Villa La Paz conference center opens at Keene
Sprinkled with holy water from dampened juniper branches, guests from all over the state and beyond streamed through the doors of the new Cesar Chavez conference and event center at Keene on June 26 on the occasion of the center’s dedication and blessing.
The center, named Villa La Paz, is dedicated to Cesar Chavez’s legacy of peaceful reconciliation.
"This building represents love, dedication and commitment," said Father Patricion Guillen as he blessed the edifice and those entering it.
The center will be a place to continue the struggle of la causa, he said.
With beautifully landscaped grounds, a big open room for dancing, a bar and lounge, outdoor patios and a comfortable conference room whose windows open onto the mountains, it is also a place for weddings and quinceaneras and other grand parties.
The center is part of the National Chavez Center. Cesar Chavez is buried on the grounds.
Paul Chavez, Cesar’s son and a graduate of Tehachapi High School, administers Villa La Paz for the Chavez Foundation.
The elegant building is the former children’s wing of the Kern County tuberculosis hospital.
The original building was constructed in 1929. The hospital closed in 1969 as the number of tuberculosis patients dwindled, and the building fell into disuse in the 1990s.
A $1 million grant from the California Cultural and Historical Endowment and other contributors paved the way for transformation of the children’s wing into the conference center.
The Foundation plans to build lodging for more extensive conferences and other events.
Speakers included Paul Chavez, Mimi Morris of California Cultural and Historic endowment and Arturo Rodriguez of United Farm Workers. Cesar Chavez’s brother Richard also spoke.