- Big Fresno Fairgrounds
The Big Fresno Fairgrounds, located in
Fresno, California , is the site of the annual Big Fresno Fair. It is also used as aconvention center , with nine facilities including thePaul Theatre , alivestock pavilion and the following buildings:*The convert|25000|sqft|m2|sing=on Commerce Building, which seats up to 3,867. It and the Industry Commerce Building, which also measures convert|25000|sqft|m2, are the largest buildings in the complex. The Industry Commerce Building can hold up to 3,571.
*The convert|20000|sqft|m2|sing=on Junior Exhibit Building seating up to 2,800.
*The convert|19000|sqft|m2|sing=on Agriculture Building, seating up to 2,700.
*The convert|11000|sqft|m2|sing=on Industrial Education Building seating up to 1,571.
*The Gem and Minerals and Fur and FEathers buildings.
In addition to the Big Fresno Fair, the complex hosts conventions,
trade show s andbanquet s.Fresno Assembly Center
The fairground was the site of one of several temporary detention camps (also known as 'assembly centers') located throughout the West that represented the first phase of the mass incarceration of 97,785 Californians of Japanese ancestry during
World War II . Pursuant toExecutive Order 9066 signed by PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, thirteen makeshift detention facilities were constructed at various California racetracks, fairgrounds, and labor camps. These facilities were intended to confineJapanese Americans until more permanent internment camps, such as those atManzanar andTule Lake in California, could be built in isolated areas of the country. Beginning on March 30, 1942, all native-born Americans and long-time legal residents of Japanese ancestry living in California were ordered to surrender themselves for detention.California Historical Landmark #934 is a memorial dedicated to over 5,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry who were confined at the fairgrounds from May to October 1942. It can be found in front of Commerce Building next to the Chance Ave entrance.External links
* [http://www.fresnofair.com Official website]
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