What's at stake?
August’s ArtHop event was marked by a noticeably smaller turnout of people, with vendors and artists saying the restrictions and changes made by the city significantly affected the event's momentum.
Despite new restrictions from the city, August’s ArtHop came and went without a hitch, but one thing was missing: the crowds.
In the past, food trucks and vendors packed Fulton Street, the sidewalks and roads teeming with Fresnans. Aug. 1’s ArtHop missed the bustling numbers expected from the monthly event.
“It’s like an earthquake; you shake the ground, and people have to figure out how to rebuild,” said Crystal Rocha, a local artist who participated in a protest on Thursday.
Earlier this week, Fresno city leaders announced plans to split Fresno’s popular downtown gathering into two separate events. That announcement came just days after city leaders said the Aug. 1 ArtHop would be indoors only to combat the summer and what officials described as a growing number of unlicensed or unpermitted food vendors.
The ArtHop changes angered many local vendors, who said the changes would harm their businesses.
ReHop, a “mini ArtHop” event run by Rocha and her partner Joseph Rodriguez, organized a protest Thursday, calling for solidarity against the restrictions to outdoor vendors and events.
Although city officials warned that any unauthorized vendors would be fined, Rocha said vendors they know were only given a warning.
Vendors and performers on Fulton echoed the same sentiments voiced by the protesters, saying the ArtHop changes have disrupted the flow of an established event.
“I see emptiness; I see a big change that doesn’t feel like it’s a good change,” said Brazz Brazzell, who runs RAHM Creative with his wife. He wore a shirt emblazoned with the words “Na. We Outside.” in all caps.
“The shirt means, “I see what you did. We all do, but we’re outside still.’ We’re going to love each other and support downtown Fresno,” Brazzell added.
Some vendors were not informed of the restrictions set in place for the Aug. 1 ArtHop.
Angela Burrise, a chef for Angela’s Taste of SoulFood with a Twist food truck, said that they were not directly contacted and notified of the ArtHop changes.
“It’s been wonderful for the vendors here in Fresno, but if things have to be put in place [by] the city, then we have to obey the rules,” Burrise said.
As the evening progressed, more people began slowly trickling around Fulton and Inyo Streets, but the same could not be said for spaces farther down the road.
Hector Bueno, a DJ and member of Cumbia Bass, described the area near Fulton and Tulare Street as a “ghost town.”
Cumbia Bass has consistently set up a DJ set in front of the Los Panchos Mexican Restaurant every time ArtHop rolls around, attracting groups of Fresnans to come and dance to cumbia. That presence was gone on Thursday.
“We’ve seen every month to month how it’s gotten so big, and it’s gotten so lively, and all of a sudden, we’re back to ground zero,” Bueno said.
Bueno said that the empty streets reminded him of the COVID-19 pandemic and that he hopes something can be done to bring people back to ArtHop.
“I feel that there has been some sort of breakdown in the communication between the City Council or the city leaders and the people that put this together,” Bueno said, “I would like to see some sort of agreement, some sort of communication, so we can get it back there again.”
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