Smart Meetings

Although it's the county's largest city, it gives the ambience of a much smaller community, due to the vast strawberry fields—protected by legislation—that greet you as you enter from either the north or the south on Highway 101. In fact, each May, Oxnard celebrates this bountiful crop with the two-day California Strawberry Festival (strawberry-fest.org), its major event that draws more than 60,000 people to savor strawberries in every way imaginable.

It's also in the midst of a revitalization that adds to its appeal for meeting planners. According to Sederquist, more hotels are coming in; RiverPark, a new lifestyle complex—with a possible convention center—is set to begin construction; and the harbor is being dredged to add more homes on the water with docks.

As a meetings destination, Oxnard currently offers more than 1,800 guest rooms and 150,000 sq. ft. of meeting space—making it perfect for a mid-size gathering or event, Sederquist says. The city's largest meetings venue, Oxnard Performing Arts and Conference Center (oxnardpacc.com), has 65,834 sq. ft., with a total capacity of 2,400–2,500.

The Embassy Suites Resort Mandalay Beach (16,000 sq. ft.; mandalaybeach.embassysuites.com), positioned right on the beach, has the largest hotel meeting space in the city.

For a fun evening's dining on the water, try a progressive dinner (progressivedining.com) via water taxi in Oxnard Harbor, enjoying appetizers at one restaurant, the main course at another, and dessert at yet another, suggests Beth Javens, director of sales for the CVB.

Brand new—opening in January 2007—is the Scarlett Belle (scarlettbelle.com), an 87-foot, 150-passenger old-fashioned paddlewheeler that will ply the waterways in the harbor year-round. Catering is available on-board.

Oxnard is the closest departure spot for the Channel Islands National Park, only 14 miles off-shore and known as the "American Galapagos" for the wide variety of flora and wildlife. The islands are a favorite destination for kayaking, hiking, diving and bird watching.

Or, back on dry land, you don't have to be a NASCAR fan to get your engine revved at Jim Hall Kart Racing School (jimhallkartracing.com). They'll get you pulling up to 1.4 G's in their brand new, state-of-the-art racing facility in Oxnard - a (maybe) once-in-a-lifetime thrill for your group. For a less heart-pounding but still fascinating experience, the Murphy Classic Car Foundation (murphyautomuseum.com) is a large, private collection of "pampered" automobiles, both classic and contemporary, including a stellar group of lovingly restored Packards dating from 1927–1958.

The lush Embassy Suites Hotel Mandalay Beach Resort (248/16,000 & mandalaybeach.embassysuites.com) spreads out across the beach like a grand Mediterranean resort, complete with acres of tile roofing and tropical palm trees in the sand. Instead of being in Mexico, this getaway overlooks the Channel Islands National Park, and features a large pool, night-lighted tennis, a spa and access to nearby golf and water sports.

New to town is the Murphy Auto Museum, which includes a collection of superb Packards among its 50 classic automobiles. Oxnard's Herzog Wine Cellars—the largest Kosher winery on the West Coast—has an standout restaurant called Tierra Sur, whose chef came from San Francisco's noted Zuni Café. Contact the Oxnard Convention & Visitor's Bureau (visitoxnard.com) for all the details.

A new 95-room Hampton Inn is under construction as an annex to the Casa Sirena Hotel in Channel Islands Harbor; completion is set for spring 2007. Future plans include replacing the existing 271-room Casa Sirena (casasirenahotel.com) as a three- or four-star property.

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Getting There

The Ventura County/Oxnard Airport (ventura.org/airports) serves the county with flights daily by United Express. Back to Top

Not To Be Missed

View elephant seals at Piedras Blancas (near Cambria); Monarch butterflies in Pismo Beach; hundreds of bird species at Morro Bay and in Santa Barbara; and migrating whales off Ventura, Oxnard and Santa Barbara. Back to Top