VENTURA COUNTY WEEKEND : THROUGH SUNDAY : CARNIVAL

Carnival rides, cowboys, cow chips and more--it’s the final weekend at the annual Simi Valley Days celebration. The fairgrounds site at Madera Road and Los Angeles Avenue will be bustling with a variety of activities, including a rodeo, the KowChip Bingo contest and a western-style dance.

Here’s the rundown. Carnival hours: 5 to 10 p.m. today, 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday, noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. Rodeo Dance: 8 to 11 p.m. Friday. Rodeo: 8 to 10 p.m. today and Saturday, 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Parade: 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday. KowChip Bingo Contest: 1 p.m. Saturday. Admission: $5, senior citizens and children 4 to 12, $3. For more information, call 581-4280.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY

HISPANIC FESTIVAL

Celebrating Mexico’s independence from Spain, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Ventura County will present the annual “Las Fiestas Patrias Festival.” Held Saturday and Sunday at Oxnard’s College Park, the festival will feature an array of live entertainment on two stages, including ballet folklorico troupes, theatrical performances by Teatro Inlakech and a lot of traditional music. There are also children’s activities, foods and craft booths.

Festival hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. The park is located at Rose Avenue and Channel Islands Boulevard. Admission: $4, $3 senior citizens and children 6 to 12, children under 6 free. For more information, call 486-0266.

SUNDAY

FILM

The Ojai Film Society will present Nikita Mikhalkov’s Russian film “Burnt by the Sun” (1994) at its 4:30 p.m. presentation at the Ojai Playhouse, 145 E. Ojai Ave. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, the movie takes place on a long, leisurely summer day in 1936 at a country house outside of Moscow.

Sergei Kotov, a hero of the Russian Revolution is enjoying a peaceful moment with his beloved wife and daughter when a stranger appears--a former lover of Mrs. Kotov disguised as an old family friend.

The charismatic interloper soon shifts the mood of friendship and joy to one of impending tragedy.

Rating: R for some language and sexuality. Tickets: $6.50, $4 senior citizens and students (18 and under). Information: 646-8946.

UP THE COAST

CLASSICS

A celebration of cars for a cause will be held Saturday on the picturesque ocean bluffs of Santa Barbara City College. It’s the 19th annual Santa Barbara Concourse d’Elegance. If you have a penchant for antique and classic automobiles, this could be an event for you.

The many cars on display will include a 1937 Cord Supercharged Cabriolet, vintage 1937 Cadillac Opera Coupe, a 1915 Mercer and a 1956 Pegaso. Held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the afternoon will include a variety of food concessions, refreshments and entertainment. The “Rolling Review” parade at 1:30 p.m. will feature a procession of classic autos from the 1930s. The awards ceremony will follow at 2:30 p.m.

Proceeds will benefit the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. Tickets are $12 in advance, $17 at the gate. Children, 5-12, $5; under 5, free. Patrons Circle tickets, which includes a gourmet lunch and wine “under the canopy,” $125. For more information, call 965-7212.

ON STAGE

The Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera will lift the curtain on its new season with “The Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue” staged at the Granada Theatre.

The musical features lyrics by the legendary Broadway team of Betty Comden and Adolph Green, plus music by the award-winning composer Cy Coleman.

The show will preview at 8 p.m. Wednesday and Sept. 20; opening night is Sept. 22. Continuing through Oct. 15, show times are 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 7 p.m. Sundays, matinees 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sunday, plus a 3 p.m. Sept. 27 performance.

The theater is at 1216 State St. Tickets range from $15 to $35. For more information, call (800) 366-6064 or 966-2324.