Camarillo City Council
AGENDA REPORT
Date: July 8, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Greg Ramirez, City Manager
Submitted by: Bradley Calvert, Community Development Director Subject: Heritage Days Fiesta 2026 Special Event Permit, Street Closure
BACKGROUND
The Camarillo Old Town Association (COTA) was established in 2009, represents businesses, property owners, residents, and stakeholders in Camarillo Old Town. COTA seeks to support economic vitality and promote Old Town as an active commercial and community destination.
COTA has submitted a complete Special Event Permit (SPEV) to host the fourth annual Heritage Days Fiesta from Wednesday, July 15, 2026, through Sunday, July 19, 2026.
The proposed event will include a street fair, car show, carnival, concert, live art, and food trucks. It is proposed that the event will commence on the evening of Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in the parking lot and grounds at the Studio Channel Island Art Studios (SCIArt) and former courthouse building (courthouse). The event will continue with this footprint on Thursday, July 16, 2026, and Friday, July 17, 2026. Starting Saturday, July 18, 2026, the event will expand the current footprint into Ventura Boulevard requiring street closure.
Staff has worked with COTA and has held numerous meetings to discuss the event’s proposed footprint, traffic control and safety measures, waste management, and other location specific logistics.
DISCUSSION
The SPEVs submitted by COTA were circulated to City Departments and outside agencies for review. The proposed Special Event Permit and recommended Conditions of Approval are now before the City Council for consideration.
Event Schedule – The proposed hours and activities for each day are as follows:
Wednesday, July 15th from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Carnival (ticket sales end one-half hour before closing). Food vendors.
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Entertainment.
Beer/wine service area.
No street closures – parking closures on the south side of Ventura Boulevard between Fir and Elm Street and four spaces on the north in front of American Pie Records for a stage with DJ.
Thursday, July 16th from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Carnival (ticket sales end one-half hour before closing). Food vendors.
Bingo.
Entertainment.
Beer/wine service area.
No street closures – parking closures on the south side of Ventura Boulevard between Fir and Elm Street and four spaces on the north in front of American Pie Records for a stage with DJ.
Friday, July 17th from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Carnival, (ticket sales end one-half hour before closing). Food vendors.
Concert.
Entertainment.
Beer/wine service area.
Live Art Display.
No street closures – parking closures on the south side of Ventura Boulevard between Fir and Elm Street and four spaces on the north in front of American Pie Records for a stage with DJ.
Saturday, July 18th from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Carnival, (ticket sales end one-half hour before closing). Food vendors.
Concerts – Main stage and American Pie Records stage.
Entertainment.
Beer/wine service area.
Live art displays.
Car show – On Arneill Road overpass.
Non-food vendors - Street closures starting at 5 a.m.
Historical Exhibit.
Sunday, July 19th from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Carnival, (ticket sales end one-half hour before closing). Food vendors.
Concerts – Main stage and American Pie Records stage.
Entertainment.
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Beer/wine service area.
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Live art displays.
Car show – On Arneill Road overpass.
Non-food vendors – Streets re-open at 11 p.m. following cleanup. Historical Exhibit.
Event Activities & Entertainment
The carnival will be located in the parking lots of the old courthouse and SCIArt, as well as within the campus of SCIArt. The carnival operator (Kastl Amusements) is under contract with COTA and is applying for a separate permit. Additionally, live art will be on display within the SCIArt campus and visitors can watch painters create temporary murals based on historical images of Camarillo that will be removed at the conclusion of the event.
Beginning Wednesday, July 15, 2026, all public parking spaces on the south side of Ventura Boulevard between Fir Street and Elm Street will be closed to accommodate food vendors during the event. Complementing this will be a small stage occupying four parking stalls on the north side of Ventura Boulevard that will be placed in front of American Pie Records and provide live entertainment. Additionally, Ventura Boulevard between Fir Street and Palm Drive and the southbound lanes of the Arneill Road overpass will close starting at 5 a.m. on Saturday, July 18, 2026, until 11 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, 2026. This area will be used for the street fair and will be set up with a variety of vendors, including local businesses. The Arneill Road overpass will also host a car show during the road closures. A single lane from the Lewis Road off-ramp to Arneill Road and across the overpass will be maintained.
COTA also submitted a separate Special Event Permit Application for a beer garden within the entire fenced, grassy area behind the courthouse on SCIArt’s property. The beer garden will have a main stage for live entertainment and each night’s entertainment will be focused around a different locally relevant cultural style. Additionally, there will be food trucks, two beer and wine serving areas, and four large tents encompassing seating and consumption areas. Alcohol consumption at Heritage Days Fiesta will be restricted within the beer garden area and access in and out of the beer garden will be strictly monitored. For initial access into the area, participants must provide ID and be 21 years of age or older and will receive a colored wristband. The wristbands will be a different color each day. ID checks will also be done at the point of sale. As part of the recommended conditions of approval for the Special Event Permit, the applicant will be required to provide security at the event to verify that alcohol is not sold to minors and to monitor the entrances and exits to the beer and wine service area. The beer garden hours mirror those of Heritage Days Fiesta.
On July 16, 2026, SCIArt will host a bingo competition and fundraising event on its campus. The event is scheduled to take place from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. On July 18, 2026, there will be a touch-a-truck event sponsored by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Heritage Days Fiesta 2026
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on the southern part of the grass field near the beer garden as part of their outreach program. Separate insurance was required for this event area.
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Street Closures
Approval is requested for street closures for two days only: Saturday, July 18, 2026, and Sunday, July 19, 2026, on Ventura Boulevard from Glenn Drive to Fir Street and the southbound lanes of the Arneill Road bridge over the 101 Freeway. There will be no street closures from Wednesday through Friday evening. This footprint is consistent with street closures for previous events of this size held in Camarillo Old Town. The closures include traffic control and barricades for the security of attendees. A Public Safety Plan has been submitted and approved by the Fire Department.
Parking
Due to the carnival and street closure, 205 public parking spaces will become inaccessible. The applicant has signed a contract with the property owner of Harley Bowl to allow the use of the 140 parking spaces located south of the bowling alley. From this location, attendees can walk to the event in Old Town. Additional demand is expected to be accommodated through Metrolink parking and available on-street parking in and around Camarillo Old Town. Additionally, the advertisement (see attachments) recommends taking the Metrolink to the event.
Recommended Conditions of Approval
Staff met with the applicant to review the permit and recommended conditions that will address challenges associated with large events of this nature that have taken place in the past in Camarillo Old Town. Consistent with past practice, individual vendors must provide Certificates of Insurance to COTA, but are not required to submit endorsement forms directly to the City. COTA and the carnival operator have submitted Certificates of Insurance and endorsement forms naming the City as an additional insured. The recommended conditions of approval are attached.
Banners
Eight off-site banners have been proposed for this event at local Camarillo schools including Monte Vista and Las Colinas Middle Schools, Camarillo Heights STEM Academy, Pleasant Valley School of Engineering and Arts, Los Primeros School of Sciences and Arts, and Las Posas, Rancho Rosal, and Tierra Linda Elementary School.
One on-site banner has been proposed on SCIArt’s property.
Carnival Operator
Kastl Amusements will operate the carnival and has submitted a Special Event Permit application that has been processed.
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FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for in-kind services from numerous City departments and the Sheriff's department with an estimated cost of $46,608 will be included in the FY2026/27 General Fund budget, Account No. 101-4500-469.46-41.
CEQA DETERMINATIONS
City staff has determined, in accordance with Section 15061(b)(3) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, that the Heritage Days Fiesta 2026 Special Event Permit is not subject to CEQA review because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the Heritage Days Fiesta 2026 Special Event Permit may have a significant effect on the environment.
RECOMMENDATION
1. Find that the Heritage Days Fiesta 2026 Special Event Permit is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) under the State CEQA Guidelines §§ 15061(b)(3); and
2. Authorize issuance of a Special Event Permit for the 2026 Old Town Heritage Days, subject to the attached conditions of approval; and
3. Approve associated parking and street closures for the event, including Ventura Boulevard from Palm Drive to Fir Street on Saturday, July 18, 2026, starting at 5 a.m. through Sunday, July 19,2026,6 at 11:00 p.m.; and
4. Authorize issuance of a Special Event Permit for COTA to operate a beer and wine service as identified in the Special Event Site Plan and in accordance with the attached conditions of approval.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Special Event Permit Application
2. Draft Conditions of Approval
3. Event Organization
4. Site Plan
5. Public Safety Plan
6. Traffic Control Plan
7. Advertisement
REFERENCE MATERIALS – AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AT CITY HALL None