Children’s Fairyland Oakland to Mark 75th Anniversary With Celebrations in September 2025

Children’s Fairyland in Oakland is the OG theme park for kids and those of all ages who remain young at heart. As a writer for San Francisco Magazine once commented, it is “as miniature and uncynical as a toddler’s beating heart.”Walt Disney made a beeline for it, likely during an April 17, 1954, visit to the Bay Area with colleagues Nat Winecoff and C.V. Wood. He was so impressed that he used Fairyland as an inspiration for Disneyland, which opened on July 17, 1955. Disneyland, in turn, led to many other such parks for youths worldwide.

Although Fairyland will turn 75 this September—it opened on September 2, 1950—the park still feels like a magical discovery that retains a certain pure and humble spirit, especially when compared to the more commercial and brightly hued Disney parks. Don’t get us wrong. Members of our team enjoy those parks too, but let’s face it. Oakland is a perpetual underdog. The entrance to Oakland from the Bay Bridge runs directly past the East Bay Municipal Utility District Main Wastewater Treatment Plant, giving this section a bleak look and an often-stomach-churning smell. It’s enough to make visitors want to turn back as fast as possible.

For those who get past Oakland’s rough exterior and reputation, they will be rewarded with some of California’s—and the nation’s—greatest and most soul-satisfying treasures, including Fairyland. It is little wonder that the park has reached this 75th milestone year.

On Labor Day, Monday, September 1, 2025, Children’s Fairyland in Oakland will throw a big birthday bash to mark its nearly eight decades of imagination, play, and community. The festivities will begin with a sidewalk parade starting at 9:30 am from BART’s 19th Street Station and will end with a warm welcome at the park’s Fairy Gates. 

Once inside the park, kids of all ages and their families will be able to enjoy a full day of entertainment with two performances by DJ Lance Rock, bubble play with Daisy the Clown, circus acts from Prescott Circus, a brand-new Spanish-English bilingual puppet show (Fairyland’s first-ever bilingual puppet show!), Tío Conejo’s Big Wish, hands-on arts & crafts, food truck bites, cake moments, and delightful surprises around every corner.

There will be a free San Francisco Bay Ferry at 7:50 am from the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal that will transport travelers to Jack London Square at 8:15 am. From there, guests can transfer to the AC Transit Line 12 at 8:28 am. (A Fairy Princess will greet people at the AC Transit bus stop!) Travelers will then arrive at the 19th Street BART Station at 8:45 am, providing plenty of time to get settled before the parade.

Oakland Pride Week Celebrations Too!

To paraphrase the old Ginsu Knife commercials: But wait. There’s more! Fairyland’s Pride Family Weekend will take place on September 6 and 7, from 10 am to 4 pm on both days. This will include, as the park shares, “family-friendly Pride fun with a dash of fairy dust and a whole lot of love!” The two joyful days will feature colorful crafts, community partners, and special performances that will reflect the imagination, inclusivity, and magic that make Fairyland shine. Highlights include “bubble painting in Miss Muffet’s Garden,” a drag story hour with Per Sia on the Emerald City Stage, outdoor games at the Teddy Bear Picnic Area, and a performance by magician Blake Maxam.

And what if your favorite gay bar turned into an amusement park? Poof—Fairy Proud! On Saturday, September 6, from 6–10 pm, Fairyland will be transformed into a live-out-loud Pride celebration bursting with queer joy and fierce fantasy. Guests can ride the Jolly Trolly, dance under the Fairyland stars with three live DJs, savor local flavors in the Fairy food court, dive into delicious libations, and catch jaw-dropping, spectacular drag shows curated exclusively for Fairy Proud by the Bay Area’s premiere drag collectives. There will be three stages, three DJs, and three drag collectives for this one very enchanted night.

For more information about Fairyland’s 75th birthday celebration, Pride Family Weekend, and Fairy Proud, go to: https://fairyland.org/

Once Upon a Time in Oakland..
Published on August 28, 2025