Find out what life was like on a California Rancho over 170 years ago during the “Rancho Days Celebration” on Sunday, March 13, from 11 am to 3 pm at the historic Olivas Adobe, 4200 Olivas Park Drive, near Ventura Harbor.

Step back in time to experience Ventura’s Western heritage—Chumash, Mexican and Cowboy—at California’s only remaining Monterey Style adobe built in the 1840s by a Mexican family on the 4,694-acre cattle-and-crop land grant Rancho San Miguel.

Enjoy great period entertainment and try your hand at a dozen engaging and educational activities for the whole family with Rancho-era workshops led by outreach staff, volunteer experts and heritage services organizations including the Ventura County Hand Weavers & Spinning Guild, Olivas Adobe Historical Interpreters and Channel Islands Woodcarvers.

Make adobe bricks. Grind corn and grill tortillas. Pan for gold. Rope a steer. Try beading, birding and animal tracking. Craft some Mexican paper flowers. Learn more about the Chumash natural and spiritual worlds, the adobe’s barrel organ, Gene West wooden toys, laundry days and thaumatropes and old gadget guessing games plus watch antique gun demonstrations, tour the historic adobe with costumed docents and visit the Mexican food truck onsite to purchase authentic refreshments.

ENTERTAINMENT LINEUP

11-12 Mariachi Aguilas de Oxnard

12:05-12:25 Ballet Folklorico de Bell Arts – repeats 1:05-1:20

12:30-1 Professor Tinker's Magical Medicine Show – repeats 1:25-1:50

2:10-3 California State Old time Fiddlers – Range Riders

The Rancho Days Celebration is an all-free event in celebration of the City of Ventura’s 150th anniversary of cityhood thanks to the sponsorship of Olivas family descendants Bill and Elise Kearney.