By Cecil Egbele | Contributing Writer | California Local News Fellow
On the last day of the Kern County Fair, the sound of calypso drifted near the entrance to Shopping Hall 2.
Under a lime-green canopy, a 70-year-old steel drummer, Prince Bernard, in a straw hat and beads, worked a pair of gleaming steel pans, serenading passersby. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago and now based in Los Angeles, the traveling musician was one small part of a fair that, for 12 days, offered something for nearly everyone.
The 2026 fair, themed “The Place to Be,” ran Sept. 23 through Oct. 4 at the Kern County Fairgrounds on South P Street. It closed Sunday under a National Weather Service heat advisory.
A 110-year tradition
The fair traces its official start to Aug. 5, 1916, when it was held on 106 acres on Chester Avenue, where the Kern County Museum now stands. In 1952, it moved to its current 168-acre site.
NaTesha T. Johnson, a Bakersfield native and first Black chair of the Kern County Fair Board, who took over in March, said the fair was all she hoped for and more.
“I am proud of how this year’s fair brought our community together. Kern county’s diversity and strength shone through the families who attended and all who took part. A special thanks to all schools and programs whose dedication helped make our livestock events a success.”
On the grounds
Ticket stands and food trucks lined the walkways, and the smell of hot dogs and grilled food hung in the air.
Vendors sold plush toys and crafts. Inside the shopping halls, vendors displayed a wide range of merchandise. Among them was Good Mama’s Health, a Black-owned business, which displayed oils, powders, soaps, and creams the company says are 100% natural. Other vendors filled the three halls with crafts, merchandise, and specialty items, turning the shopping areas into another destination within the fair.
Livestock and agricultural exhibits have been a frequent feature of the fair since its inception, reflecting Kern County’s farming and ranching roots, with young exhibitors showcasing animals and projects they spent months preparing.
Kern County Public Works was among the county agencies using the gathering to share information with residents. County electoral officials were also on hand to encourage residents to vote and to answer questions ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
The Stages
Then there were the stages with different performances, like the Drumheads– a duo in blue jumpsuits with drums for heads playing loud, fun beats that had the little children giggling with laughter; The Wilder Show brought laughs with high-flying unicycle stunts; and Bakersfield’s own Mento Buru, filling the night air with their upbeat, dancing Latin and reggae rhythms.”
Each night brought a concert at the Budweiser Pavilion, free with fair admission. Country singer Ernest opened the series Sept. 23. Others on the lineup included R&B star Mario, who filled the pavilion with smooth vocals and nostalgic throwback vibes, Chandler Moore, who treated the crowd to a night of live worship music, and a 90s Rewind show featuring Treach of Naughty by Nature.
Braving the heat
A Heat Advisory was in effect Sunday, with the National Weather Service forecasting a high of 103 degrees in Bakersfield.
But the triple-digit heat on the final weekend did not deter fairgoers, who still made their way through the gates, seeking shade, cold drinks, and the air-conditioned shopping and exhibit halls when the sun became too intense.
The Fair board chairwoman, Johnson, said final attendance and other 2026 figures have not yet been released.
Last year’s fair drew more than 300,000 guests, a 9% decline from the year before, and the junior livestock auction brought in $1.45 million.
The 12 days of the Kern County Fair once again offered Kern County a place to gather, browse, eat, play, and simply enjoy being together.
And on its final day, it offered a little Calypso music for the road.
