‘Why Not Wednesday’ Fresno’s answer to ArtHop, vendor conflict

A new event borne of change and controversy is coming to Downtown Fresno next month.

Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias, along with Downtown Fresno Partnership CEO Elliot Balch and Mayor Jerry Dyer, held a news conference Wednesday to announce the launch of “Why Not Wednesday,” a vendor and food truck faire set to debut Sept. 18.

The new event comes after August’s first ArtHop event in which outdoor food and retail vendors were banned by the city, with efforts led by Arias. The move drew protests from vendors and some of the 15,000 visitors who previously flocked to the First Thursday of each month for ArtHop.

Vendors will have to apply on a new online platform and must have a business permit with the city.

Retail vendors will have to pay a monthly fee of $50 to participate. Food vendors will have to pay a $100 fee and have a permit from the Fresno County Department of Public Health.

There will be a cap of 150 vendors and Fulton Street will be closed to traffic from Fresno Street to Inyo Street.

Local businesses and organizations will manage vendors in the area and collect the fees to participate.

Dyer said two mobile restrooms will be provided, Mid Valley Disposal will provide trash receptacles, and there will be no additional costs for policing.

The Fresno Trolley will have adjusted routes for the Why Not Wednesday event, and there will be no charge for parking in the evening.

Some of the revenue will go to venues for music so artists could get paid for their outdoor performances.

Arias said that this new managing system will allow for more safety and for new vendors that have been historically shut out from the event.

The sponsor organizations that will manage vendors are Fresno Street Eats, MAS Fresno, Alley in The Valley, Bad Kids Club, and Madness Thrift.