The Downtown Ventura Farmers’ Market will celebrate its 30th birthday on Saturday, June 4, 2016 with a community event complete with all types of fun activities for all ages.  The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the farmers’ market area and also throughout the Main Street Mini Park, located on the corners of East Santa Clara and Palm Streets, south of the 300 block of Main Street.  A special presentation will beheld at 8:30 a.m. to thank the original visionaries and participants who brought the market into Downtown Ventura.

One of the main highlights of the event is a chef demonstration by award winning chef, author and farmers’ market advocate, Amelia Saltsman who will demonstrate recipes utilizing the theme, ‘Making the Most of the Summer Market’.  Saltsman is the author of the award-winning ‘The Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook:  Simple Recipes, and Stories from the Market and Farm’ and ‘The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen,’ her latest release.  She will use recipes from both books in her cooking demonstration.  Saltsman is passionate about helping everyday cooks make the connection between small-farmed foods and real-life meals.  In her warm style, she streamlines today’s desire for healthier, sustainable foods.  The chef demonstration will take place from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Mini Park.

Along with the chef demonstration, the celebration will feature a customer appreciation booth with free giveaways, a children’s area with face painting and activities, community information booths and tasty birthday cake, which will be given out while supplies last.  Special food offerings will include a tri-tip BBQ from the Busy Bee Café and several food trucks including Scratch, a local favorite.

Gene West, toy maker will also be on hand to share his handmade wooden toy creations.  Now 85, West, known as the ‘Toy Man’ has allowed children all over the county to play with his nearly 700 handmade wooden toys.  A retired mechanical engineer and an Oxnard resident for more than 40 years, West started his toy making during his retirement and continued delighting young and old alike, still active today.

Musical entertainment will be provided by Jerry McWorter and the Hot Roux Band from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  Hot Roux is very well known in southern California with a Louisiana flavored blues and swampy rock & roll sound.  Musician and band leader, Jerry McWorter comes from a rare tradition of ‘singing drummers’ such as Levon Helm, Sam Lay and Buddy Miles.  The Ventura County based band features Jerry McWorter on drums/lead vocal, Brent Harding on bass/backup vocals, Ed Berghoff on guitar/backup vocals and Frank Goldwasser on guitar.

The Environmental Sustainability Division for the City of Ventura’s Public Works Department will provide attendees with information on food waste prevention, edible food recovery and backyard composting.  In addition, the community can also learn how the farmers’ are adapting to the drought by viewing a continuous screening of ‘Water Woes:  We Plan for Your Eating’, a film by Diana Rodgers, a small farmer and farmers’ market manager.  The film will provide a look at the implications of the drought for both farmers & consumers and provide information on how the drought is affecting the local food supplies.

About the Ventura County Certified Farmers’ Market Association

The Ventura County Certified Farmers’ Market Association serves the community of Ventura with two weekly markets -- Wednesdays at the Pacific View Mall, front west parking lot on Main Street from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and on Saturdays in Downtown Ventura on the corners of East Santa Clara and Palm Streets from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon.  The Thousand Oaks Farmers’ Market is held Thursdays at The Oaks Shopping Center at the east end parking lot, Wilbur Road and Thousand Oaks Boulevard from 1:30 to 6:00 p.m.  Santa Clarita Farmers’ Market is held on Sundays at the College of the Canyons, parking lot 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon.  

For more information on the Ventura County Certified Farmers’ Market Association, visit www.vccfarmersmarkets.com or call 805-529-6266.