By Bre Williams
Senior Reporter
Walking into the fair, there is an instant aroma of salty fried treats. Food is part of the fair going experience and each year people crowd around the stands for mouth-watering concoctions.
The fair has become synonymous with fried foods and many people cannot wait to get their hands covered in fryer residue, much like Sophomore CAFS major Marissa Armendariz.
“I am most excited for a fried Oreo,” Armendariz said.
Amidst all the giant corn dogs, funnel cakes, and oversized bags of cotton candy there is a history behind the fair food. While some of the food stands travel with the fair there are others that are owned and operated by Bakersfield locals.
The Mill Creek Church Men’s Fellowship has been making and selling Karmel Korn since 1946. This is a trade that the church has been passing down for generations, and the operation is now being ran by Mark Jones and Terrance Owens. Jones said that he first learned how to make Karmel Korn in 1978 from the second generation of men from Mill Creek Church.
Jones explained that when he first learned to make the treat it would take about 6 1/2 minutes to make 15 bags, but now they are able to produce 75 bags in 14 minutes on two stoves.
When the men’s fellowship first started they only made Karmel Korn, but after the fair threatened to take away their space three years ago due to low profits, they knew change was in order.
“Kids were just walking by because they wanted kettle korn,” Jones said.
Despite his passion for the tradition Jones decided it was time to branch out. Now, when you stop by the Karmel Korn stand you find bags of all colors of the rainbow. They carry wild flavors from banana to jalapeño cheddar and because of these new developments Jones says their sells have gone up three times.
All the workers at the Mill Creek stand are volunteers and proceeds go to fund events like food banks and children’s’ camps. Jones hopes to keep “passing the tradition down right,” so that future generations can continue making perfectly sweet crunchy “korn” for Kern County.
People drinking a beer on a patio, kids eating an ice cream, a window full of delicious looking onion rings; this is what you’ll find as you pass by Mac’s Patio. It is a family affair, owned and operated currently by Sharon and Cathleen Parks.
Parks’ parents Mac and Mary first opened the stand in 1952 but have passed away. While none of the recipes are exactly family secrets Cathleen said when the stand first opened her grandmother Mary did all the cooking. Mac’s adds something new to their menu every year to keep up with the daring foodies looking for new endeavors.
Their menu now includes a hot beef sundae, which is made to look like an ice cream sundae, but is savory instead of sweet. It is roast beef and gravy atop a mound of mashed potatoes topped with cheese and tomatoes. They also added chocolate covered bacon to their dessert menu.
“We’ve worked hard to improve,” said Parks as she reflected on her parents patio. “It’s been a challenge, but it’s fun.”
She as well as her daughter recalls helping out around the patio from a young age, and they both said “It’s in our blood.”
The fair is a tradition for many Bakersfield families, but as we revel in all the fried goodness, it is easy to forget all the rich history at the Kern County Fair. History not only lies in the kitchens, but it is being made in memories by fairgoers everyday.
