ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Whether you’re walking, driving or taking a Bird around downtown Bakersfield, it’s almost impossible to miss the Padre Hotel. With its name in lights in the heart of downtown, it contains a charisma that is hard to resist.

“Let’s invite all the models back for our grand finale!”

Espaliers, pronounced “es-PAL-yays,” have been around for centuries.

Part of dealing with the mind is dealing with confidence.

Enjoy a piece of music history while exploring everything the Kern County Museum has to offer at the annual Haggard Boxcar Music Festival May 11.

Scott Kurtz has always been into sports and exercise. That’s why he chose to be a physical therapist.

The Boys & Girls Club is making its mark and creating even more benefits through its nutrition-focused program.

If there is one thing we are the very best at, it is being generous.

The events of July 26, 2018, were life-changing.

Certain things tend to scare most people – snakes, spiders, public speaking, root canals ... and tax audits. Though audits are rare, several factors boost your odds, including your income level, the types of deductions you claim and your industry. Here are a few tips to lower your audit risk.

Stars Playhouse invites everyone of all ages to come enjoy its “Golden Age of Shakespeare” show, opening May 3 and showing through May 18 every Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Walking into World Records was a little like stepping back in time. Not only was it crowded with customers seeking out unique LPs on Record Store Day, some of Bakersfield’s music royalty were there, casually sitting around circular tables, decorated to look like records.

If you’ve ever followed a “fad diet,” you have plenty of company, as recent studies have shown that more than 54 percent of adults state that they are currently on a diet of some kind.

Garlic lovers rejoice because Jasmine & the New Taste has a dish that’s not only delicious, but a great deal as well. Part of the downtown restaurant’s lunch special menu, the L3, or garlic pepper, can be made with chicken, pork, beef, shrimp or vegetables, placing your protein of choice…

Mission Beach is a nostalgic place for me.

With the pleasant weather here, it’s time to get outside and enjoy your yard. Part of that outdoor leisurely living is not toiling in your landscape beds for hours on end. Planting succulents is an easy option that provides many benefits, so you have time left on the weekends to enjoy outdoo…

Changing the definition of retirement and finding a way back to his passion, one Bakersfield man has been a testament to the old saying that it’s never too late to do something you love.

Bakersfield is a beautifully dynamic city. One thing that makes our beloved town so special is having so many neighborhoods that each have their own distinct appeal.

Comedy can be make even the most uncomfortable topics bearable. It has the ability to bring a community together, as the language of comedy can be universal – for the most part.

“A Bakersfield Home Coming Week!” the front page of The Bakersfield Californian announced on the morning of Oct. 2, 1913.

The community of Bakersfield has a niche for local causes. It’s that passion that has made the Bakersfield Relay For Life one of the biggest in the nation, raising approximately $800,000 last year.

High school almost seems to be a dream.

Spring is officially upon us. It’s a great time for local sports fans as there are numerous exciting athletic events currently taking place around Kern County. There is a plethora of great options for those wanting to get out of the house and catch some of Bakersfield’s best athletes in acti…

It is said that food flavors can evoke memories and many of Dewar’s flavors take us back to childhood.

Many of us are raised with two basic rules: Don’t talk to strangers and don’t go down dark alleys. So when I heard about a restaurant that I had to try that was down a dark alley in downtown Bakersfield, I had to break some rules.

Improving the musical culture in town and encouraging more people to play was the inspiration behind Bakersfield Sound Co.

The past month was an extremely fruitful one for local athletes and sports teams. Kern County athletes shined in a variety sports, winning championships and earning numerous accolades.

When Michael Del Mundo first started playing water polo at the age of 9, he was less than enthusiastic.

Jerry’s Pizza has been the go-to spot in Bakersfield since its founding in 1992 by Jerry Baranowski.

Connections among the community can make for stronger bonds and allow for deeper discussions on hard topics.

Bakersfield’s list of successful “homegrown” businesses rivals most cities.

For the last 31 years, I’ve had the privilege of connecting with people who are broken and hurting for many different reasons. Most of them have let their life circumstances keep them from living an intentional life that was intended for them. But I’ve had the opportunity to give some of them hope.

For the past three years, Valley Achievement Center has provided its clients the chance to experience a school tradition that they may otherwise miss out on.

The Kern Environmental Education Program – better known as Camp KEEP – is celebration its 50th anniversary this month.

With the exception of a few, the 36 locals featured in Bakersfield’s latest best-seller are not household names. But their passions are – Smith’s cookies, organ donation, art, tennis and ta-ble grapes, to name a few.

Hunger lives next door.

Civil rights activist Audre Lorde’s most famous quote is “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence; it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare.” The world demands too much of all of us with too little time to do everything required, so it is a radical change in behavior …

Nine cities. One oasis. Endless experiences. That’s Palm Springs’ tagline and rightly so. It’s an international destination filled with fashionable hotels and restaurants, chic shops and boutiques, a vibrant artist community, fun entertainment options and a dynamic downtown. There is somethi…

For the past five years, the Plein Air Painting Festival has captivated the best painters from around California to capture Kern County through the eyes of an artist.

Plant-based diets offer a wide variety of health benefits including preventing the risk of certain cancers and weight-related chronic diseases and can even prolong life, according to Harvard Health.

“The living presence of Jesus awakened joy and set people free.”

The air inside Valley Children’s Ice Center of Bakersfield is frigid and piercing, amplifying the sounds bouncing off the venue’s walls. On the north end of the rink, skates and sticks scrape and clank against the frozen surface as hockey players skate in circles.

A couple of months ago, I had the privilege of being a member of a panel for the Kern Economic Development Foundation’s first-ever Aspire Conference, speaking to about 220 high school juniors and seniors who were on track to graduate high school and head off to college – some of them being t…

One in three. That’s the price women pay for cardiovascular disease. While nearly 80 percent of cardiac events can be prevented, cardiovascular diseases continue to be a woman’s greatest health threat, claiming the lives of 1-in-3 women.

I was fortunate enough to spend a chilly Friday morning at the Marley’s Mutts Rescue Ranch in Tehachapi recently, surrounded by a synergistic community of people rescuing dogs and dogs rescuing people.

Unconditional love that often goes unseen and without words is a commitment made by a pet to its owner. It’s more than enjoyment; it’s an offering of a selfless healing presence.

Pizza joints in Bakersfield are not hard to find. With strong Italian culture and influence in the Bakersfield community, pasta and pizza needs are never more than a stone’s throw away. Though the traditional Italian pie covered in fresh mozzarella is always a winner in my book, I was on the…