On July 27, the Tachi-Yokut tribe celebrated a ground-breaking ceremony for a new entertainment complex at the Tachi Hotel and Casino in Lemoore. The complex is slated to open September 2018.
The complex will be an all-encompassing 88,350 square feet of fun featuring an 8-screen movie theater, a 30-lane bowling alley, an arcade equipped with the latest games, a 10-table billiard room, and a concessions/bar for refreshments.
The goal for building this entertainment complex is to be family friendly so everyone will be able to enjoy the Tachi Hotel and Casino.
The ground-breaking ceremony had a turnout of about 300 people ranging from all walks of life. The Kings County Fire department even joined the celebration with a large fire truck, donated by the Tachi-Yokut tribe to the department.
Before the public speeches were made, guests were treated to a buffet ranging from salad, barbecue chicken, beef brisket, and cake. Two expansive canopies shaded the guests in their seating area.
To begin the announcements, the spiritual leader of the tribe, Mike Ciscos, gave a prayer in the Yokut tribal language.
Then he said, in English, “Take care of elders, and the young ones.”
Adam Mays, the President of A.R. Mays Construction, also had a few words to say, expressing his excitement about building the entertainment complex.
Also, the cultural educator and the youth tribal group sang 4 tribal songs for the audience, including traditional songs like the “Tulare Lake Song” and the “Eagle Song” which are passed down from generation to generation.
After the public announcements were done, the official ground breaking commenced.
Families of the Yokut tribe had the honor of performing the ground-breaking with gold shovels.