Video Footage From the 1967 Conejo Valley Days Parade and Miss Conejo Pageant

This is a treat...video footage from the 1967 Conejo Valley Days Parade and Miss Conejo 1967 Beauty Pageant.

Speaking of Conejo Valley Days, the 2024 event is planned for June 20-30. Conejo Valley Days has been an annual community tradition since 1956. www.conejovalleydays.us

You may recognize scenes from Thousand Oaks Boulevard, though the Conejo Lodge and Sizzler are certainly long gone.

The Miss Conejo Pageant featured Miss Sally Shop, Miss Conejo Music Center, Miss A&W Root Beer, Miss Conejo Muffler, Miss Service Master, Miss Sizzler and others.

Scenes Near the Corner of Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Rancho Road in 1970

Conejo Valley Days Parade 1970 with auto promoting Sizzler.

Some of you may remember the Sizzler restaurant on Moorpark Road that is now a Hooter's. Well, before that, there was a Sizzler at 1259 East Thousand Oaks Boulevard, in a space that today (thanks to a generous donation from Thousand Oaks Storage) is the home of affordable housing non-profit Many Mansions.

Thousand Oaks Sizzler on Thousand Oaks Boulevard, just east of Rancho Road, in 1970

Many Mansions moved in Spring 2015 at the long ago former home of the first Sizzler restaurant in Thousand Oaks.

Sizzler was directly east of the Enco gas station at the corner of Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Rancho Road.

Enco was a short-lived brand name from the Humble Oil Company, which is now part of ExxonMobil. Apparently it translated into "stalled car" in Japanese.

Conejo Valley Days Parade 1970 at intersection of Thousand Oaks Blvd and Rancho Road.

Notice the Shell gas station across Rancho Road in the above photo. Today of course a different kind of fuel is served there at the first Thousand Oaks Drive-Thru Starbucks. I also notice the gas price at that time was 28 9/10th cents a gallon.

Today, there is a Chevron station located at this former home of Enco. It is the exact same building shown above! But instead of "Happy Motoring!" there's a sign on the building that says "Food Mart."

This Chevron station is the former home of the Enco station pictured above.

And this last photo shows a 23 North sign west of Rancho Road. Partially hidden behind that sign is a Chicken Delight that was located at 1165 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard. Today, the closest Chicken Delight is in Winnepeg, Canada. 

Where to Volunteer to Decorate a Rose Parade Float

During winter break, many parents struggle to find something new and different to do with the kids. Something you may not have thought about is - volunteering to help decorate a Rose Parade entry! Talk about a unique experience!

As you are probably aware, Rose Parade floats must be completely covered by flowers and other natural materials, such as leaves, seeds and bark. It's a lot of work decorating those masterpieces! 

So how do you go about volunteering? Start with this list of commercial float builders and organizations that build their own floats for volunteer opportunities. The minimum age is generally 12 or 13 and you must sign a waiver.

Commercial Float Builders:

• Artistic Entertainment Services in Azusa: All spots full as of 12/27/17
• Fiesta Parade Floats in Irwindale:  All spots full as of 12/27/17
• Phoenix Decorating Company in Irwindale: Slots on 12/31/17 still open as of 12/27/17 through the Kiwanis Club
• Paradiso Parade Floats in Irwindale: Spots still available 12/28-12/30 as of 12/27/17

Self-Built Float Organizations:

• Burbank Tournament of Roses Association: Ages 7 and up; volunteers accepted on first-come basis
• Cal Poly Pomona and SLO: Ages 16 and up; all slots booked for 2017
• Downey Rose Float Association: Ages 13 and up; first-come, first-served volunteer slots
• La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association: Minimum age not indicated; pre-registration is closed but walk-ins are possible
• Sierra Madre Rose Float Association: Limited slots available
• South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association: Registration closed but walk-ons are welcome

The Rose Parade Post Parade Showcase of Floats is Something You Have to Do at Least Once

Everyone at some point here in the Greater Los Angeles/Ventura County area should try to see the Rose Parade in person, as early and as cold as the parade usually is.  But if that isn't your cup of tea, then you MUST see the post parade showcase of floats at the end of the parade route on Sierra Madre Boulevard in Pasadena.

The Rose Parade Post Parade Showcase of Floats lasts just a few days each year, beginning the afternoon after the Rose Parade. Several streets are sectioned off for several miles as you get to walk around and check out these beautiful floats up close. 

As a reminder, Rose Parade floats are required to be completely covered by flowers or other natural materials, such as leaves, seeds or bark. These floats are spectacular pieces of art!

A couple things to keep in mind is to allow for plenty of time as this is an extremely popular event. There are parking and shuttle options, or you can drive around and attempt to find parking in surrounding neighborhoods. You may have to walk a mile to get to the entrance and there is an admission fee ($10 in 2016).

I told you it gets crowded. See for yourself!

I made the mistake of allowing my youngest to ride his scooter from the car to the event, at which point we were quickly told "no scooters" or other such items. I asked if I could carry it. Nope. So off we went, back to the car, and back we came. It was clear why they don't allow such items here...there were literally throngs of people on hand admiring the floats.

Along with the floats, there were plenty of food and beverage vendors and other activities along the route. Do wear comfortable shoes as there is a lot of walking to be done to see all of the floats!

For more information and parking/shuttle options, visit www.tournamentofroses.com or call 626.449.4100.

Conejo Valley Days Parade Photo From 1963 Captures Relations with Cuba at the Time

Photo from 1963 Conejo Valley Days Parade

Here's a throwback photo from the 1963 Conejo Valley Days Parade in what the following year would officially become the City of Thousand Oaks. An entry with "Care Package for Castro" with a missile with the caption "Y's Men" (which I suspect is in reference to the Y's Men, a service group that helped construct the original Conejo Valley YMCA building in 1964). 

Just months prior, in October 1962, was the Cuban Missile Crisis, the confrontation between the United States and Soviet Union over the placement of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. After intense negotiations between President Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviets agreed to remove the weapons in Cuba in exchange for public declaration that the U.S. would not invade Cuba.

My how times have changed since then, with the United States in process of re-establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Scenes From Saturday's City of Thousand Oaks 50th Anniversary Parade

The weather was perfect for today's 50th Anniversary City of Thousand Oaks Parade down Thousand Oaks Boulevard.  The theme of the parade was "Remembering the past, honoring the memories" and the event lived up to it. The 1 1/2 hour parade featured marching band, color guards and drill teams from Westlake, Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park High Schools, the Redwood Middle School Marching Band, dozens of dignitaries from Thousand Oaks past and present, vintage cars, floats, equestrians and much more.The following video footage and photos capture just a small fraction of the fun! There were smiles all around. More photos on the CVG Facebook Page at this link.