Many thanks to this private farm supporting Santa Barbara Farm Day! This is a family own farm…read moreproducing avocados to wholesale within California and into the Northwest! According to the farm 80 percent of avocados are from farms outside US, support local farms within Us like this one. Thanks for the great tour, answering guest questions from production to storing avocados for maximum quality. I appreciate your patience as we learn about avocados farms! Keep up the good great work in supporting local farming!

Conejo Family Farm's Pumpkin Patch is the perfect spot to soak up all the fall vibes!…read more If you're looking for a relaxed, low-key day, weekdays are the way to go. But if you're in the mood for a lively atmosphere, weekends are buzzing with pop-up coffee stands, local beer stalls, and tons of happy families. I even heard they had over 5,000 guests in a single day last weekend -- such an incredible turnout for this Camarillo patch! Entry is $10 a person unless you're under the age of 5, then it's free. Once you step inside the grounds, the fun doesn't stop. From picking pumpkins (I snagged the cutest little white ones) to exploring the tall corn maze and strolling through the sunflower fields, there's something for everyone. At just $1 a stem, you can build your own sunflower bouquet, which makes this experience extra special. The kids will love the mini maze and bouncy houses, while adults can enjoy the festive energy and beer. Honestly, I had the best time and totally recommend adding it to your fall bucket list. Make sure to keep an eye on their Instagram or website as that's where you can find updating postings of specialized events and pop up. Reminder: the weekends are when they have the animal petting zoo, coffee stalls and beer garden. The weekdays appear to be more lowkey and don't have all of these options - but if you watch their website, they do have mid week events like yoga in the pumpkin patch etc.

He tons of fun at the pumpkin patch ! Took my 1 year old and she absolutely loved the tractor ride…read more! Lots of good photo op opportunities. Also, for only $10 everything is included Tractor ride ~ Kids and adults corn maze and sunflowers galore !

Love, love, love Frog Creek Farm. Can't believe that they have been in business for over a decade…read moreand I just heard about them recently. We had been to another lavender farm in the upper Ojai Valley some years ago and I was looking for that info to return. That one has closed, but thankfully, Frog Creek Farm is a wonderful "find" for us. The lavender full blossom season is short, so you need to check on them via social media to find out when they are open. Instagram has current info. It's a delight to pull off the Ojai/Santa Paula Road and mosey on to their property. They have so much to see, including their cutting garden of seasonal flowers, some places to sit at picnic tables in the shade and even swing (i.e., hammock), the gift shop, and the lavender rows - the main event. Larry provides a great introduction at the small stand adjacent to the flowering beds. He describes the location and how to identify the five kinds of lavender they offer for cutting. For 2025 pricing - $16 earns you a generous bunch of fragrant blooms. After orientation, you are off with a basket to collect the stems, and scissors to do your own cutting / harvesting. As promised, the plentiful bees scattered away as we leaned in to cut the stems close to the main host bushes. We wandered among the rows and filled up our gathering basket. Back at the stand, Larry tied our haul into a beautiful bunch. We proceeded to the gift shop to pay for our pickings, and I also found a few other items to purchase, including lavender-infused spray which has many purposes. Christel greeted us as we were wrapping up our visit. She filled us in as we asked questions about how long they'd been there, as well as about some of their products. She's as sweet and charming as the farm is. What a lovely place to visit. We'll be putting it on the to-do list next summer, for sure!

It's always such a wonderful experience at Frog Creek Farm…read more Arriving at the farm, you just feel like you are transported somewhere else. From the personal lavender lesson, to the hands on cutting, shopping the lavender shed to sipping amazing lavender lemonade under the trees, it's such a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Christel and Larry are just the nicest people. They make you feel so welcome to be visiting their little slice of heaven. We love this annual tradition.

Always fresh fruits and veggies. On my way home. Easy on and off. Delicious berries, apples,…read moremango, citrus. Then I load zucchini, celery, whatever is in season. Yum. The family is so nice and helpful, too. Additionally, I have found items like carved wood, nuts, and dried fruits. So you never know, unless you ask the nice family who turn out to be your good friends. Always puts a smile on my face to go there!

Paty's Farm saved me in my strawberry crisis! I usually go to Las Posas Berries for strawberries,…read morebut they are not open on some weekdays, which I did not take into account. On my commute, I went a different route in the hopes that one of the farms in Somis would be open before 9AM, and thankfully, Patty's was. I stopped by and bought a full flat of strawberries for $44. Despite the berries being smaller than the ones from Las Posas Berries, they were equally sweet, and the staff kept stuffing the flat with more berries as I got my card to pay. Super helpful, quick, and delicious!

We were so fortunate to visit the Gardens during their wonderful hummer exhibition. Hummingbirds…read moreand informative displays are located throughout the Garden. There are new paths to explore, interesting displays to enjoy and of course, the amazing views when you get to the top. Benches are strategically placed throughout the Garden for rest if needed, shade if desired and simply to enjoy the moment. Bring water as you'll be glad you did on these warm days. Remember to wear your sunscreen and enjoy. Ample free parking in the lot out front.

Heads up to local seniors who may want to build up their aerobic fitness in the foothills above…read moreVentura Harbor with a perfectly maintained path, gentle rise, and fabulous scenery. For a $45/year membership you can train all year on a 2.5 mile loop through the plants native to Chili, South Africa, Mediterranean, Australia and CA with blooms that change through the seasons. There's no gym that can provide the meditative immersion in nature that the botanical garden gives you. The path's surface is amenable to walkers. There's only an outhouse -so that may be a problem. Coming from out of town? Got children? Perfect place to take them for breathtaking views of the harbor, fun exhibits (like the one on hummingbirds going on now) and a place to eat your bagged lunch. Kids under 18 free. Adults $7 without a membership.

Attended toward the end when tickets were slightly discounted. Purchased online the weekday 2-pack…read moreticket special was $36 plus $6 service fee, total $42 for 2 people. A child ticket was $17 plus $3 fee. Not sure if purchasing tickets at the door would have been cheaper or not. After seeing the mixed reviews of this event I didn't have high expectations so was pleasantly surprised that I actually enjoyed it. The theme for this year was Atlantis. There was a variety of displays, colorful photo rooms, and a circus performance. This event seems to be more geared toward kids so don't expect high tech lighting and effects. For the price I thought it was ok but for a big family it can be quite costly. Going toward the end of the event will be a cheaper and less crowded.

Came here as a family for an outing! Came with our almost one year old. Wasn't sure if it would be…read moreentertaining for him but honestly it was fun for him with all the lights and stimulation! There are multiple instagram worthy decorated booths! Even for us adults, it was entertaining to walk around and see the different light displays and garden! There is a circus show so it's nice to have something else to be entertained by. Overall good family outing opportunity for the summer!

Spectacular! Small enough to be WELL WORTH IT, and large enough to make it worthwhile. I never…read morewould have known about it, had it not been for Living Social. I had a free weekend, I drove up, stayed near Camarillo Outlets, then drove into Ventura for the balloon festival. There's only need to attend ONE day of the three. It's a GREAT hometown festival, whose main attraction are the balloons. Parking is good, wish I had time for the town tour, arrived early to take in the fest, and stayed late to experience all the balloons. I had the opportunity to watch them roll out the balloon, line up the strings, participate in the group effort to stand 'er up while the balloonist blew hot air within. The lighting of the balloons at night is spectacular, but probably would have been even more so if every balloon was alit during the fest. See pics.

Buying tickets online was easier this year because you could print out your entrance ticket…read moreimmediately. They also had streamlined the entrance process at the gate. Only bummer - they had the same bad t-shirt art again this year. How about taking a lesson from the Avocado Festival and having local artists compete for the t-shirt art and then maybe people would buy them? We started at the Wine Tasting Pavilion. 5 wineries this year. $2 per taste. I liked 75% of the wines this year. And towards the end of tasting time, the pours definitely were more generous. Although I did think it strange that a summer event would have all red wines, except for one white - a Chenin Blanc that was delicious. The boys headed for the beer tasting pavilion but ended up just buying full glasses of beer. I did try a Summer Shandy beer that was excellent. Dinner was from the Spencer MacKenzie fish truck again this year. I tried a less flammable sauce this year and enjoyed my fish taco more. I also enjoyed an order of their seasoned fries - thin, not overly greasy and lightly sprinkled with seasoning. The vendors were varied for craft items. I didn't purchase any impulse items, but the girl with us did purchase a few candles. The band for Friday evening played mellow County music and it fit with the casual evening. (I heard there was an unbefitting Rock band on Saturday.) The balloons are always center stage here and we weren't disappointed this year. They started inflating them just before sunset. They had more present than the previous year we had attended. We loved the alien-looking balloon called Outlander. And the Humpty Dumpty balloon was a hit. The Limoneira lemon-shaped balloon was fantastic. There were many with colorful patterns. Another evening of awe, wine, good food and friendship! I hope we can attend again next year

Taste of Camarillo 2019; Awesome ambience, held on the beautiful grounds of the Camarillo Ranch…read moreHouse, with shady tables and places to sit or stand without buying a VIP ticket! Last Sunday in July, annually. Tickets online are easy to get. Live music, dance pavillion w/ seating! A variety of Restaurants, Winery's and Brewery's donate samples of their wares. Also candy, cakes, lemonade, water, sodas, ciders ... SO much to sample, we couldn't possibly try everything! They also have boutiques with fun & interesting items, clothing, jewlry etc. Great way to spend a summer day!! Looking forward to Taste 2020

This review is for Taste of Camarillo 2019, 7/28/19, "California Dreamin'". The Taste of Camarillo…read morein 2019 was awesome! A completely different experience from last year. Low crowds, great pours, premium food, incredible band, couldn't have had a better time. Even Trader Joe's was there. I'm gald I gave it another chance. Hats off to the women of the Meadowlark Service League, we'll be back!