AGOURA HILLS : 15,000 Expected at Pony Express Days

The Agoura Hills Pony Express Days festival, which began nearly three decades ago as a humble back-yard barbecue, has evolved into a four-day event that is expected to attract more than 15,000 people.

But the event, which opened Thursday, retains some down-home flavor.

“There’s a lot of Western history here in Agoura Hills, so that’s our main theme,” said Betty Sampley, coordinator. “But people here like variety, too.”

Pony Express Days--named for the time when Agoura was a Pony Express stop during the Old West era--includes staples such as ring-toss games, cotton candy and standard carnival rides.

But next to the pony rides arena are displays hawking hot tubs and cellular phones. And for the first time in the history of the festival, there is a lineup of stage entertainment, including flamenco dancers, Irish and all-female folk bands, a stage hypnotist and, in keeping with the event’s theme, country-Western music.

Saturday’s 10 a.m. Dude-Dah Parade--a cowboy twist on Pasadena’s famed Doo-Dah event--will march down Thousand Oaks Boulevard, between Reyes Adobe and Kanan roads. More than 50 entries are expected.

The carnival, sponsored by the Agoura Hills Chamber of Commerce, is Saturday from noon to 11 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. Admission is $1.