Concert Cruise Offers a Splash of Culture

Talk about a party.

After an intimate performance by the Colorado String Quartet, more than 150 people boarded a yacht at sunset Wednesday to sip champagne, nibble caviar and toast the city’s new cultural prize: the Ventura Chamber Music Festival.

The luxury cruise marked the social high point of the arts festival, now in its second year, and a coming of age for a former oil town trying to redefine itself as a destination city.

“This is only a taste of what’s to come,” Councilwoman Rosa Lee Measures told the crowd before boarding the 110-foot Dandeana for a cruise up the coast.

Tastes aboard the big boat were savory, indeed.

Catered by the Ojai Valley Inn, the spread included poached salmon, lamb, sushi and about a dozen varieties of cheese. The second deck of the three-deck yacht featured wine tasting and a jazz ensemble.

“I think it is an exciting splash of culture, and I hope there is a lot more of it to come,” Councilman Jim Friedman said.

The fete followed the third of 16 concerts scheduled for this year’s festival, which began Tuesday and continues through Sunday. The concerts, most of which are sold out, are being staged throughout the city with ticket prices ranging from free to $28.

But the boat party was unique. First, a spot in the yacht cost $100 a person. To the surprise of festival organizers, the event sold out in about a week and 40 people were placed on a waiting list.

The splashy affair also marked a dramatic departure for Ventura, which is striving to blast onto the international music scene.

“We are not talking about hors d’oeuvres in front of the mission,” said Chuck Smith, owner of K.B. Roberts in downtown Ventura and one of the festival’s founders.

“The music festival has hit a full range from this to free concerts,” Smith said. “I think Ventura can really hang its hat on this one.”