This year’s Pride Festival in Fresno has been significantly different than its predecessors, with the event now taking place at Fresno City College instead of in a block in the Tower District. I’ve always hated that Fresno still celebrates its Pride in the summer, with the first of June already bringing temperatures as high as 94. Fresno City College is just a bit cooler, thanks to the majority of the event not taking place on hot pavement, but with ample grass and trees to provide shade. I’ve seen a few people and vendors take off early due to the heat. Other than that, this is definitely the biggest Pride event in all of the Central Valley.
Fresno City College has gotten used to hosting large events, with certain portions of it seemingly already partitioned for specific use. For starters, there is tons of parking (and plenty in the shade thanks to solar panels). The streets within FCC makes it easy for vendors to get as close as possible to unload; it’s also where food trucks are usually camped out. Near the Cafeteria is typically where some sort of “Beer” garden is set up to enjoy some adult beverages. There was also a seemingly efficient check-in gate/security checkpoint present at the Festival. This was my first time ever at Fresno’s Pride Festival, and for once, it almost made Fresno feel like a real city to me with all the people and sponsors that showed up.
