Beloved Bay Area Children's Park Celebrates 75 Years

OAKLAND, CA — A historic Bay Area outdoor children's park has something to celebrate: 75 years of being a go-to spot for families and one of the first of its kind.

Children's Fairyland will hold a birthday party Monday, during park hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The special day will feature live performances by DJ Lance Rock from Yo Gabba Gabba!; circus acts from Prescott Circus; the debut of Fairyland’s first bilingual puppet show, "Tío Conejo’s Big Wish"; appearances by Daisy the Clown and Quercus (Fairyland's green-and-white mascot puppet); and three "cake moments" with Crumble & Whisk, Tarts de Feybesse and Reem’s Bakery. Attendees can also expect interactive displays, giveaways, and birthday activities for all ages, according to Fairyland staff.

Located at Lake Merritt, the 10-acre park is known for its storybook sets, play structures, animals, puppet shows, rides, live performances and hands-on activities. It opened in 1950, predating Disneyland. In fact, after Walt Disney visited Fairyland in 1955, he "incorporated some of its ideas into Disneyland, which opened later that year," according to the theme park.

The park, which became a nonprofit in 1994, offers affordable admission, with financial support that enables 4,000 low-income children to attend for free each year, according to staff.

On Monday, a sidewalk parade will kick off the Children's Fairyland birthday celebration at 9:30 a.m. It will start at the 19th Street BART Station and end at park's front gates.

To R.S.V.P. to the parade, go here.

General admission tickets to the park are $18.02 for ages 1-17 and $20.14 for ages 18 and up. To purchase tickets, go here.

Transportation information and the schedule for Monday's celebration are available here.

Children's Fairyland is located on the shore of Lake Merritt at Grand Avenue and Bellevue Avenue, inside Lakeside Park. To enter, adults must be accompanied by children and children must be accompanied by an adult, according to park rules.