Ventura Harbor Celebrates Spring with New Events and Activities
Spring has burst out in all its glory at Ventura Harbor Village, where visitors can experience new attractions and activities, great food and shopping, and favorite sports and recreation.
Visitors can celebrate weekends at the Four Points by Sheraton Ventura Harbor Resort with a new weekend getaway rate, through April 2015. Take advantage of a $119 weekend rate between March 20-April 26, 2015, where you’re just steps from the boats and a short, eight-minute walk to vibrant Ventura Harbor Village with boutiques, galleries, restaurants and entertainment. Contact the hotel direct at (805) 658-1212, ext. 1290. Use code: 4239. Offer expires April 26, 2015 and is exclusive of taxes, fees or parking.
April is National Kite Month, and Harbor Wind & Kite in Ventura Harbor Village is the only full-service kite store between San Diego and San Francisco – offering kite repair, top flyers for 2015, and complimentary stunt lessons with April purchase of a stunt kite. The store is open daily from 11 AM – 6 PM, and it also features decorative flags, popular wind spinners of all designs, a flyer wall, kids’ toys, and wide selection of Kinsmart cars. The best-selling kite predicted for 2015 is the Red Baron Tri-Plane retailing for $67. Just across from Ventura Harbor Village and steps away from the Harbor Wind & Kite store, Surfer’s Knoll Beach, South Beach and Harbor Cove Beach offer perfect flying opportunities.
Cottontail Day is a family festival that welcomes Spring on Saturday, March 28 from 10 AM – 3 PM at the Ventura Harbor Village. The free event features live kids’ entertainment, arts and crafts, activities for kids, a $2 Petting Zoo, Pony Rides ($) , family vendors and games, visits with the Cottontail Bunny and $2 Egg Hunts for kids ages 1-7 years old. Join in the fun with a Harbor Village Scavenger Hunt, check out the cute bunnies on the Carousel Stage and shop for spring items for the entire family.
Easter Sunday- April 5 – Ventura Harbor Village gets hopping, with a meet-and-greet of the Cottontail Bunny from Noon -3 pm, face painting, live jazz with Mainstreet Jazz Band, wonderful dining options, seaside boutiques, and Sunday brunches.
Come to Ventura Harbor to check out the Spring Break Rocks music series. Enjoy the sounds of live bands performing by the seashore, March 22,29, and April 4,5,11,12, and 19, 2015. Live entertainment is a year-round attraction at Ventura Harbor Village, where visitors can witness Bluegrass jams, Greek dancing, and live comedy shows. For details, visit www.VenturaHarborVillage.com for a complete listing of the Harbor’s Calendar of Events.
Diners will love the new Boatyard Café at Ventura Harbor Village for its casual atmosphere, mouth-watering line-up of breakfast and lunch dishes. Breakfast is a special pleasure, with such house-crafted dishes as roasted homemade Boatyard Corned Beef Hash; Haul and Launch, with eggs any style; char broiled Angus burger smothered with chili, onions and cheese; South Jetty Burrito; and Wild Salmon and Eggs, char-grilled. Kids have their own breakfast menu. Lunch items suit everyone’s taste and feature nine sandwiches, an array of salads and soups, chowder, side dishes, and a host of appetizers including Boatyard Sampler, Crudité platter, crab-stuffed mushrooms, seasonal ceviche and BYC ‘Wings. The kids’ menu is ideal for junior palates and features Angus beef sliders, chicken strips, hot dog, quesadilla and grilled cheese sandwich. The restaurant has two patios, semi enclosed, heated with comfortable seating, view of the harbor, and nautical-styled. It features comfortable harbor side casual dining and includes an iconic fishermen’s bar complete with brass portholes.
Whale watching is in season this spring with Island Packers carrying boatloads of passengers who are seeing fabulous varieties of Gray, Humpback, and Minke whales, and common and bottlenose dolphin, and even a Great White Shark!
A short distance from the shops is the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center, where the new Ocean Exhibit is open daily. The stunning exhibit shows marine life and facts about the ocean on murals of the stairway walls leading to the tower, which offers a 360 degree views of the Ventura Harbor and Ventura.
Just steps from the boats of Ventura Harbor is where Sport Fishing season debuts April 1 with Ventura Sportfishing, which offers full-day and overnight schedules that fit everyone’s preferences. Ventura Sportfishing has just added a new boat – the Amigo – offering convenient overnight, full-day, and two day charters.
Vibrant Ventura Harbor Village offers a delightful time for everyone, because it features boutiques, galleries, restaurants and entertainment. Free rides aboard the Downtown-Harbor Trolley carry visitors through scenic Ventura Harbor, downtown Ventura, and to Amtrak, as well.