Visit Oxnard Presents: Hispanic Heritage Month

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, our friends at Visit Oxnard have curated some information highlighting Oxnard’s rich Hispanic culture, historical landmarks, businesses, restaurants and more!

Taquerias, Taco Trucks, Cafés and More

• Oxnard has some of the best taquerias and taco trucks in Southern California. Set out on a quest for the perfect taco on the Oxnard Taco Trail and have fun finding the best street-style tacos, tortas, margaritas and more, from places including:
  • Cabo Seafood Grill & Cantina – flavorful Mexican cuisine and fresh seafood, hand-made tortillas, award-winning salsa, and guacamole prepared fresh table-side
  • Tacos La Bonita – popular taco food truck with multiple locations throughout oxnard
  • La Gloria Market – authentic Mexican-style market in downtown Oxnard
• Beyond the official taco trail, there are numerous other Hispanic-owned restaurants, eateries, shops and small businesses in Oxnard. A few other highlights include:
  • Xielo Artisan Desserts – located at the heart of downtown Oxnard at the historic Woolworth Building, this family-owned, innovative dessert shop serves up mouth-watering treats including traditional Mexican pastries, fusion crepes, raspados/shaved ice, along with traditional Mexican hot chocolate and café. the artisan dessert shop is inspired by more than 60 years of family tradition as culinary artists crafting dishes in plazas in Mexico.
  • BG’s Café – also in downtown Oxnard, this family business has been around for over forty years. Now owned by Jose Rodriguez and Veronica Munoz, the café is loved for its friendly atmosphere and delicious food.
  • Tacos Don Chente – for over 15 years, this small family business run by restaurateur Carlos Ortiz has been serving up authentic traditional Mexican food and seafood.

Small Businesses

It’s so important to support small businesses, and in Oxnard, there are many entrepreneurs making their mark in different industries. In addition to the many Latinx-owned restaurants and eateries, here are some other amazing Latinx-owned local businesses:

• Streets of Vintage – Jose Celedon is the owner of the ultra-hip urban fashion clothing store, Streets of Vintage. Here you can buy, sell or trade eco-friendly clothing and accessories. The Downtown Oxnard location is also home to the Streets of Vintage Flea Market, a market for curators & vintage lovers.
  • Jose has also recently taken over Teatro, a cinema-turned-recording studio that is now available for studio rentals and live events.
• Q Club – Whether you’re craving breakfast, lunch, or a drink at the bar, The Q Club has been an Oxnard staple for decades. Owner Jose Gonzalez opened up this sports bar in 1995 which features billiard tables, a bar-and-grill, and a sports lounge in the heart of Downtown Oxnard.

Historical Sites and Attractions

• View the site of Cesar Chavez’s former house: As a young boy, farm labor rights leader Cesar Chavez briefly lived in a shed in the La Colonia neighborhood. Although the site was torn down, a plaque on Garfield Avenue commemorates his contribution to agricultural workers. As an adult, Chavez returned to Oxnard in 1958 and lived on Wright Road in El Rio. He spent a year in town working to help form a community organization dedicated to registering voters and to organize field workers.
• Learn about Oxnard’s agricultural history on a visit to Oxnard Historic Farm Park. Barley, corn, sugar beets, and lima beans are grown on-site. The structures date back to 1870, and the park features vintage tractors, bean threshers, and farm implements. Barley, corn, sugar beets, and lima beans are grown on-site. While this isn’t always open to the public (besides special events and private events), they have some special public experiences planned for Farm Day in November and Ag Week in April.

Notable Locals

• Boxers – Rich in the boxing tradition, Oxnard (or “Boxnard”) is a national hub for boxing and is home to many amateur and professional boxers, some of whom have been born and raised within the city limits, and others who have moved to Oxnard specifically to train.

• Local boxer Hugo Centeno Jr. was born and raised in Oxnard and has a great love for the city. Among his favorite things to do are taking in comedy shows at Levity Live, going to Oxnard’s annual Strawberry Festival, and renting a boat from Hopper Boat Rentals and cruising around the Channel Islands Harbor. He has a fight coming up on September, 24th in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, for a Top 10 World Ranking in the middleweight division.
• Musicians – Oxnard has also bred some incredible musical talent, including:
  • Jose Cano, the drummer from Las Cafeteras – a popular genre-crossing band that has toured the world from Bonnaroo to the Hollywood Bowl – was born and raised in Oxnard.

Arts & Culture

• Boxnard Art + Murals – The boxing influence in Oxnard goes well beyond the ring.
  • On Sixth & A Streets, a utility box features a vinyl wrap tribune to boxing. The “Boxnard” art piece was created by Andrea Mendoza, a local graphic designer.
  • Behind 333 W. 4th Street, you’ll find “Dinastia Garcia,” a boxing-inspired mural by artist Huicho Le. Born and raised in California, and a member of the new community of Mixtecs from Oaxaca, Mexico that reside in Ventura County, Artist Hüicho Lé creates art to “bring respect and honor to the indigenous community.”
• Street Murals – Visitors can admire numerous other street murals around Oxnard from talented Latinx artists. The full list of street murals, sculptures and art galleries in Oxnard can be found here, and highlights from talented Latinx artists include:
  • The colorful “Rainbows and Unicorns” at Plaza Park in Downtown Oxnard by LGBTQ artist Moni Sanchez
  • “Growth” by Maruicio Ramirez, at the Oxnard City Hall, which depicts diversity in Oxnard’s community
  • An untitled mural at Oxnard High School by artist Love Yo Dreams, meant to inspire today’s tough, drawing from his rich Oaxacan culture.
• For those looking to flex their creative muscles, Inlakech Cultural Arts Center offers cultural enrichment programs and workshops in performing arts including ballet folklorico and mariachi.
• The popular genre of Norteño music has strong roots in Oxnard. You can find a utility box on Oxnard Blvd. outside El Dorado restaurant that is painted in homage to this musical style.