Fresno has found its answer to moving ArtHop indoors while maintaining a street fair in downtown.
Mayor Jerry Dyer and Councilman Miguel Arias revealed Why Not Wednesdays, the new street fair which will take place on Fulton St. in downtown Fresno on the third Wednesday of every month, while ArtHop will be an indoor-only event moving forward.
The backstory: ArtHop started in the 1990s to give local artists an opportunity to connect with the public, starting as an indoor event at local galleries.
- But the last several years has seen the event, which is held on the first Thursday of every month, transform into a street fair with numerous vendors and food trucks.
- With an estimated 15,000 people going to ArtHop every month, the city made a move last month to ax its connection to the street fair in the name of potential health and safety concerns.
- ArtHop was held this month as an indoor-only event for the first time in years as the city worked with various businesses and partners to find a solution.
The big picture: The city came up with Why Not Wednesdays to separate the street fair from ArtHop.
- Up to 150 vendors will be able to participate, and the city will set aside spots along Fulton St. from Fresno St. to Inyo St. in downtown to allow vendors to rotate through and to ensure new vendors will have an opportunity to participate.
- Local artists who perform during the street fair will be compensated.
Go deeper: Vendors will be asked to sign up for a spot through an online portal that the city is rolling out.
- The city will verify the vendor’s business license and county health certification before approving a reserved spot.
- Vendors will have to pay $50 per month for a spot, and food trucks will be charged $100.
- Downtown Fresno Partnership CEO Elliot Balch said the fees are to offset the cost for the host organizers, including insurance, booking and entertainment costs.
What they’re saying: “Our goal is to create a welcoming environment where people feel safe and excited to participate in Why Not Wednesdays,” Dyer said. “Why not Wednesdays is more than just an event. It represents a renewed commitment to revitalizing our downtown area and increasing engagement with local events. By bringing people together in this way, we’re not only supporting local vendors and artists, but also enhancing the vibrancy of our community.”
- Arias added that the new street fair system will keep vendors from having to camp out in their spots early in the morning as they were doing for ArtHop.
- “In the past, vendors were setting up at 5 and 6 in the morning, taking up a valuable parking space for the small businesses and the office workers downtown,” Arias said. “Now that they have a guaranteed spot once they get approved and registered, they wouldn’t have to show up at 6 in the morning anymore and create conflict with parking for the small businesses and brick and mortars here.”
