1. There Are Strawberry Fields Forever. Seriously.
Oxnard’s biggest claim to fame is its annual California Strawberry Festival, when an estimated 1.5 million strawberries are consumed as strawberry nachos, strawberry pizza, strawberry funnel cake, strawberry sundaes, and even strawberry beer!
Considering one-third of California’s strawberries are grown right here, you’ll have to learn to love them.
2. You'll Have Miles And Miles Of Uncrowded Beach
Oxnard spans more than 20 miles of coastline, with some renowned spots like Hollywood Beach, Mandalay State Beach and Silver Strand Beach.
What’s great for locals, though, is the fact that these beaches are relatively unpopulated by tourists and passersby, even though the city is still trying to draw them. Win!
3. Cowboys In Helmets Train Here
They might play out each one of their (disappointing) seasons in Texas, but the Dallas Cowboys spend their pre-season in Oxnard. Their training camp runs mid-July through mid-August and admission is free! There are even special on-field activities for the youngest fans-in-the-making.
4. Oxnard Is Safe And Sound...
It’s no unique thing for a city to want its citizens to be safe, but Oxnard is fighting the good fight to make sure you don’t have to panic if your kids are out past nightfall. In 2013, Business Insider ranked it the 16th safest city in America with FBI-reported violent crime rates well below the national average.
5. .. But Be Prepared For “The Big One”
All of Southern California is earthquake prone, but it’s an especially hot topic in Oxnard. The city is situated directly on the Oak Ridge Fault, and is also in close proximity to the San Andreas Fault.
The U.S. Geological Survey predicts a 92.62 percent chance that a major earthquake will strike within 31 miles of Oxnard sometime in the next 50 years. Don’t be like the rest of Oxnard and put off buying those earthquake kits.
6. Oxnard Athletes Are Dope
Before Marion Jones won multiple Olympic Gold medals (and then lost them due to steroid use) she attended and ran for Rio Mesa High School. Oxnard has also raised nine Major League Baseball players, eight NFL football players, and five championship boxers. Must be all that great produce.
7. Oxnard Inspires Defiance
World-famous activist and union pioneer César Chávez spent his childhood in Oxnard—and there are with plenty of streets and schools named after him so you’ll never forget it.
And the commander-in-chief probably owes the city some thanks—amidst Chávez’s entrenched legacy is the saying “Sí, se puede,” which Obama later translated into something you’re sure to recognize: “Yes we can.”
8. Oxnard Is Super Nardcore, Man!
Driven by a fusion of the city’s skater and surfer cultures, hardcore punk is such a mainstay in Oxnard that the moniker actually became inspired by the city itself. Nardcore producer Madlib is an Oxnard native, as are the beloved genre bands Agression, Dr. Know, False Confession, Habeas Corpus, Ill Repute, No Motive, and Scared Straight.
9. Oxnard Is Swimming In The Benjamins...
Dock your yacht and bring out your designer purse, because Oxnard is (believe it or not) the 7th Richest City in America, according to Teschsio.com (and 24/7 Wall St. backing up the claim). Oxnard clocks in with 9.7 percent of its population among the top 5 percent of the country’s wealthiest citizens.
But don’t feel down on yourself if you’re not there yet. As Cesar Chavez would say, “Si, se puede.”
10. ...But Spends A Lot Fighting The Graffiti War
Oxnard is seriously against vandalism, and the Graffiti Task Force has been fighting back against the city’s graffiti for nearly 10 years. However, it hasn’t been going too well so far, considering the city still spends a million dollars every year removing it. You might have to just accept it as a quirk of your new hometown.
11. Creole Has Come To California
The most unique—and uniquely lauded—restaurant in Oxnard is NAWLINZ Bistro. Say it out loud and you’ll get a pretty good idea of its menu. Favorites include the Alligator Andouille Po’Boyz, the Chicken n Wafflez, and the Fat Tuesday Catfish. Plus everyone gets a free sample of their gumbo on their way in the door. That’s how you get hooked.
12. Oxnard Is Proud To Be A Melting Pot
This October marks Oxnard’s 19th Annual Multicultural Festival, celebrating both the diversity and the shared experience of the city’s residents. Admission is free for all the live music, performance groups, demonstrations, and activities. It’s also chock full of food inspired from kitchens around the world, which is really the best part, right?
13. Oil Is Omnipresent In Oxnard
Oxnard has two large active oil fields, and so drilling, refining and transporting are big business. Fracking is a big concern here, even though you probably won’t see people protesting on sidewalks. It’s generally kept to discussions in living rooms. It is big business for the city, after all.
14. Getting Drunk Is Completely Kosher
Herzog Wine Cellars is the country’s largest collection of kosher wines, and the adjoining restaurant, Tierra Sur, is a top-rated ZAGAT favorite and also kosher, with an evolving menu that only uses ingredients sourced fresh from local farmers. L’chaim!
15. Downtown Is The Definition Of Quaint
Oxnard’s Heritage Square has made an industry out of being adorable, historical, and basically perfect. The courtyard plaza is centered around fountains, gardens, and a collection of restored Victorian and Craftsman houses once owned by the city’s pioneer families.
16. Oxnard Can’t Help But Be Fresh
Oxnard is noted for its exceptionally fertile soil, so it’s no surprise that the city boasts two weekly local farmers markets. Devotees visit the Downtown Oxnard Farmers Market on Thursdays and the Channel Islands Farmers’ Market on Sundays.
17. Burgers Are King In Oxnard
Two of Oxnard’s most beloved institutions are its local burger joints, Hook Burger and The Kitchen on A. Both boast locally baked breads, Oxnard-grown produce, and organic, hormone-free beef and poultry. Diners particularly worship Hook Burger’s hickory burger and The Kitchen on A’s lamb burger with red pepper relish. Yum.
18. Oxnard’s Hips (And Lips) Don’t Lie
For more than 20 years the Oxnard Salsa Festival has celebrated both Latin dance and dip. The two-day festival features salsa bands from around the world, an array of enthusiastic salsa dancers of all ages and abilities, and two food courts full of salsa-centric foods. Double yum.
19. Oxnard Has A Legacy Of Hiding Hollywood Legends
Sonny and Cher used to escape to their beach house here, following in the footsteps of Clark Gable and Carol Lombard and Donna Reed. Charlie Chaplin and John Wayne only committed to rentals, but they loved it here too.
20. You’ll Find The Best Sushi On The West Coast
Oxnard’s two top-rated restaurants are both of the Japanese persuasion. A fixture at Anaba is its signature Anaba roll, with the fish wrapped in cucumber rather than rice. At Sakura Cha Ya, fans go back time and again and again to carbo-load on their hot soba noodle bowls. Hungry yet?
21. Oxnard Is Snobby About Movies
The Oxnard Film Society is dedicated to bringing in critically acclaimed independent films, foreign films, and documentaries to its city. Their programming includes a twice-per-month Monday Night Foreign Film Series at the Plaza Cinemas in Downtown Oxnard. 
