DUST BOWL FESTIVAL

October 20th 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Sunset School, Weedpatch, Ca Free event with music, food booths, crafts, memorabilia, car show, tour the camp buildings book signings and more! The event is free but food will cost. The costs are minimal so a few dollars per person should cover you.

Meet Mrs. Duncan at Sunset School at 8:00 am for check-in then enjoy your time at the festival. Sign-ups begin September 4, 2018 The annual Dust Bowl Days Festival is held each year on the third Satur- day in October from 8am to 3pm at the Weedpatch Camp (also known as the Sunset Camp, Arvin Farm Labor Center and The Government Camp), 8701 Sunset Blvd., Lamont. Each year there is authentic "Okie" entertainment, food, and infor- mation about the Dust Bowl migration and the Weedpatch Camp. There is also a tour of the remaining original camp buildings including the community building, post office, and library, which are currently being restored. The Weedpatch Camp was built in 1936 to house migrant workers fleeing the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. Many of these workers migrated along Route 66 from Oklahoma and were re- ferred to as "Okies". Other migrant workers came from Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri. It was at the Weedpatch Camp where John Steinbeck was researching when he was inspired to write his Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath. Much of the novel is based on the Weed- patch Camp and the records kept by Tom Collins, the manager. The Camp was also featured in the film version of the novel, directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda, which was nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture. To get to the festival from Bakersfield, take Highway 58 East to the High- way 184 exit toward Lamont. Go south about nine miles past the town of Lamont, through the community of Weedpatch, and turn left on Sun- set Blvd. Admission is free and all proceeds from food sales go toward the contin- uing restoration of the camp's original buildings.