The grand opening of the Hard Rock Tejon Casino is less than a week away, marked by the reveal of its iconic guitar sign and a tribal blessing that has heightened anticipation. The Tejon Tribe performed a blessing, praying for all at the casino, including the workers who constructed the massive guitar.
The towering guitar, weighing over 19,000 pounds and standing 57 feet tall, took 78 days and 4,000 man-hours to complete.
Chris Kelley expressed the significance of the moment, saying, “It feels a little weird. It feels like there’s something really big behind me. Is it just me?” He added, “It’s an extraordinary milestone. It’s a huge milestone for the tribe that has been walking this journey for generations.”
Octavio Escobedo, chairman of the Tejon Tribe, recounted the tribe’s approach to Hard Rock for a partnership in 2016, following a failed deal with Station Casinos.
“Challenges along the way for sure, but there was never a doubt in my mind that we weren’t going to achieve this,” Escobedo said.
The casino is expected to provide an economic boost to surrounding cities, including Bakersfield, which is about a 30-minute drive away. Richard Chapman, president of Kern Economic Development Corporation, described the casino as “a game changer” and “a regional economic engine,” with an estimated two million visitors expected annually.
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The Hard Rock Tejon Casino will open to the public at noon on Thursday.
The large iconic guitar was revealed at the Hard Rock Tejon Casino on Friday. (Steve Virgen, KBAK/KBFX)