Woodward Park is a public park located in Fresno, California, abutting the San Joaquin River. It is the largest of the three major public parks in the Fresno area. Ralph Woodward donated the majority of the land for the park in 1968. The CIF Cross Country State Championships are hosted here every November.In addition to the Cross Country State Championships, Woodward Park also plays host to the Woodward Shakespeare Festival - for Shakespeare in the Park. The performances take place on the WSF Stage near the Friant/Fort Washington Entrance, and showcase a number of familiar titles. The company has held over 311 performances in the park and is currently in their 11th season.Shinzen Friendship GardenThe park features the Shinzen Friendship Garden, also known as the Shinzen Japanese Garden, a 5-acre Japanese stroll garden opened in 1981 and designed by Paul Saito. The garden includes a teahouse that was built in Japan and re-assembled by Japanese carpenters on the shore of the pond. The garden was constructed to honor Kochi, Japan, which is Fresno’s sister city.In 2015, the garden received over 100 bonsai specimens from the Golden State Bonsai Federation (GSBF) Collection of the former Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture in Hanford, California.
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