The City of Delano, Unity Park Host Committee, and the Delano Chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), invites everyone to the grand opening of the Larry Itliong Unity Park on Saturday, May 11, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The park is located at 200 W 11th Avenue, Delano, California. The soon to be completed park is a much needed local open space, built in remembrance of our manongs, identifying the significance of the Farm Labor Movement, with the hope of becoming an inspirational landmark for future generations to come. Key features of this location include:
- Manongs Amphitheatre – outdoor covered stage perfect for concerts.
- Aquatic Center – large enough for lap swimming with enough room for all ages to beat the valley heat, including a shallow beach area for moms with tiny tots to watch.
- Recreation Center/Gymnasium – ample room for basketball or volleyball, line dancing or yoga.
- Ten outdoor electrical hook-ups – perfect for food trucks, vendor booths, or simply charging your cell phone.
- Natural playground, picnic facilities, plaza with a gazebo and public art, a jogging trail, and over 75 trees planted throughout.
The official ground breaking and park construction began on November 19, 2022 with a construction contract in the amount of $3,450,000.00 awarded to Rakkar Development & Construction. This $4.5 Million, seven-acre, city public park project is a historic event for our Filipino American Community and we thank the City of Delano for acknowledging the contributions of Larry Itliong, the Delano Manongs, and the Farm Labor Movement. The City of Delano has embraced this history with the commissioning of the centennial mural on Main Street and the designation of the Larry Itliong Unity Park in west Delano which includes a new, outdoor performance stage appropriately named “Manongs Amphitheatre.”
This Grand Opening event for this new City of Delano Park is a unique and momentous opportunity for Delano residents, secondary level and college educators, elected officials in the State, and our community to recognize and honor our endeared Filipino Manongs who came here to America in the early 1900s with dreams and hopes for a better life.