Bakersfield, California

Bakersfield is the county seat of Kern County, California, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 247,057. The city's economy thrives on agriculture, petroleum extraction, and refining. It is one of the fastest growing of the larger cities of the United States. As of 2005 the population is estimated at 307,471 according to local municipal sources. It is California's third largest inland city after Fresno and Sacramento.

Culture

Bakersfield has a large Basque population in and around the city and most of Bakersfield's oldest and most historic restaurants are Basque and a noticeable portion of the population have Basque ancestry.

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As with many cities in the Central Valley of California, many Bakersfield residents have ancestors who migrated to the area from the Great Plains during the Dust Bowl. In John Steinbeck's historical novel The Grapes of Wrath, Bakersfield is one of the locations that the protagonists pass through. Jack Kerouac's On the Road deals with the conditions of migrant workers in this part of California on a later date.

Related Topics:
Great Plains - Dust Bowl - John Steinbeck - The Grapes of Wrath - Jack Kerouac - On the Road

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In the 1950s, local country musicians such as Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and Wynn Stewart helped invent a rock and roll-influenced country music style called the Bakersfield sound. Their influence was so great that Bakersfield is second only to Nashville, Tennessee, in country music fame. Bakersfield continues to produce famous country music artists such as Gary Allan.

Related Topics:
1950s - Country music - Buck Owens - Merle Haggard - Wynn Stewart - Rock and roll - Bakersfield sound - Nashville, Tennessee - Gary Allan

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Despite its country music fame, Bakersfield has also turned out its fair share of hard rock, most notably Ko?n and Adema.

Related Topics:
Ko?n - Adema

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Bakersfield has another culture: Off Road Riding. Whether by dirt bike, quad, horse or 4wheeler, the thrill of riding the terra firma foothills and canyons is a culture to the city's residents. Wiki considers it a subculture and an individual sport. It is both, and some more.

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Whether by dirt bike, quad, horse or 4wheeler, the thrill of riding the terra firma foothills and canyons is a culture to the city's residents. Bakersfield has always been home to a large population of Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts. The California Department of Motor Vehicles reports as of May 2001, there are over 18,000 OHVs registered in Kern County Kern Off Highway Vehicle Association. On May 26, 2005, the City of Bakersfield and the State of California Parks department obtained an assignable option using a grant from the OHV Trust funds to purchase a prospective 11,000 acre site for an OHV park. Site Located for State Vehicular Recreation Area"Ruth Coleman, Director of California State Parks State remarked, This project responds to the needs of the Bakersfield community for increased recreation opportunities and will provide a cornerstone for the Central Valley Strategy". Friends of Kern Open Space state that there are several educational programs available to train youth in proper OHV operation, including National 4-H and the California Off-Road PALS program. Friends of Kern Open Space.

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