Camped at Lake Casitas and went to the Ojai wine festival. What a great event ! Live music , lots…read moreof tastings, beer and wine and free boat rides on the lake! A local great fundraiser!

This is my second year coming to the festival, great friends, wine, dance music…read more Shopping, only Complaint is too short of a time 12:00-4:00 pm music needs to go longer. more dancing, On a more positive note !! I lost my Work cell Phone and long story short David from the Rotary helped me find it and recover it, it contained 3 credit cards and my DRivers license!! blessings to him and his wife !! We will be back next year !! More dancing ??? Please

Upon entering from W 5th, there was a photo op area to take pictures with Santa. The food stalls…read moreand trucks were also in the same section. In the grass area there were many vendors selling various items. There was also a stage for musical performances. There were a few food stalls that sold tamales exclusively but most seemed to have a variety of offerings on their menu. Several vendors listed the price of $6 per tamale, which is pretty steep. I only recognized The Original Tamale Co. as I've had their tamales before at the farmers market. Their tamales are big and yummy. There was also a stand that sold sweet tamales with different fruit fillings. As I arrived later in the afternoon the lines for food was short and it seemed a few of the vendors were already sold out because their booths looked zipped up. Most festival goers were relaxing on the grass enjoying the musical performances. Although coming later you can avoid the crowd and easier parking but it didn't seem like I got to enjoy the festival to the fullest so I plan to attend much earlier next year.

What does a gal do when she wants to go to a festival and has no one to go with? She goes by…read moreherself and has a great time!!!! I walked around and visited the different vendors. I also really enjoyed the live music. I stopped at The Canyon truck as last year I really liked the tamales tatemados! I got a red pork tamale. The gentleman even remembered my name ... like what!!!! That was over a year ago!! I got an agua de sandía for 10 bucks at another stand. Wow .. pricey . Festival foods are pricey though! The line for gourmet tamales was long but they're not from Oxnard or even Ventura County. Back in the day it was more local vendors. I wish it was more of that. I'd love to see more local Oxnard, Port Hueneme ... etc vendors. Maybe even a home cook competition!

OVA Arts is located in downtown Ojai. The gallery showcases a variety of original art forms and…read morecontemporary crafts from local artists from Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. They display and sell the varied artist's custom jewelry, paintings, photography, pottery, sculptures, glass art, woodcrafts and much more. If you're looking for a special and unique gift or something for your own personal space, OVA Arts offers a wide variety of one-of-a-kind creations. They encourage visitors to leisurely browse and enjoy the in-house multitude of different mediums throughout the gallery.

I'm not white and I was followed by the person working at the store on 12/28/25 after 430pm. I…read morewalked in from the back entry and the worker acknowledged me. I walked around the store and I was not the only patron. I walked around and noticed the worker behind me. I realized what was happening and I went behind the worker to verify my suspicions that I was being followed. The worker turned herself to face me and ignored other patrons in the store. I left after her profiling was clear. This was not the first time I was profiled that day. Do better with your staff. I'm never coming back and will tell others to not come to the store.

My friends and I had a great time coming to the 20th Seaside Highland Games festival in Ventura,…read moreCA. I was eager to come this year after learning about them over the summer when they had a booth at the 4th of July festival. Having been to Scotland, I was excited to see how California represented the culture and heritage of the Scottish and other European countries. It's a two day event but you can opt for single day tickets or both. My main reason for docking a star is it is a little pricey for what it is. $25 for one day tickets, $15 for parking, and then naturally any food or drinks will have you easily at $$ for a festival that we only stayed at for about 3 hours. I definitely wanted to support local so I was happy to get the tickets but given this is a smaller scale festival (in my opinion) it just seemed a little pricey. Not too bad though. Just like anything though, it adds up. I will say the festival was well spread out and not crowded. That was definitely nice and it was a perfect day being held in October, about 71 degrees, sun was out but not too hot. They had food vendors that were fun and traditional. Outside they had fish and chips, meat pies, and some classic American food to name a few. Inside they had some traditional fair like Scottish eggs and welsh cakes with clotted cream. We tried both. The Scottish eggs were mid, wouldn't get again since they can't deep fry them and instead microwave them. BUT the welsh cakes and clotted cream were a stand out. Delicious 10/10. Wish I had bought some to bring home. The highlight of this festival definitely is the Highland Games with the different sports and competitions going on in the back. My friends and I grabbed some cold beers and watched for a good hour the men and women competing. It was very fun, interactive, and entertaining. I would definitely come back again just to see this. Also plenty of men in kilts so it was a win win. Appreciated that there were a few beer stalls and beers on tap. We savored our Guinnesses and Harp Lager before heading out for the day. This festival is fun and if you have European ancestry or heritage related to like Ireland, Norway, Scotland, wales etc. then this is definitely a wonderful weekend event for you. I only hope it continues to grow and I would definitely come back. Very wholesome yet fun.

This is a great festival it's not too spread out and has loads of clans and great vendors and…read moreentertainment

We had a wonderful time at the Annual Parade of lights. We walked around the harbor and stayed…read morenearby which was a great way to experience all the festivities. Our son loved watching the boat go back an forth on the harbor. The fireworks to end the night really made it special for us. It does get crowded in the Village Harbor but your able to walk around and atill enjoy the event from a distance or on Portside. Parking did seem to be difficult once the event was rolling but we stayed near the harbor so that was not an issue for us.

WOWSIE!!!! What an event! This is our second year attending this event and it was even BETTER than…read moreI remembered from last year! The Ventura Harbor area fills with locals and visitors to the area to see the boats complete 2 laps around A DESIGNATED AREA OF THE HARBOR - NOT THE ENTIRE HARBOR (important to do an online search beforehand if you want to know the boat route and seat according to a view of the boat parade)! Then a glorious 8 FULL MINUTES firework display on the beach tops off the night. Before, during and for a short time after the fireworks end, a carnival is in operation with rides and food. Last year we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express and it was an easy walk to Ventura Harbor Village, where the bulk of the action takes place. There are also many places to dine in this area and, I believe, the restaurants along here offer special, reservations in advance, seating for this event, since their patios view the harbor. This year we were 2.1 miles away, staying at Harbortown Point Resort(separate review), but still walked the level, pedestrian friendly route to the hub of festivities and - even better IMO - to the beach where the fireworks get launched. I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy and LOVE LOVE LOVE the burst, brightness and body reverberating blasts of fireworks, so we stand on the sand to be as close as safely allowed to view these beauties. While I don't participate in the carnival rides and foods found in abundance, many people do. Families towing wagons of kids in PJs arrive early to stake out places along the pedestrian walkway from Harbortown Point to Channel Islands Visitor Center to watch and wave to the boaters before the parade boats make their way to the channel entrance to watch the fireworks. The key here is MANY PEOPLE! It is a VERY festive and light-hearted event, with many families and family friendly activities and food. You can arrive early, meaning well before sunset, to stake a place and stay, but most of the crowd seems to leave at the same time, meaning stop and go traffic from the harbor out the Spinnaker Drive, with nary a flow until you hit E Harbor Blvd. The city graciously provides free shuttle service to and from multiple locations at the harbor, but I think the best suggestion I can give is to aim for the event free parking near the Channel Islands Visitor Center(which happens to be the furthest point of the stop-and-go traffic jam), but then plan on staying for about an hour after fireworks end, to walk along the harbor, see the "snow" blowing over the beautiful decorations, enjoy a churro, or funnel cake, look and the docked boats with lights, take some photos and let the traffic lighten. Honestly, we've walked this event 2 years in a row now and are surprised how many people we hear say, 'C'mon! Let's get going before the traffic!' and then sit in their cars, waiting in traffic. There's more than a 50% reduction in pedestrians along the harbor as soon as the fireworks end. So if you're there because you like the sights and sounds of the season, and maybe want some unhealthy goodies to sweeten your experience, just plan on staying later than others. Better yet, wanna participate??? Beautifully lit swan paddle boats are available to rent during the parade and also, you can buy a ticket aboard a harbor cruise boat and see the parade UP COSE! Bathrooms are open at Ventura Harbor Village, and at the building where Island Packers is located. Some of the restaurants are also very kind to allow bystanders to use their facilities. I am a big fan of this event and plan on returning many more years, but always staying local and within walking distance. Cheers! "CC"

My experience was five star because the ladies in the back room cataloging items and Steve, who…read morewelcomed us when we walked in the door, were super knowledgeable about the area and the changes going on in the museum. After COVID, most of the items were stored to be brought out later, sorted and cataloged. That's an ongoing, huge job. That's why some of the items now noted on the website are not in view-like the 3000 salt shakers and vintage produce boxes labels. But there are plenty of artifacts and storyboards left to find out about the cultural, agricultural, port/naval history and notable families who shaped the area. Hours are limited so check before you go. They also steered us to a reasonably priced, local favorite Mexican restaurant, Antonio's just a minute by car down the street.

I posted a Review on 04/14/2017.there are no updates as of now that I can share. Except that the…read moremuseum has a lengthy schedule of up-coming Events that will shed more light on activities available to the Public. If you're in the vicinity, drop by and meet Larry & Johnny. expand your culture. It will be well worth it.

I joined this club in hopes to help preserve Camarillo History. What a mistake I made. The people…read moreare rude members and they have meeting at 4:00 p.m. many cannot attend. The President wanted to change a zoning law to allow a Pet Cementary in Camarillo at the new owners of Ivy Lawn Morturary off Daily. Without researching the project the President spoke at a Public Camarillo City Council Meeting and said the group was for this! Well many members might not want this. I have a close friend who's business in next door. She would be totally impacted by the change of zoning. My advice before you go to a City Council meeting read and research what you plan on speaking about. I am glad the City of Camarillo Planning and City Council did not allow this stupid plan of a Pet Cementary by Ivy Lawn.

This is an overdue review. On our ongoing quest to fill up the Passport 2 History book, we stopped…read morein at the Pleasant Valley Historical Society's site some months ago. A couple of docents were happy to show us around the indoor space, telling tales all the while. They have an amazing collection of vintage telephones, including some very early ones, rare samples, plus some whimsical collectible ones like Mickey Mouse and Snoopy. They were donated by a gentleman with a connection to the organization. He may have been on the board at one time. I've forgotten that detail, but not the sight of those phones. For today's kids that only know cell phones, these would be a revelation. The indoor space of the museum section is on the small side. They were recently extended a long lease for the property and are launching a building campaign to expand their facility, allowing for more historical items to be displayed for visitors. Following the inside part of our time on the property, we proceeded out to their botanical gardens. Anchored by a large gazebo, the grounds were a riot of seasonal color. This is a bit of a wild child of a garden design. I think they're trying to move from a more formal, water-intensive style to a drought tolerant landscape. It's evolving. Seems like they rely on volunteers to tend the gardens, or to make improvements. The end result felt a bit disjointed, but with great intentions. The father back in, the wilder it gets. Overall, this is a community gem and worth a visit. You could linger for an hour or so, especially if you find a seat in the garden to soak up the colors and textures of the plantings. In this 90th anniversary year of the St. Francis Dam disaster, various materials on the event were featured, also.

GETTING HERE:…read more Located in the Channel Islands Harbor at 3900 Bluefin Circle. It's deep into the Harbor and you will drive for a bit. I was exploring Oxnard recently and found it on Yelp. Thank you Yelp as always! REVIEW: https://www.cimmvc.org/ You had me at museum and water. Such a lovely hidden gem (to me) in the V.C. In full disclosure, I didn't know what to expect and I was floored! Ships galore, in model or art form. I was greeted at the front and gladly paid the ticket fee. I was told there was an option to have a docent provide me a tour, but I decided to explore on my own. I don't speak ships, so I don't have the correct terminology, but please come check it out for yourself. Spend the day out here and immerse yourself in the history that is at our fingertips. Such a great experience. Thankful to live so close to this and thankful to the volunteers who serve here. Very definitely highly recommend! **** Please note that I have several photos attached. They're not showing on the app but they do show on the yelp.com website.

This museum is beautifully located on the harbor and contains a large collection of paintings and…read moremodel ships. We were fortunate enough to have a tour led by one of the many docents that work at the museum. Admission is very low priced and you can also become a member. We learned a lot of fascinating stories of battles and how ships were built. Highly recommend.