The Central California Koi Society (CCKS) hosted its 45th annual Fresno Koi Show on Saturday-Sunday, September 27-28, 2025, in partnership with the Shinzen Friendship Garden and presented by Hikari USA! Set-up and koi entry day was Friday, September 26, 2025.
Fresno Koi Show Award Results
Congratulations to all the award winners, especially CCKS Member, Ray Horne, for his size 7 Sanke that won the Grand Champion award. See the Fresno Koi Show Award Results.
Thank you to Champion Nishikigoi for sponsoring the amazing auction, Nijikawa USA for being a Gold sponsor, and Scrubcan Inc for being the Tank Sponsor!
Thank you to the amazing vendors coming to the Fresno Koi Show. See 2025 Fresno Koi Show Vendor List below.
Admission to the koi show is free and open to the public.
Get Involved
Get involved in the 2025 Fresno Koi Show! Sponsorship Opportunities, Exhibitor Packet, Vendor Packet, and Fresno Koi Show Flyer are available to download below. Contact Rosimeri Tran, Show Chair, at cencalkoi@gmail.com for information.
THANK YOU TO OUR 2025 SPONSORS FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT!
2025 Fresno Koi Show Program
View the 2025 Fresno Koi Show Program to learn all about one of the longest-standing koi shows in the nation. Thank you to our volunteers, sponsors, vendors, and exhibitors for participating in our 45th year!
2025 Fresno Koi Show Flyer
About the Fresno Koi Show
Guests at the koi show can visit Shinzen Friendship Garden to see the amazing gardens with waterfalls, koi pond, iconic moon bridge, and the Clark Bonsai Collection.
The Fresno Koi Show is one of the longest-running events of its kind in the Nation. Local and out-of-area hobbyists and enthusiasts exhibit their prized koi fish and share their passion and knowledge with the public.
The koi fish exhibited in competition at the Fresno Koi Show range in size from about 6 to 36 inches long and can be of superb quality.
Hundreds of koi fish will be for sale at the Fresno Koi Show from local and state vendors. Many koi are imported directly from top breeders in Japan.
“Koi fish are like living art, they have a variety of patterns, colors, and make amazing pets. Koi can recognize their owners and be extremely friendly,” said Lisa Lamoure, CCKS President.
Vendors will offer koi food and products, art, unique home décor, gift items, and local food trucks with food available for purchase. Koi and non-koi related items will also be raffled or available for bidding in a silent auction.
With over 1,500 people in attendance each year, this highly anticipated and fun event is the only fundraiser hosted by CCKS each year. Proceeds are used to host the show and to continue the centuries of tradition, art, and culture of koi and pond keeping flourishing in our community. CCKS will also make a donation to the Shinzen Friendship Garden to support their koi pond and koi health.
2025 FRESNO KOI SHOW VENDORS – Sign Up Now!
Thank you to our Vendors!
- Hikari USA – Presenting Sponsor
- Champion Nishikigoi – Auction Sponsor
- Nijikawa USA – Gold Sponsor
- Scrubcan Inc – Tank Sponsor
- A-1 Koi Ponds
- Majestic Koi
- Tri-Star Koi
- Calligraphy by Emiko
- Hanako Koi Ponds
- Fresno Bonsai Society
- CCKS Information Booth
2025 Fresno Koi Show Judges
CCKS is proud to have four judges at the 2025 Fresno Koi Show offering decades of koi knowledge and experience. Representing the American Koi Judges Association (AKJA), Zen Nippon Airinkai (ZNA), and Shinkokai organizations, the judges will critique the koi for best quality, variety, and size and select the champions.
Ray Alexander, AKJA and ZNA Certified, Head Judge
Ray started in the Koi hobby in 1996 with a small pond of about 1,500 gallons. He and his wife, Teri, began traveling to Koi shows in 2000, where he was able to ask questions and really piqued his interest in this hobby. When he moved to a new home, he built a 10,000-gallon pond in 2005, utilizing all the information and knowledge he gained from talking to so many hobbyists and vendors at koi shows. His first membership to a Koi organization was the Mid-Atlantic Koi Club (MAKC) in 1999 and he began helping with its Koi Show, Koi America, whether it be setting up the show site, benching, bowling or tearing down. Since then, he has also volunteered and helped at many other Koi Shows.
Attending AKCA Seminars in Jacksonville, San Diego and Nashville and ZNA Enlightenment Weekends added to his knowledge base. He was President of the Michigan Koi and Pond Club from 2008-2018, Vice-President for 2 years before that and has been Koi Person of the Year for the MKPC. In 2012, the MKPC along with the IKONA Koi Club, held the first Koi Show in Michigan. He has served as Chair or Co-Chair of every MKPC Show.
Ray entered the AKJA Judge Program as a Candidate Judge in 2014 and became a Certified AKJA Judge in 2017. He also entered the ZNA Judging program in 2019 and became a ZNA Certified Judge in 2024. He and his wife have received numerous awards from various Koi Shows, from Grand Champion to Best in Variety, Judges Award and President’s Award.
He is an active member of the Northern Midwest ZNA club since 2014, which is now his home club, has been a member of the Michigan Koi and Pond Club since 2005, and a member of the Gateway Koi & Pond Club.
Teri Alexander, AKJA Certified Judge
Teri lives in Michigan with her husband, Ray and she works as a Registered Nurse at a local community hospital. Their children and grandchildren live close by.
Their first pond was built in 1996 and was around 1,500 gallons with both koi and water plants. Their second pond was built in 2005, held 10,000 gallons and became strictly a koi pond. This pond was rebuilt in 2021 with the hope of simplifying maintenance and improving water quality and is now 13,500 gallons. In the winter, the pond is covered due to the cold Michigan winters.
Teri and Ray attended their first koi show in 2000, which was the Mid-Atlantic Koi Show (MAKC). They attended every annual MAKC show after that, joined the MAKC and became involved in many aspects of the koi show, from setting up the show site, helping the raffle or MAKC booths, participating in the benching process, working in the show ring during judging, to tearing down on the last day. It was a great experience. In 2005, they joined a local club, the Michigan Koi & Pond Club and actively participated in every aspect including chairing events, helping with pond tours and working hard to host the first Koi Show in Michigan in 2012. In 2009, Teri joined the Board of Directors, was the Secretary from 2011 through 2017, has been the AKCA rep, the Newsletter Editor, helped with the pond tours, wrote articles for KOI USA highlighting the club’s pond tours and was the co-chair for the MKPC Koi Shows. Since 2014, they have been active members of the Northern Midwest ZNA Koi Club, which is now their home Club.
In 2014, Teri was accepted into the AKJA Judging Program as a Candidate Judge and was certified in 2017. Between attending shows to support a club or to enter their koi in the show, participating as a worker bee or to Judge the show, Teri and Ray generally attend 6-8 Koi Shows per year. They have been fortunate to be able to travel to a variety of Koi Shows and turn them into mini vacations. Their first trip to Japan was in February 2019 for the All Japan Koi Show and they visited numerous Koi Farms.
Teri looks forward to many more years of enjoyment in the hobby of Koi.
Michael Hernandez, Shinkokai Judge
Michael Hernandez is a prominent figure in the international koi community with decades of experience. He is involved in many aspects of the koi world, serving as a Shinkokai judge, breeder, business owner, product developer, multi-media journalist, and award-winning exhibitor at koi shows. Associated with the company Kois and Ponds in the Philippines, Michael helped develop the koi food product TOMiGAi.
He has a long history of working with masters in Japan, testing koi food products with them, and judging alongside Japanese experts at international shows. His experience has been featured in publications like Koi USA Magazine, where his daughter, Mikki Hernandez Swanson, covered the All-Japan Koi Show.
Michael was the first Filipino to be invited to judge the All-Japan Shinkokai Koi Show in 1998 and has served as a judge at this highly respected show seven times. He was proud to serve as judge alongside his daughter, Mikki Hernandez Swanson, at the All-Japan Shikokai Show in 2013.
He has served as a head judge at major events, including the Midwest Pond and Koi Society Koi Show and Fresno Koi Show in 2014. He has also judged at the Dallas Koi Kichi Show and Greater Louisville Koi and Goldfish Society Koi Show. In 2025, Hernandez judged at the All-Vietnam Koi Show, a “Shinkokai style” show.
Michael’s company, Kois and Ponds, was instrumental in the creation and distribution of TOMiGAi Koi Food. Known for its specialized premium feeds, TOMiGAi Koi Food is used by serious koi enthusiasts and breeders to promote color, growth, and overall koi health. As an acclaimed judge and breeder, Michael has used his expertise to develop and endorse the food line, testing the products with top Japanese breeders.
He is also an experienced exhibitor and has won numerous awards in both Japanese and international competitions.
David Gabriel, AKJA Candidate Judge
David grew up in a rural setting and was active in livestock shows and judging. He took part in livestock judging, poultry judging, land judging, and forestry judging. After High School, he began a career in Law Enforcement. He worked at Athens-Clarke County for 26 years (UGA) before retiring to pursue elected office.
During this time, David helped his father build his first real koi pond. He originally had a small preform with three koi in it. The koi grew to a size to where they could not maneuver in the pond. So, after a lot of digging and learning how to build a pond, he gave his koi a new forever home. That was about 25 years ago and that pond is still going strong. When David built his new home, obviously he included a koi pond. It was eighteen inches deep, and he was very proud of it. That was until Mr. Heron showed up. So, a pond rebuild it was, eight feet deep this time.
In his professional career, he ran successfully to be elected Sheriff of Oglethorpe County. More responsibility, more stress, more koi. He had many special memories with his four children around the koi pond. They even gifted him a three-ton boulder for a bench they could all sit on and watch their wet pets. After the kids all grew up, graduated, and moved out, he had an old pool that wasn’t used anymore. So obviously he made it a koi pond.
He always enjoyed judging against a standard and working with animals, so he decided to pursue being a koi judge. He was attracted to the challenge of learning the finer points of his favorite pets while also appreciating the great variety and unique forms koi can come in. The koi community is a great group to spend time with. They are always cordial and wanting to learn better husbandry, filtration, and feeding regimes. These are his people.
2025 Fresno Koi Show Information Packets
Sponsorship Opportunities
Exhibitor Packet
Flyer
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday
| Show Setup: | 7:00 am to 2:00 pm |
| Koi Entry Check-in : | 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm |
Saturday
| All Koi Ready to Show: | 8:00 am – 9:00 am |
| Taiko Drummers: | 9:00 am |
| Introduction of Judges: | 9:30 am |
| Judging Begins: | 10:00 am |
| Judges Break for Lunch: | 12:00 pm |
| Judging Resumes: | 1:00 pm |
| Presentation: | 1:00 pm |
| Award Banquet: | 5:00 pm |
Sunday
| Grow Out Competition Koi Check-in: | 7:30 am – 8:30 am |
| Grow Out Competition Judging: | 9:00 am – 10:00 am |
| Judges Tank Side Talk: | 10:30 am |
| Raffle Prizes Awarded: | 12:30 pm |
| Silent Auction Winners Announced: | 1:00 pm |
LOCATION
The 2025 Fresno Koi Show is held in Woodward Park next to Shinzen Friendship Garden, 114 W. Audubon Drive, Fresno, CA 93720.
