Bakersfield’s sister cities with their music and culture will be celebrated in town at the First Sister City Gardens Festival later in November. The event has been created to celebrated community spirit and diversity.
Bakersfield presently has five sister cities located around the globe – Wakayama in Japan, Santiago de Queretaro in Mexico, Cixi in China, Bucheon in South Korea, and Amritsar in India.
Festivities will include dancers, music groups, martial arts demonstrations and food denoting each of the sister cities. Each city will also have exhibits about itsa cultures and customs. Activity booths for children will offer arts and craft from each country. Each child can receive a stamp on their festival ‘passports’.
A couple of weeks later, the town will celebrate its 36th Annual Christmas Parade. This year’s theme will be ‘Christmas Around the World’. Over 100 entries will be marching through downtown Bakersfield streets, including floats, community groups, horse-drawn carriages, drill teams, marching bands, classic vehicles, light displays, and live performances. Units are busily getting banner printing done to introduce their groups.
First Sister City Gardens Festival will be November 17 from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm at The Gardens on Mill Creek between R and V Streets at 600 18th Street.
The parade will be December 6 starting at 6:30 pm at the intersection of L Street and 21st in Downtown Bakersfield.
