BELLES
Nov. 18 | Ventura
With stunning vocals and lyrics as rich as the soil of her native land Nebraska, Kelli Rachel Belles’ natural charisma and charm comes through her songs and straight to your heart. Belles’ lyrics tell stories of love, heartbreak and hardships with deep meaning and wit. Nashville industry folks have compared her songwriting to a young Dolly Parton and a female Brad Paisley. Performance takes place on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. NAMBA Performing Arts Space, 47 South Oak Street, Ventura, 805.628.9250, www.nambaarts.com.
LABYRINTH WORKSHOP WITH LARS HOWLETT
Nov. 18 | Ojai
Celebrate the creation of the Taft Labyrinth! The designer and creator, Lars Howlett, will facilitate a walking meditation to live cello music by Rob Hodges. Learn how labyrinths create a sacred journey through time and space in our inaugural labyrinth event, taking place 2-4 p.m. At 4 p.m.,enjoy a reception hosted by Jaide Whitman, Taft Gardens CEO and Nita and Henk van der Werff, Labyrinth sponsors, at the Pavilion House. Meet the labyrinth creator team and enjoy refreshments. $35. Tickets and more information at www.taftgardens.org.
THANKSGIVING INTERFAITH SERVICE
Nov. 20 | Santa Paula
The Santa Paula Ministerial Association (SPMA) will be sponsoring a Thanksgiving Interfaith Thanksgiving worship service for our community on Monday, Nov. 20, at St. Paul’s Episcopal and Lutheran Church. This will be a service in which all in our community may participate from their tradition and express thanksgiving for our families and all the gifts we share in our beloved community. The goal of the service is to include a diverse representation of faith traditions and languages of prayer. Readings and prayers will be by local clergy, members of our congregations and the community of Santa Paula. There will be a combined choir directed by Rev. Maddie Sifantus and accompanied by Janelle Fanslow as well as the Bell Choir of the Presbyterian Church directed by Steve Batstone. The service begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be followed by a pie reception. An offering will be collected for Poder Popular. 117 North Seventh Street, Santa Paula. uucsp.org/events/2045/santa-paula-interfaith-thanksgiving-service/.
DIRTY DANCING IN CONCERT
Nov. 21 | Thousand Oaks
Join us for Dirty Dancing in Concert, the classic film’s first live film-to-concert experience. Enjoy the digitally remastered hit film like never before on a full-size cinema screen, with a live band and singers performing the film’s iconic songs. With a soundtrack that marked a generation, Dirty Dancing in Concert promises to bring a thrilling new and unique experience to the 1980s classic. Immerse yourself in the timeless romance and experience one of the most memorable movies of the past 35 years — now live! Performance takes place at 7:30 p.m. $50-$100. Fred Kavli Theatre, Bank of America Performing Arts Center, 2100 East Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks, 805.449.2787, bapacthousandoaks.com.
“SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAYS” TRAIN
Nov 25 | Ventura County
Sierra Northern’s “Spirit of the Holidays” Train that operates in the Santa Clara River Valley will run on Saturday, Nov. 25, between Ventura and Santa Paula. Operated by Sierra Northern’s Ventura Division and The Sunburst Train, the event will feature a visit by Santa Claus and his elves. At each stop, Santa and his helpers will collect unwrapped new toys to be given to needy area children. Candy canes will be given out to one and all. The train will be at the pedestrian crossing just east of Montgomery Avenue in Ventura from 6:20 to 6:50 p.m., and travel to Aleia Street near the Saticoy Depot from 7 to 7:30 p.m. From 8 to 8:30 p.m. Santa will be at the Santa Paula Depot. For more information, contact Matt Blackburn at 530.490.1446 or visit www.sunbursttrain.com/spirit-of-the-holidays/.
AN EVENING WITH RAINN WILSON
Nov. 28 | Ventura
Actor Rainn Wilson, the Emmy-nominated and SAG Award-winning actor best known for playing the inimitable Dwight Schrute for nine seasons on NBC’s The Office, has generously offered to be interviewed by Artistic Director Karyl Lynn Burns. He will share some hilarious and heartfelt stories about his career and perform a short dramatic reading to support Rubicon. $20-$39.50. Rubicon Theatre Company, 1006 East Main Street, Ventura, 805.667.2900, www.rubicontheatre.org.
OXNARD TREE LIGHTING CELEBRATION AND HOLIDAY MARKET
Nov. 30 | Oxnard
Join community leaders, merchants in Downtown Oxnard, and friends and family in a festive tradition to light up Ventura County’s tallest Christmas tree — 110 feet high! Entertainment, food trucks, a holiday marketplace and Santa’s arrival ring in the season. The tree lighting takes place 5-9 p.m. at beautiful Plaza Park. Free. Plaza Park, 500 South C Street, Oxnard,
visitoxnard.com/events/oxnard-tree-lighting-celebration-and-holiday-market/.
THE LARAMIE PROJECT: TEN YEARS LATER
Nov. 30 – Dec. 1 | Ventura
Shortly after the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, playwright Moises Kaufman (founder of the Tectonic Theater Project) led a team of theater-collective collaborators to create The Laramie Project. Together, they blended the more than 200 interviews they conducted with Laramie residents with re-enactments of parts of the trials of Shepard’s killers. Ten years later, the team went back to Laramie to re-interview many of the people they’d met a decade ago — as well as talking to some new sources. They wanted to write an epilogue that addressed the continued debate over the reasons for Shepard’s death and to explore time’s complicated effect on personal and collective memory and narrative. Presented by Ventura College Theater Arts. $5-$15. Helen Yunker Stadium at the Ventura College Performing Arts Center, 4700 Loma Vista Road, Ventura, www.venturacollege.edu/performing-arts.
