Where to see the 'Peanuts' gang, live and in 3-D around Santa Rosa

The new “Peanuts” movie is opening this Friday, and while many are dying to see the lovable gang in 3-D on the big screen, you can already see the popular comic strip characters in three dimensions right here in Santa Rosa - in the form of statues.

Starting in 2005, the City of Santa Rosa commissioned local artists to create dozens of one-of-a-kind statues of the Peanuts gang; first with Charlie Brown, then Woodstock in 2006, Snoopy in 2007 and Lucy in 2010. The “Peanuts on Parade” project spawned the creation of 200 statues and raised more than $500,000, which was used to fund art scholarships and install permanent bronze Peanuts sculptures at three sites in town.

Although many of the sculptures were auctioned off, you can still see more than 70 statues on public display. Each character has its own unique color scheme and personality, depending on the organization or individual that commissioned the piece and the vision of the artist who decorated it.

The 5-foot-tall fiberglass statues are a lasting tribute to the late cartoonist Charles “Sparky” Schulz, who created Peanuts. Take a moment and visit a couple on your way to the theater, or make a day of it and see them all.