FresYes Fest has overload of bands, beer and food trucks. What to know before you go

Joshua Tehee
Natalia Souza/Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Co.

There was a time when FresYes Fest was a relatively low-key affair; a few hundred people, maybe a thousand, packed inside the beer garden at Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company paying homage and giving affirmation to the brewery’s dream for its little slice of downtown Fresno.

That was then.

It has since become an expansive, marquee event for Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company, drawing tens of thousands of people for a day’s worth of music, food trucks and beer (and Micheladas and cocktails, though it is an all-ages event, so not drinking is also an option).

It also set the template for what people expect from events in the Brewery District and along the Fulton Corridor (see: ArtHop each month).

The festival returns on Saturday, taking over nearly four blocks of Fulton Street (from Tulare to Ventura).

Lest you get overwhelmed by the prospect of it all, here’s a quick guide to FresYes 2024.

Getting in, getting beer

This is a free event, which means entrance tickets aren’t an issue.

Entrances to the festival are at Fulton Street at Tulare and on Inyo street off of Van Ness Avenue and Broadway Avenues.

Security will be checking bags and wanding those coming in. Children are welcomed — and even encouraged even (a family Fun Zone will be set up near Chukchansi Park).

Dogs are also welcomed, but keep in mind the crowd size when deciding on whether to bring your pup.

Parking will be an issue.

There are several city-owned parking garages close to the event. The so-called Spiral Garage at Van Ness and Inyo is the closest, and will likely fill up quickly. There are also garages at Tulare and Van Ness and Tulare and Fulton. Street parking is available in the blocks around Fulton Street and will likely be metered.

Uber and Lyft are encouraged for those without designated drivers.

From those coming in from Fresno State, the Tower District or the Cultural Arts District, the city’s free FresnoHop Trolley service will be up and running. It has routes running 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturdays.

There will be beer bars operating inside of Tioga-Sequoia’s Beer Garden, along with several beer stations (for draft and cans) situated throughout the festival grounds.

But, they will not be taking cash or cards.

You will need to get tickets to buy beer.

Those can be purchased in advance (which is recommended) or at one of two booths inside the festival (you’ll find them near the entrances). Tickets are $7.50 (or $70 for 10) through Friday.

On Saturday, they will be $9 (or $45 for six).

Each ticket is good for one beer or two cans of water.

Food truck lineup, ax throwing and more

For food, you’ll want to make your way to the middle of the festival. That’s where the bulk of the food trucks will be located.

Fresno Street Eats curates the choices here.

It’s too many to quickly list, but there’s pizza (Brickology), chicken (the Chicken Shack, Spicy Birdz), tons of tacos (including past Taco Truck Throwndown winners) and desserts for days.

A full list can be found by following @FresYesFest on social media.

Fulton Street businesses will also open and operating during the festival, including Modernist and 411 Rec Room for those in need of a cocktail, Sun Stereo Warehouse and Mammoth Mall.

Also look for an ax throwing station and a version of Chinatown’s 559 Night Market, set up at the corner of Fulton and Mono.

Scheduled lineup of bands

Much like the festival itself, the music at FresYes Fest has always been about showcasing the scene.

Typically, organizers split the lineup between current bands and legacy acts, with a surprise reunion sometimes thrown in for good measure (see: Gang’s Back in 2018).

For 2024, the festival expanded the number of bands (and DJs) to more than a dozen, playing across five stages. There are two main stages, two DJ stages, a “Homegrown” stage (sponsored by New Rock 104.1) and a stage set up inside of Full Circle Brewing Company.

While technically not part of the festival proper, the Fulton (1243 Fulton Ave.) is hosting punk night on Saturday, beginning at 7 p.m.

There is something from everybody here, with punk, ska, reggae, blues and oldies, psych-rock, indie rock, pop, R&B and some regional Mexican music.

Here’s a complete schedule of acts.

99 Stage (Fulton and Inyo)

  • Unlikely: 1 p.m.

  • Ceiba: 2:15 p.m.

  • Belmont Sound System: 3:30 p.m.

  • Carlos Montano Band: 4:30 p.m.

  • John Cliton Blues Band: 5:55 p.m.

  • Tower Rats: 7:25 p.m.

  • One Hot Minute: 8:45 p.m.

  • The Box: 10 p.m.

41 Stage (Fulton and Ventura)

  • Macondo: 1:30 p.m.

  • From Flowers to Flies: 2:24 p.m.

  • Sydnie: 3:45 p.m.

  • 1335: 5 p.m.

  • Brian Cade: 6:30 p.m.

  • Banda Sinaloense Pura Cajeta: 8 p.m.

  • Chale Holmes and the Bottomless Barrel: 9:30 p.m.

Homegrown Stage (Fulton and Tulare)

  • Paris on Fire: 1:30 p.m.

  • Out of the Ring: 2:30 p.m.

  • Go in Grace: 3:45 p.m.

  • Paradise Blossom: 5:15 p.m.

  • Edward Hernandez: 6:30 p.m.

  • Near Avenue: 7:45 p.m.

The DJs

  • Cumbia Bass: 7-10 p.m. at Tioga’s Beer Garden

  • Hella Lit: 3-10 p.m. at Chukchansi Park, with sets from Bawmbeat, B-Mo, Dabs, Brouhht, Aldz, Cuevas, FYR, MVSTY, Domsolo and DJ Burns.

Inside Full Circle

There will be performances running all day long inside of Full Circle Brewing Company. The lineup is dark-wave and goth (Pleasure Pack, Puppet), hip-hop (Big Dubb and the Rawkman, MC Wicks), indie rock (Sagey), punk (the Velisha) and metal (Scoundrel, Farooq).

There will be karaoke in the patio.

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