Culture – The Fresnan

The William Saroyan House

January 23, 2025January 23, 2025 The Fresnan Leave a comment

I went right by Bill Saroyan’s final house in Fresno the other day and didn’t realize it until I had to pull up Google Maps to see what house I was going to (day job). As I was looking for the address, there it was, the William Saroyan house.

It’s weird, I had always thought it was in Southeast Fresno, but the house is off Marks, between Ashlan & Dakota.

It’s so nondescript. So track house. So Fresno.

Nobody lives there, it’s an appointment-only museum. I can remember reading about it in the Fresno Bee but never checked it out beyond that – one of those Fresno things I have always meant to get to.

See what it is like and book a tour by checking out this page.

This sent me down a Billy Saroyan rabbit hole that had been coming for a long time. I am ashamed to admit I do not own any Saroyan material. And I have only read pieces of his writing.

Please feel embarrassed for me.

I only very vaguely knew that his book, The Human Comedy, was made into a movie starring Mickey Rooney. The novel is based on the fictional town of Ithicha (but we all know there is a lot of Fresno in this Ithaca place).

Then something I didn’t know, The Human Comedy movie was remade and called “Ithaca” and has Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan involved:

I rented The Human Comedy but stupidly chose to watch it at night and ended up falling asleep 10 minutes in – there goes $3. Maybe I will have better luck with the Meg Ryan version.

Punk Legends “X” In Fresno Saturday

December 12, 2024January 21, 2025 The Fresnan Leave a comment

It is not often Fresno gets a Saturday show from a genre-defining band. Legendary punk band, X, is playing Fulton 55 Saturday night.

There are (at the time of this posting) still tickets left, you can buy them on this website.

On the secondary market, there are tickets to other X shows in California, but I didn’t find much for Fresno.

There is a great write-up about it by Josh Tehee at the Fresno Bee, check it out.

I love this old Letterman appearance from X:

What you should expect:

Fresno’s Christmas Tree Lane Brings Back Walk Nights!

November 28, 2023December 17, 2024 The Fresnan

I am not going to question it, I will just accept it.

The rumors are true. Organizers of Fresno’s Christmas Tree Lane have brought back ‘walk nights’. For you Fresno newbs, this is when they do not let cars go down Old Van Ness and they let people do something totally strange in Fresno… walk

Last year they implied Walk Nights would never come back, but here we are.

As per the tradition, there are two walk nights:

Saturday, December 2nd.
Tuesday, December 12th.

Christmas Tree Lane starts Saturday (Dec 2nd) and is open every night thru December 25th.

The Lane opens every night at 6 PM. Closes (lights off) at 10 Sunday-Thursday and 11 PM Friday and Saturday.

More info can be found here.

Where To Park On Christmas Tree Lane Walk Nights

You just park in the neighborhood. I assume people who live in Old Fig hate Walk Nights. But they get to throw parties on Walk Nights, so it’s kinda worth it.

Some people park in Fig Garden Village and take some sort of tram, or get a ride and are dropped off, or walk all the way down to Shields and then walk back.

Heads up: if you do park at Fig Garden Village, it is insane with cars and people. I went to pick up food one night not remembering it was a Walk Night, and got stuck in the Village for a while and didn’t even score food.

I just find a dumb house to park in front of somewhere near Dakota but not South of the railroad tracks.

Hopefully, the return of Walk Nights will relieve some of the pressure of regular car nights when the line to drive Christmas Tree Lane goes down Blackstone all the way to Shaw.

That is right. You basically get in line for Christmas Tree Lane at Shaw.

But hey, screw that, Walk Nights are back. I might hit up both nights, just because.

A nice video that Localish put together a few years ago:

Don’t forget to get some good hot Fresno coffee and I’ll see ya out there.

In Memoriam: Fosters Freeze at Palm & Bullard

August 29, 2023October 31, 2023 The Fresnan

In case you didn’t know, the “Bullard” Fosters Freeze on Palm (if you’re reading this after August 31st) is now closed. It’s being forced to make way for a Starbucks.

Thanks for all the food and memories since the 1980s (for me anyway).

I shall miss your fries. Corndogs. Milkshakes. But most of all, my evening runs with my daughter to get a Twister and a hot fudge sundae (no nuts), when we were a little bored.

Goodbye, old girl.

foster-freeze-inside-two-1024x768 In Memoriam: Fosters Freeze at Palm & Bullard

5 Things I Will Do at Fresyes Fest [2023]

March 22, 2023November 10, 2023 The Fresnan

We can debate what our biggest festivals are some other time. But it might be Fresyes Fest. Biggest or not, I PLAN on going (I don’t get out much, so I am cautious with my optimism of leaving the house for something).

Fresyes Fes is this Saturday. It is centered around the Brewery District. Streets will be blocked. Beer will be drank. Music will be played. Tacos will be eaten.

Here are five things I plan to do, maybe you can to:

The Herndon & Marks Save Mart Is A Timecapsule

February 6, 2023May 7, 2024 The Fresnan

I feel like Save Mart kinda forgot they have a store at Herndon & Marks.

I mean, that lighting in the produce section is cool. And it ain’t new.