YOU’RE INVITED!
To celebrate our 30th anniversary, the Ventura Music Festival is teaming up with the City of Ventura and the Downtown Ventura Partners to throw an unforgettable, free, all-day music festival celebrating Southern California talent and culture. Join us for the Spring Music Festival, happening Saturday, May 3, 2025, from 12 PM to 9 PM in the heart of the Downtown Ventura Cultural District. This event is open to all and promises a joyful springtime experience packed with live music, art, food, and family-friendly activities. Come early for the Ventura Farmers Market from 8:30 am to noon near Mission Park where the music festival on three stages begins. Ventura Music Festival is grateful for the generous support from its partners and collaborators for this free community event:
SCHEDULE
12-5 PM 🎵 MAIN STAGE 🎵 MISSION PARK
Located at Main & Figueroa Streets, directly across from the historic San Buenaventura Mission, the Main Stage will spotlight a stellar lineup of local SoCal talent.
12:00 PM – Opening Chumash Blessing by Marianne Parra
12:15 PM – 1:00 PM – Blue Mountain Tribe, a Native American blues-rock band
1:15 PM – 1:45 PM — Ventura High School Jazz Ensemble
2:15 PM – 2:45 PM — Ventura College Chamber Orchestra
3:15 PM – 3:45 PM – The Barrelhouse Wailers, jazzy blues fusion
4:15 PM – 5:00 PM – Ticket to Ride, SoCal’s top Beatles tribute band
Mission Park will also be full of other activities too including a Family Fun Zone with face painting, games, crafts, photo booth, food trucks, and a vanity fair of other vendors. Stop by the Museum of Ventura County, next to the park, for free admission to its wonderland collection of art and history with special exhibits on Women’s Portraiture in Art and George Stuart’s Historical Miniatures.
5-9 PM 🎵 MUSIC MARCH 🎵 AFTER PARTY
When the sun begins to set, follow Mariachi Los Toreros on a New Orleans-style musical procession down Main Street Moves, Ventura’s pedestrian promenade, toward the Second Stage at Chestnut & Main Streets, next to Limon y Sal (598 E Main St.) and enjoy a vibrant evening of Latin-X music!
5:00 PM – 5:30 PM – Mariachi Los Toreros in full regalia, leading a procession from Mission Park
5:30 PM – 6:15 PM – Conjunto Zacamandú, performing traditional Son Jarocho from Veracruz
6:45 PM – 7:30 PM – Rey Fresco, Ventura’s genre-blending rock/reggae/Latin band
8:00 PM – 9:00 PM – Son Mayor , delivering authentic Salsa Music for dancing in the streets!
ALL DAY GROOVIN’ 🎵 CALIFORNIA STREET STAGE
Meanwhile, groove all day at the California Street Stage and information booth, curated by a local DJ, serving up a diverse playlist of contemporary and classic tracks, or visit the Family Fun Zone where you can enjoy arts and crafts, get your picture taken and enjoy food from our local food trucks and restaurants. Ventura Music Festival is grateful to its partners for this event: The City of Ventura, The Ventura Downtown Partners, Oxnard Performing Arts Center Foundation, and Limon Y Sal.
Interested in being a vendor?
The vendor application is now open for this event! Please complete the application and return it to us no later than April 1, 2025. We will notify accepted vendors by April 15, 2025. Questions? Email us: contact@venturamusicfestival.org
BLUE MOUNTAIN TRIBE
Blue Mountain Tribe is an all-Native American blues-rock band from Tehachapi, California, founded by father and son duo Robin and Caleb Hairston. Their music blends powerful storytelling with dynamic performances, raising awareness of Indigenous experiences and earning them multiple Native American Music Awards.
TICKET TO RIDE
Ticket to Ride brings the magic of The Beatles to life with spot-on harmonies, authentic costumes, and impeccable musicianship. This acclaimed tribute band recreates the Fab Four’s iconic sound, taking audiences on a nostalgic journey through Beatlemania and beyond!
REY FRESCO
Rey Fresco is an American band from Ventura, California, known for their eclectic blend of rock, reggae, world, soul, and Latin music. Formed in 2008, the group features the 36-string arpa jarocha Veracruz harp as a lead instrument, contributing to their distinctive sound.
THE BARRELHOUSE WAILERS
The Barrelhouse Wailers are a swingin’ 8-piece jazz band from Ventura, California, serving up their own take on Prohibition-era hot jazz and blues music of the 1920s and 1930s that’s sure to please every crowd!
VENTURA HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ ENSEMBLE
The Ventura High School Studio Jazz Ensemble focuses on traditional big band and combo instrumentation, teaching advanced techniques in theory and improvisation, and performs at various events, including annual winter jazz concerts and spring concert series!
VENTURA COLLEGE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
The Ventura College Chamber Orchestra is a selective, conducted ensemble that offers advanced pre-college and college students the opportunity to study and perform chamber orchestra repertoire. Open by audition, the group tackles challenging works from baroque, classical, and romantic composers, as well as pieces by contemporary artists, with performances held at least twice per semester under the direction of Dr. Ashley Walters.
CONJUNTO JAROCHO ZACAMANDÚ
Conjunto Jarocho Zacamandú, directed by maestro Tomás Herrera, is a musical ensemble dedicated to performing and preserving the traditional son jarocho music of Veracruz, Mexico. The group features accomplished musicians such as Xocoyotzin Moraza.
VENDORS, FOOD, AND MORE!
Join us for a curated vendor selection of information, food, entertainment, and crafts!