We had a great time last Saturday evening on the Beer Wine & Blues Train! The wine was provided by…read moreReyes Winery; great local winery located in Agua Dulce. What a fun little trip. You start in Filmore and cruise (slowly) to Santa Paula. The train has about 5 total PARTY cars. Wine was at one end, beer at the other. The last car is open (free air) and had a rock'n band! Lot's of Jimi Hendrix and Stevey Ray Von. It was a kick crossing HWY 126 a couple of times with the band jamming, people dancing and everyone raising there glasses to the cars stopped at the train crossing. Definitely a must do.

Honestly, when we signed up for the Sugar Plum Express, we thought we were getting a 45 minute…read moreholly jolly train ride experience complete with Santa, hot chocolate and tamales. What we got instead was a VERY SLOW train ride (that lasted 15 minutes) with a landscape of trash, debris and homelessness (which was an interesting conversation with our very young child) that brought us to "Loose Caboose" which could only be described as a major letdown...complete with sad/cold animals in pens, overpriced plastic trinkets and tree bits to paint as ornaments. My advise is just to cut out the middleman: just take $60 and light it on fire...that would be MORE FUN than this.

We do the polar express every yr for 5 yrs n it's amazing. Great experience n fun. Love themread more

I believe. I believe. I believe…read more We went with a group of 15, we all purchased our tickets separately and were still able to grab seats near one another. The seats were perfect and comfy. The actors where fun and engaging and wow could they sing. The most magical moment is when santa shows up and the fact that he spends one on one time with every child is worth it. Is there room for improvement absolutely. The set up before getting on the train is just thrown together and you don't feel like you're at the north pole at all. The gift shop feels like a last minute idea, again just thrown together. If my kids weren't so young this probably would have not been worth it but they are and still believe in the magic of Christmas so it worked for us this year. Plenty of parking Bathroom is quite a ways away from the train so make sure to go before heading toward the train. Tickets are a little pricey in comparison to the value of event. If it weren't for the actors one on one engagement with our little ones and santa this would have been a flop so kudos to every single one of the performers for truly making the whole experience.

Sitting right near City Hall is a small unassuming building that used to be the fire station…read more Inside sits a treasure trove of train memorabilia. There are model trains, and a vast train library on one side, on the other side, pictures, lanterns, tickets and all kinds of stuff relating to trains going back decades. If you are a fan of history or trains, I think you will enjoy this. There was also a very nice staff member inside who chatted with us for awhile and told us about some of the movie and TV productions that have been done around Fillmore and Santa Paula relating to trains. If its a train, chances are it was filmed around there. Did ya know Throw Momma from the Train was done there? Neither did I! It was fun to talk to him and learn about the upcoming RailFest they are having March 27th and 28th. you can learn more about that here http://www.scrvrhs.com/ Oh, and one of the most amazing things, this museum is FREE!

An adorable man named Kenny was operating the model trains that occupy about a quarter of the space…read moreas we arrived, just about closing time. Kenny proceeded to talk our ears off for over an hour! He told us all about the area, the agriculture, the filming that takes place, his time in the service (he was a veteran of Japan, Korea, and the Middle East back in the 60s or something), his opinions about the high speed rail, and his knowledge of the highways all over the West. All we saw of the museum was the model train set and Kenny so I can't really speak much about it, but the place gets 4 stars just because of him. May we all be in such good shape if we ever live to be his age, whatever that may be.

Nice to know the local history Docent was super…read moreknowledgeable & played 3 different music contraptions. My favorite was the big music box with the huge round discs Weekends more buildings are open Train cars here to see as well

Despite heat and humidity putting a damper on the will to explore, other than in air conditioning,…read moreI was charmed by the Fillmore Historical Museum. We checked it out last weekend as part of the Passport 2 History program. The good people of Fillmore have supported the assembly of several vintage buildings, creating a museum complex on Main Street, adjacent to the tracks serving the Fillmore and Western Railway. Inside the main building, various rooms feature different themes pertaining to the town's development. I liked that these were everyday citizens' lives remembered, with their clothing and household or business items. Not that there weren't more prominent people featured, but it just felt like a community effort, as opposed to a glorification of any particular family. An upstairs room devoted to the Fillmore High School memorabilia caught my attention, plus another with WWII uniforms and tales of local soldiers. Another has artifacts from the Masons organization. In the restored depot building a display on the St. Francis Dam disaster was featured. Many of the County museums are likewise highlighting the event in this, its 90th anniversary, year. I wish I knew more about the story of the antique car in the garage adjacent to the cottage on the property. It was featured on the History Channel, but I don't know why. It was beastly hot in the uninsulated garage, so I didn't stick around to find out! Let the photos suffice for now. Kudos to Fillmore for sharing their history with present day visitors. May more guests come to appreciate your efforts here! **Of special note is the early version of a CD player, only the discs aren't very compact.

Why does this train have a 1 star..? I suppose everyone has…read morea different experience, but my experience was awesome! I would highly recommend this! Who doesn't want to shoot at zombies while on a moving train? You ride the train for about 15 minutes to a field full of zombies. I suppose there could be more zombies but they had about 8 which I thought was a fair amount. Most of the zombies did come close enough so you could actually shoot them (and trust me, we all went crazy lol). A few were too far away but you could still hit their barriers! The actual shooting time was pretty long too, we probably went by the zombie field 10 times! Yes, you have to pay for extra ammo but hey I think it was totally worth it lol. Not sure why everyone seems to hate this train. It was a totally unique and fun experience. I'm pretty sure my boyfriend and I will do it again in October!

Not as expected. For $50, you would think you get unlimited ammo. But nope,. Around 240 rounds…read more Then they have the audacity to charge $5 for another set of 100 rounds. I counted 9 zombies on the field. Some are standing so far from the train it would be impossible to hit them. Some are just standing there, covering their crotch area, while some are actually playing the zombie role with their hands up. Don't be fooled about the 2 hours. More than half of that time is spent sitting inside the hot cabin that doesn't have a working a/c. It was fun when our group finally get to go out and shoot, but again, not enough paintball. Plus they walk around with a tip bucket?? Please. The only thing that made it worth it is the little girl with the scary costume who never broke character. She walked around entertaining the bored guests. Don't waste your money next year. What a ripoff!

Dana is the absolute best! She personally makes our whole wine tasting experience at this super…read morerelaxing wine tasting room the most fun and memorable! Every visit! Good live music too! Great wine selection. Houses my bf's favorite port!

truly loved our experience here, to start it is a very humble interior so don't expect much as for…read moreseating when you go in. but the character and legacy is told in the intentional decor and the intentional hospitality. the wine was amazing, we did the tasting for $25 and was pleasantly suppressed at how good quality the wines were and how unique each blend was. the server went out of her way to give us recommendations on how she likes to enjoy the wine and give the backstory and history of each one she poured. it was a very intentional and heartfelt experience and you can tell they take pride in their work and want to share with others. we will definitely be back to buy more bottles and enjoy the company again. definitely take the time to slow down and savor this hidden gem!

Four stars for our visit to Bennett's Honey Farm as part of the Honey Festival. However, only two…read morestars for the part over at Central Park in Fillmore It's like trying to learn a new board game; the rules don't make sense of you haven't played before. We went to Bennett's first, then back to Fillmore, arriving just past 3:00. The festival was supposed to last until 5:00. We were hungry and looking forward to trying some BBQ. Not to be. There were a plethora of trailers with barbeque teams from Bakersfield and other far-flung places, but no one seemed to be cooking anything. Okay. We walked around the area with various booths and didn't see many food options. There weren't any signs about how it worked, and no one to readily ask, either. Dear Hubby was getting annoyed, because it was confusing, plus he was ready to eat. We finally found an unmarked booth where we were able to get info. Apparently, all the grill masters came in for a BBQ competition, but only 3 were offering food for sale. Huh?! You had to buy tokens for $2 a piece, which got you a small taste of some of the meats, like pulled pork or chicken. One of the 3 booths had already sold out, so it was down to 2. There weren't other complimentary options like roasted corn, or other usual festival food. So odd! Overall, it was disappointing. Maybe the organizers shouldn't bill it as lasting from 9 to 5, when there's not much available by 3 p.m. There was free parking, and a DJ playing music in front of City Hall, but the energy level was pretty low key.

The long and winding road to Sow a Heart Farm goes like this - doctor recommends I give up dairy…read morefoods / we try vegan cuisine at Sage Bistro & hear about Owner Mollie's farm in Fillmore / Sow a Heart turns up on the Ventura County Farm Day list! Of course we were going to check it out. Perfectly, we had our three year old granddaughter with us, and this farm venue was perfect for her. Once we parked she immediately found the Children's Garden / play area. Swings, slides, an airplane-inspired teeter-totter, a wooden train to explore, trampoline, and much more awaited her energy. The play structures weren't fancy, but the kids were having a great time. The host asking guests to check in explained all the activities going on at different venues. Guided tours happened several times during the day. Visits to the animals were encouraged. We checked out "Spike the Tortoise" in his custom enclosure, and a playful litter of kittens in their own space. We also caught a tactor-drawn hay ride for an overview of the farm animals' area, plus row crops, and much more to see in a peaceful setting. They are only open to the public on certain days, but we were told that private tours may be arranged. If you have the chance to visit, I'd definitely recommend it! And now I can't wait to go back to Sage Bistro and enjoy more dairy-free foodie taste adventures.

*** CSA Box #3 *** I…read morehad high hopes for this, our third CSA box. It was the mid price point between the two boxes that we had previously tried (County Line Harvest #1 & Edible Gardens LA #2 - see respective reviews) so I thought maybe it would be the winner. Also, it's from the farm that is owned by the the family behind Sage Organic Vegan Bistro, which is in my opinion the best Vegan restaurant in Los Angeles. I thought it was pretty cool to learn that they have their own farm supplying produce to their restaurants, and that we were able to get CSA boxes from their farm. To order this farm box, you must place an order by 4 pm on Thursday for Friday delivery (via their website). $50 is inclusive of delivery. If you opt to pick it up yourself, it's still $50. My order arrived some time between noon and 1 pm on Friday (I did not receive an email or text, but I know that it showed up some time in that window based on when I checked the doorstep). The box was large and I laid the contents out on my counter as I always do: 2 Leeks 1 Head of Cauliflower 1 Head of Cabbage 2 Heads of Broccoli 3 Tomatoes 2 Small Boxes of Cherry Tomatoes 4 Avocados 4 Lemons 2 Grapefruit 11 Oranges Lacinato Kale 4 Cucumbers 3 Beets 1 Small Bag of Peppers 4 Carrots Romaine Fresh Mint A couple days later, the vegetables that we have yet to consume are already wilting or browning; with the others, it felt like we had cut out the time and middle man between the farm and the grocery stores, but not the case here. One of the lemons was even a little moldy when it arrived. We determined that the fruit & produce is not any fresher than what we get at Whole Foods (and in some cases even a little less fresh, which we can't quite wrap our heads around) and the quality also about the same. Not bad, just not on the same level as the other CSA boxes that we got, and definitely not worth $50.

Went to this farm with honestly no expectations, and it ended up being one of the most memorable…read moreexperiences ever. I surprised my boyfriend with a date here, and we both left completely obsessed. We learned more about ostriches than we ever imagined possible, got unbelievably close to them, and even had them nibble on us -- which was equal parts hilarious and unforgettable. Every second of the tour was incredible. Now, to keep it real: this is a small farm. It's mostly ostriches, some desert, some fencing, and at first glance you might think, "okay... giant birds in the dirt." But that's kind of the magic of it. The beauty of this place sneaks up on you the same way a really good book does -- at first it's just paper and words, and then suddenly you're emotionally attached and questioning your entire existence over an ostrich egg. Lou absolutely made the experience. He has such an amazing life story, so much wisdom, and a genuine passion that shines through in everything he talks about. But honestly, the real tour isn't just about the birds -- it's about the way Lou sees the world. One minute he's explaining the mechanics of ostriches like some kind of desert bird engineer, the next he's pointing out California quails you never would've noticed on your own, talking about nature with the kind of excitement that makes you start paying attention too. He'll happily talk with you for as long as you're willing to engage, and you leave realizing there's so much life and beauty packed into what initially looked like "just some land." Also, this man talks about his wife with such genuine love and admiration that it honestly restored my faith in humanity a little bit. It was so sweet hearing someone speak so splendidly about their partner after clearly building a whole life together out there. The entire place feels full of heart because of it. And the honey!! Don't skip the honey. Absolutely delicious. We also bought an ostrich egg for $60 and honestly... worth every penny. We painted the shell afterward and made the world's biggest deviled egg, which is still one of the funniest things we've ever done. Such a unique souvenir and experience. There's also so much more here than just the tour -- Lou's son teaches archery lessons, there's a small campsite, and despite losing their cherry trees from the fire and flood, the farm still has this incredible spirit and resilience that makes you admire them even more. If you go, just keep an open mind. It might not look like much from the get-go, but if you really listen -- really let Lou show you what this place means to him -- you realize you're somewhere genuinely special. It's funny, heartfelt, fascinating, and weirdly grounding all at once. Must see. So glad we went. Stop by -- you won't regret it.

This place was so amazing great place to get close to ostrich. The own himself gave my family a…read moreprivate tour it was so informative and all the details he gave us have me so amazed. The location it self it's beautiful near mountains. They also have restrooms and playground for kids. They also have little shop they sell ostrich eggs which are huge and they even have home made honey. Amazing place would definitely be going back!!

My knowledge of Fillmore's City Hall is as a backdrop for events in the Central Park area adjacent…read more It is definitely an architectural highlight of the downtown district. Features one hour free parking on one side. I have been referring to it as the courthouse building, as it has that stately vibe.

The City of Fillmore now has a website that is regularly updating as technology advances. I do…read moreencourage setting up your online Account. Paying the water & sewer using the automated system needs attention. Unfortunately, Auto pay is not available yet. I send an email to report that with response within 15 minutes. However, I make my payment by calling (805)524-1500 ext. 134 directly and my task is complete immediately. The girls will also help with emailing parking permits VIA Email to download & print as well. I am a 50 year resident. I like the advanced systems & improvements very much.