Be a part of history in the making by contributing to the online Ventura County 150th Anniversary Celebration Community Photo Album that will be archived at the Museum of Ventura County.
Ventura County residents are invited to share photos of special places, events and people of Ventura County to be featured in a public photo gallery that will collectively create a visual representation of the county’s rich history and diverse community. The gallery will be forever housed in the Museum of Ventura County’s archives. To participate, visit VenturaCounty150.com and submit your favorite photos by December 31, 2023.
The community album is just one of the many events scheduled to commemorate Ventura County’s 150th anniversary. The celebration kicked off in June with the opening of art exhibits at Ventura County Museum, music, food trucks, specialty drinks, video montages, games, photo booths and more.
The cherished home of almost a million people—843,843 according to 2020 U.S. Census Data—Ventura County was inhabited by the Chumash people over 10,000 years ago. The state’s 26th largest (in area) county was established in 1873. In the 1500s, Spanish explorers arrived with active occupation beginning in the 1700s. Mission San Buenaventura was founded in 1782, spurring population growth in the surrounding area. Acres of land were given out to Mexican Californians, Californios, as payment for their service and to encourage land settlement. In the 1830s and 40s, these ranchos raised cattle and increased agriculture interest in what is now Ventura County.
The 150 days of celebrating Ventura County’s 150th anniversary include the following events:
Sept. 1: “History is Now, 2023”
The exhibit opened in Ventura and moved to Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza in September, where it will be displayed through the fall.
Curated by Focus on the Masters, 150 artists’ portraits will be on display, along with a select number of artworks by FOTM-documented master artists. The exhibit will include an extensive program of artist talks, gallery walks and school visits. Get a comprehensive look behind the scenes of the FOTM Arts Archive & Library’s 30-year history. A selection of unique objects from the FOTM archive offer a rare look at items collected and preserved for posterity. Additionally, artwork from the FOTM’s Learning to See award-winning, in-school, cross-curricular program is included in the exhibition.
Sept. 9: Oxnard Historic Farm Park Weekend Celebration
Enjoy food, music, crops and displays from 150 years ago!
Oct. 19 & 21: Santa Paula Agriculture Museum
Enjoy a full lineup of family attractions, performances, music, food and more, at 926 Railroad Ave, in Santa Paula.
Nov. 2: The State of the County
Join fellow residents at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum at 40 Presidential Drive in Simi Valley from 4 to 8 p.m. to hear a State of the County address. Visit ReaganLibrary.gov for more information.
Stay updated on more 150th Anniversary events at VenturaCounty150.com.