BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Gun enthusiasts from across the region are expected in Kern County this weekend for the second annual RangeFest, a full-day shooting sports event at 5 Dogs Range just outside Bakersfield.
The event runs Saturday, Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature firearm demonstrations, shooting competitions, music, games, food vendors, and prizes. More than a dozen manufacturers are expected to attend, giving attendees a chance to handle and test fire a wide variety of firearms under supervision — rather than making a purchasing decision based solely on what they see on a store shelf.
James Mellinger of Dirty Bird USA said the event is designed to be welcoming to all experience levels.
"Be able to meet the people behind the scenes that actually make it happen, and to enjoy shooting those firearms in a safe, controlled environment where even if you're a novice, you can still come out and have a ton of fun," Mellinger said.
The event comes weeks after a deadly shooting outside a high school football game on Aug. 21, putting gun safety at the forefront of many conversations. RangeFest Director Travis Hamlin said safety is a central focus of the event.
"A firearm is for safety. It needs to be taken very seriously in California, and that's why we're pushing safety here at this event. We'll have the sheriff's department here. Each manufacturer is going to be a trained person on staff, as well as the 5 Dogs staff walking around and also overseeing the event," Hamlin said.
Josh Conner, a veteran and California representative for Operation Second Chance, said safety education — including teaching children how to behave around firearms — is essential.
"Safety is a huge thing. I have firearms in my house, but one thing that involves the safety too is I feel you still have to teach your kids how to use it, what to do, what not to do, because if you just hide them from them and that one day they end up finding it, they're not going to know the power of it. They're not going to know the safety behind it. So I think training," Conner said.
Conner said the conversation around safety also extends to mental health and being willing to check in on those who may be struggling.
"We just need, like you said, more training, more willingness to just talk to somebody and that's again what I like to do at Operation Second Chance," Conner said.
Operation Second Chance provides support to veterans. More information is available at operationsecondchance.com.
Raffle tickets are available for $10. Prizes include jewelry, a kids ATV, gift cards, optics, and firearms. Tickets can be purchased at Dirty Bird on Mohawk Street for those who cannot attend. All proceeds from the raffle benefit Operation Second Chance.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy
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