Culture

The Conejo Valley offers of plenty of cultural diversity and artistic expression. The area boasts multiple cultural arts foundations with programs that have flourished for more than 30 years.

Performing Arts
The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza is one of the largest performing arts centers between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and is funded through a unique public/private partnership between the city of Thousand Oaks and the Alliance for the Arts. The 1,800-seat Fred Kavli Theatre for the Performing Arts and the 394-seat Janet and Ray Scherr Forum Theatre combine outstanding arts and entertainment with state-of-the-art technology and acoustics. Over 300,000 patrons, of which 50,000 are children, attend more than 400 performances annually.

The Civic Arts Plaza’s stellar headliners run the spectrum from the contemporary to the classic, including touring Broadway musicals, popular entertainers, award-winning children’s programs, international ballet, folk and modern dance companies, classical symphony orchestras, civic light opera, comedy, distinguished speakers, films, magic, live theatre and community programs.

The Cabrillo Music Theatre is the resident musical theatre company, the New West Symphony is the resident orchestra and Pacific Festival Ballet is the resident ballet company. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or in person at the box office at 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. For more information, call 805.449.ARTS, or visit www.civicartsplaza.com.

Excellent music is performed regularly throughout the area by local groups such as the New West Symphony, Conejo Valley Symphony Orchestra, Los Robles Master Chorale and Village Voices Chorale. The Gold Coast Theatre Conservatory offers classes and opportunities for children to perform in The Conejo Valley Children’s Concert Series. Several small theatre groups are active in the area, including the Conejo Players. Summer activities include free concerts in the park featuring popular entertainers.

Visual and Literary Arts
Thousand Oaks supports visual arts in two local fine art galleries. The 3,000-sq. ft. Thousand Oaks Community Gallery, located adjacent to the Newbury Park Branch Library, hosts a diverse range of visual art exhibitions, workshops, artists’ presentations and special events. The Fred Kavli Theatre Art Gallery, located inside the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, exhibits works by local and internationally acclaimed artists.

Visual arts are featured in numerous exhibitions, festivals and juried shows in local galleries and other venues sponsored by the Conejo Recreation & Park District, Conejo Valley Art Museum, Thousand Oaks Rotary Club, Thousand Oaks Library and other community organizations. Each year, in September, the Thousand Oaks Art Festival presents a two-day event in the Mary and Richard Carpenter Plaza Park, at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.

Summer Entertainment
Every summer Westlake Village hosts family night where local families are treated to free movies under the stars on Friday nights. Call the city for more details.

Reyes Adobe Days
Agoura Hills boasts their Civic Center and Library at the base of Ladyface Mountain, which opened in 2001. And the Reyes Adobe Historical Site is located on Reyes Adobe Road. The city also celebrates its history with Reyes Adobe Days during the month of October. Celebrations include a parade, booths, a 5K Fun races, and many other events and activities.

Nearby Museums and Amusement Parks
Other nearby historic sites are the Chumash Interpretive Center in Thousand Oaks, Stagecoach Inn Museum in Newbury Park, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Leonis Adobe in Calabasas and Malibu Lagoon Museum in Malibu. Theme parks within easy access to The Conejo include Magic Mountain, Universal Studios, Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm and Raging Waters.