Have you heard of Soupy's Lakeside Pool in Fresno? For fun, depending on your age... ask your parents or grandparents if they have. Did you know that before Target was built at Blackstone and Bullard, there stood a Montgomery Wards department store? Before that, there was a big public pool and summer hang out that attracted thousands of Fresno residents every summer. Yup, It's true! Soupy's … [Read more...]
Fresno Historical Society photos make a unique holiday gift
The Fresno Historical Society is offering you the chance to give a truly unique gift this holiday season. The nonprofit organization houses a large collection of historical photos from Fresno's early years—most dated between 1870 and 1970. You can buy digital copies of these images, print them out and frame them, and give a little piece of Fresno history to your slightly nerdier friends … [Read more...]
Warnors Theatre turns 90 with a special celebration—and you’re invited
Warnors Theatre in downtown Fresno is hosting a 90th Anniversary Celebration and you’re invited to take part. It’s happening Saturday, Oct. 20, from 2-4 p.m. Admission is $10. From vaudeville to talkies Warnors Theatre, located at the corner of Fulton and Tuolumne, has a long history. The theatre was called the Pantages Theatre when it first opened in 1928. It was built and named for … [Read more...]
Cemetery Tour provides insight into Fresno’s past
Last weekend, I joined the Fresno Historical Society for a program at Mountain View Cemetery in Fresno. "Voices From the Past" was part live performance, part cemetery tour, and a totally interesting way to learn a bit about some of Fresno's history. The event began in the Odd Fellows Mausoleum. From what I understand, the mausoleum is rarely open to the public. It's a remarkable building … [Read more...]
Enjoy holiday sights and sounds with ‘Christmas at Kearney’
The Fresno Historical Society invites you to take a trip back in time this holiday season with "Christmas at Kearney." “Throughout December, guests can enjoy the sights and sounds of Kearney Mansion decorated for the holidays, including our beautiful 11-foot real, Reception Room Christmas tree,” says Ruth Lang, the Executive Director of the Fresno Historical Society. “This year’s theme is the … [Read more...]
Support Storyland this weekend at the Happily Ever After Party
No matter how mature you are now, if you grew up in Fresno chances are you have a soft spot in your heart for Storyland. Built seven years after amusement park Playland, Storyland has been a magical FresYes destination since the 1960s. Remember the magic keys? The castle that made a drive down the 99 more thrilling? Of course, some things have changed since its opening (personally, I … [Read more...]
Disney’s Fresno Connections Part 2: The Mouseorail, Scoopy, and Frank
by Jim Denney Disneyland celebrates its 62nd birthday on Monday, July 17, 2017. Jim Denney, the author of Walt’s Disneyland: It’s Still There if You Know Where to Look, concludes his two-part examination of some fascinating Disney-Fresno connections. To read part 1, click here. FresYes columnist Craig Scharton has been a Fresno city council member, a restaurateur, an urban … [Read more...]
Disney’s Fresno Connections Part 1: The First Boy and the Littlest Mouseketeer
by Jim Denney Disneyland celebrates its 62nd birthday on Monday, July 17, 2017. Jim Denney, the author of Walt’s Disneyland: It’s Still There if You Know Where to Look, offers a two-part look at some fascinating Disney-Fresno connections. Here’s Part 1. (Read Part 2 here) I was born in 1953, two years before Disneyland opened, so I can’t remember a world without Disneyland. … [Read more...]