explores the development of a research-based artistic practice that fused abstract art with mathematics, science, and technology in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The stated goal of the artists involved was to demystify the creative process in favor of an objective investigation of visual phenomena. Alberro addresses how and why these experiments evolved into a greater concern with the participation of art spectators.

Aug. 31 — Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — Showcasing the International Success of Rural-Based Businesses

FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL: CELEBRATING DIVERSITY

August 2022 Edition: Showcasing the International Success of Rural-Based Businesses

Join U.S. Commercial Service for the seventh session of their “From Local to Global: Celebrating Diversity” event series, as they feature a dynamic panel of founders and leaders from Rural-based businesses across Southern California, who will share how they have successfully grown their businesses internationally.

Learn about the opportunities to seek out, as well as the challenges to avoid as you launch or expand your international business.
Receive information and resources that will help you chart your path to global sales and expansion success.
Wednesday August 31, 2022 @ 11:00 am

Location: Virtual (WEBEX)

Sept. 1 — SBMA Art Matters Lecture explores Julius Caesar as the Second Founder of Rome

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s Art Matters Lecture explores Julius Caesar as the Second Founder of Rome from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1 at SBMA’s Mary Craig Auditorium, 1130 State St., Santa Barbara.

Art Matters Lecture features Chris Hallett, Ph.D., Professor of Roman Art with the Department of History of Art, UC Berkeley

Sept. 8 — Bennett, Limón and County of Ventura Host Forum on County’s Water Crisis & California’s Drought

Assemblymember Steve Bennett, Senator Monique Limón, and the County of Ventura, along with local water experts, will present an overview of California’s and Ventura County’s water delivery systems with a particular focus on western Ventura County. The forum will discuss the threats of the extreme drought conditions our state and region is facing, the impacts it will have on our communities and the agencies’ efforts to address these issues.  

Sept. 8 — Friendship Center to present ‘2022 Wine Down’

Friendship Center is looking forward to our 10th Annual Wine Down to be held Thursday, September 8th, 2022, from 4 to 7pm outdoors at our Montecito Center’s courtyard. This delicious and delightful event brings us together to enjoy an evening of great local wines and beer, along with hearty hors d’oeuvres and live music, all for a good cause!

Sept. 8 — Museum of Ventura County — Local History Happy Hour with Melina Sempill Watts Shares

The Museum of Ventura County invites you to join us for the next installment of our popular in-person and Zoom series, Local History Happy Hour, 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8,

The Museum of Ventura County & Zoom, 100 E Main St., Ventura, 93001+ Google Map

In this series, local authors and historians sit down with The Barbara Barnard Smith Executive Director Elena Brokaw to discuss their unique perspectives on our region’s history and take questions from the audience.

The next episode features Melinda Sempill Watts, author of Tree. Melina Sempill Watts writing has appeared in Sierra Magazine, the New York Times motherlode blog, Sunset Magazine, Malibu Times, the VC Reporter, and many more. Watts began her career in Hollywood as a development executive, writing consultant and story analyst working for luminaries such as Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy and Peter Horton, and at Dreamworks.

Sept. 10-11 — Seaside Street Painters & Art Vendors Line the Waterfront for 14th Annual Summer Festival at Ventura Harbor Village

The 14th Annual Ventura Art & Street Painting Festival returns to picturesque Ventura Harbor Village on September 10 and 11, 2022 from 10am to 5pm. www.venturaartfestival.com What’s more, the seaside enclave, located off of California Highway 101, invites visitors to experience a stunning backdrop of majestic yachts, stunning sunsets, blissful weather with gentle ocean breezes paired to casual open-air and sit down dining and unique one-of-a kind boutiques, galleries, and specialty stores. The destination is the picture-perfect staycation/midweek/weekend getaway for couples, friends, and families.

Sept. 10 — The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley Honor L.A. Rams alum Andrew Whitworth at their 20th Annual Gala Celebration

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley will be hosting their 20th annual gala on Saturday, September 10th at the Four Seasons Resort in Westlake Village. The event’s theme is “Stand Up for Kids”, and festivities will begin at 4:00pm.

The celebration will be honoring Andrew Whitworth, the Los Angeles Rams alumni and two- time All-Pro left tackle who received the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2021. This year’s Cal Johnston Service Award recipient is Steven Dorfman.

Sept. 10 — Wildling Museum of Art and Nature highlights artist Bob Canepa in Dunes: Visions of Sand, Light & Shadow

The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature is pleased to announce its new Valley Oak Gallery exhibition, Dunes: Visions of Sand, Light & Shadow, featuring new works by photographer Bob Canepa, opening September 10, 2022. The public is invited to attend a fall reception on Sunday, October 9 from 3 – 5 p.m. at the Wildling Museum, which will also celebrate the opening of Wildlife on the Edge: Hilary Baker. 

The unique terrain of the Oceano Dunes has served as a wealth of inspiration for Canepa, who has visited these dunes weekly for years. From sweeping vistas of light and shadow to grains of sand caught in dewy moisture, Canepa has surveyed these weather-sculpted dunes from a range of perspectives, always finding something new in the shifting landscape.

Sept. 11 — Los Angeles International Flamenco Festival & Kala Koa Entertainment Presents Antonio Rey at the Santa Barbara New Vic Theatre

Antonio Rey, one of today’s most important and popular multi-award winning Spanish flamenco guitarists and composers – a true master of the instrument – will be making his Santa Barbara debut, promising an incredibly exciting and moving performance on Sunday, September 11 at the New Vic Theatre in Santa Barbara at 7:00 p.m.

Rey’s 2020 “Flamenco sin Fronteras” album was awarded the Latin Grammy for Best Flamenco Album. He has composed for and played alongside artists such as Antonio Canales, the Japanese dancer Yoko Komatsubara, Rafael Amargo, Richard Bona, and Farruquito. He has also worked and toured with the Maestro Paco de Lucía.

Rey Rey is a winner of several national and international flamenco guitar competitions and after such an impressive career accompanying some of the most important figures in flamenco – both singers and dancers – it’s time for Antonio’s guitar to take center stage. Performing with Rey in Santa Barbara is guitarist Jose Tanaka, Diego Alvarez on percussion, along with dancer Maria Bermudez.

Sept. 11 — Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present Pulitzer Prize-winning Forrest Gander joining poet Patricio Ferrari at SBMA’s Parallel Stories

Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present Pulitzer Prize-winning Forrest Gander joining poet Patricio Ferrari at SBMA’s Parallel Stories at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11 at SBMA’s Mary Craig Auditorium, 1130 State St., Santa Barbara.

Too often we hear that something is lost in translation, but who talks about what can be gained in the process, especially in relation to poetry? In an age of dwindling linguistic diversity and cultural homogenization, poetry translators build bridges across borders and between cultures, writers, and readers, introducing new syntactical strategies, rhythms, and image repertoires. Reading as translators is the deepest reading, a multi-layered engagement with sensorial experience—verbal and visual choices interwoven with the vibrancy of sound—at its core.

Through Sept. 11 — Santa Paula Art Museum Presents ‘Geomorphic: The Living Earth,’ a Solo Exhibition by Ventura Artist Kay Zetlmaier

The Santa Paula Art Museum presents “Geomorphic: The Living Earth,“ an exhibition of 42 abstract paintings inspired by nature by Ventura artist Kay Zetlmaier. The exhibition is the first major showing of Zetlmaier’s recent shift to abstract painting, and will be a first look for many at the lesser known but breathtaking medium of oil and cold wax. All of the artworks in the exhibit will be available for purchase. The artist will be on hand during a special premiere reception on Saturday, May 14, 2022, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Admission to the reception is $5.00 for SPAM members, and $10.00 for non-members. “Geomorphic: A Living Earth” will be on view May 14, 2022, to September 11, 2022.