Fiesta Village Closing July 11; Nickelodeon Pizza Staying Open With Famous Chorizo Avocado Pizza
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Fiesta Village Family Fun Park will close July 11 after more than 50 years as a Colton and Inland Empire destination for birthday parties, picnics and family outings. Photo by Manny Sandoval
Fiesta Village Family Fun Park, a longtime family destination for Colton and the Inland Empire, will close its doors for good July 11 after more than 50 years in business, while neighboring Nickelodeon Pizza is making clear that it remains open.
Current Fiesta Village owners Michelle and Patrick O’Brien announced the closure last week, saying the decision was difficult after decades of serving local families, schools, employees and community partners.
“After more than 50 years of serving the Inland Empire, Fiesta Village Family Fun Park will be closing its doors,” the ownership team said in a statement. “This decision has not been easy.”
The park’s roots date back to 1974, and the O’Briens said their goal over the past 25 years was to preserve Fiesta Village as a welcoming place for connection, celebration and joy.
As word of the closure spread, some community members also raised concerns about Nickelodeon Pizza, a neighboring Colton restaurant long associated with Fiesta Village and generations of local families.
Gary Grossich, a Colton planning commissioner and former owner of Nickelodeon Pizza, said July 2 that it is critical for the public to know Nickelodeon Pizza is not closing. Grossich said the restaurant will continue operating under current owners Mike and Amanda Prieto.
Mike Prieto, who took over Nickelodeon Pizza with his wife on July 1, 2025, said customers have been asking whether the pizza restaurant would close along with Fiesta Village.
“People were just concerned about Nickelodeon,” Prieto said. “They were wondering what was going to happen. But Nickelodeon is alive and well, and we’re doing healthy business. We don’t have any plans on closing.”
Prieto said the restaurant remains open six days a week and continues to make its pizzas the same way customers remember, including its legendary thin crust and longtime staples such as the chorizo avocado pizza.
“We haven’t changed anything since we took over,” Prieto said. “Gary stepped away, and I stepped right into his position. We still do the same thing.”
Prieto, a Colton native whose family has roots in the city going back more than a century, said preserving Nickelodeon Pizza’s legacy has been central to the transition. He said the restaurant’s recipes, menu and prices have remained the same, while the business is also expanding access through DoorDash, Grubhub and new online ordering through nickelodeonpizza.com.
“I’m the owner, but in reality, I’m really the caretaker of what Gary has built over the years,” Prieto said. “For me and my wife, it’s still surreal that we own Nickelodeon.”
He said the most challenging part of ownership has also been the most rewarding: keeping the restaurant consistent for longtime customers.
“The best part is when people come in and say it tastes the same,” Prieto said. “That’s the best part about it.”
Prieto said he was shocked to learn Fiesta Village would close, remembering visits to the park for water slides, batting cages, miniature golf and family outings.
“It’s been around for a long time,” Prieto said. “We grew up coming here, too.”
While he wishes Fiesta Village could remain open, Prieto said its closure is a reminder that community institutions depend on local support.
“It takes the community to keep these places open,” Prieto said. “The only way we stay open is if you patronize us.”
Fiesta Village’s final days will be July 10 and July 11. In their statement, the owners invited families to visit one last time “to laugh, play and create one final memory together.”
“Thank you for allowing us to be part of your lives and your family traditions,” the statement said. “We will always cherish the role Fiesta Village has played in bringing people together.”
