The fate of one of Bakersfield's biggest events remains undecided due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Village Fest ins one of the city's longest-running events, taking place over the last 25 years. The event raises money for the Children’s Advocates Resource Endowment (CARE), which has donated over $1.2 million to local charities and organizations. This year's event was scheduled to happen on September 12th.
"CARE donates forty percent of the proceeds of each Village Fest in the form of grants while remaining 60% is placed into an endowment fund to meet the needs of local children for many years to come. 100% of the money raised is invested in Kern County children. Through partnerships with companies such as Wal-Mart, Kohls and Target funds are matched dollar per dollar to benefit even more children."
Jim Luff, president of the non-profit organization, said a decision as to proceed with Village Fest will be made in July and if changes will need to be made.
"The board of trustees is considering scaling down the event to allow more social distancing, requiring temperature checks for admission as well as taking other precautions to protect participants while attending," said a statement released by Village Fest.