A Quick Hello
Hey Bakersfield families,
Hispanic Heritage Month is here, and Bakersfield has some great ways to celebrate. There's a Ballet Folklórico performance on Saturday and a preschool program next Thursday, and both are in the calendar below. Today is also $2 Day at the Buena Vista Museum, an easy and cheap outing for the afternoon.
The big one is coming: the Kern County Fair opens next Wednesday, Sept. 23, and runs through Oct. 4. Pick your day now. Our full Fair guide arrives early next week.
See you out there,
Jess
THIS WEEK IN BAKERSFIELD
We're about a month into the school year, and most of us have settled into some kind of routine (even if it still falls apart by Wednesday). Mid-September is a good time to catch your breath and put something fun on the calendar.
There's plenty to choose from this week. For Hispanic Heritage Month, there's a free Ballet Folklórico performance at Rathbun Library on Saturday and ¡Viva! Little Learners at Beale Library next Thursday. Today is also $2 Day at the Buena Vista Museum. On Saturday, Children First is hosting a bilingual storytime in the park with free lunch, and there's a mom-and-daughter self-defense social. On Sunday, dads and kids can join a fall walk at The Park at River Walk. The Fair opens Wednesday, so the next few weeks are about to get busy.
Everything below is what's actually on the TBM calendar — the full list, not just the highlights — so you can find what works for your family and get on with your week.
I’m really glad you’re here. Let’s see what Bakersfield has for us this week.
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This Weekend
Friday, September 18 – Sunday, September 20
FRIDAY, SEP. 18
Baby Bounce — 10:30–11:30 AM · Southwest Branch Library
Baby Bounce — 10:30 AM · Northeast Branch Library
Rathbun Baby Bounce — 11:00 AM · Rathbun Branch Library
Crafternoon — 3:00–5:00 PM · Rathbun Branch Library
Between the Lines — 4:00–5:00 PM · Baker Branch Library (teens)
Lego Challenge — 4:00 PM · Wilson Branch Library
Family Night: Bingo — 4:00 PM · Holloway-Gonzales Branch Library
Sign Language with Lisa — 4:00–5:00 PM · Beale Memorial Library
LEGO League — 4:00–5:00 PM · Southwest Branch Library
Media Literacy Club — 4:00–6:00 PM · Beale Memorial Library (adults)
Sunset and Self-Reflection (journaling + sound bath) — 6:00–8:00 PM · Drip House Coffee (adults)
MB2 Entertainment Unlocked — 6:00 PM–close · MB2 Entertainment
SATURDAY, SEP. 19
She Got It From Her Mama — Mom & Daughter Self-Defense Social — 10:00 AM · Social Club Athletics
Family Storytime — 10:30–11:30 AM · Southwest Branch Library
Colores de México — Ballet Folklorico Mi Pasión — 12:00 PM · Rathbun Branch Library
Family Storytime — 1:00–2:00 PM · Beale Memorial Library
Story Time at the Park (Children First) — 1:00–3:00 PM · David Nelson Pocket Park (free incl. lunch, bilingual)
Sticker Painting — 2:00 PM · Holloway-Gonzales Branch Library
Grandparents' Day Tea Party — 2:30 PM · Baker Branch Library
Knights of the Library Chess Club — 2:30 PM · Northeast Branch Library
SUNDAY, SEP. 20
Walk Into Fall — Dad + Kids Community Walk — 9:00 AM · River Walk Park
Haggin Oaks Farmers Market — 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
The Mom Walk Co. Bakersfield — 9:30 AM · Belcourt Village
The Week Ahead
Monday, September 21 – Friday, September 25
MONDAY, SEP. 21
Miss Lynn Park Day — 9:00–11:00 AM · Belcourt Park
Baby Session Storytime — 9:30–10:15 AM · Southwest Branch Library
Baby Bounce — 10:30–11:30 AM · Beale Memorial Library
Preschool Storytime — 10:30–11:30 AM · Southwest Branch Library
Teen Craft Club: Tote Bag Painting — 4:00–5:00 PM · Beale Memorial Library
Family Bingo — 4:00–5:00 PM · Beale Memorial Library
TUESDAY, SEP. 22
Toddler Time (Session 1) — 10:00–11:00 AM · Southwest Branch Library
Preschool Storytime with Alison Burrowes — 10:30–11:30 AM · Beale Memorial Library
Little Sprouts Fall Toddler Workshop — 11:00 AM · Jerry's Pizza & Pub ($10/child — see One Local Find)
Toddler Time (Session 2) — 11:15 AM–12:15 PM · Southwest Branch Library
Baby Bounce: Fall and Hispanic Heritage Month — 1:00 PM · Wilson Branch Library
First Day of Fall Paint Night — 4:00 PM · Northeast Branch Library
LEGO Maniacs — 4:00–5:00 PM · Beale Memorial Library
Nintendo Gaming — 4:00 PM · Wilson Branch Library
Junk Journaling — 5:00–6:30 PM · Southwest Branch Library
Little Hikers of Bakersfield — Bluffs Hike — 6:45 PM · The Bluffs
WEDNESDAY, SEP. 23
Wonder Tots Learning Lab — 10:30–11:30 AM · Beale Memorial Library
Preschool Storytime: Fall and Hispanic Heritage Month — 2:30 PM · Wilson Branch Library
Variety Day: Day of Sign Language — 3:30 PM · Rathbun Branch Library
Crafty Corner — 4:00 PM · Rathbun Branch Library (teens)
Puzzle Palooza — 4:00 PM · Wilson Branch Library
Crafting Literacy Club — 4:00–5:00 PM · Beale Memorial Library
Kern County Fair 2026 opens — 4:00–11:00 PM · Kern County Fairgrounds (see Worth Knowing)
Teen Time — 5:00–6:00 PM · Southwest Branch Library
THURSDAY, SEP. 24
¡Viva! Little Learners — 10:00 AM–12:00 PM · Beale Memorial Library
Preschool Storytime — 11:00 AM · Rathbun Branch Library
Toddler Time — 12:00 PM · Baker Branch Library
Origami — 3:00 PM · Baker Branch Library (teens)
Totally Fun Thursday: STEM Activity — 3:00 PM · Rathbun Branch Library
Bingo! — 4:00–5:00 PM · Baker Branch Library
Kids Get Crafty — 4:00–5:00 PM · Beale Memorial Library
Family Flix & Craft — 4:00–5:00 PM · Southwest Branch Library
Collage Club — 4:00 PM · Wilson Branch Library
Kern County Fair 2026 — 4:00–11:00 PM · Kern County Fairgrounds
Wind Chimes — 5:00 PM · Northeast Branch Library
FRIDAY, SEP. 25
Mini Makers — 10:30–11:30 AM · Beale Memorial Library
Kern County Fair 2026 — 10:30 AM–11:00 PM · Kern County Fairgrounds
Rathbun Toddler Time — 11:00 AM · Rathbun Branch Library
Bakersfield Motherhood Collective meetup at the Kern County Fair — 12:30 PM · Kern County Fairgrounds
Crafternoon — 3:00–5:00 PM · Rathbun Branch Library
Family Storytime: Fall and Hispanic Heritage Month — 4:00 PM · Wilson Branch Library
LEGO League — 4:00–5:00 PM · Southwest Branch Library
Audiobooks + Art — 4:00–5:00 PM · Beale Memorial Library
Family Night: Pictionary — 4:00 PM · Holloway-Gonzales Branch Library
Creative Writing — 4:30–5:30 PM · Beale Memorial Library
MB2 Entertainment Unlocked — 6:00 PM–close · MB2 Entertainment
Worth Knowing
Today only: Buena Vista Museum $2 Day (all ages). A low-cost, easy outing if today works for your family.
The Kern County Fair opens one week from today. The 2026 Fair runs Wednesday, September 23 – Sunday, October 4 at the Kern County Fairgrounds, daily 4:00–11:00 PM on weekdays (check official hours for weekend openings). Admission: Adults $15, Seniors $10, Children 6–12 $6, children 5 and under free; parking $10. (Pricing confirmed 2026-08-28 in the TBM Event Discovery Queue.) A full "what to know before you go" guide is in development for later this cycle.
One Local Find
Little Sprouts Fall Toddler Workshop
A collaboration between Read & Roots and Jerry's Pizza & Pub — Tuesday, Sep 22, 11:00 AM at Jerry's Pizza & Pub. $10 per child (food and drinks sold separately). A small local-business pairing worth knowing about if you have a toddler.
Jerry's Pizza & Pub
1817 Chester Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93301
Tuesday, Sep 22, 11:00 AM
For Your Back Pocket
Back-to-school things worth knowing
Kern County Fair quick facts to save for next week:
- Opens Wed 9/23
- Runs through Sun 10/4 (12 days)
- Admission: Adults $15, Seniors $10, Children 6–12 $6, 5 & under free.
- Parking $10.
SHOP LOCAL FOR HALLOWEEN
If Halloween planning has already started at your house, try a few local shops before you order online.
Bakersfield Costumes (323 Roberts Ln.): It was started in 2011 by a stay-at-home mom who wanted affordable, durable costumes, and it now carries thousands of costumes at discounted prices. It also sells DIY costume kits and has extended hours in October, so call ahead for the day's hours.
Fantasy Frocks Costumes (1928 17th St.): A downtown shop with rental and retail costumes that also supports local performing arts. Renting is a good option if your kid will only wear it once.
In Your Wildest Dreams (2819 F St.): Part thrift store, part antique mall, and part costume shop, with two stories of props and vintage finds.
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