Ventura is set to host a two-day beach festival, while Santa Paula will feature a parade and tractor fair and Thousand Oaks will offer a tribute concert.
Here’s a look at free events in Ventura County over Labor Day weekend and on Sept. 7, this year’s holiday.
Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers and is observed on the first Monday in September, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The first Labor Day was held Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the Central Labor Union, according to the department. On June 28, 1894, Congress passed legislation and President Grover Cleveland signed it into law, making the first Monday in September a legal holiday.
Ventura
The Aloha Beach Festival
is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 5-6 at Surfers Point and Promenade Park along Shoreline Drive adjacent to the Ventura County Fairgrounds.
The festival will feature reggae and Hawaiian-style bands, Polynesian and Hawaiian dancers, a surf contest and vendors and food, said co-founder Chip Bell, aka Chipper Bro, in an email.
Morrie & the Heavy Hitters are scheduled to headline the main stage at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 5 and Kainoa Tiger Aloha 805 will close out the entertainment at 6:30 p.m. Sept 6, according to the festival’s website.
The festival supports Ventura’s social and environmental nonprofits. This year’s event will support Flow Surf Academy.
For more information, visit: https://alohabeachfestival.us.
Santa Paula
A pair of free events are set for Labor Day in the city.
The first is the Labor Day Parade, which begins at 10 a.m. on Main Street. The parade starts at Seventh and Main streets and travels east on Main, concluding at the gazebo at Santa Barbara and Mill streets.
The annual parade is a community tradition that brings together residents, local organizations and businesses to honor Santa Paula’s sense of community and hometown pride, according to a news release.
The city will be honored as this year’s Grand Marshall, according to the release. The recognition will allow the city to honor employees and departments that serve the community.
For more information, visit: spcity.org.
Following the parade, the annual Museum of Ventura County’s Labor Day Tractor Fair is scheduled from about 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The county's Agriculture Museum is at 926 Railroad Ave.
The Topa Topa Flywheelers will bring about 15 vintage tractors, display them along Railroad Avenue and answer questions from attendees, said Loribeth Gregory-Beck, chief programs officer for the Museum of Ventura County, in an email.
A live jazz trio will perform throughout the afternoon and the UC Master Gardeners will give garden tours and share information on gardening and composting, Gregory-Beck said.
Other activities include a farmers market, food trucks, activities for kids and families and community resource providers, she said.
For more information, visit: https://venturamuseum.org.
Thousand Oaks
The free Conejo Recreation and Park District Summer Concert Series will feature the 90s Rockshow band from 5 to 7 p.m. on Sept. 7 at Conejo Community Park, 1175 Hendrix Ave.
Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs and picnics. Food trucks and dessert trucks will also be onsite with items available for purchase.
The 90s Rockshow is a tribute band that performs grunge, alternative rock and pop punk music from artists including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Green Day and No Doubt, according to the park district's website.
For more information, visit: crpd.org/summer-concerts-in-the-park.
Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Free Labor Day events planned across Ventura County
