Volunteers get Fresno's Storyland ready for reopening

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- More than 150 volunteers gathered at Storyland this weekend to prepare the park for reopening. Volunteers put a fresh coat of paint on some of the time-honored classic attractions on Saturday. They also landscaped the grounds.

Storyland will reopen to the community for the first time since it was forced to close from a lack of funding earlier this year. Organizers of the event say they are thankful to volunteers for helping one of Fresno's most treasured parks make a comeback.

"Since March, we have had at least 1,100 separate volunteers with tens of thousands of volunteer hours out here," said Scott Miller of the Storyland-Playland board. "In fact, we've got a gentleman out here working today whose grandfather worked on the park, his father worked on the park, he worked on the park, and he's out here with his son and grandson today."

Since March 2015, the new Storyland-Playland board has led a fundraising campaign to raise the $850,000 needed to reopen the parks. So far, nearly $500,000 has been raised. You can still donate online at savestoryland.com.

Storyland reopens to the public Friday, Sept. 4, just in time for Labor Day weekend. Playland is scheduled to reopen in the spring of 2016.