Celebrating Nuts & Grapes — and worthy causes

Promoting and sponsoring community events is another passion of the Foundation’s and there are several exciting ones on the horizon.

On June 15, The Kern County Museum will host its first annual Nut Festival. Similar in vein to Gilroy’s Garlic Festival and Wasco’s Festival of Roses, the Kern County Nut Festival will celebrate the local nut crop and all the amazing properties of nuts. (Click here to find out about getting tickets.)

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, CSUB will be holding a year-long celebration in 2014 in honor of this groundbreaking work of literature. There will be lectures, photo exhibits, a screening of the 1940 film version of the novel and other activities throughout the year that will involve the university and the local community. (Here’s a little bit about the event — in particular, Merle Haggard’s concert that will be a part of the festivities — as well as other interesting goings-on at the university.)

And on June 8, at the historic Fox Theater, the Kern Assistive Technology Center will be holding the premiere of David and Zach’s Quest to Sac, a documentary about a father and son’s quest to improve the lives of citizens with disabilities. (Tickets won’t be sold at the actual event; you have to get them beforehand. To find out how to purchase tickets and other information on the film, check out KATC’s Facebook page.)

The Foundation is happy to support these and other community projects that enhance the life of Kern County residents and improve our area’s image.

(Photo courtesy of First Look, which did an interview with Beth Pandol about the Nut Festival. You can watch the interview in action — and learn more about the festival — here.)