Throughout my food journey in Bakersfield, I’ve noticed that the variety and diversity of the food scene here is growing, especially in Asian fusion cuisine. Though I love seeing this growth with a spike in poke spots and pho shops, still being somewhat new in town, I still hadn’t tried some…

Entering its sixth year, the Valley of Hope gala is a night of entertainment, auctions and philanthropy, honoring the lives taken and survivors of the disease that knows no gender, race or socioeconomic background – cancer.

With a heart toward serving their community and a mind toward activism, both Kimberly Kirchmer and Robin Walters walk the walk, not only in their day jobs, but even after they’re off the clock.

When friends Lucy Gallardo, Maryann Martinez, Lupe Mesa, Arlou Reyes, Janet Martin and Susie Mesa Flores got together to form a bunco group, they had a feeling it was the start of something that would stand the test of time. In fact, Arlou said they should invest in a rest home so by the tim…

Throughout time, people jump from diet to diet, on to the next trend. Because social media is at the fingertips of society, the issue with body image becomes more present every day. But what about the role people and social media play in the way we see ourselves? Body image and self-esteem s…

It was a normal day. I was messing around on Instagram stories, like usual, when something unexpected happened. I got a DM from a male business owner in town and he was mad about me and what I was doing.

The new school year has recently started and there are numerous local athletes currently competing collegiately in fall sports.

When it comes to luxury vehicles, there’s comfort and there’s performance.

Ashleymarie Sey Lively, the curator and founder of Bubble Pop Gallery, wants you to know that the Bakersfield art scene is not just alive and well, but thriving.

Do you remember drawing with chalk on the pavement when you were a little kid? You may have covered yourself in dust and felt so excited that you had so much space to work with. Bakersfield Museum of Art’s Via Arte Italian Street Painting Festival on Oct. 19 and 20 takes that wonderful feeli…

Sometimes you find the strongest support in people whom you never would have thought you’d ever meet. That’s part of the magic behind Links for Life’s local services. The organization delicately knits a beautiful tapestry of support services for breast cancer survivors from all walks of life…

Kern County has a reputation for supporting its veterans, so it’s not surprising there are so many organizations that have been created to serve them. What you may not know is that many of them were started by and are run by women.

If Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world, then Hollywood is its heart and Hollywood Boulevard is the main artery pumping life into it.

Women are at no loss of accomplishments throughout history. At the same time, each influential woman required a spark of inspiration and support to begin the process of becoming a positive force for good.

An idea hatched by one of CSU Bakersfield’s very own, the WINGS program is designed to advocate and improve the education of female scholar-athletes while preparing them for the shift from college to workplace through the mentorship they receive. The idea of the program was to not only provi…

Upon her retirement from Bakersfield College in 1977, Dr. Ruth Maguire reflected upon the reason she accepted a position there in the first place.

Five years ago, one of my dearest friends suggested that we get mammograms since we had both recently celebrated our milestone 40th birthdays.

One of the “seasoned” CPAs in our office loves to tell the story of the ugly statues. This story is dredged up whenever someone asks her a question about hobby-loss rules.

Last spring, as guests at the Bakersfield Museum of Art’s annual fundraiser ArtMix walked through the dramatic and colorful entrance, little did they know it was the work of the event’s chairwoman, a former renowned costume designer.

Are you carb-conscious? Tracking your sodium intake? Are you simply interested in what you are putting into your body? The nutrition label is a great place to start when you want to be more mindful of the foods and beverages that you are consuming.

Trends come and go so often in the food industry that authentic experiences are hard to come by. But when it comes to the current “farm to table” restaurant trend, a new restaurant in downtown Bakersfield is giving us the real deal.

To hear his music, you wouldn’t know that he was different than any other up-and-comers posting tracks to YouTube and SoundCloud. But Jeff Metz, who goes by the stage name Grimstyles, is not your average artist.

September typically marks the end of summer and as temperatures start to drop, outdoor events begin to rise. There are many outdoor events that take place during the month and below are our picks.

Strata Credit Union is celebrating 70 years of locals helping other locals with 70 gifts of love, granting the wishes of 70 deserving Kern County residents and organizations for each year of Strata’s service to Kern County.

When it comes to pastimes, roller-skating is one of the few that has lasted the test of time.

A busy life can get the best of us, but not for the few good men and women behind the Kern County Sheriff’s Activities League, a free program dedicated to at-risk youth in the community.

As Bakersfield gears up for a new school year, the Kern High School District’s Regional Occupational Center is pulling out all the stops to provide amazing opportunities to local high school students. Whether they want to learn a trade or gain valuable skills and training in preparation for …

The Kern County Fair. It’s not just a rite of passage for families to attend. It’s an annual tradition for thousands of Kern County residents.

Given that this month’s theme is kids and family, the accompanying photo may not make much sense.

For over 40 years, the children of Bakersfield have looked forward to the activities afforded to them at the Lori Brock Children’s Discovery Center located at the Kern County Museum.

It’s that time of year again. Time for the new school year to start and the beginning of the fall sports season.

At 23, I’m at an odd place in life. One day, I just woke up to baby shower invitations, gender reveal parties and four friends at a time sporting the “baby bump.” As a young married woman without kids, I have felt pressure from family and friends and been asked the question: “So when are you…

I left San Luis Obispo for Bakersfield.

Comedian John Mulaney describes his English degree as a “certificate for reading books that I didn’t read” and points out that he agreed to spend $120,000 on tuition at age 17 “with no attorney present.”

My love of art and creative writing have been part of my soul since I was a very young girl. In those early years, my calling was to help other people’s artistic dreams come to life. If they could imagine it, I could build, paint it and bring it to life.

If necessity is the mother of invention, then happiness is surely the parent of reinvention, as evidenced by the second-fastest-growing industry in the country worth upward of $2 billion annually – life coaching.

It’s a glorious September day in the Golden Empire. The sacchariferous smell of cotton candy fills the air in perfect harmony with joyous laughter from children on the classic Tilt-a-Whirl ride. Nearby, a spunky toddler with a high ponytail pours gilded kernels of corn into a Tonka truck on …

In the hot summer days that grace Kern County every summer, ice cream is definitely my go-to indulgence. In my LA days, going to grab some ice cream with friends always meant hitting up Salt and Straw.

The Sierra Arts & Crafts Festival is rounding out Labor Day weekend at Circle Park in Kernville, Aug. 31 through Sept. 2, featuring handcrafted and antique merchandise mere steps away from the Kern River. When Kernville comes to mind, whitewater rafting and mountain biking usually are fi…

Baseball is a sport that has deep roots in Kern County.

One of the many things that distinguish life in Kern County is the unbounded support we give one another and the causes we believe in. Perhaps no greater example of that is the Thumbs Up cancer awareness campaign that began five years ago with a single photograph.

As the saying goes, “Home is where the heart is.” That is, love and home go hand-in-hand.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common condition that many people suffer from unknowingly. In fact, the American Heart Association reports that 1 in 3 Americans suffers from hypertension. There are several easy steps you can take to prevent hypertension and live a healthy lifestyle.

Millennials have a few things they obsess over, while other generations stand back and watch. If you’re a millennial reading this, raise your hand if you’re guilty of any of these trends:

Don’t wait for the fair to come to town and end summer on a good note.