PHOTO BY JOSEPH A. GARCIA, VENTURA COUNTY STAR // BUY THIS PHOTO
JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR Tony Hartley carries his daughter Taylor on his shoulders Thursday for the opening evening of Conejo Valley Days.
Anna and Jake Reed were rotated up, down and around as the G Force ride at Conejo Valley Days whirled them around as their dad, Bryan Reed, watched from the sidelines.
“When you came down it’s kind of like G forces coming down on you, and it’s like a swing but spinning around at the same time,” said Jake, 10, as he exited the ride.
“It kind of makes my stomach go in,” said Anna, 7.
The Reeds, of Thousand Oaks, were among the first to arrive at the opening of the 58th Conejo Valley Days on Thursday at Conejo Creek Park South adjacent to the Janss Road northbound exit from Highway 23 in Thousand Oaks.
“We come every year, just to support the community and have fun. It’s a good time,” Reed said.
For the first time, the event, which runs through Sunday, has secured Ray Cammack Shows as its carnival and midway operator. It’s brought new and bigger rides as well as uniformed staff and a new layout that makes the fair seem more spacious.
“It’s a dramatic contrast from before,” said Patty Papps, who’s been coming to Conejo Valley Days since 1978.
Papps, who came with her daughter and two grandchildren, said the event has definitely changed over the years, from a homegrown community festival that celebrated civic engagement to a more entertainment-driven event. She said she’s seen it go through ups and downs in more recent years.
“It looks very clean and very organized, and there are a few more local booths. I’m glad CVD is coming back,” she said.
It was a view echoed by many other of the early carnivalgoers.
“It’s cleaner. The rides are better. There’s a more professional-looking staff,” said Mike Harmon, of Thousand Oaks.
His wife, Mary Lipari Harmon, said: “It’s completely different. It looks like a really professional carnival here, and it’s absolutely fabulous.
“I grew up doing this, and I have three boys — 13, 11 and 6 — and they love doing it. I have many fond memories, and they have those memories, too, now, so it’s awesome.”
New rides include Mach 1, which promises riders will experience heights of 120 feet and speeds up to 3.5G; Insanity, which takes riders 80 feet up into the air; and a 110-foot-tall Ferris wheel. There’s tamer fare, too, such as mini bumper cars, a haunted house ride and a traditional horse carousel.
Several community organizations continue to use the event as a fundraiser. At the food court, the Elks Lodge of Thousand Oaks is selling barbecue, including its signature tri-tip sandwich, and Boy Scout Troop 718 is selling roasted corn as well as baked potatoes and chili/cheese fries.
Karina Santillo, of Westlake Village, went for the chili/cheese fries, while her son Julian Wolfe, 9, went straight for the funnel cake.
“It’s sugar,” he said as he put his spoon into the cream on top.
Throughout Conejo Valley Days, the nonprofit Lucy Pet Foundation, the event’s official 501(c)(3) sponsor, will have its mobile spay/neuter clinic on site as well as cats and dogs from the Ventura County Animal Services’ Camarillo shelter that are available for adoption.
Visit http://www.conejovalleydays.us for more information about Conejo Valley Days, including days, times and admission prices and live entertainment.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2014/may/08/conejo-valley-days-draws-good-reviews-on-opening/#ixzz31CIDJJDd
- vcstar.com
carthomas7 writes:
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2014/may/08/conejo-valley-days-draws-good-reviews-on-opening/#ixzz31CIOfMJo
- vcstar.com
He done it!! LOL