Over the past couple of weeks, I have written a lot about one of Fresno’s favorite complaints: There is nothing to do here.

Those columns started with the usual arguments about Fresno, what we have, what we do not have, and whether we are sometimes too quick to dismiss our own city before looking around at what is actually here.

Readers had plenty of thoughts, too, including places and experiences they felt deserved more attention.

The more I thought about those suggestions, the more I realized there was really only one way to find out.

I should go.

That is where “Local Side Quests” comes in, a new recurring column built around exploring the places and experiences around Fresno and the surrounding area that are easy to overlook when you live here.

Before I start deciding where those side quests should take me, though, I want your help to build the list.

I spend a lot of time leaving Fresno for interesting experiences, whether that means festivals, concerts, food shows, or other events across California that can easily turn into an afternoon on the road or an entire weekend away.

There is nothing wrong with that, and I am certainly not going to stop traveling.

But I have started wondering how many things much closer to home I have driven past dozens of times without ever stopping, or how many places I know by name without actually knowing anything about them.

I have a feeling plenty of people around here can relate.

Please click here to submit a recommendation.

What Makes Something a Local Side Quest?

This is not supposed to become another list of “hidden gems,” partly because I am not convinced everything worth visiting needs to be hidden.

Some places might be well known throughout Fresno but still be somewhere most locals have never actually experienced. Others might be tucked into a neighborhood or surrounding community that you rarely have a reason to visit unless someone tells you what is there.

It could be a farm, winery, music venue, historic site, art space, unusual business, or something so specific that you immediately wonder how you had never heard about it before.

That is probably the easiest test.

I am looking for the places that make you say, “Wait, we have that here?”

And this does not have to stop at Fresno city limits.

Some of the best possibilities may be scattered throughout Fresno County and its smaller communities, especially in areas where agriculture, local history, and businesses have created experiences that are completely different from what you find in the middle of the city.

The Central Valley is a big place, and I am guessing there are plenty of stories hiding in parts of it most of us normally pass through on the way somewhere else.

Please click here to submit a recommendation.

I Want to Actually Experience Them

The point of “Local Side Quests” is not to show up somewhere, take a few photos, and slap a rating on it.

I want to spend enough time there to understand why the place exists, meet the people behind it, when possible, and figure out why someone thought it was worth telling me.

Sometimes there might be a lot of history behind it. Other times, the entire appeal might simply be that it is fun, weird, or completely unexpected.

Either way, I want each column to answer the same basic question: Is this something more locals should know about?

Some trips might take an entire afternoon, while others could be the kind of place you can experience in an hour.

Hopefully, there will be a few that make me wonder why I waited so long to visit.

I am also fully expecting at least one of you to send me somewhere that leaves me wondering why I trusted you.

That seems fair.

Please click here to submit a recommendation.

Tell Me Where to Go

So this is your chance to give me an assignment.

Tell me about the place you recommend whenever somebody complains that there is nothing to do around Fresno, or the place you have driven past for years and keep telling yourself you will eventually check out.

Maybe it is a strange business, a historic building, a local attraction, a farm, a venue, or an experience that does not fit neatly into any category.

Maybe everyone knows about it except me. Possibly almost nobody knows about it. I want to hear about both.

My recent columns about Fresno and what there is to do here started with a pretty simple question about whether we are giving this place enough credit.

“Local Side Quests” is my excuse to actually go find out.

I spend plenty of time leaving Fresno looking for interesting experiences. Now I want to see how many of them I have been driving past the entire time.

Please click here to submit a recommendation.

About the Author

Anthony W. Haddad is a Fresno-based reporter and columnist known for his award-winning Millennial View column series, feature writing, and festival coverage. His work blends personal storytelling with cultural commentary, highlighting the people, issues, and experiences shaping the Central Valley and beyond.

—

Connect with Anthony W. Haddad on social media. Got a tip? Send an email.