🍷✨ Wine & Words at the Kern County Museum ✨🍷
Praise for The Four Queens of the Buttonbush Museum
“Written with a playful hand and impeccable wit, Beth Brookhart’s uplifting debut novel will have you rooting for her endearingly flawed characters and eagerly awaiting her next release.” —Sandra Kring, bestselling author of The Book of Bright Ideas “You are going to love this delightful trip through the realm of The Four Queens of the Buttonbush Museum! Beth Brookhart has created a playful and rich world full of fabulous, feisty characters and oodles of charm and humor, all while staying true to the realities of a complex time period when it was difficult for women to thrive. You will be rooting for the strong women at the center of this story -- each one fighting serious odds as they reach for their dreams.” —Shana Kelly, book editor, writer, and publishing consultant |
About Beth Brookhart
Beth Brookhart has been a storyteller since childhood in Colorado, beginning with a book of poems written for her mother. A journalism graduate of Colorado State University, Beth spent two decades reporting on agricultural news, often found tromping through farm fields in pursuit of a story. Later, her career shifted to communications roles with several agricultural organizations in Bakersfield, CA. In 2010, she embarked on her fiction-writing journey, leading to the completion of The Book Project, a prestigious two-year program at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop in Denver. An avid volunteer, Beth was inspired by her seventeen years of service on the board of her local museum to pen The Four Queens of the Buttonbush Museum. Beth lives in Bakersfield, CA with her husband who is a table grape farmer. She has two children and five grandchildren who are the most fun in the entire world. She also has three very large, drooling dogs named Lola, Vinny and Angus. |
An Evening with Beth Brookhart, Author of The Four Queens of the Buttonbush Museum
📅 Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026
🕠 Time: 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
📍 Venue: Kern County Museum – Standard School Building
3801 Chester Ave, Bakersfield, CA
Tickets - $50, includes wine & appetizers.
📅 Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026
🕠 Time: 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
📍 Venue: Kern County Museum – Standard School Building
3801 Chester Ave, Bakersfield, CA
Tickets - $50, includes wine & appetizers.
Event Sponsors:
Join the Kern Literacy Council for an engaging evening of wine, conversation, and storytelling as we welcome Beth Brookhart, Bakersfield-based author and former journalist. Beth will discuss her debut novel, The Four Queens of the Buttonbush Museum, a witty and heartfelt story centered on four determined women fighting to save a struggling local museum in 1950s California.
Drawing from her background in agricultural journalism, communications, and nearly two decades of museum board service, Beth brings authenticity, humor, and insight to a story about preservation, power, and women finding their voices.
🍷 Sip & Savor
Enjoy a curated selection of wine and light appetizers in the historic Standard School building, creating a warm and inviting setting for literary conversation and community connection.
🖊️ Meet the Author
Guests will have the opportunity to meet Beth Brookhart, ask questions about her writing journey, and have their copy of The Four Queens of the Buttonbush Museum signed.
📚 Support Literacy
All proceeds benefit the Kern Literacy Council and support adult and family literacy programs throughout Kern County. Every ticket helps expand access to reading and education in our community.
🎟️ Tickets are limited — reserve your spot today.
Raise a glass to strong women, shared stories, and the power of literature.
Drawing from her background in agricultural journalism, communications, and nearly two decades of museum board service, Beth brings authenticity, humor, and insight to a story about preservation, power, and women finding their voices.
🍷 Sip & Savor
Enjoy a curated selection of wine and light appetizers in the historic Standard School building, creating a warm and inviting setting for literary conversation and community connection.
🖊️ Meet the Author
Guests will have the opportunity to meet Beth Brookhart, ask questions about her writing journey, and have their copy of The Four Queens of the Buttonbush Museum signed.
📚 Support Literacy
All proceeds benefit the Kern Literacy Council and support adult and family literacy programs throughout Kern County. Every ticket helps expand access to reading and education in our community.
🎟️ Tickets are limited — reserve your spot today.
Raise a glass to strong women, shared stories, and the power of literature.
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Standard School was founded by the Ellen Baker Tracy Guild. This 100 year old school received new interior walls, fresh paint and refinished wood floors in Spring 2018.
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An Evening with Beth Brookhart: The Four Queens of the Buttonbush Museum
Join the Kern Literacy Council on February 26, 2026, at the historic Standard School House inside the Kern County Museum for an engaging evening of conversation and storytelling. Enjoy wine and light appetizers in an intimate setting as Beth Brookhart—Bakersfield-based author, former journalist, and longtime museum advocate—shares from her debut novel, The Four Queens of the Buttonbush Museum, and discusses the inspiration behind the story.
Tickets are $50 and include wine and appetizers. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet Beth, ask questions, purchase signed copies of the book, and take photos with the author. Doors open at 5:30 PM, with the program beginning at 6:00 PM.
Reserve your spot for an evening of wine, words, and community—while supporting literacy programs throughout Kern County.
Join the Kern Literacy Council on February 26, 2026, at the historic Standard School House inside the Kern County Museum for an engaging evening of conversation and storytelling. Enjoy wine and light appetizers in an intimate setting as Beth Brookhart—Bakersfield-based author, former journalist, and longtime museum advocate—shares from her debut novel, The Four Queens of the Buttonbush Museum, and discusses the inspiration behind the story.
Tickets are $50 and include wine and appetizers. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet Beth, ask questions, purchase signed copies of the book, and take photos with the author. Doors open at 5:30 PM, with the program beginning at 6:00 PM.
Reserve your spot for an evening of wine, words, and community—while supporting literacy programs throughout Kern County.
About the book:
The Four Queens of the Buttonbush Museum: A NovelPreserving history has never been this messy.AboutIn 1950, the Buttonbush Museum is circling the financial drain, and Irene Pickett—a sassy farmer’s wife from rural California—is determined to stop the flush. Tired of being typecast as the housewife queen of pickling and laundry, Irene has something to prove. Enter The Four Queens: Irene and three other firebrand women ready to take on the museum’s bottomless budget issues.
The biggest obstacle is fellow Queen, Odilia Delgado, who’s more concerned with slapping her name on museum buildings than balancing the books. When the county threatens to bulldoze the museum, Irene hatches a plan. Then The Queens discover they’re being sabotaged by outside forces. Can Irene pull off a miracle, save the museum, and finally get the credit she deserves? Or will Odilia steamroll her way into another spotlight? Buckle up—this ride’s got more twists than a pig’s tail at the county fair!
The biggest obstacle is fellow Queen, Odilia Delgado, who’s more concerned with slapping her name on museum buildings than balancing the books. When the county threatens to bulldoze the museum, Irene hatches a plan. Then The Queens discover they’re being sabotaged by outside forces. Can Irene pull off a miracle, save the museum, and finally get the credit she deserves? Or will Odilia steamroll her way into another spotlight? Buckle up—this ride’s got more twists than a pig’s tail at the county fair!
Sponsorship Opportunities
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Thank You Event Sponsors:
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