OAKHURST – It’s that time of year when Oakhurst celebrates its Annual Mountain Heritage Day at Fresno Flats Historical Park and Museum.
This is the 21st annual celebration of the event, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 16, with the theme – “Saving the Past for the Future.”
The museum and park will come alive with many activities to celebrate the heritage of Oakhurst from the 1800s. This is a wonderful family and community event and it’s free!
YHS Marching Band – photo by Steve Montalto
The event kicks off on Saturday at 10 a.m. with a parade. This year’s Grand Marshal is Jackie Byers, and the volunteer of the year is Debby Carter.
The annual parade, led by the YHS Cadet Corps, will include marching bands, vintage cars, floats, fire trucks, and so much more. The parade route travels approximately 1.5 miles from Yosemite High School down School Road (Road 427), turns right onto Crane Valley Road (Rd 426) and finishes at Golden Oak Drive.
Tony King, the Heritage Day coordinator, is happy to announce a special part of the celebration, that thanks to a Chukchansi grant awarded to Fresno Flats. During the event, Shonna Alexander – a local talented Chukchansi Miwok artist – will be working on a mural in the museum. When completed, it will be a welcome addition to the current Chukchansi display showcasing their history and stories.
Guests will be able to view Ms. Alexander’s working on the mural throughout the day and she will be available to visit with anyone who is interested.
Fresno Flats Jail – photo by Steve Montalto
Following the parade, there will be food and drink booths with a separate beer booth. Vendors will have items available to purchase, demonstrators will show what life was like in the 1800s, the blacksmith shop and printing press will be open, fiber artists and gold panners will show you how it was done, and you may even want to have your picture taken in the jail. Docents will also be available for tours.
Parade awards will be announced at 2 p.m., and don’t forget to check out the silent auction in the Cunningham School House before it closes at 5 p.m.
Live music will begin around noon and play throughout the day. A wine and cheese tasting in the Beulah Mills Garden will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. The evening will commence with a chuck wagon style dinner – with chili, corn bread, salad and a lemon cake dessert. Dinner prices are less than half of the price last year – adults are just $10, with children at $5.
“This is a very unique event showcasing our beautiful history of the mountains,” says Rhonda Salisbury, CEO for Visit Yosemite Madera County. “We want people near and far to come out and immerse themselves in all the wonderful activities and take home with them a little piece of history.”
Sierra Telephone has been a major sponsor every year for this event, and many other organizations and local businesses have also offered support with donations and/or assisting on the day of the event, including the Madera County Sheriff, California Highway Patrol, Citizens on Patrol (COPS), our local Mountain Amateur Radio Club (MARC), Sunrise and Noon Rotary, Oakhurst Kiwanis, Soroptimist, Bass Lake Lions and Leos, just to mention a few.
For further information call Fresno Flats at 559-683-6570 or go to their website at www.fresnoflatsmuseum.org.
About Fresno Flats and Sierra Historic Sites
Sierra Historic Sites Association, Inc. was founded in 1968, the first buildings were put on the property in 1975. Fresno Flats was the name of the Oakhurst area, in 1912 the name was changed to Oakhurst. The museum and Park is run by volunteers that maintain and run it. We invite you to celebrate with us, come to this historic event, the 21st Mountain Heritage Day, held on Saturday September 16, 2017 this year.
About Visit Yosemite Madera County
The Southern Yosemite Visitors Bureau was formed in 1985. It has been operating at The Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau for 30 years. The Bureau was established by a group from the Eastern Madera County Chamber of Commerce with a vision of the growing potential for drawing the millions of visitors to Yosemite National Park to the many businesses and attractions in Madera County. Recently the visitor’s bureau changed its name to Visit Yosemite | Madera County to more accurately reflect its mission to promote all there is to see and do in Yosemite and Madera County.
