The Bakersfield Jazz Festival was a Success

The 27 annual Bakersfield Jazz Festival kicked off today at The California State University Bakersfield at 7:00 PM. The Friday line-up consisted of three jazz musicians

Robin Bramlett, Billy Vera Big Band, and Roy Ayers. On Saturday, the line up featured Kern County Jazz Band, Colorblind, Rob Hutchinson, Clayton Cameron, Lao Tizer, Avance, Euge Groove.  “My favorite part of the program was the enjoyment that was had by the individuals that participated, the audience members being able to come to this and see this performance without having to go out of town, seeing it right here at home” said Suzanne Botha.

Avance performs for the audience at the CSUB Jazz Festival.

” Favorite Part of the program was the side stage and Roy Ayers. My favorite part about the side stage was that he put a lot of funk music, a lot of old oldies and I really love oldies it’s like my favorite thing in the world and Roy Ayers just because there is a lot of history in that band. Like the drummer playing with Michael Jackson and then playing with Roy Ayers. You know, that’s pretty cool. Like who gets to play with Michael Jackson? No one…”- says Natosha Ramirez.

Small City Big Entertainment

 

Entertainment can be found in different forms. For this small town girl, shopping is a great way to stay entertained in Bakersfield. A quick visit to the Apple Store sure made the trip worth while. Who doesn’t love Apple products? We have to admit it, even the youngest people are starting to get hooked.

Walk, don’t run

In Bakersfield, if you can’t think of anything fun to do just go out and walk around. There are many different place here where you can just go out for a walk. You can walk around your local neighborhood, go to a park or just wonder around the mall.

Walking if good for everyone. It give people a basic exercise to keep them in good shape. It also helps spend a lot of time. Walking allows people to explore Bakersfield in a different way from just driving everywhere. It give people the chance to see some things in detail because now you are actually closer to the things.

Great place to walk around here in Bakersfield would be Riverwalk Park. This place has a route that allows people to enjoy a good day. It’s actually go well with the phrase “having a walk in the park!” Riverwalk has great scenery to where people can enjoy the place they are walking around. It’s a place where people can actually have a relaxing walk.So if you can’t think of anything good to do just go out and taking a friendly walk.

Indoor kart racing is a cool way to beat the heat

Photo from Google Images

Everyone who has grown up in Bakersfield during the summer knows how hot it can get. This summer is no exception, with temperatures reaching the 90s in spring. With the blazing heat of Bakersfield weather it can be hard to leave the cooling comfort of your AC.

But JAM Raceway is Bakersfield’s only indoor karting facility, so it keeps participants out of the heat and focused on racing to victory. JAM is newly located on 6901 District Boulevard and is open Monday through Sunday. Specific times can be seen here.

These electric karts are capable of speeds of about 50 mph, and with speeds like that it should keep you relatively cool. JAM charges about $20 for a non-member and $15 if you are a member, these prices are for a 14-lap race. And of course you must be able to provide a valid drivers license in order to race. Complete list of prices can be seen here.

JAM welcomes anyone from professional racers to a novice just looking to race their family or friends. Each person who races is given a score sheet after every race which breaks down their performance and their state of the art timing system allows each competitor to view their lap time and race position in real time on a giant projection screen.

Racers can even go online to check past race results. Each one of these races last about 10 minutes and can go longer depending on the type of race.  JAM is very dedicated to making racing fun and making it very competitive.

If you’ve never been to JAM Raceway, why not try it out this summer and get out of that summer heat for a bit and race your friends and family.

Beat the heat at the Bakersfield Museum of Art

Bakersfield Museum of Art (Courtesy of Google Images)

The Bakersfield Museum of Art has been around since 1956 but was re-established in 1990. The museum is widely known and is a great place to go to beat the heat. With all the hot weather in Bakersfield, the indoor museum is a great escape and a great place to appreciate different works of art with cultural diversity. It is not only inspirational but also educational and has four primary exhibitions with emphasis on cultural diversity. Admission varies with age and prices are as follows: Members get in for free, adults get in for $5.00, seniors above the age of 65 get in for $4.00, and students get in for $2.00.  Unfortunately, child prices are not listed.

The Bakersfield Museum of Art also offers different art education programs, workshops, and tours dedicated to children and adults. Furthermore, they also offer to bring the museum to any class room with a program named Museum on the Move, specifically for students. This is where a museum instructor will bring an educational presentation that informs students of artists and significant art movements. They also offer a program named Art Smart that takes fine arts to culturally isolated districts in Kern County.

Members of the museum are able to host several different activities, receive discounts on merchandise, get invitations to special events and are able to attend all workshops. Volunteers are always welcome and have the access to be behind the scenes of exhibitions and  are also able to meet artists. It is open Tuesday through Friday 10am-4pm and Saturday through Sunday 12pm-4pm. It is located at 1930 R Street. Bakersfield, Ca 93301 and contact information can be found at bmoa.org.

Let’s beat the summer weather

Bakersfield’s weather is like no other. It is either really cold or really hot. It almost feels as if we don’t have spring. There is no real transgression period.

Luckily, we accommodate by changing our wardrobe with the times.

In the winter, we wear jackets, sweaters, leggings, boots, and two pairs of socks. I even wear two pairs of pants. In the summer, we wear light colored clothing, shorts, skirts, dresses, t-shirts, and sandals. But I must warn anybody who has just strolled down Bakersfield. We do have three degree summer weather. It is not always the most enjoyable, but summer clothes, an air conditioner, cooler, or fan, help the hot weather a lot.

In my opinion, an air conditioner, fan, or cooler, is best little investment one can make in Bakersfield. The prices for them range depending on the size and type of air conditioner, cooler, or fan, the person wants to buy. They can be bought at Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, or Home Depot, to name a few.

But my favorite way to beat the Bakersfield heat is by going to Hart Memorial Park. It is eight miles northeast of Bakersfield on the Alfred Harrell Highway. It is a very nice and big park. There are picnic spots to cook, very tall shady trees to lie down, walk or run around, places to fish, animals to see, playgrounds for the kids, a river, and even two lakes where you can swim at.

It is to no surprise this place is never lonely. The trees and running water bring in people for hours. What better way than to beat the heat than at Hart Memorial Park with your friends and family.

Hart Memorial Park scenery
Photo by (http://www.co.kern.ca.us)

To Beat this Bakersfield Heat, Dive into a Local Pool to keep you Cool!

Although there are many residents who know how blistering hot summers in Bakersfield get, there are still so many who have no access to a pool! But not to worry all you local residents out there who have no access to your own pool, there are plenty of community pools in town, which are offered in several different locations, to keep you feeling refreshed this summer.

Come cool off this summer for free Bakersfield! (Photo Credit: http://www.turnto23.com)

 

• The first pool is the Jefferson pool which is located on Beal and Bernard.  This newly refurbished pool now offers a separate area for smaller children, or those who have limited abilities in the water, to a state of the art filtering system, this pool is a great place to wade away those summer afternoons. The spray park offers a great variety of fun during the hot months of the summer and is open from when the weather starts to warm up around May, to the end of the hot weather, usually mid- October. This pool is free for all to use.
• The second pool is the MLK pool which is located on E. California & South Owens. This pool offers swimming lessons before recreational swimming and are well worth the investment for your children! These lessons allow the children and even adults to learn to be comfortable in water while building strength and skills to give them the confidence they need to save their life if they are ever presented with a tough situation in a body of water. This pool has the same hours as the Jefferson pool and they welcome all local residents to come cool off!
• McMurtrey Aquatic Center located on Q & 13th street, features an 8,551 square foot recreation pool and a 50-meter competition pool. This community pool center even offers a double water slide and specially designed interactive wet play equipment! Although there is a fee to enter this pool, it is well worth the money spent to have a great day splashing around in the sun!
• Silver Creek Pool, located on Harris & Reliance features a 25 yard pool with a small wading pool. This pool also offers swimming lessons and is available for rental in the summer on the weekend evenings! What a great place to host a child’s birthday party or a family BBQ, with no outsiders permitted while the pool has been rented out especially for you!

A Bakersfield Community Pool Center. (Photo Credit: voices.yahoo.com)

For rules and guidelines for community pools in Bakersfield, visit the link above and make sure to check out a pool in your area! Bakersfield heat isn’t intolerable when a clean, clear swimming pool is only a couple blocks away!

Grenaider’s nightlife

Grenaider’s cocktail lounge offers a welcoming enviornment with music, drinks, and a friendly bartender.

Bakersfield just got cooler

(Photo courtesy of Facebook.com)

Some might claim that Bakersfield is dry out of entertainment. For those looking out for something cool to do with these high temperatures, there is some refreshing news. With their grand opening on May 4^th, River’s End Rafting & Adventure Company specializes in Whitewater Rafting and Kayaking. They are located in Bakersfield California and are the closest outfitter to the Los Angeles area. The Kern River is located just about 10 minutes from the city. The citizens of Bakersfield are familiar with their local food joint, and movie theatres, but little did they know that there was much more awaiting outside of the city limits.

“We used a Groupon for River’s End Rafting to go white water rafting a few miles below this spot.  It was perfect.  Several rapids to go through, nothing life-threatening, and when we were given the opportunity to swim in a calm part, I got out and paddled along in the river.  That was a highlight for me.  Just letting the river pull me (in my required life jacket) along.  When I swam against the current I stayed in about the same place on the river.  Wonderful.” Stated Sundry, a fan of the Kern River rafting.

River’s End Rafting caters to any group. They have The Blaster and the Master Blaster. The Blaster which is their signature out of their two traveling packages is a 2 hour whitewater rafting tip. This is the perfect trip for everyone. This trip is 3.5 miles which starts from the Kern Canyon and ending near Lake Ming in Bakersfield. Departs    Monday -Saturday 10am, 12:30pm, 3pm, and 5:30pm

For more information on this great adventure visit their webpage at http://www.riversendrafting.com/

Discover our Solar System at the Planetarium

West view of Planetarium located at BC College Courtesy of Bakersfield College

The William M. Thomas Planetarium is a great place to visit for both adults and children interested in learning more about planets, our solar system, or constellations. The Planetarium has been open since 1962 and is equipped with a go to Chronos star projector that produces a star field on a 36 foot dome. There is individual seating for up to 72 people and the dome in which things are projected on is the biggest in all the central valley. Those who attend also have the chance to ask the resident astronomer Nick Strobel, and questions regarding the show.

Group seating must be reserved ahead of time and tickets should also always be purchased ahead of time at bakersfieldcollege.edu/planetarium. Shows are approximately one hour long and tickets for adults cost $6.50 and seniors and children 5-12 get in for just $4.50. All evening shows begin at 7:30, doors open at 7 and you are able to sit anywhere you want. No food or drinks are allowed in the Planetarium and children must be 5 years of age or older. Morning shows for groups are Tuesdays and Thursday mornings. The Planetarium is also always open for field trips by reservation.

The Planetarium is located on The Bakersfield College campus on the second floor in the northwest end of the math/science building room 112. The address is Bakersfield College 1801 Panorama Drive, Bakersfield, Ca 93305. For any questions contact 661-395-4526. If you are interested in getting to know more about our solar system, astrology, or space then the Planetarium is the right place for you.