Ventura celebrates National Parks & Recreation Month with mostly free events

There are many ways to "Get Wild" about Ventura's parks and recreation activities in July: free "Family Float Nights" at Ventura Aquatic Center, tennis & golf clinics, great summer gatherings (Ventura ArtWalk July 21/22) and volunteer bashes, and free music and drama performances in our parks.  

 

Don't miss the free "Grand Finale" at the Ventura Community Park on July 28. Click here for schedule  

 

Free theater performances at BVC Park 7/14, 8/11 & 9/8

For the 18^th year "Gypsies in a Trunk" performance troupe once again brings its fractured "Fairy Tales in the Park" to Barranca Vista Park, 7050 East Ralson Street, this summer on second Saturdays at 4 pm. Bring low back lawn chairs, blankets, picnic and the whole family to enjoy another madcap season of fun and adventure:

• July 14 - Beauty and the Beast
• August 11 - Three Billy Goats Gruff 
• September 8 - Chicken Little

More info at www.cityofventura.net/bvc or call 805.654.7552.

 

 

Music Under the Stars summer concert series begins July 14 at the Olivas Adobe

 

This summer you can dine and DANCE to great party bands OUTDOORS on a majestic wood ballroom floor when you join us for Music Under The Stars at the historic Olivas Adobe, 4200 Olivas Park Drive in Ventura. It's Ventura County's coolest summer nightclub with a full beverage bar on site! Bring your own homemade feast or reserve a catered hot buffet dinner from BuenaVentura Catering (by Friday noon at 805/650-7559 for $15/person) for fine twilight dining with friends within the warm embrace of adobe-baked courtyard walls. Doors open at 6:30 pm with concerts at 7:30 pm.

• 7/14  Old Creek Ranch Winery presents "Rob Rio & the Revolvers" Boogie Woogie
• 7/21  Community West Bank presents "Cascada" Latin Guitar World Fusion
• 7/28  Barbara Meister: Barber Ford, Volkswagen, Subaru, RV presents
  "Sweet Baby J'ai" R&B
• 8/4  Community Memorial Health System presents "The Kings of Classic Rock"
• 8/11  Jaguar Ventura presents "Porterhouse Bob" R&B/Zydeco
• 8/18  Four Points by Sheraton Ventura Harbor presents "Estrada Brothers" Latin Jazz
• 8/25  Santa Barbara Bank & Trust presents "Shari Puorto Band" Blues
• 9/1  Montecito Bank & Trust presents "Susie Hansen Latin Band"
• 9/8  Andria's Seafood Restaurant presents "Lisa Haley & the Zydecats" Zydeco   

The venue is intimate and seating is limited so avoid disappointment at the door by making reservations at 805/658.4726. All tickets are $20 with an option to reserve a table for 4 for $10. Current military personnel and dependents receive a 50% discount on tickets and tables. Subscribe to the entire series of nine concerts and receive two free hot catered dinners plus entry into the "Jaguar for a Day" contest. For Golfers there are "Nine & Dine" specially discounted pre-concert packages -- call Nadia Osborn at 805.677.6770 or visit www.olivaslinks.com/olivasadobe. Band info, brochure and complete details at www.cityofventura.net/mus. Like us on Facebook

 

 

 

 

The all-volunteer Westside ArtWalk is a weekend of coordinated exhibits, sales, artist demonstrations and events that invite visitors to self-guide through galleries, studios, museums and other popup venues as well as local restaurants, shops and attractions in the Westside and Downtown. Festival hours are Saturday, July 21, 12-9 pm and Sunday, July 22, 12-5 pm. Painter turned photographer Donna Granata has been awarded the event's 2012 "Artist of Distinction" for her highly respected non-profit educational program documenting contemporary local artists called Focus on the Masters of which she is founder and Executive Director.

 

www.westsideartwalk.org, email info@westsideartwalk.org, or call (805) 746-2818.

 

Free Summer Family Concerts in the Park
July 29 & August 26

Extend your summer weekends at free family concerts offering an eclectic local music mix on final Sundays in summer at 4 pm at Barranca Vista Park, 7050 E Ralston St:

• July 29 - Bible Fellowship & Ventura Missionary Orchestras
• August 26 - Pier 101

Bring low back lawn chairs, blankets and picnic. More info at www.cityofventura.net/bvc or call 805.654.7552.  Sponsored by www.comprehensiveacupuncture.com and GIGVAC.

 

 

Ventura Dare and Dash
"amazing race" on August 11

 

Teams of two -- with a little help from their friends and smart phones -- go on a treasure hunt throughout Ventura and the beachfront as they find checkpoints based on clues and trivia. The first team to figure out how to find and complete all checkpoints dares and get all the required photos wins! On Saturday, August 11 ($20 per team; for ages 18 years and up). Register using code 32123 at www.cityofventura.net/eRecreation.

 

San Buenaventura Friends of the Library speaker series Aug 11 & Sept 8

 

SBFOL presents Richard Senate, local historian and raconteur, and his tales of Ventura County in partnership with Bank of Books in the E.P. Foster Library Topping Room, 651 E Main St. On Saturday, August 11, 4-5 pm, Senate revisits lost treasures of Ventura County. On Saturday, September 8, 4-5 pm, Senate recounts the Myths and Monsters of Ventura County. Refreshments will be served. Admission is free. RSVP to Marcia Ortiz at mrortiz@earthlink.net or 805.643.4281

 

Free Tennis Clinic for Kids July 14 

and Community Tennis Day September 1

 

Come to a free clinic to give this great sport a try. If you like it, sign up for an upcoming four-week session.  

 

For ages 5-14 years on July 14, 1-2 pm

 

Community Tennis Day for all ages, September 1, 10 am-2 pm

 

Both events at the Camino Real Tennis Center, Varsity & Dean Drives.

• Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event  July 21 & August 18   Print/view pdf  

Join us from 10 am-12 pm on Bastille Day (July 14) to give back some love to this beautiful beach and park located at the end of Pierpont and Greenock Lane. After helping to clean up the beach and picnic areas, we will have food and refreshments and lots of family-friendly activities for all helping hands! Bring your family and friends and join us in beautifying our beaches and participating in an array of fun beach activities! There's lots to see at Marina Park: "The Wave," the 26-foot-long ceramic entrance mural by Larissa Strauss inspired by Dixon Merrith's "Pelican Poem," Soter Point's bronze "Mermaid" and the reproduction of Juan Rodrigues Cabrillo's 1542 ship -- a popular zipline for the kids. Sign-up here to volunteer.  

 

 

Public Art Conservation Internship Volunteers
- Apply by July 27, 2012

 

The City of Ventura Public Art Program is looking for students and adults (ages 16 and older) who have an interest in the arts and would like to learn Public Art Conservation techniques this summer (4 weeks). Interns will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 2 pm. This conservation program will focus on Public Art sculptures along our Ventura River Trail and in the downtown area. Download the pdf for more information.  Deadline has been extended to July 27.

 

Service Project & Ice Cream Social
Grand Finale on July 28

 

On Saturday, July 28th Volunteer Ventura! will participate in the National Parks & Recreation Month grand finale by leading the day with a service project at the Community Park, 901 S. Kimball Rd., from 9 to 11 am followed by a scrumptious ice cream social! Sign-up here. 

 

Ventura Water - Internship Opportunity:  

Take 1 Short Film Contest

 
We are looking for a college or high school student to help with our online short film contest who is willing to start right away. Interest in film and social media including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are a plus. The internship hours are flexible but we would like a student who is willing to commit 5-10 hours per week. Applicants should be independent workers, friendly, reliable, and comfortable speaking on the phone. Experience with Microsoft Word and Excel 2010 also helpful. If interested, please submit a brief statement (500 words maximum) of why you would like to do this internship to Karen Waln at  kwaln@venturawater.net or call (805) 677-4128 for more info. 

 

Celebrate July as National Parks and Recreation Month! Enter by July 31-it's easy, free and by email! Visit www.cityofventura.net/photocontest for contest guidelines. The City of Ventura Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Partnerships (PRCP) invites photographers of all ages to share your best original high-resolution photos taken at any PRCP facility, event, sport, program, or class that illustrates our theme: Ventura's Parks + Recreation = Community. All entries are eligible to be featured in our citywide publications of print or electronic media with photo credit. PRIZES: Six gift certificates good towards any PRCP offering: 1st ($100), 2nd ($50), and 3rd-6th ($25). Submit close-up portraits of our residents enjoying themselves in these categories (together model releases available from website): 

1. City parks and their facilities (such as skate, dog, trail, etc.) 

2. Golf courses: Olivas Links or Buenaventura 

3. Sports fields (Community Park, Camino Real, etc.) 

4. Ventura Aquatic Center 

5. Indoor recreation facilities (Westpark, Barranca Vista) 

6 Recreation & Arts programs, sports, events and classes 

Questions? Call 805/658-4706 

 

 

The City of Ventura is offering a grant program open to event organizers staging festivals and events in Ventura that activate public spaces and increase visitor spending. Applicants must be a Ventura based nonprofit or an agency partnering with a Ventura based nonprofit and grants will be used to cover all or a portion of City of Ventura Special Event Permit fees. The maximum amount of an award is $2,000. Available funding is $10,000, with two funding periods: $5,000 awarded in September 2012; $5,000 awarded in February 2013. Events taking place September 2012-February 2013 must submit their applications by July 30, 2012 at 5 pm. Events taking place March 2013-August 2013 must submit their application by January 31, 2013 at 5 pm. Info/online applications at www.cityofventura.net/permits or contact Creative Economy Specialist Eric Wallner at 805/677-3911 or ewallner@cityofventura.net 

 

 

Program Your Gadgets on August 3 at SRC 

 

High school student volunteers give hands-on help to adults 50 years of age and up at our popular Program Your Gadgets event at the Senior Recreation Center, 420 E. Santa Clara St., on Friday, August 3, 3-5 pm. High school students, SIGN-UP HERE  to help our local seniors learn to use their iPods, cell phones, digital cameras, GPS or other electronic gadgets that they haven't quite mastered. 

 

 

Nomination forms for 2012 Mayor's Arts Awards available through September 7