Ventura County Weekend : JAUNTS

FIESTA TIME

If you need an excuse to hang out in Ojai under the giant oaks of Libbey Park this weekend, here’s a good one: The Ojai Mexican-American Fiesta swings into gear Saturday and Sunday.

It’s a spread of Mexican entertainment and food that the Ojai community has put on annually for 29 years. In fact, it’s the oldest fiesta of its type in Ventura County, according to coordinator Martin Kruse. He expects about 1,500 people this year.

The event is actually a celebration of Mexico’s Independence Day--Sept. 16--Kruse said. That’s the day in 1810 that village priest Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang his church bell and shouted the famous cry calling for a revolution against Spain.

At the fiesta, that historic time will be revived during a short play staged by Oxnard’s Inlakech Cultural Center. The outdoor performance will be at 12:45 p.m. Sunday at Libbey Bowl.

Saturday, the fiesta starts with a barbecue from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Line dancers step out from 1 to 3 p.m. Every two hours, children will have a chance to break open a pinata.

Saturday night, a dance in the park will feature the contemporary Latino sound of Conjunto Zaz. The fiesta queen will be crowned at 8 p.m.

Sunday offers entertainment from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with three mariachi bands, along with dancers and other musical groups.