Chukchansi resort and casino holds grand opening ceremony Friday

Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino will hold a formal grand opening and traditional tribal ceremony Friday in the hotel and casino lobby.

The event begins at 4 p.m. and will feature guest speakers from the tribe, casino and community leaders, and leading members of the Native American community.

The hotel and resort reopened Dec. 31 after being closed nearly 15 months by the state and federal governments in response to violence sparked by a casino office raid on Oct. 9, 2014.

Unlike the reopening two weeks ago, most of the hotel rooms will be available. All the restaurants will be open and about 1,700 games are available.

The facility now has about 1,000 employees, about 150 more than for the reopening two weeks ago, said Christian Goode, chief operating officer for Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino.

The dignitaries attending include Gary “Litefoot” Davis, an actor and musician, who is chief executive officer for the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development.

Davis was in several movies, including “The Indian in the Cupboard,” “Adaptation” and “The Song of Hiawatha.” He also had a role in the Netflix drama “House of Cards.”

Promotions for patrons include a $25,000 cash giveaway and a new four-wheel-drive truck.

Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino is at 711 Lucky Lane, near Coarsegold, east of Highway 41.

This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 4:39 PM with the headline "Chukchansi resort and casino holds grand opening ceremony Friday."