A visit to Ojai is worth 5 stars in itself. It's beautiful and peaceful. We just happened upon the…read moreLavender Festival that we'd planned to attend. I agree with a previous reviewer who expected to see more lavender at a lavender festival. Where were lavender eye pillows? Many of the booths had little to do with lavender. Maybe the very small craft festival needs another name. Underwhelming.

Mm mmm mmmmm...love me some Lavender. But such a darn pity…read moreshame there wasn't much of it here. Seems like most themed festivals do that nowadays. You know...bring everybody to the party but the honored guest. Hellooooooo?? Where the lavender at, people? We need to see an explosion of it. Note to the organizers: slap us in the face with lavender next time, please? There is a reason that people come to this festival, and it ain't for peanuts. Take a guess. -Shout out to the Lavender lemonade vendor. Offering those refills made you #1 in my eyes. -I'm rocking the HELL out of my bag created from recycled blue jeans, made by Blue River. The compliments won't stop. -And I was able to snag a nice bundle of lavender at $3 for the road. Great idea. Car smelled lovely. Let me coordinate this festival next year. I will show you how to make this shit magical. Think about it over coffee.

Family-friendly festival celebrates its 17th year at Boccali's in honor of delicious summery…read moretomatoes. We're enjoying tomato salad, pizza, pasta, eggplant parmigiana, garlic bread, and their amazing strawberry shortcake. Mmmm! To be continued. . . Got to go dance now! Well, that's unfortunate. I finished the review when I got home last night, adding all sorts of detail, but something went wrong with the collection to Yelp's site, and it wouldn't let me post it. All my brilliance is gone. Essentially, the Boccali family hosts a big party for the community to enjoy the harvest of their own tomatoes, ripe, sweet, and juicy, especially the heirloom variety. Along with the tomatoes, several kinds of homemade salad dressings were offered to add tangy flavor. Moving down the line, friendly team members were dishing out portions of eggplant parmigiana, lasagne, mixed veggies, garlic bread, and more. About 8 options of pizza were also ready for dining pleasure. The event takes place in the large grassy area adjacent to the main restaurant. Ringed by stately mature oak trees, this large outdoor room is perfect for this kind of gathering. As the sun descended, I caught a glimpse to the east of the famed "Pink Moment", and mentioned it to our friends, who weren't familiar with it. Soon, we were ducking behind the band's stage to go out by the cornfield to try to get photos of the beautiful sunset effect. We made sure to buy Boccali's fabulous strawberry shortcake; a fitting finish to all the great eats we'd had so far. The dessert and wine tasting were the only things that were extra - everything else was included in the $30 admission charge, including tax and tip. Well worth it! We also enjoyed getting serenaded by the 11-piece Blue Latitude band. They played most of the evening, offering popular dance tunes, highlighting their great brass section. So much fun on a warm summer afternoon slowly changing to night. Thank you, Boccali Family for letting the community join your party!

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

Love, love, love Frog Creek Farm. Can't believe that they have been in business for over a decade…read moreand I just heard about them recently. We had been to another lavender farm in the upper Ojai Valley some years ago and I was looking for that info to return. That one has closed, but thankfully, Frog Creek Farm is a wonderful "find" for us. The lavender full blossom season is short, so you need to check on them via social media to find out when they are open. Instagram has current info. It's a delight to pull off the Ojai/Santa Paula Road and mosey on to their property. They have so much to see, including their cutting garden of seasonal flowers, some places to sit at picnic tables in the shade and even swing (i.e., hammock), the gift shop, and the lavender rows - the main event. Larry provides a great introduction at the small stand adjacent to the flowering beds. He describes the location and how to identify the five kinds of lavender they offer for cutting. For 2025 pricing - $16 earns you a generous bunch of fragrant blooms. After orientation, you are off with a basket to collect the stems, and scissors to do your own cutting / harvesting. As promised, the plentiful bees scattered away as we leaned in to cut the stems close to the main host bushes. We wandered among the rows and filled up our gathering basket. Back at the stand, Larry tied our haul into a beautiful bunch. We proceeded to the gift shop to pay for our pickings, and I also found a few other items to purchase, including lavender-infused spray which has many purposes. Christel greeted us as we were wrapping up our visit. She filled us in as we asked questions about how long they'd been there, as well as about some of their products. She's as sweet and charming as the farm is. What a lovely place to visit. We'll be putting it on the to-do list next summer, for sure!

It's always such a wonderful experience at Frog Creek Farm…read more Arriving at the farm, you just feel like you are transported somewhere else. From the personal lavender lesson, to the hands on cutting, shopping the lavender shed to sipping amazing lavender lemonade under the trees, it's such a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Christel and Larry are just the nicest people. They make you feel so welcome to be visiting their little slice of heaven. We love this annual tradition.

We attended this year's Holiday Homes Tour yesterday, arriving in the Ojai Valley earlier than we…read morenormally do for one of the events. We had to be back in the Conejo by 3:00, so couldn't linger. The lighting in the morning had a soft look, making everything look like it was ready for artistic painting in the beautiful valley. After picking up our tickets at Will Call (only 1 person there to give them out and answer questions - not ideal), we were off on our adventure. We picked up a shuttle van at Matillija Junior High School to visit the first two homes. This year, they were running the vans like clockwork, very efficiently. The first home was originally built for a silent film star in a style reminiscent of her Polish homeland. With a charming fairy tale castle feel, it was outstanding architecturally. Boasting a stunning view of the Topa Topas, it was a great to visit. The seasonal floral decor was too faded for my preference, although the designer's coffee table book for sale there was stunning. The next house had a Mediterranean style focused on easy access to the outdoor living spaces from every bedroom. The central courtyard, a fabulous entertaining space, gave way to a lily pond with trickling waterfall. So lovely! The entire home supported tranquility, and was Dear Hubby's favorite. I enjoyed the bedrooms' layout and charming tilework in the bathrooms, plus the dining loggia, but longed for much more holiday decor. Moving on, we got back to our car to tour the final two places. In Matillija Estates, I found my dream kitchen. Owned by a husband and wife team who live life to the fullest, including racing cars in competition against one another (!), they've created a warm, welcoming home taking advantage of indoor-outdoor Ojai Valley living. The floral designer brought out a lush harvest-time expression, starting with a sprig of berries over the front door. She burst her theme into full glory in the great room, encompassing dining room / family room / kitchen. Loved It! The two acre property encompassed a cozy guest house where many of us would be happy to live. Other side buildings were sprinkled around the meandering gardens, complete with a pond. Could have stayed there a lot longer, soaking up the gracious environment if we hadn't been on a tight time schedule. The last home sat at the end of a long driveway on a flag lot. It had been gutted / extensively remodeled, with great results. The owner is also a designer, and she chose to showcase Christmas decor. Bright red accents in the great room set a cheerful tone for the season soon to come. The guesthouse / man cave in the backyard also added to the appeal of the property. DH discovered a chicken coop I missed. There was a lot to see and appreciate there. Overall, we enjoyed the eclectic collection of homes selected this year. Great variety! Two of the houses really showcased seasonal decorations, which is my main focus on attending this event yearly. As it is hosted by the Music Festival, I've got to say that I was underwhelmed by the musical performances this time. Largely introspective, introverted stylings were offered during the hours we attended. In years past, we've enjoyed the spirited, cheerful renditions of a variety of songs from choral groups, including madrigals in costume. Will we attend again? Yes. Will we be hopeful for more evolution in the decor and musical areas? Yes. I do commend the organizers and the scores of volunteers for presenting this special community event each Autumn. Thank you for inviting all of us to your lovely home town!

Nothing like a relaxing evening in beautiful Libby Park under the trees. All contemporary…read morecomposers. Some pieces were exceptionally interesting, others were pretty out there--even according to my ethnomusicologist companion.

Amazing Tour of one of Johnny Cash's first homes with first wife Vivian and four daughters . Our…read morehostess and tour guide Lisa was amazing!!! Knowledgeable warm interesting and inviting .. loved the whole experience. Highly recommended.

Perfect!! Amazing!!!! Coolest place ever!!! It's just the way interior is so cool. How about the…read morepink room??! Wow!

I just love this place! It is so special, small and intimate!…read more It beats downtown LA, parking, traffic, and the crazy dirtiness! Everyone is so nice the best customer service so many happy people.. it's where I would rather be..

A special music venue in a special town. Never tried the food and the beer line was too long but…read morethe music and venue were superb.

I have to agree with all the 5 star reviews! It's the owner that made this already great gallery…read moreeven better. She took the time to explain the art, the history of the conversation of this historic home into the gallery, the legacy of Beatrice Wood and the inspiration behind the items in the gift shop. I bought some of the chocolates that are made locally in Ojai but I love the art on the packaging that I'm not ready to open them yet :) She also gave great recommendations for food and activities in Ojai. Thank you! Update: Ate a chocolate bar. I just need to tell you all how delicious it was!

Was there yesterday and didn't have time to view the gallery but was following the street signs to…read moretheir chocolate sign. They make and sell a line of chocolates that is simply amazing. The owner provided great information about the artist who inspired their chocolate. Can't wait to go back and buy more chocolate and walk the gallery.

WE have been coming to Majestic Oak Winery for a few years now. It seems to be more like our…read morepersonal tasting room where we bring out of state, out of country and local friends to enjoy a most delicious selection of wines in a very comfortable atmosphere. The staff are always most friendly and very knowledgable about MOW wines. A One of a Kind Happy Place right here in Ojai!

The Majestic Oak showcases well crafted wines from the local growing regions. They have a…read moredelightful Secret Garden outdoor patio with plenty of shade. Rita is so knowledgeable about the tasting notes and origins of all their wines. She always makes us feel at home while we're enjoying glorious wine selections out on the patio. She has a list of tastes and she'll add in a pour or two when she has something special off the list. They offer an accessible wine tasting experience that's enjoyable for both wine enthusiasts and a first time wine tasting encounter. Majestic Oak features Rhône varietals such as Syrah, Grenache and a lesser known Cinsault. We are members of their wine club because of the quality of their wines and the value. The rich reds that we selected were sourced from local Ojai vineyards as well as the best of the Santa Barbara County growing regions. They also offer beautiful white wine varieties that call for a summer picnic or garden party. We loved the Bruce's Rose that celebrates their mascot, Bruce. Highly recommend for the quality of their wines and for the wine tasting experience.

What a great winery! Aaron was very helpful and knowledgeable about the wines and a great…read moreconversationalist :) We'll definitely be coming back next time we're in Ojai!

Highly recommend stopping in for a tasting if you're in the area. My husband and I are no wine…read moreexperts... But we enjoy our fair share of wine and really enjoyed the wines here. So much so, that we signed up for a membership! Pricing is more than reasonable, in my opinion. Especially for natural and organic wine... That is so hard to find here in the states! Aaron (who I believe is the manager?) led us thru a great tasting and shared a few nice stories about the wine and the winemaker and the history of The Naturalist. Lastly- you're always going to win my heart over when you invite our dogs in!