Hello October.
Hey Bakersfield families,
October is officially here — and Bakersfield is wasting absolutely no time.
We’re heading into the final weekend of the Kern County Fair, October programming is starting around town, and fall events are beginning to take over the calendar.
Below you’ll find what’s happening this weekend, what’s coming up next week, and a few things worth having on your radar.
As always: this isn’t everything. The full TBM Family Calendar is where you’ll find the bigger list and the details you need to decide what actually works for your family.
THIS WEEK IN BAKERSFIELD
October is officially here, and Bakersfield’s fall calendar is waking up fast. Pumpkin patches are opening, the Kern County Fair is heading into its final weekend, and Halloween events are starting to appear across the rest of the month. If you’ve been waiting for it to actually feel appropriate to start doing fall things—even if the weather hasn’t completely gotten the memo—this is the week.
This weekend is also your last chance for the Kern County Fair, which wraps Sunday, October 4. After that, the calendar shifts pretty decisively into pumpkin patches, fall festivals, trunk-or-treats and Halloween events. If October tends to disappear on you, this is a good weekend to look ahead and pick the two or three things you actually want to make happen rather than trying to do everything.
I’m really glad you’re here. Let’s see what Bakersfield has for us this week.
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This Weekend
Friday, October 2 – Sunday, October 4
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2
Event | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
Cherry Acres Toddler Play Date | 9–11 AM | Cherry Acres |
Little Bookworms October Meetup | 10–11:30 AM | See organizer |
California History Day | 10 AM–12:30 PM | Kern County Museum |
Baby Bounce | 10:30 AM | Northeast Library |
Baby Bounce | 10:30–11:30 AM | Southwest Library |
Friday Fingerpainting | 11 AM | Holloway-Gonzales Library |
Kern County Fair | 3–11 PM | Kern County Fairgrounds |
Family Storytime & Craft | 3:30 PM | Baker Library |
Audiobooks + Art | 4–5 PM | Beale Library |
Karaoke, Bingo & Pictionary | 4 PM | Holloway-Gonzales Library |
Northeast Builders | 4 PM | Northeast Library |
Dungeons & Dragons Club | 4 PM | Northeast Library |
LEGO League | 4–5 PM | Southwest Library |
Family Storytime | 4 PM | Wilson Library |
MB2 Entertainment Unlocked | 6 PM–Close | MB2 Entertainment |
Cherry Acres Zombie Paintball | 7–9 PM | Cherry Acres |
Cherry Acres Haunted Harvest | 7–9 PM | Cherry Acres |
Kern County Fair Monster Trucks | See event details | Kern County Fairgrounds |
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3
Event | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
The Royal Duck | Ongoing | Valley Plaza Mall |
Buena Vista Museum Family Day | See event details | Buena Vista Museum |
Kern County Fair Monster Trucks | See event details | Kern County Fairgrounds |
Belcourt Village AutumnFest | Time TBD | The Point at Belcourt Village |
Cherry Acres Goat Yoga | 8:30–9:30 AM | Cherry Acres |
Just for Kids: Give Yourself a Hand | 10:30 AM–12 PM | Buena Vista Museum |
Family Storytime | 10:30–11:30 AM | Southwest Library |
Preschool Storytime & Craft | 11 AM | Baker Library |
Saturday Sensory Play | 11 AM | Holloway-Gonzales Library |
Kern County Fair | 12–11 PM | Kern County Fairgrounds |
Family Storytime | 12–1 PM | Northeast Library |
Family Storytime | 1–2 PM | Beale Library |
Sticker Painting | 1 PM | Holloway-Gonzales Library |
Music Guided Art: One Book Project | 1 PM | Holloway-Gonzales Library |
Young Builders | 2 PM | Holloway-Gonzales Library |
Knights of the Library Chess Club | 2:30 PM | Northeast Library |
Family Camp Night | 3:30 PM–Overnight | Wind Wolves Preserve |
The Market at Tejon | 4–8 PM | Outlets at Tejon |
Cherry Acres Zombie Paintball | 7–9 PM | Cherry Acres |
Cherry Acres Haunted Harvest | 7–9 PM | Cherry Acres |
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4
Event | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
The Royal Duck | Ongoing | Valley Plaza Mall |
Chuck E. Cheese Sensory Sensitive Sunday | 9 AM | Chuck E. Cheese, Ming Ave. |
Cherry Acres Toddler Play Date | 9–11 AM | Cherry Acres |
Haggin Oaks Farmers Market | 9 AM–2 PM | Haggin Oaks |
Kern County Fair | 12–10 PM | Kern County Fairgrounds |
Kern County Fair Monster Trucks | See event details | Kern County Fairgrounds |
The Week Ahead
Monday, October 5 – Friday, October 9
MONDAY, OCTOBER 5
Event | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
The Royal Duck | Ongoing | Valley Plaza Mall |
Cherry Acres Friends with Disabilities Day | 9 AM–12 PM | Cherry Acres |
Miss Lynn Park Day | 9–11 AM | Belcourt Park |
Baby Bounce | 10:30–11:30 AM | Beale Library |
Preschool Storytime | 10:30–11:30 AM | Southwest Library |
Paint a Pumpkin | 4–6 PM | Twisted Coffee |
Family Bingo | 4–5 PM | Beale Library |
Teen Craft Club | 4–5 PM | Beale Library |
Cherry Acres Succulent Pumpkin Class | 6–8 PM | Cherry Acres |
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6
Event | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
The Royal Duck | Ongoing | Valley Plaza Mall |
Toddler Time | 10–11 AM | Southwest Library |
Preschool Storytime with Kailan Carr | 10:30–11:30 AM | Beale Library |
Teddy Bear Picnic Storytime with Miss Lynn | 11 AM | Golden Spoon at The Marketplace |
Toddler Time | 11 AM | Holloway-Gonzales Library |
Toddler Time | 11 AM–12 PM | Northeast Library |
Toddler Time | 11:15 AM–12:15 PM | Southwest Library |
Baby Bounce | 1 PM | Baker Library |
Baby Bounce | 1 PM | Wilson Library |
Hispanic Heritage Month: Flower Crowns | 3–5 PM | Southwest Library |
S.T.E.M. Masters | 3:30 PM | Baker Library |
High Score Heroes | 3:30 PM | Holloway-Gonzales Library |
LEGO Maniacs | 4–5 PM | Beale Library |
Potion Cauldron | 4 PM | Northeast Library |
Cherry Acres Bingo & Taco Tuesday | 6–8 PM | Cherry Acres |
First Mommy Run/Walk | 6 PM | Monterey Beach Dr. |
Little Hikers at Hart Park | 6:15 PM | Hart Park |
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7
Event | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
The Royal Duck | Ongoing | Valley Plaza Mall |
Littles & Lattes: Apples, Acorns & Pumpkins | 10 AM | See organizer |
Wonder Tots Learning Lab | 10:30–11:30 AM | Beale Library |
Wednesday Watercoloring | 11 AM | Holloway-Gonzales Library |
Toddler Time | 2 PM | Wilson Library |
LEGO Challenge | 3:30 PM | Baker Library |
Crafting Literacy Club | 4–5 PM | Beale Library |
Family Storytime & Craft | 4 PM | Holloway-Gonzales Library |
Watercolor Wednesdays | 4 PM | Northeast Library |
Perler Bead Challenge | 4–5 PM | Southwest Library |
Anime + Art | 4 PM | Wilson Library |
Teen Advisory Board | 4:30 PM | Holloway-Gonzales Library |
Cherry Acres Doormat Class | 6–8 PM | Cherry Acres |
THURSDAY, AUG. 27
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8
Event | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
The Royal Duck | Ongoing | Valley Plaza Mall |
Toddler Time | 10:30–11:30 AM | Beale Library |
Preschool Storytime | 11 AM | Holloway-Gonzales Library |
Preschool Storytime | 11 AM–12 PM | Northeast Library |
Magic: The Gathering 101 | 3:30–5 PM | Baker Library |
Kids Get Crafty | 4–5 PM | Beale Library |
Paint Party! | 4 PM | Holloway-Gonzales Library |
Snackies & Crafties! | 4 PM | Northeast Library |
Family Flix & Craft | 4–5 PM | Southwest Library |
Pearler Bead Art Challenge | 4 PM | Wilson Library |
Zine Scene | 5 PM | Northeast Library |
Cherry Acres Pumpkins, Petals & Prosecco | 6–8 PM | Cherry Acres |
Little Hikers: Walk Under the Stars | 6:15 PM | Lake Ming |
FRIDAY, AUG. 28
Event | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
The Royal Duck | Ongoing | Valley Plaza Mall |
Robots 4 Tots | 10:30 AM–1 PM | Riverview Community Center (NOR) |
Mini Makers | 10:30–11:30 AM | Beale Library |
Friday Fingerpainting | 11 AM | Holloway-Gonzales Library |
Sensory Play for Babies | 11 AM | Northeast Library |
Family Storytime & Craft | 3:30 PM | Baker Library |
St. George Greek Food Festival | 4–10 PM | St. George Greek Orthodox Church |
Audiobooks + Art | 4–5 PM | Beale Library |
Karaoke, Bingo & Pictionary | 4 PM | Holloway-Gonzales Library |
Northeast Builders | 4 PM | Northeast Library |
Dungeons & Dragons Club | 4 PM | Northeast Library |
LEGO League | 4–5 PM | Southwest Library |
LEGO Challenge | 4 PM | Wilson Library |
Worth Knowing
October gets busy much earlier than Halloween.
There are already Halloween and fall events scheduled throughout the month, including trunk-or-treats beginning October 10 and CALM’s Boo at the Zoo running October 14–18. Safe Halloween at the Kern County Museum lands October 30–31.
Translation: if costumes still need to be figured out, this is probably the week to do it. Halloween activities aren’t confined to October 31, and some of the family events you may want to attend happen two or three weeks earlier.
One Local Find
Cherry Acres
If you want a pumpkin-patch outing without having to make an entire day of it, Cherry Acres is one to put in your back pocket. The patch is open daily October 2–30, with pumpkins, sunflower fields and additional events scheduled throughout the month.
Regular admission is $5, with children 2 and under free.
The hours are especially useful for families:
Monday–Thursday 4–8 PM
Friday 4–9 PM
Saturday 9 AM–9 PM
Sunday 9 AM–7 PM
That makes it an easy after-school/after-work option instead of something you have to sacrifice an entire Saturday for.
Cherry Acres
4011 Wegis Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93314
For Your Back Pocket
There isn’t just one kind of Bakersfield pumpkin patch.
If you’re trying to decide where to go this year, think about what kind of outing you actually want.
Banducci's Family Pumpkin Patch is the more traditional farm-style option on Taft Highway, with pumpkins, a corn maze, animals and pony rides. Banducci’s
The Patch Pumpkin Patch opens October 2 at 8211 Brimhall Road and leans more toward a fall-festival experience, with inflatables, live music, a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, games and pumpkins. Pumpkin Patch
Murray Family Farms is the bigger destination-style outing: its pumpkin season runs every day in October, with its Farm Park open into the evening and a pumpkin included with paid admission. MurrayFamilyFarms
Fairytale Farms grows its pumpkins right here in Bakersfield and supplies patches, schools and events throughout California. Locally, they also offer pumpkin delivery and fall porch decorating. Fairytale Farms
Halloween Town leans into the full Halloween experience, combining a pumpkin patch with seasonal attractions and Bako Haunted Trails for families looking for something a little spookier. Halloween Town
Boo at the Zoo at CALM Zoo combines a pumpkin patch with a zoo day during its October 14–18 Halloween event. Pumpkins are $5, with Halloween games, prizes, animal presentations and train rides happening throughout the event. Boo at the Zoo at CALM Zoo
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