A place for everyone, diverse in
many ways
By Joshua Tehee / Discover Staff Writer
Fresno County is, in one word, diverse — in everything from its agriculture (all 350 different crops) to its population, which is one of the most culturally mixed in the state. That’s from the mom-and-pop shops of downtown main streets, to massive shopping centers and national retail chains, from world-class theater and an award-winning arena, to home-grown performance art and intimate clubs.
History
Historically, Fresno County isn’t that different from others in the Central Valley. Though the area was scouted by the Spanish as a possible mission site in the early 1800s, it was the Gold Rush and the introduction of the railroad that brought large groups to settle here.
But it was water that shaped Fresno County — or more accurately, control of water. When Moses Church created the first canals here, he transformed a desert into some of the most fertile and productive farmland in the nation.
Agriculture
Agriculture is big in Fresno County in terms of its land size (covering nearly half of the county’s 3.8 million acres), economics (valued at more than $4.8 billion annually) and job opportunities (more than 20 percent of the area’s jobs are ag related). Farms in the county grow everything from grapes and almonds (its two main crops) to onions, alfalfa, cotton, strawberries and sugar beets.
Other interesting facts, from the Fresno County Farm Bureau:
t 99 percent of the raisins in the nation come from Fresno County.
t There are more turkeys (3.3 million) living in Fresno County than people.
t Every dollar generated by a farm generates $3.50 to the local economy.
t One bale of cotton (the county’s seventh largest crop) can produce 1,217 men’s T-shirts.
Business and retail
Business in Fresno County is heavily focused on agriculture and food products, with Harris Ranch, the National Raisin Co., Kraft, Foster Farms, Del Monte and the Gallo Winery as some of the area’s largest employers. But the county also serves as headquarters for national and international companies like Gottschalks and Pelco. Pepsi and The Gap also have distribution centers in the area.
Shopping in Fresno County is becoming a thing of sport. Large shopping centers like Fashion Fair Mall, Sierra Vista Mall, The Shops at River Park and Fig Garden Village have all seen major expansion in the last several years, and large national retailers like REI, Banana Republic and Pottery Barn are eagerly moving into town.
But while consumers may enjoy Best Buy, Urban Outfitters, Coach and Sephora, they can still find small boutiques, antique stores and gifts shops on the main streets of downtown Reedley, Kingsburg, Old Town Clovis and in the Tower District.
Homes and real estate
Homeowners also have the benefits of the county’s diversity, says Anthony Gamber, president of the Fresno Association of Realtors, especially now when there are still low interest rates and a large variety of options.
The Multiple Listing Service had 4,310 active listings for single-family residential homes, Gamber says. New home builders are sitting on inventory. Even rental properties, duplexes and triplexes are back on the market, he says. “You can find just about anything you want right now.”
Recreation
Fresno County has abundant recreational possibilities, from fishing, swimming or floating in one of the 13 rivers and lakes in the area, to watching a ball game, catching a concert or visiting a museum.
For sports fans, there’s professional baseball — at downtown’s Chukchansi Park — soccer and hockey, NCAA football and basketball. Clovis is home to professional rodeo events and the annual North American Pole Vault Championships.
History and art buffs will enjoy sites like the Meux Home, Kearney Mansion and the Legion of Valor Museum, along with science and art museums like the Fresno Metropolitan Museum, Fresno Art Museum, Arte Americas and the African American Cultural and Historical Museum.
Culture and events
On the cultural front, Fresno is a theater county, with more than a few theater-arts groups, including Good Company Players, Reedley’s River City Theatre Company, CenterStage Clovis Community Theatre, Children’s Musical Theaterworks and theater at Fresno City College and California State University, Fresno.
Touring Broadway-style shows play at the William Saroyan Theatre. There’s Woodward Park’s Shakespeare Festival, and the annual Rogue Performing Arts festival, which draws performers from across the world and is one of the largest fringe festivals in the nation.
Art (Fresno’s monthly ArtHop) and music are in abundance in venues from large to small, from the bars and clubs of Fresno’s Tower District, to the Reedley Opera House, Warnor’s Theatre, Tower Theatre and Rainbow Ballroom. The Selland Arena sees large-name national acts and some of the biggest names in music.
Madonna, the Rolling Stones and Prince have played the Save Mart Center, which was named one of the Top 10 concert venues in the nation.
Annual events such as the Clovis Rodeo, Hmong New Year and The Big Fresno Fair also bring in thousands of visitors.