If culture—meaning arts, literature and music—is what civilizes or refines a society, the people of The Conejo are in good civilized company in the midst of plenty of cultural diversity and artistic expression. Both Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village have cultural arts foundations with programs that have flourished for more than 30 years.
Performing Arts
The city became a regional cultural center in 1994 with the opening of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. Since its successful beginning, the Arts Plaza has played host to a range of events, from national touring presentations, Broadway musicals, contemporary entertainers, and symphony concerts in The Fred Kavli Theatre for the Performing Arts to Young Artists Ensemble productions, musical and vocal concerts, and dance recitals in The Janet and Ray Scherr Forum Theatre.
Outstanding concerts are performed regularly throughout the area by local groups such as the New West Symphony, Conejo Valley Symphony Orchestra, Los Robles Master Chorale and Village Voices Chorale. The Gold Coast Theatre Conservatory offers classes and opportunities for children to perform in The Conejo Valley Children’s Concert Series. Several small theatre groups are active in the area, including the Conejo Players. Summer activities include free concerts in the park featuring popular entertainers.
Visual and Literary Arts
Visual arts are featured in numerous exhibitions, festivals and juried shows in local galleries and other venues sponsored by the Conejo Recreation & Park District, Conejo Valley Art Museum, Thousand Oaks Rotary Club, Thousand Oaks Library and other community organizations. Several internationally prominent artists have studios in The Conejo. Local literary arts groups schedule frequent poetry readings, book discussions, writers’ conferences, living history tours, speakers’ forums and other educational events.
Conejo Valley Days
A greatly anticipated annual five-day event called Conejo Valley Days celebrates The Conejo’s colorful past and includes a children’s parade, grand parade, chili cook-off, grand marshal’s race, big midway carnival and main-stage entertainers. As if this is not enough, there is also a two-day rodeo with cowboys from the professional rodeo circuit competing for points to qualify for the annual National Rodeo Finals. Plenty of top competitors take their licks and spills in events that include bull riding, steer wrestling, calf-roping, barrel racing and bareback riding.
Nearby Museums and Amusement Parks
Other nearby historic sites are the Chumash Interpretive Center in Thousand Oaks, Stagecoach Inn Museum in Newbury Park, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Leonis Adobe in Calabasas and Malibu Lagoon Museum in Malibu. Theme parks within easy access to The Conejo include Magic Mountain, Universal Studios, Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm and Raging Waters.
