• Experience the Summer of Love 50th Anniversary at the Museum of Ventura County

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    June 28, 2017
    Ventura, Calif.In the summer of 1967, nearly 100,000 people including artists, activists, writers and musicians from across the country, converged on San Francisco, igniting a cultural revolution; the season became known as the Summer of Love. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of this historical movement, the Museum of Ventura County, located at 100 East Main Street, Ventura, is presenting a summer series of events featuring notable speakers, concerts, lectures and special exhibits featuring iconic photographs, posters, fashions and rare memorabilia significant to the time.
     
    July 2: Enjoy free admission to the screening of 1968’s most popular family movie, The Love Bug, at 2 p.m. This fun film about a race car driver becoming a champion driving a Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own is a quintessential film of the period. No-host bar available.
     
    July 8: Free celebration event kicks off the Summer of Love 50th Anniversary. Break out your bell bottoms and come join the party celebrating the Summer of Love, 2- 5 p.m., at the Museum of Ventura County. Groove to the music of the '60s with a live DJ, cruise the VW car show, and enjoy family fun with kid-friendly crafts, tie-dye T-shirt station, food trucks and vendors. Plus, the museum will feature the opening of three new exhibits. Special thanks to event sponsor Pierpont Racquet Club.
    Exhibit opening: Experience the significance of the times through the community-based Tune In, Turn On, Drop Out pop-up exhibit featuring memorabilia from across Ventura County, including a special collection of cubbies curated by local individuals, each expressing a unique experience of the era. 
    Exhibit opening: Coping Mechanism: Skateboarding in Ventura County. Museum-goers of all ages will enjoy learning about our local influence on the evolution of this thrilling sport.
    Exhibit opening: Suddenly That Summer: Charles Manson and the Crime of the Century. Travel back in time to 1969 and experience the details surrounding the grisly murder of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others in Los Angeles by the Manson “family.” Through photographs and newspaper accounts, this exhibit tracks the events that led up to the Tate-LaBianca slayings at the hands of the Manson cult members, law enforcement’s extensive search for the culprits, as well as the family’s connection to Ventura County. 
    Aug. 10: Bringing the Heat: Legendary drummer, Fito de la Parra, from the band, Canned Heat, is featured speaker for this month’s “Speaking Of” lecture series, 7–9 p.m. De la Parra shares highlights from his life in rock ‘n roll, from his start as a house drummer at the Tom Cat Club in Torrance to joining the up-and-coming blues band Canned Heat, known for a number of songs that became anthems for the Woodstock generation. Admission is FREE/members, $5/non-members. No-host bar available.
     
    Aug. 17: Ventura County Poet Laureate, Phil Taggart, will perform readings from the works of writer Charles Bukowski, at a special showing of “Born Into This,” the documentary chronicling the life of Bukowski, who is as well known for his drinking binges as for his poetry and prose. The event is from 6:30-9 p.m. Admission is FREE/members, $5/non-members. No-host bar available.
     
    August 26: Attention Deadheads! Enjoy a blast from the past as Grateful Dead Tribute Band Cubensis recreates the era’s unique and eclectic styles of rock, psychedelia and experimental music. Doors open at 4 p.m. The concert runs from 5-8 p.m. Admission is $15/members, $20/non-members. No-host bar available.
     
    Appreciation Weekends
    In addition to the special Summer of Love exhibits and events, the museum will continue its tradition of offering free admission for featured groups on designated Appreciation Weekends, as well as Free First Sundays.
     
    July 2: Free First Sunday
     
    July 8: Free Summer of Love 50th anniversary event
     
    July 8-9: Free admission to students of all ages
     
    July 22-23: Free admission to residents of zip code 93033, 91319 -91320, 91358-91359
     
    August 6: Free First Sunday
     
    August 12-13: Free admission to Health Care Workers
     
    August 26-27: Free admission to residents of zip code 93036
     
    Visit venturamuseum.org for a full schedule of events and exhibits.
     
    The Museum of Ventura County celebrates, preserves and interprets the art, history and culture of Ventura County, the California Channel Islands and the surrounding region through its collections, exhibitions, events, educational programs, publications and its research library, and serves as a gathering place for the community. Located at 100 East Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001, the Museum of Ventura County is open Tuesday - Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Phone 805.653.0323 for more information.
    Contact:
    Mary DiCesare, Engagement Strategist
    Mary@mayersonmarketing.com, (805) 373-1100