gardens surround a Wedding Garden complete with a gazebo. The hotel features a world-class restaurant called The Vines.

A number of new hotels have opened in recent years, and more are on the way. An Embassy Suites and a Courtyard by Marriott opened along Interstate 5, near the Highway 126 interchange, in 2007. It is likely that the property now occupied by The Greens, at the corner of Valencia Boulevard and McBean Parkway, will be transformed into a hotel, offices or both.

Traditional hospitality is the norm in the Santa Clarita Valley. For a relaxing getaway, you can to choose from one of the Santa Clarita Valley’s eight AAA-approved hotels. Accommodations include amenities such as free business centers, continental breakfasts, spas and heated pools.

Dining
The Santa Clarita Valley has restaurants to suit every culinary desire – from delicatessens, coffee shops and family-style restaurants to international cuisine, including the finest from authentic Mexican to Italian eateries. The wait for a table is usually minimal, and prices are generally affordable. For those who want to enjoy food in the privacy of their homes, most establishments feature take-out service and some deliver.

Local restaurants, both chain-owned and locally owned, are located in shopping centers, in or near hotels, in the Valencia Town Center, and along or adjacent to major roadways.

Many hotels have food service for informal occasions. Some have banquet rooms for larger parties, and meeting rooms may be scheduled for business meetings or conventions and seminars.

Whether you’re looking to sample a local micro-brewery, catch a game at a sports bar or sip a cup of espresso while catching up with a friend at one of the many coffeehouses, the Santa Clarita Valley offers a variety of establishments. Some local restaurants, bars and coffeehouses feature live bands, dancing and other entertainment.

Arts and Culture
The Santa Clarita Valley is close enough to Los Angeles to enjoy all of that city’s multi-cultural benefits, but it is far enough away to have the intimacy of a smaller community. Whether your interest is art, photography, music, theater, movie making or dance, you will enjoy a culturally rich environment in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The SCV Artists Association hosts many art shows, presentations and events to help residents experience local and national artists. One of these is the Art Classic, an annual show that gives local artists a chance to showcase their work.

Performing Arts
Ballet, theater and filmmaking are an important part of the cultural scene in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The Santa Clarita Ballet Company and the Santa Clarita Academy collaborate to provide an outlet for ballet students.

The Canyon Theater Guild makes its home in the Canyon Theater on San Fernando Road, part of the redevelopment effort of Old Town Newhall. A short stroll down the sidewalk is the newly revamped and renamed Repertory East Playhouse (The REP). Together, these two theater companies have produced hundreds of productions, most of which feature local talent.

The Canyon Theater Guild makes its home in the Canyon Theater on San Fernando Road, part of the redevelopment effort of Old Town Newhall. A short stroll down the sidewalk is the newly revamped and renamed Repertory East Playhouse (The REP). Together, these two theater companies have produced hundreds of productions, most of which feature local talent.

The Canyon Theater presents live stage productions for both adults and children, often juggled on the same weekend. The theater itself resembles an 1880s-era western-style playhouse. The REP produces professional theatre that excites the imagination and nourishes the community’s passion for theatre.

Another performance venue is the the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center at College of the Canyons. A joint effort between the college and the City of Santa Clarita, the theater complex includes a state-of-the-art 926-seat main theater and the smaller Black Box Theater for intimate and experimental productions. The theater presents college and community-based productions, as well as professional acts. The center maintains an up-to-date calendar at www.canyonspac.com, where tickets also may be purchased.

Because of the Santa Clarita Valley’s proximity to Los Angeles, there are numerous theaters, large and small, within easy driving distance. You can enjoy Broadway-style plays and musicals with professional actors almost any night of the week and at matinees on weekends. Larger venues include the new Disney Hall, the Ahmanson and the Mark Taper Forum, while smaller and more intimate houses offer traditional plays performed by aspiring actors. Talent agents routinely scout these theaters for promising talent they may want to represent.

The Santa Clarita Symphony is another performing arts organization that has caught the attention of music lovers. Unfortunately, this group of 75 professional musicians, including many who live locally, canceled its 2009 season, citing a drastic decline in financial support and ticket sales due to a poor economy. But they have not called it quits. The group promises to re-emerge when it is financially able to do so. In the meantime, the symphony has scheduled a free concert at the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center on Feb. 23, 2010; information: www.canyonspac.com. To check on the group’s progress, visit its website at www.scsymphony.com.

Santa Clarita Valley Performance Venues

• California Institute of the Arts
  24700 McBean Parkway
  Valencia 255-1050
• Canyon Theater / Canyon Theater Guild
  Home of the Canyon Theater Guild
  24238 Main Street
  Newhall 298-0058
• Repertory East Playhouse (The REP)
  24266 Main Street
  Newhall 288-0000
• Southern California Children’s Theatre
  P.O. Box 1616
  Canyon Country 250-1222
• Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center at College of the Canyons
  26455 Rockwell Canyon Road
  Valencia 259-7800
  

Movie Theaters
Moviegoers will enjoy dozens of movie screens throughout the Santa Clarita Valley. If a movie you want to see has been released, you will probably find it at a nearby theatre.

• Regal-Edwards Grand Palace Stadium 12
  Includes a large-format IMAX screen
  Valencia Town Center 287-1740
• Regal-Edwards Canyon Country Stadium
  Soledad Canyon Road 299-2909

Festivals and Fairs
The Santa Clarita Valley is home to numerous fairs and festivals. Please consult this publication’s Calendar of Events for a sampling. Some of the major events include:

Cowboy Festival
Santa Clarita’s annual Cowboy Festival, a unique and popular weeklong extravaganza, is held at the historic Melody Ranch, usually in late March and early April. This is the only time the ranch is open to the public, as it has been restored and is a working movie ranch once again. Andre and Renaud Veluzat, owners of the movie ranch, are the premier festival sponsors of the event. Information: 286-4021.

Film Festival
The International Family Film Festival promotes family suitable films of genres that express a fundamental respect for the positive values of life. Both completed films and screenplays may be submitted, and workshops for young filmmakers also are part of the program. For information call 257-3131.

Agua Dulce Country Fair
The rural community of Agua Dulce celebrates its Country Fair with a parade, usually in August. Contact the Agua Dulce Chamber of Commerce for more information.

Newhall Street Fair
The annual Old Town Newhall Street Fair is free of charge and features live entertainment, crafts and activities for kids, crafts available for purchase, a food fair, plus a host of strolling performers. It is usually held in September. The Old Town Newhall Street Fair and Swing Dance are presented by the City of Santa Clarita and are open to the public at no charge. For more information call 259-CITY.

Points of Interest
The Santa Clarita Valley offers a variety of attractions for all ages. From thrill rides at Six Flags Magic Mountain to leisurely bicycle rides, the opportunities for enjoyment abound. As an area well known for its historic western heritage, residents and visitors alike will also find a valley full of interesting attractions such as museums, art galleries and landmark sites.

Santa Clarita is also conveniently located near the following Southern California attractions: Disneyland, Gene Autry Museum, Universal Studios, Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles Zoo, and much more.

Hart Park and Museum
The Wm. S. Hart Park and Museum is one of the Santa Clarita Valley’s – indeed, California’s – treasures, offering valuable parkland while simultaneously affording us a glimpse into the past. The museum is actually the former home of William S. Hart, also known as “Two Gun Bill,” one of Hollywood’s earliest stars during the silent-film era. His Spanish-style mansion was a place where the rich and famous gathered. A classically trained actor, Hart insisted on realistic scripts, costumes and shooting locations for his westerns. His fans loved him and his movies – and Hart loved his fans, too. “The people gave me nickels, dimes and quarters. When I am gone, I want them to have my home,” Hart said, leaving the bulk of his estate to Los Angeles County when he died in 1946. He stipulated that his house and ranch property were to be used as a museum and park. More than half a century later, the Wm. S. Hart Park includes approximately 110 acres of wilderness area. The 265-acre estate has been set aside as a cherished glimpse back into the life and times of the American West of the early 20th century. The 1927 hilltop Spanish-style mansion – named La Loma de los Vientos, or “Hill of the Winds” – is surrounded by a barnyard exhibit, a herd of buffalo, picnic facilities, hiking trails and campgrounds. On display in the mansion is a collection of Native American artifacts and early American art. The park is located at 24151 San Fernando Road in Newhall. Information: 259-0855.

Heritage Junction Historical Park
Heritage Junction Historical Park is located adjacent to Hart Park and is visible from San Fernando Road in the general vicinity of Pine Street in downtown Newhall. Heritage Junction, sponsored by the SCV Historical Society, is a step back in time. Its collection of 1800s and early 1900s structures have been moved to this central location to preserve them for future generations. They include an old chapel, schoolhouse, the Saugus Train Station and Victorian-style homes that once stood throughout the Santa Clarita Valley. All were moved to the site for display and preservation purposes. Information: 254-1275.

Mentryville
Another remarkably preserved historical site is the old oil town of Mentryville, located at the end of Pico Canyon Road. Oil was once a thriving industry in the Santa Clarita Valley, and the historic little town of Mentryville is a step back into the valley’s rich history. This community was the site of the first commercially productive oil well in the western United States and the longest-running well in the world. There are several historic structures on display in Mentryville, including Mr. Mentry’s 100-year-old, 13-room mansion and the community’s one-room 1885-vintage schoolhouse. Mentryville is occasionally the site of a country fair.

Shambala Preserve & Roar Foundation
Shambala is a paradise for animals born in captivity. Many of the animals came from circuses, zoos and private owners, and depend on humans for their needs. The 80-acre Shambala Preserve is located on the northeast boundary of the Santa Clarita Valley at 6867 Soledad Canyon Road in Acton. It is the only wildlife habitat of its kind in the United States.

Shambala provides a haven for endangered and exotic big cats. More than 55 big cats – African lions, Siberian and Bengal tigers, leopards, snow leopards, servals, mountain lions, a Florida panther, a cheetah – and two African elephants make their home on the game preserve. An assorted species of duck also reside here.

The Roar Foundation maintains Shambala and coordinates its efforts with other organizations — nationally and internationally — to provide public awareness about the world’s wildlife. The preserve has been operated for many years by actress Tippi Hedren.

Shambala Preserve is open to the public one weekend a month by advance reservation only. Private group tours and parties may be scheduled. For more information call 268-0380.

Lombardi Ranch
Not just a place to get pumpkins for Halloween, the family-owned Lombardi Ranch has been offering quality produce year-round for more than 30 years. The family prides itself on the quality and variety of crops grown on the ranch, and they always strive to grow the best vegetables and fruits.

The farm, located at 29527 Bouquet Canyon Road in Saugus, produces yellow and white sweet corn, vine-ripened tomatoes, onions, hot and sweet peppers, summer and winter squash, different varieties of melons, pumpkins, Indian corn, corn stalks and gourds, and flowers.

The annual Harvest Festival in October boasts bands and clowns, a petting zoo, wagon rides, pumpkins and many things to see on the farm, enticing young and old to visit each year. The family-oriented event provides fun entertainment and a safe place to spend a few hours on a weekend.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays and holidays, from June (depending on the progress of the crops) to the day before Thanksgiving. For more information call 296-8697.

Melody Ranch
Melody Ranch actually began in 1915. A fellow named Ernie Hickson liked to collect all things western, including buildings. Many of these buildings he relocated from Nevada. He built a complete western town at Carr’s Rancho Placeritos, east of today’s Placerita Canyon Road. When his employer, Trem Carr, a pioneer filmmaker, had to sell the Placeritos, Hickson moved his town to Oak Creek and Placerita Canyon Road and leased it to Monogram Pictures.

In 1952, cowboy actor Gene Autry purchased Monogram Ranch and renamed it “Melody Ranch.” Autry made the farmhouse that stands on the property today his home. However, his movies were not filmed here, but hundreds of others were, including “Gunsmoke” and “Wyatt Earp.”

Ten years later, a violent firestorm burned the majority of the original western structures and many artifacts could not be replaced. Autry later sold about 100 acres of the original ranch as he built his baseball empire with the California Angels.

Brothers Renaud and Andre Veluzat, longtime Newhall residents, purchased the remaining 10 acres in 1990. They restored the western movie ranch to its former glory, and the place is once again a thriving movie ranch. New legends are being created today at the Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studios with such stars as Bruce Willis, Jeff Bridges and Randy Travis, all of whom have filmed dramas of the American West here.

Vasquez Rocks
One of the best places in Southern California for outdoor photographers and moviemakers is Vasquez Rocks County Park. You will have to drive off the freeway a bit to get to the park. In the 19th century, Vasquez Rocks was the hiding place for a notorious outlaw named Tiburcio Vasquez, as well as a home for the Tataviam Indians. This 750-acre preserve has ample space for activities, with a variety of bike and horseback-riding trails. For rock-climbers, the steep, jagged rocks in the park offer plenty of adventurous opportunities. If you choose to take pictures, go at sunrise or sunset for the best light.

Ed Davis Park
At Ed Davis Park, in Towsley Canyon off Interstate 5 at Pico Canyon, there are more recreational opportunities. Outdoorsmen will love the park’s pristine mountain streams and natural woodlands.

Angeles National Forest
A short drive on Bouquet Canyon Road takes you to the Angeles National Forest, offering multiple camping sites and streams that will entice the fisherman in you. Don’t forget to stop at the Ranger Station to get a day-use pass.

Fillmore & Western Railway
The Fillmore & Western Railway is an antique railway that is more than 100 years old and is used often by the studios to make movies. Experience historic rolling stock — like Pullman sleepers, vintage parlor cars and elegant business cars. You will find them all when you visit Fillmore’s railroad site, located 22 miles west of Santa Clarita off Highway 126 in Fillmore.

Placerita Canyon Park & Nature Center
Placerita Canyon Park & Nature Center is a unique east-west running canyon featuring cool, shaded oak groves, a willow and sycamore-lined seasonal stream, and numerous plant and animal communities. The historic “Oak of the Golden Dream,” the site of California's original gold discovery in 1842, is located on the property. The Nature Center museum features exhibits on the natural history of Southern California, and there is a small collection of live animals. A network of self-guiding nature, history and hiking trails radiates out into the park from the center, with longer hikes leading to a seasonal waterfall and to the top of the Santa Clarita Divide. Picnicking is available near the Nature Center. The park encompasses oak woodland and chaparral on the north side of the San Gabriel Mountains southeast of the City of Santa Clarita. The park not only serves to conserve a slice of the wild environment but also endeavors to educate the public on the value of undisturbed flora and fauna through wild animal shows, nature hikes and educational trails. The park and nature center are operated by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. The County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation has operated the park since it opened in 1971, but temporarily turned it over to the conservancy in 2003 due to budget cutbacks. It is located at 19152 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall. Information: 259-7721.

The Placerita Canyon Nature Center Associates is a non-profit organization that supports the nature center. The association gives interpretive nature tours to grade-school children, and more than 15,000 children participate each year. Its membership includes docents, volunteers and patrons, all of whom pay membership dues. The group operates the center’s gift shop and sponsors an open house in April and a Holiday Craft Faire in December. It also leads monthly bird walks. Benefits include a subscription to the “Rattler” and a 10 percent discount at the gift shop. Various memberships are offered, from a special senior rate of $15 per year to the Golden Oak level, ranging from $250 to $1,000. The center appreciates the help of volunteers and docents. If you’d like to help, call 259-7721.

Senior Centers
The Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center, located at 22900 Market Street in Newhall (259-9444), is a multi-purpose center dedicated to serving the area’s senior citizens. It is the only such center in Los Angeles County, with no waiting list for home-delivered meals, and it is the only such center in the nation that is successfully managing a new, state-of-the-art senior housing facility. Among the center’s numerous services are congregate meals, providing hot, nutritionally balanced meals Monday through Friday for all citizens 60 years of age and older for a suggested $2 donation. Information and referral services to appropriate government, legal, health and social agencies are offered, as well as assistance with specific problems. Leisure activities are offered to suit the senior age group.

There also is a senior center in Agua Dulce and a community meal site at the Masonic Lodge, 19310 Avenue of the Oaks in Newhall.

Campgrounds
For a quick weekend getaway, there are a number of campgrounds in the nearby mountains and canyons. Most of these campgrounds are on U.S. Forest Service land with trees, trails and lakes. Campgrounds are available on a first-come, first-served basis, although they are run by concessionaires who require reservations. For general information call 626/574-5200.

Media Outlets
Whether you listen to the radio, watch television or read the newspaper, you will have plenty of stations and publications to choose from in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Many publications, some from the valley and some from neighboring communities, serve local readers. Daily newspapers include The Signal, Los Angeles Daily News and Los Angeles Times. The Signal is the community’s local newspaper, while the Daily News publishes a local section. Local magazines includes the Magazine of Santa Clarita, Santa Clarita Living Magazine, Elite Magazine and Inside SCV Magazine. The newest media outlet is KHTS 1220-AM, a radio station that bills itself as “The Hometown Station.” The station once known as KBET was sold to a major radio network then repurchased by Carl Goldman in 2003. The reincarnated station is working diligently to develop local programming relevant to the Santa Clarita Valley.