Festival Cinemas

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Who could forget the fabulous Crest or the Tower Theater? Fresno’s drive-ins were the most popular with teens, among them the Moon-Glow and the Sunset. The world’s largest outdoor screen was housed at the Sunnyside Drive-in. Did you hide in the trunk to save 50 cents or possibly steam up the car’s windows? Share your old Fresno theater memories here.
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FormerlyFresnan
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Festival Cinemas

Post by FormerlyFresnan » Thu Aug 10, 2017 7:22 pm

Child of the 80's here, and I have the best memories of the Festival Cinemas. I'm pretty sure it was the first movie theater I ever went to, and if all my ticket stubs were around, I'm sure my stubs from the Festival would out number all of them. I remember being sad when it closed, and even sadder when it turned into the car lot that it is now...which led me to wonder, and figure this place might be a good resource... When a place as large as Festival is gutted, where does everything go? Does it just go to the dump? I remember there was a bit of a "sign graveyard" somewhere off the 99, I think. But would/is there a way to see if anything still survives from Festival. I've been on a huge nostalgia kick recently, and it would be wonderful to have a "piece" of a beloved childhood landmark... A lighting fixture... old letters from the marquee, etc?

I remember when Cedar Lanes (RIP, my SECOND favorite place to go as a child) closed, there was a company that took out the booths and floors, and refurbished them, sold them, made furniture out of them, etc. Seeing something like that takes a bit of forethought, I doubt anything from the Festival survives, but figured this resource would be the best of any.Thanks for reading and I'm happy that this site exists! It's great for a stroll down 'memory lane'.

Jubal
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Re: Festival Cinemas

Post by Jubal » Thu Dec 05, 2019 3:44 pm

That's a good question ! But I have no idea what was done with the debris when the Festival movie theater multiplex was torn down. I'd think that at least the seats could have been reused ? In any case, I have fond memories of seeing MANY movies over the years there. In fact my best friend from high school and I saw the 1976 version of "A Star is Born" there on Xmas Day ! And I think the theater had just opened...I may be wrong, but I think that's they opened: 1976. And of course also saw many movies over the years at those two UA multiplex theaters nearby (one at Blackstone & Barstow) and the other nearby in the Northgate Shopping Center. Those two UA theaters were Fresno''s first multiplex theaters...I think they opened in the early 70s.

Fred Rated
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Re: Festival Cinemas

Post by Fred Rated » Sat Feb 29, 2020 6:21 pm

Nooobody wants used theater seats (except possibly the lice and mites inhabiting them). Copper wiring and unique fixtures usually get salvaged. Projectors might be sold off to collectors or places like Urban Ore. Pretty much everything else that the remaining employees don't take with them becomes landfill. Ours is a very wasteful society.

A mouse crawled up my mother's leg in that theater. That is perhaps my fondest memory of it.

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