SHORT LIST BLUE/ORANGE
Through July 28 | Ventura In a London psychiatric hospital, an enigmatic patient claims to be the son of an African dictator. As the story unfolds, the tale becomes unnervingly plausible. The play has been described as an incendiary tale of race, madness and a Darwinian power struggle at the heart of a dying National Health Service. Presented by Beacon Theater Company. Show dates Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through July 28. Tickets: $22. Namba, 47 S. Oak St., Ventura. For more information, visit www.beacontheatercompany.com.
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
July 25 – Aug 11 | Moorpark The deviously delicious Broadway and Hollywood hit has devoured the hearts of theatre goers for over 30 years. This tongue-in-cheek performance will feature a series of increasingly large versions of Audrey II, the man-eating-plant that will be “fed” as the show progresses. This musical-comedy kicks off Moorpark College’s Summer 2019 season. $15-20. Moorpark College Performing Arts Center, 7075 Campus Road, Moorpark. For more information, visit www.moorparkcollege.edu.
OXNARD SALSA FESTIVAL
July 27-28 | Oxnard It’s time again to get muy caliente with all things chili when the Oxnard Salsa Festival returns this summer. Expect hot Latin sounds, exotic dancing and spicy culinary flavors whilst celebrating all things pepper. Live salsa bands, salsa dance lessons, a tasting tent with dozens of different varieties of salsa and hot sauces, a salsa recipe challenge and more. Salsa lovers of Ventura County and beyond: Do not miss out! Admission is free, main stage seating is $5. Plaza Park, between Fifth and B streets in historic downtown Oxnard. For more information, visit www.oxnardsalsafestival.com.
VENTURA COUNTY FAIR
July 31 – Aug. 11 | Ventura Come one, come all to the country fair with ocean air. This annual festival features classic carnival rides, carnival treats, games, shows and more, with free entertainment practically every night. This year’s lineup includes Styx, Martina McBride, Melissa Etheridge, Collective Soul and more. Admission $9-12. Ventura County Fairgrounds, 10 W. Harbor Blvd., Ventura. For more information, visit www.venturacountyfair.org.
PACIFIC FESTIVAL BALLET PRESENTS WIZARD OF OZ
Aug. 2 | Thousand Oaks Join Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion as they journey to the Emerald City and be a part of their adventure as they confront the Wicked Witch and discover there is no place like home. Performed by the Pacific Festival Ballet, the resident company of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. Tickets: $26. Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Scherr Forum, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. For more information, visit www.civicartsplaza.com.
CHOWDERFEST
Aug. 4 | Oxnard Chowderfest is an annual collaborative fundraiser hosted by the Channel Islands Maritime Museum, International Order of the Blue Gavel and local Yacht Clubs featuring local restaurants giving their best in the Chowder Cook-off. Clam, corn, Manhattan, potato, and veggie chowders are well represented at this chowder championship, bread bowl not included! As if that isn’t enough, festival goers can procure wine, a variety of side dishes and live blues music as well as free admission to the museum. Proceeds support the Channel Islands Maritime Museum, a nonprofit which celebrates “Five Centuries of Art
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that Sails” and gives back to the community. Tickets: $25 presale, $30 at door. Channel Islands Maritime Museum, 3900 Bluefin Circle, Oxnard. For more information, visit www.cimmvc.org/events/chowderfest.
JULY 27 - 28
OXNARD
PHIL SALAZAR AND THE KIN FOLK
Aug. 10 | Santa Paula Phil Salazar and the Kin Folk return for the Santa Paula Theater Center’s concert series. The band is a group of friends that have been recording and performing a unique mix of traditional music with rock, blues, country, jazz, Irish, pop and bluegrass for 33 years, guaranteed to have your toes tapping. Tickets: $20. Doors open at 7 pm with the concert beginning at 7:30 p.m. Santa Paula Theater Center, 125 S. 7th St., Santa Paula. For more information, visit www.santapaulatheatercenter. org.
WILD AND SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL
Aug. 17 | Ventura The Wild and Scenic Film Festival is where activism gets inspired. Hosted by the Ventura Land Trust, the 10th annual event will feature short films dedicated to the beauty and bounty of our natural world. The festival will be held outdoors under the stars and will also include live music, food trucks, raffles and much more. Tickets $5-25. Ventura County Credit Union, 2575 Vista Del Mar Drive, Ventura. For more information, visit www.venturalandtrust.org.
JULY 31 - AUG. 11
VENTURA
ALL IN THE FAMILY
Aug. 24-25 | Ventura Barbara Epstein directs this show featuring Valeri Perri, who made her professional stage debut as Eva Peron in the Broadway National Tour of Evita. In this cabaret, she is joined by her talented twin sons Benny and Jack Lipson, multiinstrumentalists and vocalists who have shared the stage with such luminaries as Josh Groban, Darren Criss and Wynton Marsalis. In between showstoppers, the trio shares humorous and revealing personal stories about their experiences onstage and at home. Tickets: $35-55. Saturday show time 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. Rubicon Theatre Company, 1006 E. Main St., Ventura. For more information, visit www.rubicontheatre.org.
ANTHROPOCENE KELP FOREST
Through Aug. 26 | Oxnard Emma Akmakdjian’s mixed-media artworks trace the troubled relationship of human and environment through material byproducts of industrial processes. Emma creates art in conversation with scientists and members of diverse community groups, such as botanists of the Hualapai Indian Tribe. Her woven sculptures combine ancestral weaving practices with found industrial materials such as nylon commercial fishing rope, and her sculptures consider the symbiotic influence of society and nature. The interconnected web of life is made apparent through repurposing pollution, plastics and overfishing debris. Observations and data collections of coastal populations, development, plastics, global ocean economies and native cultures are visualized through her art. Museum admission: $3-7. Channel Islands Maritime Museum, 3900 Bluefin Circle, Oxnard. For more information, visit www.cimmvc.org.
ON THE HORIZON
OXNARD JAZZ FESTIVAL
Sept. 14 | Oxnard Oxnard Jazz Festival is back with an amazing lineup of jazz, soul and Latin rock artists and an eclectic calendar of not-tobe-missed shows. The fourth annual festival will feature jazz superstar Keiko Matsui, Rose Royce, West Coast Jam and many more, with host Tom Brown. Tickets: $18-102. Oxnard Beach Park, 1601 Harbor Blvd., Oxnard. For more information, visit www.oxnardjazzfestival.com.
THROUGH AUG. 26
OXNARD