HERITAGE SQUARE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
June 16 – Aug. 25 | Oxnard
The music and party return to Heritage Square starting on Friday, June 16, at 6 p.m. Get ready for a sensational 10-week season of performances from perennial fan favorites plus some exciting new acts to our community stage. The series is produced by the Oxnard Downtowners, with local community sponsors, the Heritage Square Property Owners Association and the Downtown Oxnard Improvement Association. Come grab some bites at a food truck or have dinner at The 1901 On “B.” Grab a coffee from Heritage Coffee, a cocktail from 1901 Speakeasy, or bring your own food and beverage. Performances take place 6-8:30 p.m. every Friday through Aug. 25. Heritage Square, 715 South A Street, Oxnard, downtownoxnard.org/events/heritage-square-summer-concerts-8/.
GOURMET TACO AND TEQUILA TASTING WITH ALEX VIECCO
June 17 | Camarillo
Gourmet Taco and Tequila tasting on the artist patio with Alex Viecco. Enjoy the ambience of traditional Mexican decorations and visit with the adjoining artists in their studios. Featuring guest fiber artists. $75. Studio Channel Islands, 2222 East Ventura Boulevard, Camarillo, 805.383.1368. More information at studiochannelislands.org.
OJAI WINE FESTIVAL
June 17 | Ojai
The 35th Annual Ojai Wine Festival is the longest running wine festival in Ventura County, and they have it dialed in! Overlooking scenic Lake Casitas in the Ojai Valley, the Ojai Wine Festival is an idyllic venue to taste award winning wines and amazing craft beers. A bountiful selection of wineries and craft breweries will be represented along with ciders, seltzers and spirits. Discover a tempting selection of gourmet food trucks selling delicious culinary cuisine. Patrons can shop to their heart’s delight among the arts and crafts booths. Bid on the silent auction featuring fine wines, private tasting parties, VIP tours of wineries, artisan crafts and much more. Join the dance party on the lakeside dance floor and groove to music by Santa Barbara’s hottest dance band, Area 51. More than 30 wineries and 20 brewers will be in attendance. Free shuttle from Pirie Road and Maricopa Highway. The festival takes place on Saturday, June 17, 12-4 p.m. Tickets $95-$105; $25 for non-drink tickets. Lake Casitas Recreation Area, Wadleigh Arm Event Area, 11093 Santa Ana Road, Ventura. For tickets, vendors, map and more information, visit ojaiwinefestival.com.
FATHER’S DAY CAR SHOW
June 18 | Oxnard
Ventura County residents and visitors seeking a premiere car show on Father’s Day have to look no further than the Channel Islands Harbor. The event features an eclectic mix of custom cars, hot rods, lowriders, motorcycles and classics. It is the perfect day to show off your rides and reconnect with friends and family. There will be plenty of food trucks, a raffle, music and a ton of vendors to check out. All proceeds for the event will benefit Food Share of Ventura County. This car show is open to all solo riders, car clubs and all vehicle types, including motorcycles. Free. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Harbor View Park, 3850 Harbor Boulevard, Oxnard. For more information, visit www.channelislandsharbor.org/event/2023-fathers-day-car-show/.
CLASSICS BY THE SEA
June 18 | Oxnard
Join the Channel Islands Maritime Museum for its annual Father’s Day event, Classics by the Sea. Come view classic cars and motorcycles, woodies, and hand-built water crafts. The Museum Patio will feature toy boat building and guests can also learn how to create nautical knots. The event will include live music from Whole Hog Bluegrass, the Second Annual Aloha Shirt Contest (for prizes) and much more! Food for purchase from FatBoy BBQ and Mister Softee. This family event is free to the public, but regular admission rates apply to go inside of the museum. CIMM, 3900 Bluefin Circle, Oxnard, 805.984.6260, www.cimmvc.org.
VENTURA COUNTY 150TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
June 23 | Ventura
Summer sings at the Museum of Ventura County, which will host a special countywide celebration as well as the opening of three new exhibits on Friday, June 23. The County of Ventura kicks off festivities for its 150th Anniversary with a free event day featuring live music, guest speakers, a specially crafted cocktail, food trucks and more. In addition, the museum opens three new exhibits that day. History fans will be interested in Spin Cycle: Unfolding the Science of Laundry, featuring laundry items from the museum’s historical collection dating from the 19th and early 20th century. Love true crime? Check out The Murder of Tom More: A True Crime Story, a deep-dive into an 1877 incident involving land ownership, water rights, perjury, bribes and more. Get some liquid inspiration through the works that make up Proximity to Water. Museum of Ventura County, 100 East Main Street, Ventura, 805.653.0323, venturamuseum.org.
RABBIT HOLE
June 23 – July 30 | Santa Paula
Becca and Howie Corbett have everything a family could want, until a life shattering accident turns their world upside down and leaves the couple drifting perilously apart. Rabbit Hole charts their bittersweet search for comfort in the darkest of places and for a path that will lead them back into the light of day. Heartbreaking as it can be, the play is never grim. It’s too truthful, too spirited, too wise to be depressing. A study of the subterranean passageways of grief, it serves to remind that loss, even of the most shattering kind, can move us incrementally toward a deeper appreciation of what remains and leaves us with an odd sort of hope that even in our darkest times, things will get better, even slightly, with time. Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2007 Tony Award for Best Play. $22-$24. Santa Paula Theater Center, 125 South Seventh Street, Santa Paula, 805.525.4645, www.santapaulatheatercenter.org.
MYSTIC WHALER PUBLIC DAY SAIL
June 24 | Oxnard
Come aboard for a three-hour adventure sail in the beautiful Santa Barbara Channel. Feel the wind on your face and the spray of the sea, and keep a weather eye on the horizon. Spot the Channel’s amazing wildlife, including a plethora of sea birds and pinnipeds and maybe even some whales and dolphins! Please be advised that children under 5 years of age are not permitted onboard during underway events for safety reasons. All proceeds go towards our educational programming, so we can provide amazing at-sea education at subsidized or no cost to the youth in our community. The sail takes place on Saturday, June 24, 1-4 p.m. Boarding will begin 30 minutes prior to start time. $100 for passengers ages 13+, $50 for ages 5-12. Public Dock, 2900 Bluefin Circle, Oxnard, www.channelislandsharbor.org/event/mystic-whaler-public-day-sail/.
SUMMER SOLSTICE WALKABOUT
June 24 | Ojai
Join Ojai author-naturalist Lanny Kaufer for a Summer Solstice Walkabout at Taft Gardens and Nature Preserve on Saturday, June 24, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. “Walkabout” is an Australian term for a temporary return to traditional Aboriginal life, taken especially between periods of work or residence in modern society and usually involving a period of travel through the bush. That is what Kaufer has planned for the participants in observance of the summer solstice. They will take a break from modern life for three hours to experience Nature as their ancestors did, although for a much shorter time than the traditional Australian journey and as a group instead of solo. $45. Taft Gardens and Nature Preserve, www.taftgardens.org/events/2023/6/24/summer-solstice-walkabout.
SUMMER PALOOZA
June 30 – July 1 | Camarillo
Come out for the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District’s Summer Palooza! Kick off your summer with live music, food trucks, lawn games, a bubble zone, a beer garden, sidewalk art, inflatable obstacle course, vendors and more. Stick around after the party on Friday to enjoy the first Movie in the Park, DC League of Super-Pets, which will be shown on a giant inflatable screen on the stage (be sure to bring your own low folding chairs or a blanket). Fun and games begin at 4 p.m. on Friday, June 30; movie screening starts at sunset. On Saturday, July 1, the party takes place 12-4 p.m. Free admission. Community Center Park, 1605 East Burnley Street, Camarillo, 805.482.1996, www.pvrpd.org/2023-06-30-summer-palooza.
POP UP ARTS AND MUSIC FESTIVAL
Through July 1 | Thousand Oaks
The City of Thousand Oaks will bring its annual Pop Up Arts and Music Festival to Thousand Oaks every Friday and Saturday in the month of June.The festival features “pop-up” public performances at various outdoor locations throughout Thousand Oaks. People are encouraged to bring their own chair/blanket, food and drink and come enjoy great entertainment on a summer evening. This year’s exciting and eclectic lineup includes Shaky Feelin’, Afro-Latin combo Quitapenas, the multicultural sounds of Banda Magda and more. For full schedule, list of performers and venues, and more information, visit bapacthousandoaks.com/show-details/pop-up-arts-music-festival23.
JIMMY BUFFETT’S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE
Through July 2 | Moorpark
A jukebox musical that will put you in a summer state of mind! This comedy is inspired by the music of Jimmy Buffett, and features such beloved classics as “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Margaritaville,” “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” “Fins,” “Volcano” and many more. The hilarious yet heartwarming plot centers on a bartender/singer at a rundown hotel in the Caribbean who falls for a career-oriented tourist. Lots of laughter, music and – best of all – fun! $23-$25. High Street Arts Center, 45 East High Street, Moorpark, 805.529.8700, highstreetartscenter.com.
EVENING HARBOR CRUISES
Through October | Ventura
Island Packers presents a special one-hour scenic Evening Harbor Cruise, 6-7 p.m., aboard a 64-foot catamaran in Ventura Harbor on select Saturdays from June through October 2023. The cruise offers guests the opportunity to capture wonderful photography, watch the boats sail by, and view a variety of marine birds and possible harbor seals and sea lions. While on board, guests get a 360-degree view of all Ventura Harbor has to offer and a glimpse of the spectacular waterfront homes in the beautiful Ventura Keys. Plan to visit the restaurants and shops in Ventura Harbor or downtown Ventura before or after your cruise. Seating is available inside the lower cabin and upstairs and the cruise takes visitors through Ventura Harbor and part of the Ventura Keys. A variety of beers and wines, as well as nonalcoholic beverages and snacks, are available for purchase. Fun for all ages! For more info and booking, contact Island Packers at 805.642.1393 or islandpackers.com.
ANDREA VARGAS: ON THE RANCH
Through Sept. 10 | Santa Paula
Andrea Vargas was born and raised on the California coast. Urban environments rich with murals and diversity influenced her early palette and affection for community histories and vibrant illustrations. After she received her BA from the University of California at Berkeley, Vargas began to travel between desert landscapes and coastal cities to paint en plein air. Since then, Vargas has continued to produce artwork and installations that focus on ecological relationships, light and aspects of transformation. Andrea’s work has been exhibited by the Oakland Museum of California, the Ontario Museum of History and Art, the Santa Paula Art Museum, and the Museum of Ventura County. Vargas lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Also on exhibit through July 9 is Shadow and Light: The Landscape Paintings of Bruce Everett. Santa Paula Art Museum, 117 North 10th Street, Santa Paula, 805.525.5554, www.santapaulaartmuseum.org.
ON THE HORIZON
4TH OF JULY STREET FAIR AND PUSHEM-PULLEM PARADE
July 4 | Ventura
Join us for the City of Ventura’s 46th annual 4th of July Street Fair and Pushem-Pullem Parade on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Ventura’s Downtown District. This year’s theme is “2023: Celebration by the Sea!” This year’s event will feature an artisan street fair, a car exhibit, food trucks, live entertainment, and more. Attendees will also be able to enjoy many of downtown’s local shops and outdoor dining as part of Main Street Moves. More information at www.cityofventura.ca.gov/1737/4th-of-July-Street-Fair-Pushem-Pullem-Pa.
FIREWORKS BY THE SEA
July 4 | Oxnard
Ventura County’s only Independence Day seaside fireworks show is back! After dark, the night sky over Channel Islands Harbor will light up with a fabulous and festive fireworks display full of patriotic spirit. But don’t miss the harbor’s daytime entertainment, which includes the Children’s Parade, an electric boat parade, activities, food, rides, games and so much more. For a full schedule of events and all the details, visit www.channelislandsharbor.org/events-festivals/.
