Kern County Nut Festival

A community-wide festival celebrating the culinary delights and health benefits of nuts: almonds, pistachios, pecans walnuts – June 7, 2014

Kern County is one of the top agricultural counties in the nation, and is a leader in nut production. Almonds, pistachios and to a lesser extent, walnuts, are major crops in Kern, employing thousands and generating millions of dollars each year. Almond and pistachio trees are a familiar site to Kern residents and these wonderful nuts are enjoyed by consumers all over the world.

The idea for The Kern County Nut Festival was generated first by Bob Price, an editor at The Bakersfield Californian who wondered by Kern County did not have a major agricultural festival. A meeting to discuss the possibility of a festival was held in 2009 with a small group of local business and civic leaders but because of hard economic times, plans were shelved. The festival plans didn’t come to fruition until 2012 when Sheryl Barbich and Beth Pandol, both members of the board of the Kern County Museum Foundation, decided Kern County needed an agricultural/food festival. The project caught like wildfire and companies, groups, organization and individuals immediately got on board to set up committees and organize the festival. To date, there are over 85 individuals on the festival committee and it grows each month.

The primary beneficiary of festival revenues will be the Kern County Museum Foundation which operates the historic Kern County Museum. But many other non-profit groups will also benefit from the festival because they are offered the opportunity to participate and share in festival revenue.

Festival organizers are thrilled and excited to present the first Kern County Nut Festival in 2013, with high hopes that it will eventually become an annual, regional festival with visitors coming from all over California to enjoy Kern’s fabulous nuts!