Events and Festivals Calendar for Ventura, California

“A Line In the Sand” is a collaboration between Christine Leong and Andrea Vargas. Their friendship is unique in that they work on pieces of art together, combining different mediums and techniques. Usually, one will work on the background before giving the piece to the other to complete the artwork. For this art show at Fox Fine Jewelry, they work together to show just what makes Ventura home in the midst of travelling all over the world, illustrating poetry within minerals without reservation.

Letters for the Lost, an exhibit marking the 90^th anniversary of the St. Francis Dam Disaster, commemorates the lives lost during one of America’s worst civil engineering disasters of the 20^th century. Currently on display in the historic Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula, itself a St. Francis Dam survivor in one of the heaviest damaged cities within the dam’s flood path, Letters for the Lost provides an intimate look at never-before-seen letters of correspondence between Oliver Reardon, Ventura County’s Coroner in 1928, and the families and friends of missing loved one desperately seeking answers. The exhibit runs through July 16, and admission is included as part of the museum general admission ticket. The Ag Museum is located at 26 Railroad Avenue, Santa Paula and is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, visit venturamuseum.org or call 805-525-3100.

Letters for the Lost, an exhibit marking the 90^th anniversary of the St. Francis Dam Disaster, commemorates the lives lost during one of America’s worst civil engineering disasters of the 20^th century. Currently on display in the historic Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula, itself a St. Francis Dam survivor in one of the heaviest damaged cities within the dam’s flood path, Letters for the Lost provides an intimate look at never-before-seen letters of correspondence between Oliver Reardon, Ventura County’s Coroner in 1928, and the families and friends of missing loved one desperately seeking answers. The exhibit runs through July 16, and admission is included as part of the museum general admission ticket. The Ag Museum is located at 26 Railroad Avenue, Santa Paula and is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, visit venturamuseum.org or call 805-525-3100.

Community members are invited to attend the first annual Ventura Unified School District Student Art Show, to be held at the Museum of Ventura County, 100 E. Main Street, Ventura. Established through the efforts of the Ventura Arts Collaborative, a cooperative program of VUSD, the City of Ventura and the Ventura Education Partnership, the juried show will highlight elementary, middle and high school student artists. In total, over 50 works by high school students will be selected from hundreds of submitted pieces – including watercolors, photography, acrylic paintings, mixed media and pencil drawings. There will be a VIP reception for visual arts supporters from 5 to 6:30 p.m., followed by a $25 ticketed fundraising event, 6:30 to 8 p.m., April 19 , where student awards will be presented at 7 p.m. All proceeds from this event go to support VUSD’s art programs. The art show opens to the public, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 21. Admission is free and there is ample free parking. In addition to viewing artwork, student musicians will be performing throughout the day and local food trucks will be on-site. The artwork will remain on display through May 6. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Sabrena Rodriguez at sabrena.rodriguez@venturausd.org or Anna Bermudez at abermudez@venturamuseum.org.

Community members are invited to attend the first annual Ventura Unified School District Student Art Show, to be held at the Museum of Ventura County, 100 E. Main Street, Ventura. Established through the efforts of the Ventura Arts Collaborative, a cooperative program of VUSD, the City of Ventura and the Ventura Education Partnership, the juried show will highlight elementary, middle and high school student artists. In total, over 50 works by high school students will be selected from hundreds of submitted pieces – including watercolors, photography, acrylic paintings, mixed media and pencil drawings. There will be a VIP reception for visual arts supporters from 5 to 6:30 p.m., followed by a $25 ticketed fundraising event, 6:30 to 8 p.m., April 19 , where student awards will be presented at 7 p.m. All proceeds from this event go to support VUSD’s art programs. The art show opens to the public, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 21. Admission is free and there is ample free parking. In addition to viewing artwork, student musicians will be performing throughout the day and local food trucks will be on-site. The artwork will remain on display through May 6. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Sabrena Rodriguez at sabrena.rodriguez@venturausd.org or Anna Bermudez at abermudez@venturamuseum.org.

Join us at the 2018 State of Education Luncheon is March 26, 2018, 11:30 – 1:30 pm at the Wright Events Center at Ventura College. Speakers will be presenting from VUSD, Ventura College and CSUCI. This year’s topic is “Safety Today; Security Tomorrow: Adapting to Societal and Economic Change.” Essentially, what are our schools doing to provide safety proactively and retroactively. A few of the questions posed to the speakers are:

How have the recent events changed the way your organization is operating, educating  and preparing students?

Has it affected your ability to attract and retain faculty, administration and students to your organizations?

How can the business community engage with you to help you achieve your goals and desired outcomes?

Tickets to this event can be purchased at:www.venturachamber.com/stateofeducation

Gold Coast Veterans Foundation proudly sponsors our bi-annual Veterans Recognition and Flag Replacement Ceremony at the Ventura County Veterans Memorial (at the corner of Victoria Ave. and Telephone Rd. in the City of Ventura).

Our ceremony is held twice a year to replace the worn flags flown at the Veterans Memorial. A veteran from each military branch will be honored, replace their military flag, and awarded a shadow box with their service flag.

We hope to see you at the Veterans Memorial on Friday, April 27, to honor our veterans who served and sacrificed!

IBEW Local 47 and OST devoted many hours and material to improve the Veterans Memorial we are enjoying today. This memorial is maintained by the City of Ventura, Gold Coast Veterans Foundation, and the Vietnam Veterans of Ventura County.

Brooklyn Charm hosts collaboration with Cask Alehouse in this nautical themed workshop, where you get to bring your own sea glass and learn how to wire wrap it into a pendant for a necklace. Choose up to three extra charms to add for a cluster design. Then learn basic assembly to attach the pendant to a chain. Learn to use wire cutters, chain nose and round nose pliers in combination with wire, and loose stones (with no hole) to make a one of a kind wire wrapped pendant. Each student is allotted one free beer or wine during the workshop. 

Must register in advance with Cask Alehouse!

Join the Ventura Land Trust (VLT) at “Monarch Madness” – a family-friendly pollinator planting event at the Big Rock Nature Preserve along the Ventura River. This 3rd annual free, open-to-the-public event is made possible by funding from SoCalGas.

VLT will demonstrate how to plant milkweed and other pollinator plants and provide attendees with instruction, gardening gloves, shovels, native plants and mulch. Special guest and monarch butterfly enthusiast, Juliana Danaus, will demonstrate how to make milkweed seed balls and Ventura Girl Scout Troop 61135, that recently donated their cookie sale money to the VLT Thomas Fire Recovery Fund, will lead a butterfly-themed craft project.

“Thanks to generous support from SoCalGas, Ventura Land Trust will continue to repair areas burned in the Thomas Fire and replant a beautiful oasis near the Ventura River that attracts butterflies, bees and human visitors alike,” said Derek Poultney, VLT executive director.

Ventura Land Trust plants and nurtures native plants and trees that provide habitat, food, and shelter for the wide variety of pollinator animals, birds, butterflies, and bees.  Nectar-producing plants also provide many animals with the energy needed for their long migratory journeys. Due to the use of pesticides and the overdevelopment of natural areas that include pollinator plants, many native bees and butterflies are on the decline. Planting events like Monarch Madness support the survival of many species.

“SoCalGas is committed to helping Ventura recover from the Thomas Fire. We are pleased to partner with Ventura Land Trust and encourage the community to support their work to revitalize our local environment” said Maria Ventura, SoCalGas Public Affairs Manager.

This event is appropriate for people of all ages but children must be accompanied by an adult. Attendees should wear sturdy closed-toe shoes, long pants, a hat, sunscreen and bring a water bottle. The Big Rock Nature Preserve is located off Highway 33 along the Ojai-Ventura Bike Trail, just south of Foster Park.  To RSVP, go to www.venturalandtrust.org/events.

For more information, visit www.venturalandtrust.org or call VLT at: (805) 643-8044.

Come and get your yoga on while our mini goats graze, play and jump around (or on) you! Goat Yoga is an interactive yoga class that helps you get Zen with goats. The classes are for beginners and great for those new to yoga or those who need more baby goats in their life!
Know before you go:
All proceeds go to Wild Women Project. Wild Women Project assists at-risk youth with experiential wilderness and animal-assisted development programs. Please visit www.wildwomenproject.org for additional info!
— We will set aside time after class for extra socializing and picture taking with the goats if you do not get the shot you want during yoga practice! Do not worry – they will hang around with you after class is over!
— Please bring a yoga mat, sunscreen, and a water bottle.
— Be prepared for our mini goats to jump, graze, and take an interest in you! They are excited to host you!
— Please arrive a few minutes early. Everyone will need to sign-in and sign a waiver before the class starts.
Our herd looks forward to meeting you!

Come and get your yoga on while our mini goats graze, play and jump around (or on) you! Goat Yoga is an interactive yoga class that helps you get Zen with goats. The classes are for beginners and great for those new to yoga or those who need more baby goats in their life!
Know before you go:
All proceeds go to Wild Women Project. Wild Women Project assists at risk youth with experiential wilderness and animal assisted development programs. Please visit www.wildwomenproject.org for additional info!
— We will set aside time after class for extra socializing and picture taking with the goats if you do not get the shot you want during yoga practice! Do not worry – they will hang around with you after class is over!
— Please bring a yoga mat, sunscreen and a water bottle.
— Be prepared for our mini goats to jump, graze, and take an interest in you! They are excited to host you!
— Please arrive a few minutes early. Everyone will need to sign-in and sign a waiver before the class starts.
Our herd looks forward to meeting you!

Locals and Beyond!

Dress up and celebrate National Superhero Day SEASIDE at Ventura Harbor on Saturday April 28^th from 1-3pm

This is a day to honor superheroes both local and beyond, real and fictional. Take a photo with Spiderman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Visit with real life local heroes who save lives and keep us safe like Harbor Patrol, Firemen, Military personnel & more. Our real-life superheroes may not have super powers or wear capes, but they are great role models who serve and protect while fighting evil.

There will be special offers for those who dress up in their favorite superhero costume!

On this fun food walking tour we stop at six shops and restaurants for tastings and conversations with the chefs, owners, and entrepreneurs behind some of the county’s best eats. Our tours are informal and intimate, giving a behind the scenes look into the local food scene as well as insight into the history and architecture of Ventura. Partnering businesses include Spencer Makenzie’s, Paradise Pantry, Palermo Coffee, We Olive, Vom Fass, Ventiki Polynesian Lounge, Barrelhouse 101 and Sunflowers on the Square. Private tours are available upon request for groups of 8 or more. Tours run most Saturdays and some Sundays, starting at 10:30am. 24 Hour Reservation Required.