• Bako Weekly
  • Posts
  • 🍬 Trick-or-treating, sweater weather, and reptiles.

🍬 Trick-or-treating, sweater weather, and reptiles.

October 24 in Bakersfield

Author

Bako T
October 24, 2024

The entrance to last week’s outdoor screening of Scream in the Wall Street alley downtown.

Welcome to your weekly Bakersfield update! Today is Thursday, October 24, 2024.

In this week’s Bako Weekly:

  • 🍂 Fall festivals

  • 🍺 Micheladas

  • 🍬 Trick-or-treating

It’s that time of year to get those sweaters ready—temps are cooling down!

If you’re in the downtown area today (Thursday, October 24), Truxtun between Chester and H will be closed, as well as Eye Street between 15th and 17th streets, from noon to 10 PM due to an event at the Bakersfield Police Department (listed below). Plan your lunch/commute accordingly.

P.S.: If you have Friday travel plans to LA, be prepared for heavier-than-usual traffic due to several sports and concert events.

Here’s what’s happening this week:

News

✊ Mental health workers at Kaiser Permanente are going on strike today, Thursday, October 24, at 4900 California Avenue. Their demands focus on better staffing and improved working conditions, citing concerns about the effects of understaffing and long wait times for mental health care.

🏭 The Kern County Board of Supervisors approved a carbon capture and storage facility in Elk Hills, designed to permanently store around 50 million tons of carbon dioxide underground.

🌿 Law enforcement in Kern County destroyed nearly 90,000 illegal cannabis plants across 60 illicit grow sites as part of a statewide operation.

🧫 Local congressmen are backing efforts to develop a vaccine for Valley fever, a disease caused by inhaling fungal spores found in the soil. These spores can be released into the air through activities like farming, construction, or even strong winds.

🏥 The nursing program at Bakersfield College received national accreditation on Tuesday, October 22.

💉 A low-cost pet vaccination and microchipping event will be hosted by Kern County Animal Services at Ford City Park in Taft. Saturday, October 26. 8 AM to 11 AM.

💉 A low-cost pet microchipping and vaccination clinic will be held at the Bakersfield SPCA (3000 Gibson St.). Saturday, October 26. 10 AM to 3 PM.

🏘️ The City of Bakersfield seeks resident feedback on spending $25 million in federal funding over the next five years. This investment will focus on affordable housing, homelessness prevention, infrastructure improvements, economic development, and related initiatives. Take the survey here.Tome la encuesta en español aquí.

🐢 The Joshua Tree Reptile Haven in Onyx is a new reptile sanctuary primarily focused on tortoises, but also cares for various other reptiles. Their mission is to create a healthy environment for all the animals in their care. You can support this non-profit by purchasing their reptile food here.

Food and Drinks

🎃 Pumpkin Paint & Wine Night: Unleash your creativity at Pizz-a-Perfection with a festive evening of painting fun! All supplies will be provided, and you can enjoy a specialty pizza featuring authentic Indian flavors. RSVP info in link. 21+ event. $13.99 per person (paint and pumpkin included). Friday, October 25. 5 PM to 8 PM.

🍻 Michelada Madness Fall Fiesta: Celebrate micheladas at Lake Ming! A variety of vendors will be present, offering food, crafts, merchandise, and more. Enjoy two entertainment stages featuring great music. Cash only bar. 21+ event. $18 advance general admission. $25 at gate (cash only). Early entry and more with $50 VIP. Saturday, October 26. 12 PM to 5 PM.

🧟 Bakersfield 7th Annual Halloween Bar Crawl: Experience a spooky bar crawl with locals! Your ticket includes 2-3 free items, exclusive drink specials, food specials at select venues, and more. Don’t miss out—get your tickets before sales end on Friday, October 25! 21+ event. Saturday, October 26. 4 PM to 12 AM.

👻 Padre Hotel Halloween Party: A night of spooky fun at the historic (and allegedly haunted) Padre Hotel! DJ Shoyer will be spinning tunes, and there will be “boo-ze” specials. Don’t miss your chance to compete in the best solo and best group costume contests for a shot at cash prizes! 21+ event. $20 cover. Saturday, October 26. Doors at 8 PM.

Trick or Treating

🎃 Here’s a list of trick or treating events in the area:

Things to Do

🏎️ Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway October Classic: Experience two thrilling days of motorsport action featuring both dirt and asphalt racing! Join for dirt racing on Friday and asphalt racing on Saturday, featuring a lineup of fast-paced action for all racing enthusiasts. Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26.

👻 Kern County Unknown (The Empty Space): Experience the premier screening of the first episode of a local true crime and paranormal docuseries, delving into the crimes, rumors, and mysteries of Bakersfield. Includes a cocktail hour and Q&A session. $25 admission. Friday, October 25. Doors at 6 PM. Show at 7:30 PM.

🚲️ Critical Mass Bakersfield Bike Ride: Gather for a fun, family-friendly bike ride at Beach Park! Whether you choose to decorate your bike, dress up in your favorite costume, or simply show up as you are, all are welcome to enjoy this leisurely ride. For safety, it's recommended to bring lights. Free. Friday, October 25. Meet at 6:30 PM. Ride at 7 PM.

❤️ Kern County Heart and Stroke Walk: The American Heart Association is hosting a walk to raise awareness of cardiovascular health at Bakersfield College. The 1.35-mile route winds through the campus, with a special half-mile option for survivors. Free. Saturday, October 26. Event opens at 8 AM. Walk begins at 9 AM.

🍂 Kernville Fall Festival (Circle Park, Kernville): Head to the Kernville Fall Festival for a fun, free family event! Enjoy live music, vendors, a pumpkin patch, dog activities, and a kids' trick-or-treat parade. There’s also a sack race and a pie-eating contest. Free. Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27.

📽️ Studio Ghibli Fest 2024: For its 35th anniversary, Kiki’s Delivery Service is making a limited-time return to theaters. This classic anime film follows a young witch as she embarks on a new life in a seaside town. Japanese and English versions available. Saturday, October 26 through Wednesday, October 30.

🚒 Kern County Library Touch-a-Truck: Hosted by Kern County Library at Beale Memorial Library, explore community vehicles in a hands-on interactive experience with a Halloween twist. Costumes are encouraged, so bring your candy pails for trick-or-treating, and enjoy a pumpkin patch and learning activities for all ages. Free. Saturday, October 26. 10 AM to 1 PM.

🎃 Bako Market Halloween Edition (Centennial Plaza at Mechanics Bank Arena): Shop spooky and local at the Halloween-themed Bako Market. Browse a variety of vendors offering seasonal items, enjoy music, a live dance performance, and trick-or-treat throughout the market. Don’t forget to bring your best costume for a fun-filled shopping experience! Free. Saturday, October 26. 10 AM to 3 PM.

🎃 The Southwest Market Halloween Costume Party (Stockdale High School): Enjoy the Halloween-themed Southwest Market with a costume contest for ages 0-18, featuring categories like scariest, cutest, most creative, and funniest. There will be candy, treats, a petting zoo, and a chance to meet Sam from the movie Trick ‘r Treat! Free. Saturday, October 26. 6 PM to 10 PM.

🍁 Shafter Harvest Festival (1150 E. Ash Ave., Shafter): Celebrate fall and Halloween with food trucks, trunk-n-treat, a haunted house, and more. Hosted by the Shafter Lions Club and community partners. Benefits the kids of Shafter. Free. Wednesday, October 30. Food trucks at 5:30 PM. Activities at 6:30 PM.

💀 Paint the Skull (Jerry’s Pizza & Pub): Celebrate Halloween and Día de los Muertos by painting handmade skulls from Gloom and Glory while enjoying food and drinks. RSVP info in link. $30 per person (includes skull and paint supplies). Wednesday, October 30. 7 PM.

Kern by the Numbers

🌡️ Bakersfield had 61 days of triple-digit temperatures in 2024—almost double the yearly average of 33 days.

Random

🐕️ Got a corgi? Join the new local Kern Corgi Club to connect with other corgi owners/lovers!

🎅 Are you interested in joining the Bakersfield Christmas Parade lineup? The deadline to submit completed applications is tomorrow, Friday, October 25. The application can be found on the website here.

GoFundMe: Help Locals in Need

🕊️ 8-year-old Ricardo Aguilar passed away from injuries sustained after being struck by a vehicle in the Oleander/Sunset neighborhood. Consider helping Ricardo’s family during this difficult time by donating and/or sharing.

🕊️ Fermin Ulices Ortiz Leiva tragically passed away working a tree trimming job. Consider helping Fermin’s family during this difficult time by donating and/or sharing.

🕊️ Fernando Benitez Espinosa passed away after being struck by a vehicle on South King Street. Consider helping Fernando’s family during this difficult time by donating and/or sharing.

If you enjoyed this weekly update please consider forwarding it to a friend. It takes 10 seconds to share and it took 10 hours to curate.

Do you have a suggestion of something I should feature? Email me.

Are you a local business trying to reach people in Bakersfield?

Contact [email protected] about powerful ways to reach Bakersfield locals.

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up to get it.

Reply

or to participate.