There will be a Free Open House from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 21, and all ages are welcome to enjoy a camp tour, free BBQ lunch, supervised activities and get a taste of Circle V summer camp fun. The 30-acre facility is located across from Cachuma Lake just 20 minutes north of Santa Barbara at 2550 Highway 154 in the Santa Ynez Valley.

“This year marks 71 years of our traditional sleepover summer camp. I started as a Counselor at Circle V in 1993 and have been Camp Director since 2008. We welcome campers from throughout Southern California. No child is turned away due to lack of funds since we have camperships available. Please come to the Open House or contact us and learn how you can give your kids a wonderful experience this summer,” according to Circle V Ranch Camp Director Ray Lopez.

Circle V offers seven sessions starting on June 27 and ending August 14, 2016. Each session features six days and five nights of traditional supervised activities for boys and girls ages 7 to 13. For ages 14-17, a Camper in Leadership Training (CILT) program is also available. Applications and campership (scholarship) requests are now being accepted for 2016 Summer Camp sessions.

2016 Summer Session Dates and Themes are:

Session One: Monday, June 27 to Saturday, July 2– Wild Wild West Week
Session Two: Tuesday, July 5 to Sunday, July 10– Secret Agent Week
Session Three: Monday, July 11 to Saturday, July 16– “The Final Frontier” Space Week
Session Four: Monday, July 18 to Saturday, July 23– Medieval Week
Session Five: Wednesday, July 27 to Monday, August 1– Flashback Week
Session Six: Wednesday, August 3 to Monday, August 8– Carnival Week
Session Seven: Tuesday, August 9 to Sunday, August 14 – Sports Extravaganza Week

Circle V campers enjoy activities including archery, hiking, swimming in the pool, learning about nature, reading skills, arts & crafts, painting, photography, playing games of baseball, basketball, ping pong, foosball, soccer, miniature golf and of course, campfires, skits and songs. (There is no TV or radio or internet access to affect the experience.) Campers stay in spacious wood cabins or canvas tents. Three nutritious daily meals are served family-style in the Dining Lodge and provide not only a chance for food but also for more camaraderie and fellowship.

In summer 2015, the camp hosted more than 1,200 children for this time-honored experience. The Circle V Ranch Camp fee for six days/ five nights including lodging, all meals, activities, recreation and supervised fun is $425 per child; and “camperships” (made by individuals and groups’ donations) are available for qualified campers. For complete info on fees and camperships, visit www.circlevranchcamp.org/datesthemesfees.html

Founded by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Los Angeles Council in 1945, Circle V Ranch Camp & Retreat Center has been located on 30 acres in the Los Padres National Forest in Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley near Cachuma Lake since 1990. During autumn, winter and spring, the Camp & Retreat Center is available for rental to other non-profit groups and organizations. Parents/guardians are encouraged to contact the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Circle V Ranch Camp main office at 323-224-6213 to receive the Camp application or apply online at www.circlevranchcamp.org