By Harrison PowerWhen it comes to the Modesto music scene, there is a place that stands out as integral to the city’s music lore: the California Ballroom, a long-time venue for music and dancing in Downtown Modesto. Completed for use by the Pentecostal Portuguese Association in 1927 as its meeting hall, it first “opened” its doors as the California Ballroom in 1929. The venue has hosted numerous notable performances and has provided Modestans with nearly a century of live music. The California Ballroom, which has withstood waves of changing music styles and dancing fads, remains a connection to how music and social gathering can foster a strong sense of community.
Built at the corner of Sixth and E Streets in 1927, the California Ballroom and Portuguese Hall was nearly a decade in the making. Plans for a lodge to be built by the Portuguese Hall Association of Modesto date to 1919, when the organization was authorized to raise capital funds to finance the construction of a hall. By March 1920, the design was announced with construction anticipated, but that organization dissolved in 1922 and it appears little progress was made. However, the Pentecostal Portuguese Association was formed and ultimately built the hall in 1927 as originally planned.
Opening night of the Portuguese Hall was celebrated with a ball on August 20, 1927. With the new hall opened, the PPA regularly held public dances in addition to using the hall for their meetings, and hosted balls for business and community organizations. Dances were managed by Muncy and Hill, who continued managing events for the hall after it began operating as the California Ballroom.
Opening night of the California Ballroom was March 23, 1929, and music was played by Polly Watson and His Band. While admission for men was $1.10 and women had free admittance, those who wished not to dance but still hear the music could park outside, as Muncy and Hill broadcasted the music for anyone to hear. The venue was billed as “Modesto’s most modern ballroom” and as having “the finest and largest dance floor in the San Joaquin Valley.” By 1968 the dance floor, well worn, was fully replaced, and was celebrated by a “Portuguese Chamarita and American Dance.”
Performers ranging from widely known to locally known have graced the stage of the California Ballroom bringing the whole musical spectrum to Modesto, from jazz to big band to rock n’ roll. Some of these notable performances include: Maddox Brothers and Rose (1947), Earl Bostic and His Orchestra (1955) Fats Domino (1955 and 1960), Kent Whitt and the Downbeats (1959-1962), Jerry Lee Lewis (1960), Jim Burgett (1960-1963), The Ike and Tina Turner Revue (1962), and Bobby Freeman (1962). Though not a music show, Ronald Reagan addressed a dairy association’s annual meeting held in the Ballroom in 1964, and later as Governor would attend Clare Berryhill’s victory party at the Ballroom celebrating Berryhill’s election to the State Assembly in 1969.
For many, the California Ballroom and Portuguese Hall has been a downtown staple for generations. From live concerts, to crab and cioppino dinners, to the Modesto Portuguese Pentecost Association’s annual Holy Spirit Festa, the California Ballroom continues to bring people together and supports a vibrant community. To learn more about upcoming events, you can visit www.mppa-events.com/.
