Conejo Festival Shifts to High Gear

The Ferris wheel has been spinning for days, but the city’s biggest festival got into full swing Friday evening.

Afternoon showers didn’t stop 6-year-old Edgar Munoz from heading to the carnival with his family. He couldn’t wait to take a spin on the bumper cars with his 7-year-old cousin, Luis De la Rosa.

The Munoz family had arrived an hour before the gates opened at 5 p.m., and the wide variety of activities made it worth the wait, Edgar said.

“You can get a toy or a balloon, or you can just play,” the young Thousand Oaks resident said.

Playing was the order of the night as scores of residents hopped on rides, tried to win carnival games and ate plenty of rich food like cotton candy and strawberry shortcake.

Friday afternoon, Simi Valley resident Christina Banks told her two daughters she was taking them to a surprise. Six-year-old Brittany Banks was thrilled to learn it was a carnival.

“I like the rides here,” she said as she ate a piece of fried zucchini. “I like to play, eat and maybe win some prizes.”

Skip Best, who was running the Conejo Valley YMCA’s burger stand, said business has been great since the carnival opened Wednesday evening, though the rain Friday afternoon slowed things down.

But “if it keeps up like it has been, it will probably be better than ever,” he said.

Although showers spattered the carnival grounds before the gates opened, the skies cleared by sunset.

And the rain is expected to stay away today, when a parade kicks off at 9 a.m. Skies should be partly cloudy today with a high of 68, forecasters said. Sunday should be warmer and sunnier.

The six-week Conejo Valley Days celebration will culminate this weekend with the parade, an air show and rodeos.

“It’s the final party of Conejo Valley Days,” said Frank Lussier, general chairman for the annual event. “This is the last Conejo Valley Days of the century. That’s why we’re here to make it really great.”

Celebrating the theme “Country Friends at Century’s End,” more than 130 entries will walk, dance and play down Thousand Oaks Boulevard today in the parade.

At noon, the carnival grounds on Janss Road near California 23 will open to host the day’s allotment of the more than 50,000 people expected throughout the carnival’s five-day run.

More than 200,000 people are expected to participate in the Conejo Valley Days events.

“It’s the big party of the year for many of us that don’t see each other throughout the year,” Lussier said.

Visitors also can watch an afternoon rodeo today and Sunday.

Raymond Michael Hebel, best-known for his Tom Jones and Elvis impersonations, will perform tonight at 7:30 and 9:30.

On Sunday, model helicopters will zip through the sky from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Club Field, just behind the old Northrop Corp. site in Newbury Park.

Planning for the festivities started six weeks ago at the kickoff picnic. That also launched the fund-raising competition in which charities squared off to see which one could raise the most money in six weeks.

About $60,000 was collected and Shirley Kozlowski, who raised money for the Elks Lodge, won the title of grand marshal. This year’s deputy marshals are Ken Calcut of the Conejo Valley Historical Society and Ray Garcia of Conejo Youth Employment Services.

Earlier Friday, hundreds of local disabled youngsters had the carnival all to themselves. Nearly 1,000 volunteers were on hand to help the kids onto rides and serve them lunch.

The citywide festivities began in 1947 when it was called A Community Circus. Other names included Circus Days, Stage Days and Pioneer Days. In 1957, Conejo Valley Days became the official name.

Last year $200,000 of the $500,000 raised was given to community groups and charity organizations. For Lussier, that is what Conejo Valley Days is all about.

“It brings all of the old friends together for a common cause, which is raising funds for their favorite charities,” he said.

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Conejo Valley Days

TODAY

9 a.m.: Conejo Valley Days Parade, Thousand Oaks Boulevard starting at Duesenberg Drive and running to Erbes Road

Noon to midnight: Carnival, Janss Road and California 23

1:30 p.m.: Rodeo at carnival site

4:30 p.m.: Rodeo at carnival site

SUNDAY

9 a.m.: “Rabbit Run,” a 5K and 1-mile run-walk, Conejo Creek Park, behind the library Noon to 8 p.m.: Carnival, Janss Road and California 23

1 p.m.: Rodeo at carnival site

4 p.m.: Rodeo at carnival site

10 a.m.-4p.m: Fun Fly and Air Show Club Field, behind old Northrop Corp. site, Rancho Conejo Boulevard and Lawrence Drive

MAY 3

All day: Conejo Valley Days Golf Tournament, Sunset Hills Golf Course, 4155 Erbes Road Carnival admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and students, $3 for children 6-12, free for children under 6. Call 371-8730 for more information.