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Bakersfield Arts District Preserves Country Music While Expanding Galleries and Theaters
The Downtown Arts District draws residents and visitors to galleries theaters and museums while preserving the city's country music roots.
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How we reported this
Bakersfield's Downtown Arts District centered around 19th and H Streets functions as the city's largest arts hub and includes the historic Fox Theater that opened in 1930 along with Metro Galleries Art Center Gallery and Bellmoore Gallery.
The district also hosts public murals sculptures and painted utility boxes that add to its visual character. Residents can reach these sites by walking from central downtown locations without needing additional transportation.
Theater venues add live performances
Six local theater venues operate across the city. Stars Bakersfield runs dinner theater productions of musicals. Spotlight Theatre and the Gaslight Melodrama provide additional stages with the Gaslight Melodrama counted among only four professional melodrama theaters in California.
The Gaslight Melodrama occupies a red barn setting that distinguishes it from standard playhouses. These venues schedule regular shows that range from classic musicals to period melodramas.
Museums and recurring events expand options
Four museums serve the area. The Kern County Museum holds the largest collection with more than one million artifacts. The Bakersfield Museum of Art sits in Mill Creek while the Buena Vista Museum of Natural History occupies space inside the Arts District and the California Living Museum focuses on regional wildlife.
The First Friday Art Walk takes place at 1020 18th Street each month and offers a direct way to view current gallery displays and public art installations. The event maps coffee stops and nearby music spots for participants who want a full evening itinerary.
These assets tie into the city's identity as birthplace of the Bakersfield Sound a twangy country subgenre shaped by Buck Owens and Merle Haggard that earned the nickname Country Music Capital of the West Coast. The same streets that host galleries also support venues that continue live music programming.
Anyone planning a visit can start at the intersection of 19th and H Streets then follow posted maps of the Arts District to reach galleries museums and the First Friday Art Walk location on 18th Street.