Legerdemain campaign: The Hub of Bakersfield aims to wow with A Night of Magic

Nov. 15—When it came to planning its first-ever fundraiser, The Hub of Bakersfield knew it needed something with a little pizzazz.

As a way to celebrate all the magical growth in Bakersfield's urban core, the nonprofit has planned "A Night of Magic" coming Saturday to the Padre Hotel's Prairie Fire patio.

Guests can expect a great night of magic tricks, music, dancing, food and drinks, said Vanessa Barrientos, The Hub's program manager.

"This is our first fundraising event so we want everyone to have fun," she said. "This is a celebration of what The Hub has done over the past few years and what's to come in the future."

Since its founding in 2019, the nonprofit has focused on developing downtown Bakersfield and surrounding areas such as Old Town Kern with campaigns centered on the arts and revitalization.

Projects have included Paint the Void, artists painting boarded-up windows along Baker Street in Old Town Kern; the Cash for Arts grant program for local artists, the Bloom Mural at the Beale Avenue overpass between Kentucky and Jackson streets in east Bakersfield; Revitalize Old Town Kern and Save Sumner Stations campaigns; "Hello Bakersfield" podcast; Second Saturday; and four cohorts of the Innovation Lab, a program to develop projects downtown.

And still the work continues, with more plans in the works.

"We want to grow bigger," Barrientos said. "We want to help downtown and the areas around downtown. We want to support our local businesses. In order to do that we need the help of the community."

Attendees can learn more about the organization at the event, which will be hosted by emcees Carla Barrientos and Jesus Gonzalez, co-hosts of "Hello Bakersfield."

DJ Countdown will provide music as guests enjoy food, which will be served inside in an adjacent room to factor in any inclement weather, and drinks at the no-host bar.

At the same time, magician Shawn McMaster will make his way through the crowd performing strolling or close-up magic.

McMaster has performed at The Magic Castle in Hollywood, which is known for more intimate performances as well as shows.

Barrientos said they opted for the magician to focus on close-up work rather than a stage show to encourage audience engagement.

"There will be a lot of one-on-one contact and magic tricks," Barrientos said. "We want everyone up and mingling."

After McMaster works the crowd, the evening continues with a performance by music by NSA (formerly No Strings Attached).

The event will also include a silent auction with bundled packages including a family trip to Disneyland, restaurant lovers and spa lovers baskets, and a date night package.

Organizers hope to raise $30,000 from this inaugural event, with funds covering expenses as well as future projects.

The Hub has been in talks with San Francisco-based Portuguese artist Rigo 23 on a possible project in Bakersfield.

Tickets are $100 each, available at anightofmagic.eventbrite.com. Partnership and sponsorship opportunities — with levels including "Houdini" ($10,000),"Copperfield" ($5,000), "Penn & Teller" ($1,000) and "David Blaine" ($500) — are available. Visit bit.ly/hubmagic for more information.

Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter at @realstefanidias.