I guess that getting to the town of Kernville  is half the fun?  After taking Highway 5 to Buttonwillow, we gassed up and followed  58 to Bakersfield.  We then took 178 toward lake Isabella and kernville.   This was a long, winding road and a bit difficult with larger vehicles...trucks, vans towing trailers, motor homes, etc.  You really have to be careful driving around the curves.  However, it is a very scenic drive as you wind your way along the Kern River.

We arrived in Kernville around 4:00PM and then drove around town.  We had made reservations at Frandy Campground, so we drove over there, checked in and pulled up to our space.  It's rather expensive to stay here.  You have no hookups and it costs $100 for the four days.  Not a good deal, but what else are you going to do.  The first year we did the show, the sidestreets were packed with cars and other motorhomes, so I often worried that we would have difficulties finding a place to park.  I really wouldn't mind parking on the street for the duration, but when you are planning to do the festival, you really aren't sure about that.  I like to be safe than sorry.  However, during this (2008) year's event, there were a lot of open spots in the streets.  There was another parking lot that charged $50 for parking there for two days and that is my alternate choice.  Besides, it's a rather distant walk from where our motor home was parked at in Frandy's....having to climb a bunch of stairs along the way...and then down the street to where our booth is located.

 Setting up can be difficult because they only allow certain areas to set up the day before...in the grassy area is one place.  We had to set up the morning of the day the show starts and it can be difficult getting in there with a motor home then and again after the show.

Friday morning it was very cold.  Temperatures may down into the 20’s.  We pulled over to our space where our booth was to be located around 6:30….PERHAPS 45 minutes or so after it became light.  There was a noticeable difference this year, as there  were hardly anybody else there setting up yet. Ideal situation…drive in, unload and park it.  Everything came out…buckets, bag, sacks, canopy, grids, etc.  The whole shebang was dumped onto the sidewalk and after parking our motor home, we took our time setting up.  Las year they started the show at 10;00 Am on Friday, but this year  they changed it to noontime and that could have had a negative impact.  Sales were lower this year…fewer hours on Friday but the economy is bad right now and people are not spending much 

On Saturday, they had a nice parade…….started at 11:00 and lasted until around 12:15.  Many people were decked out in their 1890s attire and it was quite enjoyable.  There was a large crowd there watching.

Saturday’s sales  ended up down considerably.  Not much buying.  Such a good show.  AQ lot of vendors told me that their sales were really down.  Loads of people, but just taking a stroll.  Kettle Korn made a killing as they had lines of 15-25 people just about all day long.  Looks like they did the best.

As I sat toward the back of our booth a 10-year old boy stepped over and lifted up one of our $20.00 Harley Blankets and held it up over his head to show me.  'Is this two bucks?' he asked ne.  'No', I said…..that's twenty dollars.  He quickly put it back down.  Next he stepped over to our $2 spider monkeys.  'Are these two dollars', he asked me.  No, I responded bluntly 'twenty dollars'  The kid then gave me a very confused look.  I then told him that it was only two dollars.