Christmas in Bakersfield
Christmas past, present and future…
As a native California girl, I don’t think of Bakersfield, CA as a weekend escape. I mean, what does it have there besides cows and nuts? Well, as it turns out… a lot. In fact, I think it might be a perfect place to visit during the holiday season.
I ventured out on the two hour drive to the middle of California for the weekend to visit one of my besties, so excited to hang with her and not expecting much from Bakersfield. When I arrived at the hotel, I was pleasantly surprised. The Padre Hotel in downtown Bakersfield was filled with glamorous decor and stunning details around every corner. I felt like a star!
In fact, the 4 diamonds historic hotel was deigned to give that luxurious country music star feeling form the moment you enter the foyer to the time you leave. It’s perfect for a night out on the town, a full weekend escape or to host an event. No this blog post is not sponsored by them, I just really enjoyed my time there.
We stayed in one of the suites, a let me tell you, it was adorable and perfect in every sense. The walls were my favorite. Filled with texture and mystical wall papers, I felt like I was stepping into a time that was familiar and yet so long ago. The bathroom was even magical! The wall paper in there was absolutely perfect (I was really there to photograph a boudoir session for my friend so it was incredibly fitting). I was also surprised when I went to turn on the bathtub as the water came streaming down from above. The whole room felt like just a little bit of magic was touching each corner.
To Find out more about the hotel, click here:
https://www.thepadrehotel.com/
As evening came, we strolled the streets of downtown Bakersfield. As we strolled past the historic Fox Theater our imagines ran wild with what it must have been like in it’s hay day. The Fox Theater opened Christmas Day in 1930 and had been featured in several movies. There have been countless numbers of country stars who have graced the stage at the theater through the years. It continues to host stars from all over as well as smaller shows like A Drag Queen Christmas which I so wish we could have gone to! Even just walking by the theater and the dozen of other 1930’s esc buildings brought me to that time of enchantment and razzle-dazzle of Bakersfield’s past.
For upcoming shows at the Fox Theater, click here:
Home
Since it’s December, we wanted to do something to put us into that jolly, holiday spirit. Did you know that Bakersfield is home to one of the top 10 light shows in the nation? Neither did I. Once I heard this, I had to check it out. I mean, who doesn’t love a good light show?
Each year, CALM, California Living Museum, tranforms their property into a top caliber light show filled with movement and humor. While it was an investment, it was totally worth it! Get there early or you may be waiting for awhile. We arrived just as it opened at 5:30p and had an incredible time mourning through Bakersfield’s musical past, Santa’s Village, the time of dinosaurs, a safari and even past the Lock Ness Monster. We didn’t have our kids with us and it was still amazing! It definitely set me in the holiday mood. So much so that when I got home, I put up my tree!
After the light show we headed to dinner at The Padre Hotel. The atmosphere was a charming little bar which took Covid precautions and made us feel safe and relaxed. As a gluten free eater, I always have trouble finding meals that are safe for me to eat. The Padre Hotel made it easy to order by noting the gluten free options as well as vegetarian options. The dinner was delicious.
Off to bed… The bed was the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in in a hotel. It was a down bed with just the right amount of firmness and cozy softness. I didn’t want to get up in the morning! However, the giant two person shower intrigued me and I just had to try it out.
Once cleaned up, we headed back to the lobby to the Farmacy for low fodmap breakfast and latte. The cafe has pretty much any latte and breakfast you could hope for. My simple $4 two egg breakfast was perfectly prepared and so affordable.
All in all, I learned the Bakersfield has so much to offer in the charm category during the holidays. There are so many community events like a Christmas Parade, Tree Lightings, an ice skating show, and the popular Bakersfield Christmas Town which I can’t wait to take my kids to in the future.
-Kellianne Jordan
All these events can be found here:
