Tag: Ventura County

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community Culture & Student Life

For Future Pirates

There is something special at Ventura College most may not know about. There is a learning opportunity for children between the ages of 2-5. The Orfalea Child development center is at the far west end of campus at Telegraph and West Campus Way. The emphasis of the center on STEM education has earned them the Golden Gear award in 2019.” The center is one of the top programs in the county”, states Deanna Hall a professor and co-chair of the center. She has been in education for 35 years. Students enrolled in the Early Education program earn their associate’s degrees while not only observing but actual hands-on experience working with the children at the center. 

The classes are small with a 1 to 10 ratio and the classrooms for the children aged 3,4 and 5 will never go over 20. The 2-year-old class has one teacher for every 6 children. The advanced students will serve as teachers’ aide alongside permanent highly qualified teachers employed by Ventura College. The school’s outside learning lab has a garden where children can not only plant and grow their own vegetables but fulfill their desire to play at the mud table. The center has a “jungle” of trees that provide opportunities to look for lady bugs in the grass and be young explorers. The outdoor area also has a constructed river with rocks and logs to play on. The sensory adventure continues with what else but a pirate ship to play on. 

The center has scholarships available for qualified students; more information can be found by visiting the center or emailing vcchilddev@vcccd.edu. The quality care is comparable to most child learning centers. The center is family focused as it encourages parents to participate in volunteering and hosts STEM Day events twice a year. The center has built the curriculum to ignite the children’s imagination and lay the foundation that will begin their educational journey. For more information on how you can take advantage of this program visit https://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student-services/child-development-center

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Uncategorized

805 Rising

By: Alyssa Moreno

Hello everyone, long time no see! The last post I made on here consisted of a playlist that contained songs from exclusively Ventura County artists. Well, today I’m back with one of those artists, Young Lord, a rising rapper out of Oxnard.

I took the time to sit down with Young Lord at his studio to get a little insight on what’s next for this career and what he’s planning for the year 2024. And of course I got a tour of the studio!

He was extremely welcoming and felt like a friendly face which made asking questions a little easier on me. “So how are things with your music lately, anything we should keep an eye out for?” I asked the 25-year-old rapper.

“Oh you know, things are good, I’m working on a lot of new stuff that I can’t wait to release hopefully as soon as possible, and start getting to work on some of ideas I have for the future” he replied.

“Sounds like you have the near future planned out, but what’s happening right now in the life of Young Lord, any recent releases we should add to our current music rotations?, I asked.

“Yeah, I actually have a couple of recent releases that should be on everyone’s radar,” he laughed, “No, but seriously I did just drop a few tracks on all streaming platforms called BACK2BACK and Dior Cologne Freestyle, and I even dropped music videos to both songs on Youtube.”

“Oh, I’ll be to link both songs so that all our readers and viewers can watch and listen, so now that those songs are out, what’s next in terms of marketing what’s already released?” I asked Young Lord.

After listening to both songs and watching both music videos, I’ve decided not to link them in this article because they weren’t so family friendly, but I still think everyone who’s interested in checking them out should absolutely do so! I still really like both songs. Both songs feature Young Lords unique melodies and catchy word play with equally as enticing visuals to match.

“Well, that’s what I’m trying to figure out right now, I do what I can on social media you know like Instagram and TikTok, and my label helps me out with the advertisements, but I want it all to be very organic and not too try hard, you know what I mean?”

“Yeah I definitely understand where you’re coming from, it can be hard to want to push your art onto people, but how else will they know if you aren’t constantly telling them?”

We exchanged a back and forth of what’s to come for the Oxnard local rapper, but we’ll save that for another time, he wanted everything to come out when he was ready to put it out, and as an artist I respect that.

After some conversation he took me around the studio to see where he does most of his work, and of course I took pictures.

It’s such a cool and creative space, so much art surrounding you while you create art, I told the young rapper. The space felt inspiring and motivating, Hopefully I’ll be back here soon with more updates on the rising star out of Ventura County, Young Lord.

Be sure to follow him on Instagram @RealYoungLord

Follow me on Instagram @MorenoAlyssa_

And follow the VC Social on Instagram @VCSocialBrand

Categories
Business Food & Beverage

B&J’s Drive In

Ramon and I took an adventure down to a Saticoy, to see a historical landmark of theirs that is B&J’s Drive In. This drive-in has been in Saticoy forever, but it didn’t earn its name until about 60 years ago. The Jenkins family were the long time owners but it is now owned by Alfredo M. We got to sit down and have an in-depth interview with him that you can watch above ^ He talks about how he came to own B&J’s, restaurant struggles, what he hopes for their future and more! Here’s the food we tried during our visit!

Corn Burritos

Rating —-> Ramon: 7 Valerie: 7.5

These burritos are county famous, they are definitely something that helped put B&J’s on the map! They are a crispy, salty, cheesy treat. The bean filling adds a level of protein that helps make you full off of these alone!

Old Fashioned Combo

Rating —> Ramon: 9.9 Valerie: 9.9

This one was definitely both of our favorites. This burger was packed to the nines with 2 patties, an onion ring, bacon and other traditional burger toppings. Even though it sounds like a lot, it melded together beautifully. Everything complimented each other, it’s definitely big enough that you can share between 2 people!

Lemon Pepper Wings

Rating —> Ramon: 8 Valerie: 7.5

The wings were crispy and tangy from the lemon pepper sauce. Such a chill food to share among with friends. Would’ve loved to have more of a peppery kick to them, more on the mild side.

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Chili Cheese Fries

Rating —> Ramon: 8.5 Valerie: 9

These chili cheese fries were very honestly the bomb.com. They are super cheesy, crispy and savory! The crinkle fries have nice ridges to hold the chili so you can get everything in one bite. Everyone I know that knows B&J’s always recommends!

B&J’s is a welcoming family friendly environment! They have annual toy drives and cruise and chill days. They make the Saticoy community proud and continue to carry on the legacy that is B&J’s. Such a variety of food and very affordable. Such an amazing experience! Thank You Alfredo for giving us your time and resources, we wish you the very best of luck!

Categories
Food & Beverage Local Business Uncategorized

Carnitas is King

Ventura has a new gem! Carnitas El Rey, 2437 E Main St

By Nancy Olascuaga & Deseray Radziewicz

El Rey’s restaurant’s indulgent carnitas originate from where they are best made: Michoacan (an elegant state of Mexico known for its rich ancient culture, magnificent landmarks, and flavorful carnitas). Eating here felt like we didn’t have to travel all the way to Michoacan to satisfy our juicy carnitas cravings.

Carnitas El Rey entrance, 2437 E. Main St, Ventura, CA
Michoacan styled murals adorn the restaurant walls.

Along the Way

Currently Carnitas El Rey has three locations in Oxnard, Santa Paula and now Ventura. All three El Rey restaurants and it’s Owners: Juan and Gricelda Zavala, have an impressive reputation for their authentic real deal Michoacan style carnitas.

Pinto beans, rice, homemade tortilla, carnitas, Agua de Tamarindo.

The Food

Nancy and I went to Carnitas El Rey to check it out. What we found was a beautifully decorated atmosphere and authentic Michoacan carnitas that were tender, full f flavor, and all around fabulous. A couple tips from fellow VC Social blogger Nick Lerma, get there early because they are SO GOOD that they could run out, and make sure to try the rice.

We made sure to do both and were not disappointed. Nancy and I each ordered the taco plate which came with beans and rice. Nancy had an agua de tamarindo and I had a sangria senorial soda to drink. I tried the green salsa, it was flavorful. While it didn’t make me sweat, it was just enough to dew my forehead. Everything was fresh, delicious, everything was clean, and everyone was warm and friendly.

Taco plate. Pinto beans, rice, homemade tortillas, carnitas, chopped onions and cilantro, green salsa.

If you’re looking for a new gem to check out in Ventura, we definitely recommend Carnitas El Rey! Check out their opening day post on Instagram on your way there.

Check out Carnitas El Rey – You’ve been warned, carnitas cravings ahead…
Categories
Arts & Entertainment

Artist Spotlight: The Frights at Ventura Music Hall

On February 23, 2024, the Ventura Music Hall hosted a musical phenomenon, The Frights. They’re a band that seamlessly blends some elements of surf rock, punk, and alternative sound. In combination this creates a feeling that is both nostalgic and refreshing in a modern way. What sets The Frights apart from other bands is not just the way they strum their guitars, but their commitment to staying authentic since the very beginning. In today’s day and age artists find popularity by using auto tune. The Frights on the other hand embrace the imperfection of their raw and unfiltered voices. This approach to sound is a great reminder that music is really just another art medium.

A very intriguing aspect of The Fright’s music journey is how they are able to achieve an inherently timeless sound that has found its way into the ears of the new generations through social media platforms. Most notably TikTok has become an unexpected ally in introducing the band’s surf rock sound to a wider audience. Songs like “You Are Going to Hate This” and “Tungs” have become one of their most popular performances and a great contributor to the new exposure was from rising social media platforms like TikTok.

Photo by Jorge Padilla

The band released their first EP “Dead Beach” and their first ever studio album “The Frights” in 2013 and have become a household staple in the surf rock community.  Although the band has seen some changes throughout the years, they still manage to maintain their raw unfiltered sound. The lead vocalist Mikey Carnevale has been with the band since the very beginning and is joined by Richard Dotson, Marc Finn, Jordan Clark, and Elias Avila.
For those who are not very familiar with The Frights, here are their
Top 5 most streamed songs, and for good reason.

5. Kids
4. Crust Bucket
3. Tongues
2. You Are Going to Hate This
1. Tungs

Missed the show? Have your own!

Live At The Observatory is a great album to listen to if you want to experience or relive the feeling of hearing The Frights live.

Photo by Jorge Padilla
Categories
Business Local Business Nature & Outdoors

Surfko

📍Location: 1861 Ventura Blvd, Oxnard CA 93036

A new small and local business that just recently opened in the Market Place in Oxnard, CA is waiting for business to take off!!

Do not let the name mislead you. Surfko is a general clothing store that sells primarily women and men’s clothing. They also sell children’s clothing. Surfko is a store for all beautiful ages. This store recently launched men’s shorts for the beach. These shorts are two in one. Not only are they every day walking shorts, but they are also board shorts. Wait until you hear how affordable these one of a kind shorts are. For only $10, you get stylish every day lounge wear and waterproof swim trunks!

Gray Surfko shorts: $10
Green Surfko shorts: $10

The prices at this store are out of this world. Not only are the prices cheap, but everything in the store ranges from $2-$10. There is nothing in the store that costs more than $10! These prices are like no other 💸.

History 📜

Surfko’s very first location started back in 2012 at the Camarillo Outlets. The store was located by the well known UGG store and the food court. The company first started off as a surf company that manufactured T-shirts and sweatshirts. As business was growing, Surfko was able to expand to a more general clothing selection. Thanks to being at the Camarillo Outlets for 12 years, they are now able to have a wide variety of affordable clothing. Some clothing products that Surfko sells in store includes:

  • Hawaiian shirts
  • Jackets
  • Denim Jeans
  • Joggers
  • Fleece pants
  • Sweatshirts
  • Hoodies
  • T-shirts
  • Pajamas
  • Tank tops
  • Leggings
  • Skirts
  • Shorts
  • Dresses

Unfortunately, due to recent inflation and rent prices sky rocketing the owner decided not to pay the expensive rent prices at the Outlets. This is the reason they are at a new location in Oxnard, CA. They need all the support they can get right now!

🗣️Surfko’s Motto 🗣️

At Surfko they believe it is important to have good quality, fabrics, and great designs. Plus, the best deals on clothing items, so that we as customers can save money.

💵Forms of Payment 💳

Surfko accepts many forms of payments via:

  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Visa
  • Venmo
  • Google pay
  • PayPal
  • Mastercard
  • Shop
  • Meta Pay
  • Cash

Don’t forget to check out surfko whenever you are in oxnard, ca… guaranteed you will find something you like + it is affordable 🎉!

Feel free to follow Surfko’s social media to help their business grow 🙂

Categories
Culture & Student Life Nature & Outdoors

Finals Are Coming

by Nancy Olascuaga

Finals week is coming, and those sleepless nights are upon us. The next two weeks is a time of studying late at night, eating junk food, and drinking so much coffee! For those who are graduating, and those who will register for classes next semester, this is a stressful time, yes its temporary, but still stressful. With this academic year coming to a close: full of successes and stresses, going to Ventura Beach will help you manage stress and self care.

Here’s a list of why and how walking or sitting on a bench at Ventura beach will help you destress and make your finals week a memorable one:

The Smell: The scent of the sea is refreshing. Take a few deep breaths and take in the fresh and salty aroma. Taking deep breaths improves lung function, lowers stress, and improves concentration.

The Touch: If you walk barefoot or bury your hands in the sand, its’ particles will stimulate your psyche and your skin.

The Sound: The sound of the waves will help you feel optimistic and positive about your upcoming finals. The sound of nature will help soothe your body and relax your mind.

The Sight: You’ll see many people walking/jogging, long palm trees, and very talented surfers. If you catch a sunrise or a luminous sunset your body will relax and reduce stress. Watching the waves will boost your confidence going into finals, you will crush them!

Make sure you add some beach time to your finals study plans, or go afterwards with friends or alone. Surviving these next two weeks will set you up for a successful future in your awesome future academic endeavors, and it doesn’t have to be chaotic or full of stress.

Categories
Arts & Entertainment Culture & Student Life

LEARN HOW TO “LIGHT UP BIRD CAGES”

Want a relaxing activity to do while drinking mimosas by a harbor? This upcoming event will be just that. I found out about this event through the visit Ventura CA website. They have lots of different events and other things to do in Ventura. If you are ever wanting to go out and find something to do in Ventura that site is a good place to start.

This event will show you a step-by-step process on how to create a beaded wire wrapped bird cage. It’s meant to be a decretive piece for your garden or even your room. It will be held in Ventura on April 26th from 1pm to 3pm. The entry will cost $35 per person and everything will be supplied. It’ll be a nice way to relax because on top of it being by a harbor they will also have complimentary mimosas.

For the location or more information about the event(s) click on the link(s) below.

LIGHT UP BIRD CAGES

VENTURA COUNTY EVENTS

Categories
Arts & Entertainment Local Business

Cultural Curation at it’s finest: The Dated ‘N Faded Experience

Image depicts the market’s March event linked from dnfmarket

From nostalgic toys to hip hop dancing, the Dated ‘N Faded night market is not your typical pop-up event. Vendors, performers, and attendees from and around Ventura County come with eagerness looking for the next big thing. Dated ‘N Faded is a free night market open to all ages and is hosted every 3 months at Ventura’s Topa Topa Brewing Co. With about 40 vendors of all sorts, this night market builds its own cultural curation through live entertainment, fashion, music, food, drinks, and more! 

Dated ‘N Faded Origins

Established in 2023 and soon approaching their one year anniversary, Dated ‘N Faded is more than just a night market. It is where one brand brings three friends closer together to serve Ventura County, all starting with the South-Oxnard based brand, Retour. Retour is a streetwear clothing brand inspired by Oxnard culture founded by clothing designer Ryan Yere, and co-founders Byron Bucao, and Steve Rivera, all of whom share the same vision for the brand: “Our story, through product, vintage curation”. This mission statement is extended onto the Dated ‘N Faded market, as Ryan Yere described during his time on the Capsul Talk podcast. Retour embodies the story of the city of Oxnard and its culture, bringing forward the talent in the community and strives to carry that purpose with Dated ‘N Faded. While all the creators are multi-hyphenates, this market heavily reflects the creators’ main influences: Ryan in clothing design, Steve in vintage clothing, and Byron in choreography and photography. They venture to showcase the community’s creativity by opening up this platform in collaboration with local talent. 

The Experience  

After having attended their fourth event, I can confidently say that talent from the Ventura County community reflects identity through their craft. Every event hosted comes with its own unique theme, and coincides with the Retour merch drops posted on their main Instagram accounts dnfmarket and retourco. The announcement of this recent event, which took place on March 16, 2024, featured a Chicano-esque theme along with the market’s reappearing astronaut figure. (see above image)

Navigating through the bustling crowd during the live stream on vcsocialbrand‘s Instagram account, I saw both the revival of old trends and timeless fashion. One of my favorite booths I came across was a ‘90’s/00’s photo-op with airbrushed backdrops, hosted by pdogs00snaps, showcasing this trend that is resurgent, predominantly within the Latino community.    

Chiquesfc had a creative storefront display (in collaborations with serhumano.ig and apartworldwide), featuring day-to-day products found in Latino households, to represent a part of their clothing brand De un Campo a Otro. The other part is represented through their clothing designs which highlight the story of hardworking field workers from Oxnard. The word “Chiques” in the brand name refers to an Oxnard nickname coming from the city’s first established neighborhood, La Colonia. As a connection to the mexican community, “Chiques” is a term that has been recoined from being a gang related label to a positive form of identity in which Pacifica High School teacher Cesar Calderon told the VC Star journalist Wendy Leung, “Chiques means Oxnard […] it means that fighting spirit of you making it out and proving them wrong.” All this comes together as a form of empowerment where providing representation for farm workers carries that identity of a fighter who pushes through with resilience. 

Images linked from dnfmarket featuring pdogs00snaps photo service (Left) and Chiquesfc storefront display (Right)

Of course, we also saw the partnership between the co-founder’s businesses, Retour and Stevescloset99 as they shared the same booth. Besides sharing the same brand vision, story through product, co-founders Ryan and Byron collaborated with Capsul Talk to host a Q&A panel where selected local business owners and creatives got to interact and share answers to the public’s questions.

Multiple booths displayed their best curated streetwear, vintage apparel, jewelry, toothgems, tattoos, dance and music performances, food, drinks, and much more than I could describe here in this blog. Thanks to the teams at Topa Topa Brewing Co., Retour and Dated ‘N Faded who support the mission of providing a platform for cultural curation and storytelling in collaboration with local creatives and small businesses, curating a space for all.  If you’ve made it this far into the blog, follow dnfmarket on Instagram, where you can follow along to hear more about their first upcoming anniversary event in May 2024, and connect with the rest of the previous vendors, with their own resilient stories to share.

Experience the Dated ‘N Faded Night Market here:

Categories
Food & Beverage Local Business

The Perfect Marriage: MadeWest Brewery & Food Trucks

Just when you thought the perfect marriage didn’t exist, MadeWest Brewery combined beer with Ventura County’s food truck culture in matrimony. From authentic Mexican, Greek, and Asian fusion, you’ll be able to satisfy any hunger cravings.

Game Over Catering is first on the Menu, known for their street tacos. You can put chicken, asada, pastor, and occasionally mariscos (seafood) in your tacos or quesadillas smoothened with cheese. Religiously appearing in the MadeWest parking lot on Wednesdays from 4-7:30pm.

Looking for homemade birria just how mom made it? Look no further, with over 7K followers on Instagram, Birria El Güero shares their family recipes, mom included! Named after the owner’s son who loves birria, Birria El Güero gained popularity with their famous torta de birria. MadeWest plays host to them every Thursday at 3pm.

Make your Friday date night Greek style with Wrapped food truck. Or even lunch because they arrive on the property at 12 noon. Their signature dishes include a Chicken Shawarma Wrap, Shawarma Fries, and Yalanji aka Stuffed Grape Leave. My personal favorite is their Gyro generously stuffed with lamb meat, drenched in Tzatiki sauce. Complete your meal with Baklava for dessert that is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

Lamp Gyro from Wrapped

Last but not least and new to the scene is pop-up and catering truck Takeos Grubshack. Their California-style Asian cuisine includes Whole Wings with a variety of flavors, Pho, Korean rice bowl aka Bibimbap, and their popular Korean-style boas. Check their Instagram page to find out where they will pop-up next!

Korean Style Boa by Takeo’s Grubshack

Next time you visit MadeWest, don’t just arrive thirsty, come hungry too!

All Food trucks mentioned operate at Madewest Brewing Company and tasting room at 1744 Donlon St, Ventura, Ca. Check out MadeWest’s Calendar of Events on their website to see when and what food truck will be there today!