BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — On the second Saturday of every month, a local nonprofit puts on an event to help local businesses.
“It’s something special. It’s something unique. It’s something to drive traffic to our downtown area," said nonprofit The Hub Executive Board Member Shannon Labare.
Pandemic or not, Labare said Second Saturday supports both businesses and community members.
“We still want to show that there is the ability to walk and have a good afternoon around downtown with safety precautions in place," she said.
The organization creates a map that shows where businesses are, and what specials they’re offering.
“We’re really seeing a lot of emphasis for the small businesses that are on the map to show up and to really show themselves in a different light or something that is fun and unique," said Labare.
From coffee shops to clothing stores, all businesses are welcome. Labare said business owners can also “take over” the Second Saturday social media pages. They can talk about their discounts or even show a DIY tutorial.
“Which leads to, you know, not having that physical presence but still a really good connection to the community," said Labare.
The first Second Saturday of 2021 is happening next week on January 9. Sign your business up by Saturday night here. January's business map can be viewed here.
Follow the program on Facebook and Instagram to see the businesses featured throughout next week.
“The core of what we do is downtown businesses deserve a fighting chance in this climate that we’re in, and Bakersfield as a community is incredibly generous and incredibly thoughtful and supportive of local businesses, and they just need to know what's going on," said Labare.
If you know someone who should be featured in Kern's Kindness, email your idea at kernskindness@kero.com
