It is named after the late Ralph Woodward who bequeathed a portion of his estate to provide a regional park and bird sanctuary in Fresno.

[2] Ralph Woodward created a will which included the requirement that, upon his death, one-fifth of his estate would go to the purchase of a site for a public park and bird refuge.

[3] Various options were considered for the site, but the estate trustees settled on land next to State Highway 41 and Shepherd Avenue with Friant Road skirting the eastern boundary in September 1964.

[5] As Woodward was being planted and constructed, a group of Japanese-Americans, headed by local accountant Ben Nakamura, approached the city to set aside two acres of the park for a Japanese garden.

[6] A meeting between the Japanese-American group, Fresno parks department director and the son of the late Ralph Woodward produced a plan for the project and they sought to raise $250,000 in donations for it.

Annually, the garden is home to a Spring Blossom Festival, a Toro Nagashi (Floating Lantern) Ceremony in August and a Shinzen Cultural Faire.

Since 2014, the disc golf tournament in Fresno has branded itself the "Hard Pan Classic," named after the cementitious substratum frequently found in San Joaquin valley soil.

The six-mile, paved Lewis S. Eaton trail originates inside Woodward and continues north, following the curve of the San Joaquin river.

State championship Cross Country races for the top California high schoolers, organized by the CIF, have been held at Woodward since 1987.

[14] The state championship Cross Country races for community college students, organized by the CCCAA are also hosted there, typically in November.

[17] The event started in 2012, when local Fresno artist Fashawn organized a hip-hop festival held at the fairgrounds.

The original lineup featured performances by himself, Murs, Husalah, Strong Arm Steady and many local talent and skateboarders.

The Grizzly Fest promoters appeared before the City Council in 2018 and responded to those concerns, getting their mitigation plan and $100,000 license to use Woodward Park approved.

[19] In 2018, Snoop Dogg, Nas and Foster the People were the headliners and the event included two stages, a Ferris wheel, carnival games, vendor booths and food trucks.