Conejo Valley Days Rides Off Into the Sunset

Like he had done so many times before, Jeff Freeman stood up to sing the national anthem for the opening ceremony of the Conejo Valley Days rodeo.

This year, the lifelong Simi Valley resident held his 1-year-old son, Justin, in his arms.

“I have been coming to the Conejo Valley Days and to this rodeo since I was a boy,” said Freeman, who was flanked by his wife, Ronda, and his 6-year-old son, Vinny.

“For me it’s more important to come to this now that I have children to show them what the Conejo Valley used to be like.”

Freeman was among the estimated 9,000 to 12,000 people who came to Conejo Creek Park on Sunday to see what the valley used to be like. Besides two traditional rodeos, the closing day of the weeklong festival featured a carnival with rides, crafts, and folk, country and bluegrass bands.

The strong wind that swept the area did not deter the eager fair-goers, but it did force many to hold on tightly to their cowboy hats.

The wind also forced the shutdown of a few rides for safety reasons, said Mary Elva Anderson, publicity liaison for Conejo Valley Days.

But for a tired team of event organizers, this year’s celebration of the Conejo Valley’s Western roots was a hit.

“We’ve had a very successful event,” Anderson said.

“This year, the event attracted a lot of families.”

Sheriff’s deputies who patrolled the fair reported no major incidents during the week’s celebrations, Anderson said.

And the fair-goers leaving the park Sunday evening walked under a banner with a final message from the Conejo Valley Days organizers--”Thanks. See you next year.”