The third annual Cultura Fest brought families to Stramler Park in Bakersfield on Saturday for a free celebration of cultural heritage featuring traditional dancing, live music, and local vendors.The event, organized by Raices o f Kern, also raised proceeds to support scholarships for students.For Maria Torres, watching her daughter perform traditional Mexican dances was about more than seeing her on stage; it was a reminder of the cultural celebrations she grew up with."For me, I was raised in environments like this. I was telling one of the other moms that when the Azteca were dancing, I used to dance that when I was younger." Maria Torres said.After moving to Bakersfield, Torres said it was initially difficult to find a community where her family could connect with their cultural roots. Through folklorico dancing and events like Cultura Fest, her daughter found a way to embrace those traditions."It's rewarding for me to see that she's so involved because she really likes it. She likes to see the pottery over there, the plants, the food, she loves it all. So for me, that's important because if we don't come to events like this we're not exposed to them." Torres said.Isaac Doria, president of Raices of Kern, said proceeds from the festival help support scholarships for students."It's really just our way to give back to the community by showcasing local vendors and being able to take the profits from it and put it back into first-gen college students, anybody that wants to strengthen and enlighten themselves as far as education goes." Isaac Doria said.The festival also partnered with Youth2Leaders, an organization that helps students prepare for higher education. Intern Natalie Arciniega explained what the organization does for the community."We take students onto field trips so they can experience a little bit of the college life that way they can see themselves there and see that representation there throughout the school year. We do help students file for financial aid." Natalie Arciniega said.From celebrating the traditions of the past to helping students prepare for their futures, organizers said Cultura Fest is about building a stronger fellowship."I really hope they just take away that there's a community here. There's a community of us that wanna see each one of us achieve that big goal that we have in mind. There's a support system here." Doria said.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.Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere: Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube ...read more read less