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As the weather starts to cool down from triple to double digits, the urge to make summer memories in such a short amount of time begins to yearn within you.
The best part about living in Fresno is living smack-dab in the middle of sunny California. There’s tons of things to do everyday whether you choose to stay local or make a short commute. In no particular order, here are PREM’s top picks to cross off your Fresno summer bucket list:
1) TikTok Viral Restaurant Grand Opening | August 10
The finger-licking good restaurant The Red Chickz is coming to Fresno! This LA-based restaurant has gone viral for its Nashville-style hot chicken with a west coast spin, garnering over 1 million followers on TikTok.
The menu boasts mouthwatering offerings, including Nashville hot chicken sandwiches in six spice levels, fresh salads, potato wedges, coleslaw, corn ribs, cheese curds, and creative dishes like the French Toast Sandwich, Honey Butter Sandwich, and Baja Taco.
If you’re looking for something to do on August 10 at 11 a.m., the first 200 guests in line outside of their location on 3520 Blackstone Avenue will receive a FREE Honey Butter chicken sandwich, AND they are having $10 Honey Butter chicken sandwiches available ALL day long. Free food always sounds like a cluckin' good time!
2) Boots N’ Booze Concert | August 24
The name says it all. Dust off those boots and make your way to Evanelle Vineyards, a luxury wedding venue with tuscan-inspired architecture and hints of rustic touches, for a night of dancing and live music at Boots N’ Booze on August 24 at 5:30 p.m.
DJ Garrett Gaynor will be prepping the crowd with country hits before country stars Blue Line take the stage. There will be numerous full bars, a mechanical bull, a vendor village, food trucks, games, and more.
This 21+ event has tickets starting as low as $20, making it an affordable night of entertainment before summer comes to a close. Buy your tickets here.
3) Day trip to Yosemite National Park
The fresh air and breathtaking scenery of Yosemite National Park is less than a two hour drive away from fabulous Fresno. Right now is the peak season to visit this beautiful haven of nature, so you need to have a reservation from July 1 - August 16 when visiting.
Reservations for a full day cost $35 and are valid for three days. Pack up some lunch, tighten those hiking shoes, and take on the challenge of trailblazing through Yosemite. Here are some trails to consider for your adventure:
- Easy: Bridalveil Fall Trail (0.5 miles roundtrip)
- Moderate: Mirror Lake Trail (2 miles roundtrip)
- Moderate: Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall Trail (1.6 - 8 miles roundtrip)
- Strenuous: Four Mile Trail (4.8 miles one way)
- Strenuous: Half Dome Day Hike (14 - 16.4 miles one way)
4) Grizzlies’ Baseball Games
What better way to show your city comradery than supporting your local baseball team? The Fresno Grizzlies, Fresno’s minor league baseball team, are currently in season and you can watch them score home runs live for tickets as low as $10.
Whether you’re a baseball fan or not, the Chukchansi Park ambiance is unmatched when you have a cold drink in hand, your feet kicked up, and you’re watching some good old fashioned baseball. The park is especially lively on Fridays with the sound of cracking echoing throughout the stadium and colorful fireworks decorating the night sky after home games. To get tickets, click here.
5) Experience Save Mart Center | August - September
The home of the Fresno State Bulldogs doubles as a venue at night and on weekends, hosting concerts, events, and more. The Save Mart Center capacity to hold up to 18,000 people makes it the Fresno epicenter for all things entertainment.
The variety of acts coming to the Save Mart Center are truly unmatched for venues locally. If you’re willing to spend anywhere from $20 to hundreds, there’s something for everyone coming soon. Here are some of our top picks coming in August and September:
- Monster Jam | August 24-25
- Junior H | September 6
- Peso Pluma | September 7
- Grupo Firme | September 13
- Lainey Wilson | September 19
6) Wine Tasting in Fresno
If you’ve heard of wine country, then you must have also heard that Fresno is the heart of California’s agriculture. This means the wine distilled here is some of the most pristine quality and best-tasting wine in California. In fact, Fresno State is home to the largest commercial winery on a university campus in the U.S.
Fresno is the holy grail of grape goodness with over 20 wineries within the vicinity of the city. Each winery is different in its own wine taste, ambiance, quality, entertainment, and events. Here are some of our favorite stops for cold glass of wine:
7) The Hop | Thursdays - Saturdays
So you want to explore Fresno with a safe, FREE ride home? Try the city’s new trolley service, the FresnoHOP, and paint the town red. The HOP operates Thursdays from 5 p.m. - 12 a.m. and Friday through Saturday from 5 p.m. - 1 a.m. Trolleys depart every hour on the hour from Campus Pointe and Tower District at the Tower Theatre, cruising through the city’s most popular spots making stops at these locations:
- Campus Pointe | Southeast parking lot near restaurants
- Brewery District | Inyo St. and Broadway St.
- Cultural Arts District | Service to Campus Point on S. Van Ness Ave and Calaveras St.
- Cultural Arts District | Service to Fresno City College on S. Van Ness Ave and Calaveras St.
- Tower District | Service to Campus Pointe on Wishon Ave. and Olive Ave.
- Tower District | Service to Fresno City College on Wishon Ave. and Olive Ave.
- Fresno City College | Van Ness Ave. and University Ave.
Take your pick between restaurants, breweries, art, entertainment, nightlife, and school spirit when choosing which stop you want to get off at for the weekend.
