Downtown – The Fresnan

Libelula Going To Tokyo Garden

October 5, 2026October 5, 2026 The Fresnan Leave a comment

It was all over the internets today that Downtown Fresno’s Libelula restaurant is moving to a different part of downtown: Tokyo Garden.

Everyone is pumped, including me.

It felt like the Tokyo Garden space would never be used again. Then you have Libelula be the one to revive it?! So rad.

Having Libelula’s food with a combination of Tokyo Garden/La Bel vibe is going to be so damn sublime.

But it does bring up some questions. Questions I (at the moment) don’t know the answers to, but I am going to ask them anyway:

Will they be serving alcohol? They don’t over at the Crest Theatre location, right? Maybe they will be able to pick up Tokyo Garden’s liquor license? There are comments on Facebook that hint at that, but nothing confirmed.
Will they be open for dinner? Yes! The owners said it on Instagram. I almost feel like it would take away from their awesome breakfast place vibe, but whatever, it will be great.
Will there be bands and karaoke like Tokyo Garden? This would be rad too but that is a whole other thing than what they do now, so I dunno.
Will the bakery be there too? Good question. Don’t know.
Do they have to get the restroom ADA-compliant? The restrooms are epic small and not up to today’s standards and would be costly to bring them up to code. But I won’t tell if you don’t.

I almost don’t need any of these questions answered. It’s already cool enough to have Tokyo back with Libelula’s food; it’s already satisfying enough.

And I really like how (especially if they will be open in the evening) it will provide more synergy with South Of Shaw Brewing, that wine bar, and Fulton 55. If there is a show at Fulton 55 or Warnor’s, you wouldn’t have to leave the area the entire night.

Anyway, I will be watching along with everyone else as these questions get answered. I am hungry right now thinking about it.

What I Might Do At FresYes Fest 2026

March 20, 2026March 20, 2026 The Fresnan

It has become a big local event that is now in the same space as the big big big BIG Fresno Fair and a Fresno State football game, it’s FresYes Fest. (Saturday 1-11:00 pm at Tioga and the baseball stadium)

Lucky for FresYes to have some (even if a little hot for March) good weather. There will be everything you can think to have at a festival, here is what I might be looking to do:

Watch every damn band I can. I am most pumped for Strange Vine and Werebear. Sadly Werebear had to cancel but It’ll Grow Back is a fine ass punk replacement. There is a good chance I won’t be around still for Strange Vine’s set – that’s okay as I plan to see them at their album release show at Fulton 55 (April 11th)
Park in the Spiral Garage. I think I will be there early enough that there will be spaces in the garage, but we shall see. Also considering taking the trolley bus in from Tower.
Find shade. It will be impossible to do this while watching bands though, and won’t be easy at other times. The Chuk with be open though and there is shade under the concourse at least.
Drink water. And yeah, beer too. Not much of a Seltzer person but I do want to try the Tioga & Ampersand blueberry seltzer colab.
Eat. I don’t have a particular food truck I am looking out for. The shortest line will be the top ranking factor for me, if I am being honest.

Band info:

img_1200-1 What I Might Do At FresYes Fest 2026

If you see me out there, please give me your drink ticket or a beer, straight up.

-Mikey

P.S. I have chosen sunblock to be the affiliate sponsor of this post. Because you’re going to fuckin’ need a sport face out there.

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:

FresYES Fest 2022: Show Up Early, Like Always

March 22, 2022March 23, 2022 The Fresnan

If you are on ‘Fresno Internet’, I’m sure you have seen that FresYes Fest is Saturday.

If you haven’t been before, my number one tip is to go early. It starts at 1:00 so go at 1:00! (Unless you are not broken like me and enjoy large crowds then go whenever)

322e0f91-8101-4350-9b7c-f0c444957fb5 FresYES Fest 2022: Show Up Early, Like Always — This is an all ages event and free to get it, fyi.

I plan to stick around for Bill Clifton & The Chicken & Whiskey Band’s set there in the 3-4 mid-afternoon sweet spot, then I will have one foot out the door – time to hit the road.

Reason being, that is the time (4:30ish) when the lines really start forming. The mess starts happening. The youth begin to takeover. People from weird places like Clovis start showing up.

And that’s totally cool and stuff – I just don’t want to be there for it. My curmudgeon self won’t endure.

The only thing that might get me to stay is Joshua Tehee hosting a stage:

b5a64b3b-b839-44da-b724-026254bf0384 FresYES Fest 2022: Show Up Early, Like Always

I can’t say I have heard of any of those bands which is totally cool because I am ready to be impressed or whatever – it has been too damn long since I’ve seen some local talent live.

I also might stay for beer – if there are no lines. Also can stay for taco variants:

06f41928-95e0-4db1-b7b5-b80adc96428e FresYES Fest 2022: Show Up Early, Like Always

But again, you gotta be there early, even for tacos.

“Where the fuck do I park!?” Like, dude, wherever. Look at the map:

9b3b3e44-f39d-42d5-b768-79154d238cc6 FresYES Fest 2022: Show Up Early, Like Always

Alrighty, well, it doesn’t exactly hold your hand and show you where to park but just act like you’re going to a Grizzlies game or jury duty and you’ll be fine.

But also, maybe get your Uncle to give you a ride down there and just wing it for a ride home – make an adventure out of it. One year I walked over to The Raddison and got an Uber home from there.

Anyway, it will be fun, even for grumpy dudes like me. See ya out there EARLY. ✌️?

Fresno Letting The Past Die Again

August 11, 2021August 11, 2021 The Fresnan

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Gut wrenching stuff for Fresno architecture this past week.

We first learned that a different group of assholes (different from the Tower Theatre assholes) have taken over the Liberty Theater (Fresno’s oldest) and gutted it:

Before:

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Then the gutting:

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Like [takes deep breath] THEY REMOVED A WHOLE DAMN BALCONY WITHOUT PERMISSION!

The Fresno Bee’s Marek Warszawski does some great follow up work to find out how they were able to get away with this.

Basically, the city approved them to do SOME demolition inside but not all of what they did and then city never really came out to make sure they were taking care in what they were ripping out, so the contractor had carte blanche to keep ripping.

Fine them. stop construction. do what you can, City of Fresno, but it’s too late now. It’s gone. Can’t get it back.

Is Kylo Ren overseeing renovations?

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NEVER, KYLO!

I’ll never join the Dark Side nor will I abide the Liberty being gutted to become a church. It’s NOT what it was meant to be.

It makes me sick. I mean, William Saroyan used to hang out in that balcony – Bill would definitely have been a Jedi, btw.

When I was part of Creative Fresno we helped put on some shows in the Liberty. It gave me the chance to explore all around that theater and I was amazed at how everything appeared to be original.

In fact, the projector room was still there with the old projector equipment, looking like someone just quit one day, in like 1952, and nothing had been touched since.

Now it’s just fucking gone.

The Dumb Drum dudes put together a great video around that time, exploring the theater with (ironically) a focus on the now fucking gone, balcony:

I used to think that a business or church taking over an old unused building, even for some different purpose than the building was intended, was better than it sitting there and rotting away. Not anymore.

Better to sit and rot in faint hope that it one day will be restored, than to be gutted.

As an example, Hotel Fresno sat FOREVER, rotting away. There was a lot of talk that it would be better to just tear it down. But now, people will be staying/living there again WITH as much of the original architecture retained or restored.

So, we can do things properly here, sadly it takes people that respect Fresno. It seems there are a lot of churches around that don’t.

*Pics stolen from Vintage Fresno’s Instagram feedand Miguel Arias.