Children's Fairyland in Oakland gets special update for its 75th anniversary
Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, a little boy named Warren Moten embarked on an enchanting journey through a place called Children's Fairyland.
"The idea that there was a place in Oakland that was a fantasy world made a huge impact," Moten said.
As he strolled through the worlds of Alice in Wonderland and Snow White, his imagination took flight.
"Growing up being black and loving fantasy, those two things felt like they were at odds," he said.
Little did he know those magical moments would become the palette for his future profession.
Now the set designer for the puppet theater at Children's Fairyland, he's using his secret powers to cast a spell on the very place that sparked his passion.
"Growing up being black and loving fantasy, those two things kind of felt like they were at odds," he said.
Now, an adult Warren Moten works with puppet director Randal Metz to add color not just to the backdrops, but to the stories themselves.
On a sunny day in February, the two were working on a revival of an ancient fairy tale called Tấm and Cám, better known as the Vietnamese Cinderella.
Built in 1950, Fairyland was the first themed amusement park in the country. As the legend goes, it became the inspiration for another slightly more famous Magic Kingdom after Walt Disney himself paid the park a visit.
"It's said that he came here and took a tour of the park, hired away the first executive director and also the first puppeteer," said Fairyland's puppet theater manager Maria Rodriguez.
As Fairyland gets ready for its 75th anniversary, it's looking to update its stories to reflect the community around it.
"A lot of our guests here are from Oakland," Rodriguez said. "We want to make sure that they are seeing sets that relate to stores that they grew up on."
The park is working on several international stories to feature at the puppet theater, including a Cuban and Mayan fairy tale.
"We want to just do something different; magic that kids don't see every day," said Metz.
Fairyland is also getting a new ambassador, a green mythical creature by the name of Quercus. And if you're wondering how a mythical creature can promote diversity, Quercus is believed to be the first ever non-binary mascot, whose pronouns are they/them.
As for Moten, being part of a new more inclusive Fairyland has been nothing short of a dream.
"What inspired me when I came here to Fairyland, I get to do for other kids when they come here," he said.
Children's Fairyland is also hosting a number of special events during Black History Month, with a visual display highlighting important people, time periods and movements in Oakland history and entertainment programming that includes Bay Area storyteller Kirk Waller, local rapper/poet Jamiey Williams and musician, singer, musician and host of the children's television show "Yo Gabba Gabba," DJ Lance Rock.