Culture – The Fresnan

Things I Might Do In Fresno This Weekend

February 28, 2026February 28, 2026 The Fresnan Leave a comment

I am going to try out a new segment for the site/nesletter, and cross my fingers that I stick with it so you can check back here on The Fresnan or Fresno!Fresno! on Fridays or Saturday mornings for this (someone hold me to it, please).

These are literal things I might do this weekend. Like, if I have enough money, or time, or energy, I would do one or all of these things. Hopefully, it helps you figure out something for yourself.

Hike around the San Joaquin River. Wildflowers are coming out. Things won’t be greener. The weather will only get hotter. There is snow to look at on the Sierra. Choice. Checking an almond orchard before the blossoms are gone can be a related activity.
Record swap in River Park at Barrelhouse – Saturday from 12 to 5.
Play pinball at Summer Fox (Santa Fe) – they have a Star Wars pinball I really want to try.
Eat a Me & Ed’s pizza (it’s been, like, three long weeks since I’ve had some).
Buy a discounted puffy jacket at Eddie Bauer’s in Fig Garden, since they are all closing.
Have a colab beer at Out Of The Barrel, all day on Saturday (they’re having a ‘colab fest’).
Rogue Festival. It is an important, annual cultural event for Fresno. Check out the schedule.

Rogue Fest goes through to next weekend, so I might push that back. Hell, I might push all of it back, it’s how I operate.

Even if I do one of these things, I’ll be happy.

-Mike

What is up with that taco truck line at Shaw & Maroa!?

September 30, 2025October 3, 2025 The Fresnan

UPDATE: My friend Joshua Tehee did a write-up in the Bee about this place, and it softens my stance on it some. Apparently, this truck relocated here, like, moved up here and hired locals. Instead of what I believed was that they just had an extra truck up to Fresno from L.A. to make it off us. Still interesting how we are getting so fired up about a truck not from here.

The corner of Maroa & Shaw has been the hot topic around the Fig area of town.

The truck pictured above is often brought up at Out Of The Barrel and around Fig Garden. Everyone is amazed at the lines and wondering what the hell?!

It’s called Tacos El Cabezon.

The word is they came up from Los Angeles (Bell Gardens) because the market was too saturated down there, and they tried their luck here. Turns out it was a good decision.

Yeah, I want to try this truck out, it sounds really good.

But, sorry, it pisses me off that an L.A. Mexican food truck can come up to the taco capital (Fresno, yo!) and be so popular. What the hell, Fresnans?

I wonder how they would do at the Taco Truck Throwdown?!

A great comment came in on Fresno!Fresno! by Mark & Patti:

IMG_9410-1024x523 What is up with that taco truck line at Shaw & Maroa!?

I love this idea. Sadly, though, for it to work, the L.A. people can never find out the truck is from Fresno.

Gazebo Gardens Is a Needed Fresno Space

August 1, 2025August 6, 2025 The Fresnan

Feeling thankful to have Gazebo Gardens around. It’s pretty damn unique and borders on something necessary for a city.

I am not talking about the nursery/plant aspect of it either. I am talking about the third space feature for friend and family groups.

In case you don’t know, Thursday – Saturday evenings Gazebo Gardens nursery turns into a beer garden & food truck court. Complete with seating and some shade.

There are very few places you can meet up with people without having to reserve or hawk a big table, or worry if “all of your party is here yet”.

Just show up around a time. Eat, don’t eat. Drink beer, don’t drink. Kids can wander around. You can wander around. It’s great.

Sure, I get tired of it too, like any place. I am here to appreciate the looseness of it all, and there isn’t much of that out there.

Related: As I sat on Shields yesterday waiting for a train to pass, I caught a little bit of the blues coming from Gazebo

Parking Lot Art: Whole Foods

July 31, 2025August 1, 2025 The Fresnan

This pour little cart got left out all night.

Whole Foods in Fig Garden is well closed, so this little guy got left out. I feel bad for him. So lonely. I know how ya feel, brother.

Let’s hope the person that opens at Whole Foods tomorrow morning corals you proper so you can be with your friends again.

Why The In-N-Out Owner Moving From California, Fries Me Off

July 30, 2025July 31, 2025 The Fresnan

The fries at In-N-Out suck. They just do. But they are unique to In-N-Out. I have always enjoyed them for that. They may not be great, but they are all In-N-Out’s.

The uniqueness of In-N-Out: The vibe, restaurant setup, California chain, simple food menu, super friendly staff, the secret menu, and yes, the fries.

Sadly all that is tainted because the nepo baby owner, Lynsi Snyder, (who didn’t come up with a damn ass thing that In-N-Out is successful for) has decided California is too lame and is creating an office in Tennessee so she can move her family there because California is “SOOOO harrrd guuuuyyyyz”

in-n-out-snyder-1024x1016 Why The In-N-Out Owner Moving From California, Fries Me Off

“Raising a family is not…easy here. Doing business is not easy here.” says the billionaire nepo baby.

Dude, California MADE you! You became iconic because of us. You are rich as shit because we bragged about you to everyone not in California. Brought all the people visiting to your dad’s restaurant.

I had always admired In-N-Out for being at or near the top of pay for fast-food workers. It seems that was dad’s policy, not the nepo do nothing daughter’s. She would rather move somewhere whiter where she can pay employees less. Let’s be real.

It always comes back to more when you are so rich you don’t know what else to do.

“That’s just business!” some will say. I say that is just bullshit. It’s just fucking greed.

Disrespectful to the people (Californians) who got you where you are today. So little is respected anymore.

How hard could it be to live your life out as a billionaire in the greatest state in the country? Dear God.

The basket of fries pictured above was the first time I went to the Blackstone & Nees In-N-Out. My go-to is Blackstone & Ashlan. I can’t say I will never go to an In-N-Out again because of this betrayal; that would be unrealistic.

But I will hate myself a little bit when I do. Just like Lynsi should be doing right now.

The William Saroyan House

January 23, 2025January 23, 2025 The Fresnan

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.