Tree lighting to bike riding: Ventura Co. festivals this weekend

For an easy day trip, or an overnight getaway with nearly nil traffic hassles, hop over to our northern neighbor, Ventura County. The region offers a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere year-round, and this coming weekend in particular offers a few fun events to make a visit extra worthwhile.

Oxnard Tree-lighting Celebration
Friday, Dec. 5, 2008, 5:30 p.m
At Plaza Park in downtown Oxnard, this annual lighting of what is Ventura County’s tallest Christmas tree, according to the Oxnard Downtown Management District website, kicks off the holiday season. Entertainment and food will be present, as will Kris Kringle himself. Bring the kids.
Contact: Oxnard Downtown Management District, (800) 269-6273

California BikeFest
Saturday, Dec. 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This new Tour of California event will take place at Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel on the city’s boardwalk, and will feature all kinds of exhibits, activities and demos for bicyclists from casual to competitive. Event organizers expect 500 bike riders, given good weather. The festival is free, though fees are charged for those registering for the various bike tours/rides; see the website for details.
Contact: California BikeFest, (312) 543-4127

Ventura Holiday Street Festival
Sunday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This is the big holiday to-do in Ventura, with over 30,000 folks expected to descend on nine-plus downtown blocks. Highlights include photo-ops with Santa, a “winter wonderland” with pony and train rides in Mission Park, lots of musical entertainment, and food and craft vendors. Admission to the festival is free.
Contact: City of Ventura, (805) 654-7830

- Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

[Photo: A recent year's Ventura Holiday Street Festival; Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times]

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 3, 2008 at 11:30 am by Susan Derby and is filed under California, Family & Kids, Festival, Ventura. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.