Downtown Fresno interests are close to a solution for how to divide up the responsibility of hosting the thousands of people that come to the area monthly for Art Hop and its associated street fair.

The plan is for the Downtown Fresno Partnership to coordinate venues, Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Co. to manage Fulton Street adjacent to them, the city to provide police staffing and bathrooms, and the Fresno Arts Council to organize art vendors and creators, said Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias.

“For the general public, what they’ll experience is what they experienced in the past, except for more organization, more structure, more police presence with live entertainment venues for live music,” Arias said.

Arts Council executive director Lilia Gonzalez Chavez said there have been “conversations” about bringing street vendors back to Art Hop, “but nothing has been decided.”

She said a lot of particulars have to be worked out but would not elaborate.

Related Story: Vendors Back at Fresno’s Art Hop? Survey Wants to Know What You Think

Vendors May Need to Have Liability Insurance

Arias said the division-of-duties plan will be finalized in time for the June 5 Art Hop. Bringing a joint partnership together means better handling the hefty task of ensuring safety at the event that can bring 16,000 visitors to downtown Fresno.

After the city in July 2024 forbade street vendors from setting up during the event, Art Hop attendance plummeted.

Foot traffic declined about 80%, data from the partnership shows. Many venues told Elliott Balch, president of the Downtown Fresno Partnership, that they wanted to bring the vendors back.

But city officials said the event posed difficulties.

Insurance for the event comes at a hefty price. Each month, it can cost $40,000 to cover, Arias said. So while coordinators don’t plan to charge vendors to participate, they may require proof of liability insurance.

Other costs would be divided among the permit holders. Tioga-Sequoia plans to close Fulton Street between Inyo and Mono Street, Arias said. The permit holders would bear those costs.

A call to Michael Cruz, president of Tioga-Sequoia, seeking comment was not returned.

Live Music at Kern Plaza, Mariposa Plaza, and Cultural Arts Park

The partnership sent out surveys last month asking about bringing the street fair back to Art Hop. The survey got 690 responses, and 98% said they wanted the two events reunited, Balch said.

The survey also asked whether the street fair should be on the first Thursday — aligning with Art Hop — or on the first Friday. The vote came out to a roughly 60/40 split in favor of Thursday.

“When you hear people say ‘bring back Art Hop’ even though this was technically something different, they’re implying that they see the whole experience as what they’re wanting back in downtown,” Balch said. “Having it on the same night is how that happens.”

The downtown partnership will handle the venues and the plazas, Balch said. Kern Plaza and the Cultural Arts Park will host live entertainment, as will the Mariposa Plaza once it is completed, he said.

Venues will handle what happens on their sidewalks, Arias said. That means Warnors Theatre will decide who gets to set up on the sidewalk next to their property. For food, it means no taco trucks outside places such as Los Panchos restaurant, Arias said. Or no chicken near Chicken Shack.

In the past, Arias said, the city could not provide enough police presence for the event. They’ll reschedule shifts of the downtown unit to ensure adequate presence. The city will also help with trash, sanitation, and managing public bathrooms.

Arias said he was glad the different parties could come together to share responsibility for the event.

“I’m hopeful that come June, we’ll have a family-friendly arts and culture event that everyone can be proud of,” he said.