Fresno Shopping and Districts

(Fresno, California - CA, USA)

When you first arrive in the city of Fresno, it won't take you long to realise that the retail scene here is quite extensive and very established. A series of busy streets, indoor shopping malls, out-of-town strip malls and farmers' markets are present within the boundaries of the city.

The trendy Tower District is a good place to start your explorations, with this vibrant neighborhood offering not only a decent assortment of independent shops, but also numerous eateries, bars, clubs and no less than two theaters (the Tower Theater and the 2nd Space Theater). Much of the activity in the Tower District tends to radiate outwards from Olive Avenue.

Covering an area of approximately six blocks, Fulton Mall is a fully pedestrianised shopping mall located along Fulton Street, on the southwestern side of downtown Fresno. Fulton Mall is known for its abundance of historic architecture and seasonal attractions, which include an open-air ice skating rink from mid-November to mid-January. However, from time to time, some of the stores are boarded up as they await new tenants.

Where to Shop

Being located within the very center of the agricultural heartland of California means that Fresno is well-placed for visitors wishing to sample local produce. The Fresno State Farm Market (also known as the Rue and Gwen Gibson Farm Market), on the corner of North Chestnut Avenue and Chardonnay Avenue, resides next to the campus of the California State University, Fresno. The market is open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 18:00, Saturday from 09:00 to 16:00, and on Sundays between the shopping hours of 11:00 and 16:00.

You may also like to spend some time shopping at the Vineyard Farmer's Market, on the corner of West Shaw Avenue and North Blackstone Avenue. The Vineyard Farmer's Market serves as the largest market of its kind within the area and also offers the most extensive choice of produce, including freshly squeezed orange juice from Woodlake, local honey and jams, organic sheep's milk cheese and mushrooms from the Sun Smiling Valley Farm in neighboring Sanger. However, do make a note that this particular market is only open on Wednesday afternoons (15:00 to 18:00) and Saturday mornings (07:00 to 12:00).

When it comes to shopping on a bigger scale, Fresno has a number of malls up its sleeve. Located on its northerly outskirts is the River Park Shopping Center on East Paseo Del Centro, which dates from the late 1990s and is called home by roughly 70 different stores and services, including Best Buy, Macy's and Target. There is also a cinema complex (Edwards Theaters) with 21 screens showing all of the latest movies.

Also on the northern side of Fresno, although much closer to the downtown core, is the Fashion Fair Mall on East Shaw Avenue, just off the Yosemite Freeway. This indoor shopping mall is quite simply enormous and first opened its doors to shoppers in 1970, being extensively remodeled between 2003 and 2005. Occupied by approximately 140 stores and services, the Fashion Fair Mall is ideal for a rainy day and is anchored by department stores such as Forever 21, JC Penney and Macy's.

Both the Fig Garden Village Shopping Center on North Palm Avenue and the Manchester Shopping Center on East Shields Avenue also deserve a strong mention.