Portions of downtown Bakersfield went quiet to cars but loud with music this weekend as Latination 13 took over the Arts Council of Kern with more than 100 juried artworks, a beer and wine garden, and two days of festivities celebrating Hispanic culture. The 13th edition of the long-running event opened to the public with its signature mix of visual art, food and live performances filling both the gallery and the surrounding streets.
According to bakersfield.com, Latination 13 at the Arts Council of Kern celebrates Hispanic culture, with more than 100 works entered in the juried exhibit this year. The outlet reported that festivities extended beyond the gallery walls into a beer and wine garden hosted by Mexicali, along with Plaza de Comidas, Mercado and main-stage performances along N Street. Award winners for the juried show were set to be announced Friday at 7 p.m.
A Gallery Full of Cultural Storytelling
Among the standout entries highlighted in the report was Alberto Herrera's sculpture Mujer Azul, on display at the Arts Council of Kern alongside Guillermina Valdovinos's acrylic painting Nuestras Tradiciones. Diego Monterrubio contributed an oil-on-canvas piece titled Cruising through Cultura, while Paulette Schermerhorn's fabric collage Gracia Peruana and Miguel Silva's acrylic painting Dancing Couple rounded out the works named in the outlet's coverage. Together, the works showcase a range of mediums in this year's juried show.
Music carried into the preview events as well. Per the same account, Juan Rios of Rios Entertainment performed at Thursday's preview party, setting an energetic tone ahead of the weekend's main festivities.
Streets Close for a Second Straight Day
The celebration came with real consequences for downtown traffic. KGET 17 reported that the city said three streets would close for the Latination 13 event hosted by the Arts Council of Kern: 18th Street between N and O streets closed from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, while N and O streets between Wall and 18th streets closed during the same window. The same closures were scheduled to return from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and the city advised drivers to use alternate routes in parts of downtown while the festival was underway.
The event's exact dates became a point of confusion in the lead-up to the weekend. KGET reported that Latination takes place October 23 and 24 in downtown Bakersfield, but earlier promotional coverage from bakersfield.com had stated the festival would return for its 13th outing on Sept. 4 and 5. The dossier does not resolve why the dates shifted beyond that discrepancy between the two reports.
A Festival Rebuilt After a Long Pause
Latination's roots stretch back to 2008, when it was founded by Don Martin of Metro Galleries as a juried art show before expanding to include music, food and beverages, according to South Kern Sol. The event returned after a hiatus with Latination 12, a two-day celebration in downtown Bakersfield's Eastchester arts and culture district; this year's festival was held at the Arts Council of Kern.
Last year's Latination 12 attracted approximately 5,000 people and featured more than 60 vendors selling original artwork, crafts and other creations, the station noted, with the festival occupying portions of 18th Street and N Street. South Kern Sol reported that the second day of that 2025 event included family-focused programming, children's activities and community performances.
New This Year: A Stage for Young Artists
One addition to this year's lineup is Latination Kids, a new exhibit designed to showcase artwork created by young people throughout the community, per KGET. Participants do not have to be Latino to enter, the station reported, but their artwork must carry a Latin theme and be original — opening the juried tradition to a broader slice of Kern County's youth.
