Rabobank Theater and Convention Center
Encyclopedia
The Rabobank Theater and Convention Center is a performing arts theater and convention facilities located in Bakersfield
, California
(specifically in the Civic Center
, Downtown
).
By 1976, Bakersfield began plans for the facilities first major expansion. The plan would include construction a convention center, which would be intertwined with the existing theater. It would also include the construction of a hotel directly adjacent and connected to the theater. The convention center was completed in 1980, but budget problems would delay the hotel until 1993. The name was also changed to the Bakersfield Convention Center.
In 1998, the facility was again modified. The parking lot, located east of the facility, was removed for the construction of the 10,000-seat sports arena. The combined complex was renamed the Centennial Garden and Convention Center. Incorporated in the design of the sports complex was a connection to the exhibit hall. This unique feature allows for the convention center to be used as a staging ground or warm-up facility for events being held in the arena. The entire complex was renamed seven years later, when the city signed a 10-year agreement with Rabobank, to name the complex the Rabobank Arena, Theater and Convention Center. The deal is scheduled to expire in 2015.
Notes
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(specifically in the Civic Center
Civic Center, Bakersfield
Civic Center is a district in Downtown Bakersfield, California. It is the center of government for the City of Bakersfield and the County of Kern, containing a collection of buildings used by the city, county, state, and federal governments. The district also contains all of downtown's sporting...
, Downtown
Downtown Bakersfield
Downtown in the central business district for Bakersfield, California. Located in the heart of the city, it is easily accessible from all its other parts. It is also reemerging as the center of Bakersfield’s arts, culture and entertainment sectors...
).
History
The Civic Auditorium was originally constructed in 1962, to attract the convention trade to the city. The first show at the auditorium was the Ice Capades, which was on November 20, 1962. The structure was one of Bakersfield's first buildings constructed in a definitively modern style. The facility would feature one of the largest stages in the world. In addition to housing the communities’ musical groups, such as the Bakersfield Symphony, it also contained a scenery loft and an orchestra pit, to facility Broadway musicals and ballets.By 1976, Bakersfield began plans for the facilities first major expansion. The plan would include construction a convention center, which would be intertwined with the existing theater. It would also include the construction of a hotel directly adjacent and connected to the theater. The convention center was completed in 1980, but budget problems would delay the hotel until 1993. The name was also changed to the Bakersfield Convention Center.
In 1998, the facility was again modified. The parking lot, located east of the facility, was removed for the construction of the 10,000-seat sports arena. The combined complex was renamed the Centennial Garden and Convention Center. Incorporated in the design of the sports complex was a connection to the exhibit hall. This unique feature allows for the convention center to be used as a staging ground or warm-up facility for events being held in the arena. The entire complex was renamed seven years later, when the city signed a 10-year agreement with Rabobank, to name the complex the Rabobank Arena, Theater and Convention Center. The deal is scheduled to expire in 2015.
Classroom/Breakout room
The following are smaller meeting, classroom, and breakout rooms in the convention center.| Room | Size | Classroom Seating | Theater Seating | Maximum Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almond Room | 322 sq ft (29.9 m²) | 18 | 23 | 45 |
| Bank Room | 520 sq ft (48.3 m²) | 33 | 70 | 100 |
| Breckenridge Room | 695 sq ft (64.6 m²) | 45 | 70 | 100 |
| Caliente Room | 695 sq ft (64.6 m²) | 45 | 70 | 100 |
| California Room | 425 sq ft (39.5 m²) | 24 | 50 | 55 |
| Carrot Room | 520 sq ft (48.3 m²) | 27 | 55 | 75 |
| Cotton Room | 520 sq ft (48.3 m²) | 27 | 55 | 75 |
| Oil Room | 522 sq ft (48.5 m²) | 24 | 50 | 75 |
| Oleander Room | 695 sq ft (64.6 m²) | 45 | 70 | 100 |
| Orange Room | 322 sq ft (29.9 m²) | 18 | 23 | 45 |
| Peach Room | 273 sq ft (25.4 m²) | 18 | 23 | 35 |
| Potato Room | 1770 sq ft (164.4 m²) | 126 | 200 | 260 |
| Truxtun Room | 1505 sq ft (139.8 m²) | 90 | 163 | 200 |
Convention/Theater
The following are the larger exhibit hall and theater in the convention center.| Facility Name | Size | 5-foot Rounds | 8-foot Tables | Maximum Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concert Hall | 28512 sq ft (2,648.9 m²) | n/a | n/a | 3,000 |
| Exhibit HallIncludes Stagehouse. | 29450 sq ft (2,736 m²) | 840 | 1,800 | 2,100 |
| Lobby | 12885 sq ft (1,197.1 m²) | 320 | 296 | 1,000 |
| Stagehouse | 7830 sq ft (727.4 m²) | 360 | 400 | 900 |
Notes