The three-day Labor Day Weekend is considered the unofficial end of “summer” because kids are back in school and summer vacation season is winding down.
The calendar lists Sept. 22 as the first official day of autumn, but in the Santa Clarita Valley summer really is determined by the thermometer.
Our summer can last well into October, and even November.
We know when it is “fall” when pumpkin spice latte season is right around the corner.
The good news is there is still time in September to enjoy a few “end of summer” flings before October rings in the “witching hour.”
The Ventura Art & Chalk Festival
Sept. 14-15 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Ventura Harbor Village, 1583 Spinnaker Dr., 93001
Info venturaartfestival.com
If you remember, and miss, the annual Bella Via Festival in Valencia, 1999-2002, you might want to end your summer with the Ventura Art & Chalk Festival.
The festival features more than 50 chalk artists and crafts people transforming Ventura Harbor Village with vibrant color along the waterfront.
Watch as expert artists from across California and beyond create vivid, large-scale murals along the seaside promenade.
Among the featured artists is Greg Wray, known for his iconic work on the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series. Wray will be crafting a Sonic-themed beach scene, inviting spectators to observe his process and engage with him during the creation.
The event will also feature the Craftsman’s Marketplace. Discover and purchase original works from California artists, including paintings, ceramics, photography, glasswork, handmade wooden toys and wearable art.
Enjoy the children’s art area, family-friendly attractions and live music.
Goleta Lemon Festival
Sept. 28-29 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Girsh Park, 7050 Phelps Rd., Goleta 93117
Info lemonfestival.com
The end of summer may leave a sour taste in your mouth, but you can turn that frown upside town with a sweet trip to the 31st annual Goleta Lemon Festival.
Enjoy a weekend of family fun, food and entertainment that includes the Goleta Fall Classic Car and the ever-popular Safety Street, the largest interactive display of fire, police and emergency services in the county. Don’t miss the lemon meringue pie-eating contests and the arts and crafts vendors.
Free admission and parking.
End of Summer Whale Watching
In addition to humans, a few other species will move on from summer in SoCal including blue whales and fin whales. The peak season for blue and fin whales in Southern California is mid-June through mid-September. The blue whales come to the coast to feed on krill.
Humpback whales can be seen off the coast of Southern California throughout the year, but the best time is from mid-May through mid-November. The peak season for humpbacks is typically July through September, when they come to the area to feed.
An end of summer whale-watching expedition is a great way to put an exclamation point on summer 2024.
There are a large number of companies that specialize in whale-watching excursions along the coast of California.
Be sure to research the company you choose for your end of summer adventure carefully.
Get Out of the Heat
VisitSanDiego.com
If you’re done with summer and tired of the hear, take an end of summer mini vacation to one of the coolest places in SoCal, San Diego.
San Diego remains within a comfortable temperature range between approximately 50 and 75 degrees all year long. The opportunities for entertainment are seemingly endless.
Among the experiences you can have in San Diego:
Take a sunset sail around San Diego Harbor, watch the sunset, view sea lions and seals and get a unique perspective of the city skyline.
Explore the 1,200-acre Balboa Park with an entire Spanish-style village of museums, galleries and gardens.
Discover Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. It is San Diego’s oldest town and the first European settlement in California.
Travel to Italy without leaving San Diego. Visit the neighborhood of Little Italy, a trendy pedestrian area full of restaurants, bars, music venues and boutiques.
Visit Windansea Beach just south of downtown La Jolla. It is known for its unique mix of sandy beach and rocky cliffs. Take a photo of the iconic Windansea Surf Shack. It looks like four pillars with a thatched roof perched on a rock, but it’s actually one of the oldest and most well-known beach landmarks in San Diego.
Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum
1419 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga 90290
Info theatricum.com
If you love theater then attending a performance at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga Canyon has probably been near the top of your bucket list.
Many will remember Will Geer as the patriarch of “The Waltons,” a popular CBS-TV show from 1972-81, but Geer was also one of the victims of the McCarthy era blacklisting of writers, directors, singers, actors and others in the entertainment field during the 1950s.
Relocating to an acreage in Topanga, Geer established a theater for similarly blacklisted actors and folk singers on the property. The Theatricum Botanicum was born.
