Planetary Spectacle

The New West Symphony will present its season premiere concerts this weekend in Thousand Oaks and Oxnard, featuring Holst’s “The Planets.” Gordon Cooper, one of the original team of seven U.S. astronauts, will serve as presenter and narrator of a one-hour space documentary, with live orchestral accompaniment and high-resolution images of the planets and special-effects computer animation. Also on the program, Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance” and his cello concerto.

* New West Symphony, Friday, 8 p.m., Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza’s Kavli Theatre, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.; Saturday, Oxnard Performing Arts Center, 800 Hobson Way. $8-$67. 497-5800.

Community Fete

Simi Valley Days will culminate with some of the 16th annual event’s most popular attractions still to come this weekend. On Saturday, a 9 a.m. parade commences at the corner of Los Angeles Avenue and Erringer Road. A rodeo will be held at the festival site Saturday, 6 to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m., and the sizable carnival will be open late into the evening each night through Sunday. Kowchip Bingo anyone? Catch it at 1 p.m. Sunday.

* Simi Valley Days, through Sunday. Carnival hours: today, 5-10 p.m.; Friday, 5 p.m.-midnight; Saturday, 11 a.m.-midnight; Sunday, noon-10 p.m.; 1st Street, just north of the Ronald Reagan Freeway. $1-$5, 3 and under free. 581-4280. Internet: https://www.simivalleydays.com.

Bookmaking

Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library will present “Bookmaking--Evolution From Stone to Paper” Saturday at the Grant R. Brimhall Library in Thousand Oaks. Artists and craftspeople from around Southern California will demonstrate stone-chiseling, hieroglyphics, Braille, Chinese lettering, a Colonial printing press, calligraphy and more. Also on tap: rare and old book displays, book-signings, historical reenactments, children’s activities, vendors and refreshments.

* “Bookmaking--Evolution From Stone to Paper,” Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Grant R. Brimhall Library, 1401 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. Free. 449-2660. Internet: https://www.ftol.org.

Barbary Coast

The Gold Coast Pirate Festival will set up camp this weekend at Lake Casitas, where hundreds of costumed players, street entertainers and merchants will re-create a 16th century pirate village. The fun also includes costume contests, treasure hunts, continuous entertainment on two stages, food and more.

* Gold Coast Pirate Festival, Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Lake Casitas, near Ojai. $10 general; $5 ages 5 to 11; 4 and under free. 646-2425.