The 62nd Tehachapi Mountain Festival, one of the biggest events of the year in Tehachapi, has begun and is off to a smooth start.
While some events began Friday and early Saturday, one of the centerpiece events of the the weekend, the Mountain Festival Parade, started at 10 a.m. Saturday, with local private, nonprofit and civic organizations walking, driving and riding down F Street.
Among those who made an appearance were members of the Tehachapi City Council as well as California State Sen. Shannon Grove.
Local law enforcement, including the Tehachapi Police Department and Kern County Sheriff's Office, joined the first responders.
American Legion Riders were also there along with representatives from the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument.
The parade also features many organizations for Tehachapi's youth, including Nomad Wrestling Club, local Girl Scout Troop 8014, and multiple school bands, sports and athletic teams.
After the parade, many attendees made their way to Philip Marx Central Park for the Arts & Crafts Festival featuring dozens of vendors with offerings ranging from candy to jewelry, and a dedicated Fun Zone hosted by Lil 'Ntertainment with bounce houses, strikers and face painting.
Food offerings feature tri-tip sandwiches, lemonades, Neapolitan pizza, as well as a host of popular Asian cuisines.
The event, which is a major fundraiser for the Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce, will also feature Green Street Get Down, a free live concert from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday on Green Street as well as a PRCA Rodeo running through the weekend.
Chamber President Clare Scotti said the event so far is running very smoothly and drawing a massive crowd who will all continue to benefit from the great weather.
New this year is a dunk tank. There are also many musical acts including the Bear Mountain Boys, Zephyr Saints, Angels Roost, Flashback, 42 Out and Aerial Garden with acrobatics to boot.
New this year, she said, is a mobile ATM hosted by BMO Bank on the corner of E Street and Mojave within the festival grounds, and a cozy private space for diaper changes and feeding needs hosted by Family Life Pregnancy Center, which she is incredibly grateful for.
At the Tehachapi Senior Center, gem hunters and fossil enthusiasts will find the Tehachapi Valley Gem and Mineral Show, and along Tehachapi Boulevard in Railroad Park, Maker's Market, hosted by Tehachapi Valley Arts Association, will feature local artisans and their wares.
Sunday will begin with a Church Service by Christian Life Assembly in Central Park with live music and line dancing soon after and lasting until 4 p.m.
"Everybody seems to be settling in for another wonderful Mountain Festival," Scotti said.