Halloween Prep Guide

BOO! Did I scare ya? Whether or not you celebrate Halloween, it is certainly that ghoulish time of year. With a bevy of brewings going on in Bako that are spook-related I thought I’d give you my top picks for the rest of the week to get you in the spirit.. err.. mood.

Wednesday, October 28th: Head to Metro Special Events, 2801 F Street, from 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. for The NeverEnding Comedy Show. Not only will you get laughs from local talent Brian Ross, Dane Forst, Ernesto Gomez, James Mongold, and Joe Alaniz, your holiday tie-in includes Witches! The continuing Burn the Witch all female group art show will be on exhibit to enjoy during the comedy performance. Admission to the 21 and over show is $5.00 and beer is available for only $2.50. Proceeds from the show benefit BECA (Bakersfield Emerging Contemporary Artists). Go get your ha-ha!

Thursday, October 29th: Need an adrenaline rush? This might be a good night to head to Talladega Frights, located at Fruitvale-Norris Park (6221 Norris Road), and let the cast of crazy characters at this haunted house scare a little life out of you. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. every night this week. Admission is $12.00 at the door, but you may still be able to find $2.00 off coupons at one of the attraction’s sponsors. Visit http://www.talladegafrights.com/ for more information.

Friday, October 30th: FLICS at the Fox returns with a vampire-themed presentation that will thrill and chill you. Although the film includes young actors in the lead roles, this bloody but beautiful movie (according to on-line reviews) is not a children’s film—Let the Right One In is rated R. This is sure to be a popular draw—you may wish to get there well before the 7:30 p.m. showtime. Admission is $5.00. The Fox Theater is located at the corner of H and 20th Streets.

Saturday, October 31st: It’s Halloween! Grab your costume and head to the closing reception of Burn the Witch IV at Metro Special Events, 2801 F Street, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Check out the eclectic, the weird, the beautiful, the serene, the passion and the expressions that our local women artists have created. This is a great opportunity to purchase local artwork at very reasonable prices and support BECA (Bakersfield Emerging Contemporary Artists) and The Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault. A costume contest is also on the agenda—along with food, wine and live entertainment. Admission is only $5.00.

After Burn the Witch, join the patio crowd at Valentien Restaurant and Wine Bar, 3310 Truxtun Avenue, Suite 160, where Cinema Saturdays ends its October run with a zombie double-feature: Night of the Living Dead (original version) at 7:00 p.m. followed by the comedy-horror spoof, Shaun of the Dead at 8:45 p.m. Sit on the patio, meet some cool Bako peeps (or Tweeps!), enjoy a glass of wine, a delicious chocolate souffle or even a full course meal served by a most attentive and hospitable staff. Wear a costume & you'll even receive a sweet treat--A perfect end to your trick-or-treat week!

Happy Halloweenie! See you out there!!

This weekend in Bako!!

This weekend: First Friday, new theater shows , FLICS at The Fox, the opening of Talladega Frights Haunted House, Oktoberfest on Saturday, $1.00 admission at Bakersfield Museum of Art featuring the Aztec dancing of “Cuauhtemoc” on Sunday and of course, the final days of the Kern County Fair! Here's a peek at what to do Friday, for the rest, keep checking Go. See. Do. in the sidebar of this page.
It feels like we just celebrated First Friday but already here we are in the month of October and that means another party downtown! The Arts District will be hopping this First Friday, October 2nd, as the photographers have their day with an opening at MetroGalleries, 1604 19th Street. Featured photographers are Susan Reep (Altered Landscapes) and Michael Fagans (Unguarded Moments). After checking out this new exhibit, make sure to stroll over to the many other businesses whose doors will be open for shopping and browsing including: smoothies and coffee drinks at Caffeine Supreme, Mexican folk art at Kuka’s, Biscuit Boutique & Doggy Spa for pet fanciers, fashion at Jezebelle’s, gifts and décor at Charisma Boutique, and of course, the awesome art at Surface Gallery. Shops and galleries will be open late with exclusive specials, free food, live music and art on the sidewalk. DO NOT MISS IT!!

Also downtown on Friday: Spotlight Theatre, which will be serving Pasta on the Patio for $6.95 during First Friday’s events, opens a new show just in time for the spooky month of October—Evil Dead, the Musical, directed by Jarred Clowes. This fun, horror-themed show will be playing October 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 29, 30 & 31 at 8 PM and Sunday October 25 at 2:00 PM. Parents be advised this show features adult language and violent themes that may not be suitable for all ages. Contact Spotlight Theatre for ticket info & reservations: (661) 634-0692.

Film buffs rejoice: FLICS at The Fox continues on Friday with another international offering, Laila’s Birthday. This film is not rated; for more info including a synopsis, go to http://www.flics.org/. Show begins at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are just $5.00.

And if being scared out of your wits is your idea of fun, why not head over to Talladega Frights located at Fruitvale Norris Park, 6621 Norris Road, with its haunted house and cast of freaky characters? Friday is the opening, but the show will run several dates during October. $12.00 at the door gets you your fill of frights. For more info, head to http://www.talladegafrights.com/.

That’s it for now—Saturday’s “TO DO” coming up next!