New CVD parade route will ease parking for viewers 

Shortening the Conejo Valley Days parade route is intended to give parade watchers easier access to Thousand Oaks Boulevard and thus expand the number of attendees at the community event.

Cutting the parade about two-tenths of a mile means it will stop at The Lakes, 2200 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., instead of continuing to Erbes Road as it has in the past. By making this change, Dallas Drive will be left open for paradegoers who would like to park at the Civic Arts Plaza parking structure.

The City Council voted 5-0 at their meeting last week to pay $3,050 to buy out the parking structure so parade watchers can park there for free beginning at 7:30 a.m. Sat., May 5. The parade is scheduled to start at 9 a.m.

"We changed the parade route so viewers will have easy access into and out of the structure," said Don Hegarty, CVD parade chairman and Kiwanis president-elect. "We believe more people will attend the parade with more parking available close to the parade route."

The community parade will begin at Duesenberg Drive and proceed down Thousand Oaks Boulevard about one mile to The Lakes. Once at The Lakes, all the marching bands will perform in a music festival for those who'd like to gather around and listen. This is a new addition to the event, Hegarty said.

The parade, a Thousand Oaks tradition, was canceled and then brought back to life when Aviara Real Estate donated money to sponsor the parade this year. Now it is up to the people of Thousand Oaks to sign up to participate in the parade and to line the streets to watch as clowns, horses, fire trucks, city officials, youth organizations, school bands and others from the community march or ride floats down the street to celebrate the heritage of Thousand Oaks.

Antique cars and Shriners in miniature cars will also be featured in the parade, Hegarty said.

Residents may bring lawn chairs or just sit on the curb as the parade goes by. In the past, sports teams and other youth activities took the day off so children could participate in the parade or watch it with their families, Councilmember Dennis Gillette said.

At noon the carnival will open, so that the entire Saturday can be a full day of CVD fun, Hegarty said.