Conejo Valley Days Spring to Life

The first big weekend of Conejo Valley Days has arrived, and between the announcement of the grand marshal late Friday, a children’s parade Saturday morning and today’s chili cook-off, it’s a manic time for event organizers.

“It’s getting hectic,” Chairman Dave Melton said. “Try to keep 1,000 volunteers going in the same direction as it all comes together--it’s kind of tough.”

But seeing 200 kids parading around the Civic Arts Plaza, dressed as cowboys and cowgirls riding their decorated bikes, wagons and even a Shetland pony or two, makes it all worthwhile, Melton said.

This year’s new grand marshal had some tense moments Friday at the final countdown, when officials started tallying their fund-raising totals about 10 p.m. The Ropin’ Reverend Larry Wagner (the grand marshal) and Animal Crackers ran a close and heated race, but Wagner pulled ahead and eked by at the end.

Wagner, pastor at Ascension Lutheran Church, was on hand at the children’s parade Saturday morning, still savoring his squeaker victory over five seventh-grade girls, a.k.a. Animal Crackers.

“Between the Animal Crackers organization and mine, together we raised $70,000 for Conejo charities,” said Wagner, wearing a 10-gallon hat. “It was a very friendly competition.”

At the start of the children’s parade on the grounds of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, hundreds of spirited entrants circled their tricycles and red wagons, trying to be patient for the 10 a.m. “Let the parade begin” announcement.

The procession included Brownie troops, dozens of 2-gallon-hatted cowgirls and cowboys, a tiny Indian on in-line skates and an even tinier pink-finned mermaid in a stroller camouflaged as an undersea grotto.

Some marched by the reviewing stand so quickly that the five judges, still scoring the previous entry, had to call them back.

Among the entrants were the Tumbleweed Twirlers from Pinecrest School in Thousand Oaks, who were relieved that “only one person dropped her baton out of all of us,” said Shari Brody of Thousand Oaks.

Savanna Pletcher and her dog, Chance, entered as Beauty and the Beast and won the creativity runner-up prize. Chance wore a big sign around his neck that read “Beast.”

But when the judges asked her if the shepherd was all that beast-like, Savanna said, “No, he’s really a friendly dog.”

When the chili cook-off entry marched by, the chefs presented packets of hot sauce to the judges “to maybe soften us up,” said Melton, a judge and general chairman of Conejo Valley Days. The chefs took first place for best theme.

Melton said Sunday’s chili cook-off is one of his favorite events. If the weather holds, he expects as many as 10,000 people to pack the northern section of Conejo Creek Park.

The International Chili Society has named this cook-off an official event on its chili tour.

“We’re talking fully accredited chili,” Melton said. “Chili-cooking is some kind of cult thing. It’ not just about chili, it’s showmanship.”

Melton said last year’s weeklong celebration grossed about $500,000. He isn’t predicting this year’s take because so much depends on the weather.

“If it isn’t nice out, there’ll be something less than a good turnout,” Melton said. “But until the events get kicking, we won’t know.”

Next week, Conejo Valley Days peaks with Wednesday’s opening of the carnival midway and the main parade Saturday.

This half-million-dollar fund-raiser was not always so grand. It had a humble beginning 42 years ago.

“Thousand Oaks was just a dirt spot in the road,” Melton said. “Conejo Valley Days started with, ‘Hey, let’s get together and have a party.’ Now it is more philanthropic.”

Mary Ann Keeler remembers the first celebration. The 63-year-old helped put it together and has actively worked on Conejo Valley Days ever since.

“Back in those days, it didn’t take much,” Keeler said. “It was just a party, a one-day event.”

The reason for the first fund-raising party was to build a small neighborhood park off Erbes Road, just below Hillcrest-Estella Park, she said.

In the early years, the annual event was called both Circus and Pioneer Days.

“The whole town would come out, get together, drink and dress up funny,” Keeler said. “It was just good-time Charlie.”

Initially run by the Conejo Valley Activities Club, the group was disbanded in the 1960s and the Chamber of Commerce took control of the event. Four years ago, the Conejo Valley Activities Corp. was formed from 28 nonprofit organizations to run the fund-raiser.

“It’s a bit convoluted, but we had to have some formal entity to oversee the organization and funds,” Melton said. “This is a $500,000-a-year business that happens in five days.”

First-time organizer Keeler said she is awed by how much Conejo Valley Days has grown.

“I had no idea in my wildest imagination it would mushroom into this,” she said.

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Conejo Valley Days Events

Here are the highlights of this year’s Conejo Valley Days festival:

TODAY

Chili Cook-Off and Whiskeroo Contest, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Conejo Creek Park

WEDNESDAY

Conejo Valley Days Carnival runs 5 to 10 p.m. at Conejo Creek Park

Fun Night Ride Bracelet Special: $10 for all rides, all night

THURSDAY

Carnival, 5 to 10 p.m.

Elvis impersonator Raymond Michael and headliner Mitch Ryder, Main Stage, 6:30 p.m.

FRIDAY

Interservice Club Lunch, Hyatt Westlake Plaza, 11:30 a.m.

Carnival, 5 p.m. to midnight

Chase and headliner Wild Heart, Main Stage, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY

Conejo Valley Days Parade, 9 a.m., Thousand Oaks Boulevard

Carnival, noon to 10 p.m.

Rodeo at carnival site, 1:30 and 4:30 p.m.

Tin Drum and headliner Ambrosia, Main Stage, 7 p.m.

MAY 3

Carnival, noon to midnight

Rodeo at carnival site, 1 and 4 p.m.

Fun Fly Air Show at Club Field, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Philip Norris, Mark Insley and Mighty Mo Rogers, Main Stage, 1 p.m.

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List of Winners

Children’s Parade trophies and awards were presented at the close of Saturday morning’s Conejo Valley Days festivities in the Civic Center Plaza:

Individual category: First place, Amber Luttrell; second place, Kimberly Beilak; third place, Angelica Lynn Bursey.

Civic category: First place, Brownie troop 144, Newbury Park; second place, Daisy Troop 50, Weathersfield; third place, Daisy Girl Scout Troop 646, Pinecrest.

Small Group category: First place, Crusoe Neighborhood Kids; second place, Moms’ Club; third place, Rayna and Alexiz Tillinghast-Trickett along with Alaina and Benjamin Rosenthal-Guillot.

Large Group category: First place, Pioneer Club of First Christian Church; second place, Tumbleweed Twirlers; third place, Tutor Time of Westlake.

Best Creativity: First place: Ben and Kate Champion; runner-up, Savanna Pletcher and Chance the dog.

Best Theme: Future Chili Cookoff Chefs; runner-up, Westlake Community Christian Church.

Best Overall: First place, Banyan Child Care; runner-up, Sammi Shebeland.