May is Here! Check out all the Exciting Events This Month!

May 2nd - Where are the flowers?

May 02, 2025

Happy Friday! Second day of May and feeling oh so good going into the weekend and the month ahead. Today we dive into some May festivities, books, entertainment, and events to look forward to.

Today’s brief includes:

  • 🧠Mental Health Awareness Month

  • 🍩New Location Alert

  • 🩸Donate for a chance to win

  • 💐May Events

  • 🪷Mother’s Day Fun

  • 📆Events

  • ...and more

Enjoy!

Weather Forecast

Friday - 89°☀️ | Saturday - 78°☀️ | Sunday - 67°☁️

This weather is giving me whiplash!

Brief Update

Mental Health Awareness Month

Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services is celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month with events throughout May. The County Administrative building will glow lime green to raise awareness. On Saturday, May 3, CALM Zoo will offer free admission from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring family-friendly activities like laughing yoga and card-making. The theme this year is “Be Kind to Your Mind.” More details and event info are available at kernbhrs.org.

source: turnto23.com

🍩New Location🍩

Bakersfield Donut Co. has opened a second location downtown at 1430 Truxtun Ave., Suite 110. The shop is open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and offers specialty drinks, classic doughnuts, croissants, coffee, and a “Bougie Menu” with unique treats like marshmallow and cheesecake doughnuts. Their original location on Ming Ave. remains open daily with extended hours.

source: kget.com

Houchin Community Blood Bank is holding a May-long campaign where successful donors are entered to win a $2,500 Disney gift card. Double entries will be given to those who donate at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Blood Drive on May 15 at 2120 L St., featuring free food, live music, and family activities. Donors at the event also get a themed T-shirt and a Disney toy for kids. Appointments can be made at hcbb.com/schedule.

Kentucky Derby

  • When: Saturday, 5/3

  • Where: Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY

  • Time: Live coverage begins at 12 PM ET

  • TV: USA Network, NBC

  • Live Stream: Peacock

Live Music

Saturday, 5/2

  • John Paniccia at Wine Me Up

  • American Mile at Chuys Baja Grill (7-11pm)

Events

Happening this Weekend

  • Station 1 Fire Dept Open House - 5/3 - 21st/G St. (10am-1pm)

    • Opportunity to meet firefighters, see demonstrations, and family fun activities. Food and ice cream will be served. Check out with the BFD has going on at the station!

  • 3rd annual Give Big at the Park - 5/3 - The Park at River Walk

    • Learn about the different nonprofits that serve our community.

  • Oceania Culture & Arts Festival - 5/3 - CSUB (12-6pm)

    • Kern County Asian Chamber of Commerce invites you to participate in their Culture & Arts celebration. This event will include vendors, local artists, music and cultural performances.

  • Night Market - 5/3 - Downtown (7pm-9pm)

    • UpMarket is celebrating their one-year anniversary with a night market. Music, vibes, and late-night shopping experience.

  • Relay for Life - 5/3 & 5/4 - KC Fairgrounds

    • This 80’s theme relay allows friends, family, and the community to come together for a cancer charity walk. You’re encouraged to drop your times off Friday such as a canopy. Event starts Saturday. More information.

🌮Cinco De Mayo Celebrations🍻

🌸Mother’s Day Events🌸

Reminder: Mother’s Day is Sunday, 5/11

Future Events

All Month Long

  • Spring Concerts - Starting 5/1 - The Marketplace

    • The Marketplace in Bakersfield will host free spring concerts every Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m., starting May 1 through June 26.

📚Books of the Month📚

  1. The Tenant by Freida McFadden - After losing his job and renting a room to a seemingly perfect stranger, Blake's life unravels as eerie events and dark secrets surface, revealing too late that danger has moved into his home.

  2. My Friends by Fredrik Backman - When young artist Louisa inherits a mysterious painting featuring three hidden figures, she sets off on a journey to uncover its origins—unraveling a decades-old story of four troubled teens whose friendship and creativity gave rise to a masterpiece that will change her life.

  3. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune - When photographer Alice returns to her childhood lake cottage to care for her grandmother, an unexpected reunion with charming Charlie Florek rekindles old memories, sparks new feelings, and challenges her to step out from behind the lens and into the life she truly wants.

  4. The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig - In this gothic romantasy, prophetess Sybil is forced to leave her cathedral sanctuary and join a defiant, enigmatic knight on a perilous quest to uncover the fate of her missing sisters—and confront the gods themselves.

  5. Rewind it Back (5th book of the Windy City series) by Liz Tomforde - Former childhood sweethearts Hallie and Rio are forced back into each other’s lives—next door neighbors again and working together on a home renovation—rekindling old feelings and unresolved heartbreak in this emotional, second-chance romance.

Full list on Goodreads.com

Netflix Must-Watch Shows

  1. The Four Seasons - Netflix is rebooting the 1981 hit The Four Seasons as an eight-episode limited series this May, featuring stars like Tina Fey, Steve Carell, and Colman Domingo. Alan Alda returns for the update, which keeps the original’s humor about marriage while adding a more serious tone.

  2. Sirens (May 22) - Devon grows suspicious of her sister Simone’s relationship with wealthy animal activist Michaela, but a Labor Day visit to Michaela’s island reveals sinister motives and cult-like control, drawing both sisters into a dangerous web.

  3. Dept. Q (May 29) - Detective Carl Morck leads a cold case unit, solving unsolved mysteries while navigating the challenges of working within the system. Despite his unorthodox methods, Morck's team tackles complex cases, with Scott Frank's involvement elevating the series beyond typical U.K. crime shows.

Must watch list provided by usmagazine.com

Don’t Forget

Houchin Community Blood Bank is launching two appreciation promotions from April 28 to May 3, 2025, to encourage donations. Donors will receive two free CALM Zoo tickets and a limited-edition “They Not Like Us” sticker inspired by Kendrick Lamar. All blood types are needed, especially O and A. Donors must be healthy, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be 16 or older with consent. Appointments can be made online at hcbb.com/schedule or by calling HCBB at (661) 323-4222, though walk-ins are welcome.

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