The organization behind one of Downtown Fresno’s most popular events wants to know whether to bring vendors back to Art Hop.

And, even before the results of a survey have been compiled, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer is letting everyone know where he stands.

“Our community and small businesses have been clear about the cultural and commercial need to bring back this event,” said Dyer, who delivered the keynote address at the State of Downtown event on Thursday. “The city is prepared to support the market on Thursday or Friday or whichever day is selected.”

In July 2024, the city of Fresno and the Downtown Fresno Partnership announced they would no longer allow the food trucks and craft vendors that had become almost synonymous with the monthly event that began as an exhibition for Fresno’s art galleries.

Now, Elliott Balch, president of the downtown partnership, says the organization has figured out how to cover the costs of managing the dozens of vendors and food trucks.

But they want to know from the public whether the street fair should go back to the first Thursday of the month — aligning with Art Hop — or host it the next day on the first Friday of the month.

“With the reboot comes the opportunity to ask whether they want to align it with Art Hop or the first Friday,” Balch said. “It’s a genuine choice, and we’re prepared to make either work.”

Those who want to make their voice heard can respond to a survey from the partnership. It closes Wednesday, April 23.

Art Hop Attendance Down 80% Since Taking Away Vendors

Since separating the street fair portion of Art Hop, smart phone tracking data shows foot traffic declining about 80%, Balch said. They had expected the attendance drop, but what surprised the partnership was the decline in visits to the nearby Mural District during Art Hop.

The Fulton Street Fair doesn’t run along the Mural District, only near it. But foot traffic there during Art Hop dropped by about 60%, Balch said.

“The street fair wasn’t happening there, but you can see that it resulted in fewer people there as a whole,” Balch said.

Some venues asked the partnership to bring the vendors and the attendance that followed

During busy months, Art Hop could bring 16,000 people to downtown Fresno. In slower months — either hot or rainy ones — the event might only bring 7,000.

The city designated the third Wednesday of every month for the vendors and food trucks at the Why Not Wednesday event, typically bringing in about 2,500 people.

Some Still Bitter About Art Hop Decision. Officials Said it Was Unsafe

Many of downtown Fresno’s established businesses posted on the partnership’s website they wanted a Thursday return, including Tioga Sequoia, the Modernist, and South of Shaw Brewing Co.

Others were angry about separating the two in the first place.

“How about you quit colonizing what the people made come alive and let them be?” the Labyrinth Art Collective wrote on the partnership’s page. “How obtuse, this is written like an abusive parent acting like they’re doing people a favor by giving us back what we created in the first place.”

Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias said the event needed more police than the city could provide. Some more illicit vendors sold illegal drugs and alcohol, city officials said.

Balch said insurance and staffing costs needed to be accounted for, as well as having sufficient bathrooms. Once the results of the survey are back, they’ll know how to direct resources, Balch said.

Insurance can cost 60 cents per person, Arias said. Once the partnership finds out what it will need in terms of resources, he said the city will commit some officers to help with the event. It will also help with the costs to close Fulton Street.