Warnors Theatre photo by Frank Lopez

The Warnors Center will host its first-ever Wine Walk fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 21 starting at 4 p.m. at the Warnors Theater in Downtown Fresno.

The event will feature a “behind the curtain” look at the architectural masterpiece, offering guests the chance to sip wine and tour the complex, this year celebrating a 95th birthday. Tours include the front and back of the house – guest balconies and lounges as well as the stage, dressing rooms and backstage.

It was built in 1928 by vaudeville impresario Alexander Pantages as the 16th of 17 Pantages Theatres. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places,  the theatre was sold to Warner Bros. in 1929, and operated as the Warner’s Theatre (with an “e”) until the 1960s, when Congress stepped in with concerns about industry monopolization since Warner Bros. was making and exhibiting its own movies. It operated as a cinema until 1973. It’s pipe organ is the only one of its kind still housed in its original theater.

“With Warnors being revived and coming back, it’s a great opportunity to see the history and all the beautiful art that we have displayed here,” said Warnors Center Office Manager Nadine Trujillo.

The walk will begin with hors d’oeuvres and a guided tour of the theater, followed by dinner and live music at Frank’s Place.

Trujillo said to her knowledge, this is the first event of its kind at the Warnors Complex.

Wine Walk tickets start at $45 per person, with wine tasting and dinner combo tickets available for $85. Proceeds from the event will be dedicated to the restoration of Warnors, which has seen both safety and cosmetic improvements in the years following the pandemic.

For more information, contact the Warnors Center box office at (559) 264-2848.