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What’s Hot & Happening

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This Weekend is full of fun! Spring is in the air and the Blossom trail is in full bloom! Stop by and check out the Blossom Trail Festival on Saturday!  

Here’s What’s Happening this Weekend:

Friday, Mar. 6th:

Saturday, Mar. 7th:

Sunday, Mar. 8th:

Fresno’s Rogue Festival 2020: What to know before you go

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The countdown to Fresno’s 17th annual Rogue Festival is on with just two days left to go! This year’s festival runs from Friday, March 6th to Saturday, March 14th. Never been to Rogue Festival? No worries – I have all the info you need to learn about it, make a plan and enjoy this super special event.

Let’s start with the basics.

What IS the Rogue Festival?

Rogue Fest is an annual, multi-day event that takes place in Fresno, modeled after “fringe festivals” of the Bay Area and other large cities. The idea is to give independent performers and artists of all types the opportunity to share their talent with the city, and festival goers a chance to see a wide variety unique, original performances and acts in person.

What types of performances are included in Rogue Fest?

So many! Including theater, music, dance, spoken word, puppetry, magic acts, performance art and physical theater. The Rogue Festival is a “non-juried” festival, which means performers apply to participate and their acts are selected for inclusion based on a lottery system. The performances are not judged or reviewed by the Festival, all Festival goers will have the chance to see performances in their purest form and all types of performers have an equal chance at being a part of the event.

What is the cost to attend?

Ticket prices to each performance vary, but are typically reasonable (around $12/ticket on average). All ticket sales go back to the performers. In previous years, ticket sales reached over $50,000 which means this five figure amount was pumped back into our local arts community. (Yay!)

The Rogue Festival requires all performance attendees to purchase a $5 wristband (this $5 per person fee supports the Rogue Festival itself and helps keep this awesome event happening each year). This one-time per year fee is in addition to ticket prices per performance, but it only has to be paid once per festival year.

How are tickets purchased?

Tickets are purchased online or at the door of each performance. To purchase tickets online, visit the performance list on the Rogue website, and purchase tickets to the performance(s) you’d like to see.

How do I know what shows are taking place when, and where?

Check out the performance calendar on Rogue’s website, here. This year’s venues are:

All are located in or near the Tower District.

The Backroom at Revue, one of the many Rogue Venues for 2020

What else should I know before I go?

  1. All performances start exactly on time, and some will not yet you enter the performance late, so please arrive on time.
  2. Since Rogue Fest performances are non-juried the artists and Rogue Fest organizers would love to know your thoughts about the performances you see! After you attend, please consider sharing your thoughts on the artist’s page. (You can access them listed by performance here.)
  3. Please be considerate and be sure to silence your cell phones and smart watches before entering each performance venue.
  4. If you want Fresno to continue to be home to a thriving, local art scene, attending the Rogue Festival is a great way to support that!

For additional information about performances, scheduling information, venue locations and sponsorship opportunities, please visit the Rogue Festival website here.

What’s Hot & Happening

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Another month of 2020 is behind us! This wonderful Spring weather is getting us outside more and that means there are so many local events to choose from! Indulge in Mac & Cheese creations tonight, then tomorrow cheer on runners at the Support Blue Fresno Run before checking out the Blossom Trail Tour!

Here’s What’s Happening this Weekend:

Friday, Feb. 28th:

Saturday, Feb. 29th:

Sunday, Mar. 1st:

Go Behind the Scenes of Neapolitan Pizza Making with Brick L’Oven

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Brick L’Oven Owner Jasmine Nale on location at Zivelli Winery

Sometime last year, my husband and I watched a food documentary show on Netflix called Ugly Delicious. The show’s description states “All the flavor. None of the BS. Star chef David Chang leads friends on a mouthwatering, cross-cultural hunt for the world’s most satisfying grub.” The very first episode of season one is focused on pizza, and spends a great deal of time focused on the traditional Neapolitan style of pizza making. Watching the show made my borderline obsess over finding the best Neapolitan style pizzas I could find in any city I’ve visited since – and last fall I was thrilled to learn we have an amazing Neapolitan style pizza baker right here in town. If you’ve not yet heard of Brick L’Oven Pizza, I’d love to introduce you today! And if you have, stick around because the story behind this local business is a great one.

I interviewed Brick L’Oven’s owner, Jasmine Nale, about how she got started making pizza and what it takes behind the scenes to prepare delicious, wood-fired pizzas as she does every weekend at Zivelli Winery, located about 10 minutes west of the 99 in Fresno.

FresYes: Can you share with readers a little bit about yourself, and how you got started making pizza?

Jasmine Nale: I’m a Valley native, born and raised in Kingsburg. The way my family spent time together was through cooking and eating. My dad had a garden filled with fresh vegetables and fruits and we cooked from scratch whenever possible–in fact, we were rarely allowed to eat out!

While attending Fresno State I was thrilled to find out they had a whole program dedicated to Food Science and quickly switched majors. Around the same time, I met Chef Jason Ruffoni of Ruffoni’s Artisan Pizza while he was serving at my boyfriend’s (now husband) family winery. He learned of my passion for culinary arts and asked me to join the team.

A couple years later he had to leave the business and asked us to purchase his equipment and carry on the trade. It was a scary leap at age 24 but the opportunity was too good to pass up and the pizza pairs so well with our family wine! 


FY: How does your pizza style differ from others people may be familiar with?

JN: First, and most importantly, the dough. The dough is made in the traditional Neapolitan style (where pizza was invented!) with four simple ingredients: double zero flour (a finer, higher protein flour), water, salt and yeast. It is considered a “high hydration” dough, or high water content to flour ratio. This allows the pizza to withstand the high heat of our wood fired oven, ranging from 650-700F. When the temperature is perfect, the pizza will cook in 2 minutes or less. The high heat and fast cooking time results in a crusty exterior and an airy and soft interior. We use almond wood, which burns quickly, cleanly and HOT.

This combination of delicate dough and high heat is hard to replicate–most pizza places will have very thick, doughy crust or crunchy, cracker-like crust. Neither are inherently bad–I enjoy every type of crust, it just depends on the mood. 

Brick L’Oven Neapolitan pizzas in the oven

FY: Brick L’Oven offers amazing brick oven pizza on location – what were some of the challenges you had to overcome logistically to make it possible?

JN: Oh my goodness, this is the challenge. Keeping the delicate dough cool enough to prevent it from becoming a hot sticky mess, estimating the amount of wood we will need, how much time the oven needs to get to that perfect temperature, and changing weather that affects it all.


FY: Take us through your day a bit, behind the scenes – when do you have to start prepping for a Zivelli day.

JN: The dough is made 1-3 days ahead of time, ideally it would always be two but that just isn’t possible every time. One to two days prior I pick up all the ingredients and I try to source locally whenever possible. I cannot wait for all the fruit stands to open up! The day of, I arrive at Ziveli 2-3 hours before serving to start the fire in the oven. Then I prep all the ingredients.

Brick L’Oven Pizzas ready to enjoy


FY: What is your personal favorite pizza topping combination and what are the most popular among your customers?

JN: Pepperoni, mushrooms, and I can’t believe I’m saying this since I’ve disliked them for most of my life but…olives! The most popular is definitely the Margherita with fresh mozzarella, basil, and extra virgin olive oil. Customers love getting to try the seasonal specials as well. Last summer’s special was Nectarine, Prosciutto and Sweet Corn and customers went absolutely crazy for it. 


FY: What’s ahead for Brick L’Oven – what are some of your goals for the coming years?

JN: You may see a secondary pop-up location this year! Down the road, I would love to have my own kitchen. I am blessed to have a commissary for now but I dream of having my own space! 

Visit Jasmine and her team at Zivelli Winery soon!

Brick L’Oven Pizza is baked fresh and available to order every Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 5pm at Zivelli Winery located at 5840 N. Biola in Fresno. (PS: Zivelli is a beautiful winery with both outdoor and indoor spaces to enjoy and a number of delicious wines to taste and purchase!)

You can also schedule Brick L’Oven to cater your special event! Learn more on their website, and follow Brick L’Oven on Instagram to keep up with new menu offerings and updates on a future, possible second location.

Image credit: Jasmine Nale/Brick L’Oven

Kid Science and Plant Event Planned at Clovis Botanical Garden

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Tucked away on Clovis Avenue, between Alluvial and Nees in Clovis, is a beautiful three-acre garden that many would call a hidden gem.

The Clovis Botanical Garden is a water-wise garden, made up of plants and landscapes that are native to California and grow well in a Mediterranean climate.

The Clovis Botanical Garden features drought resistant flowers and plants that are native to California.

          The all-volunteer ran garden opened in 2002. Gates are open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and there’s no fee to enter and explore the grounds.

          Visitors use the space to meditate, snap photos and amerce themselves in nature.

There are many places to snap photos inside the Clovis Botanical Gardens.

          Several times a year the garden hosts “Science Saturday” events for children grades K-4th.  The next one is taking place on Saturday, March 7th from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. It’s $5 per child.

          The theme for the workshop is “Pollinators.” Kids will learn about bees and hummingbirds.

          “There’s always an art activity that is connected to the topic,” said Pat Wynne, a board member with the Clovis Botanical Garden. “It’s very hands on.”

          It’s not unusual for visitors to spot lizards and birds while inside the garden. Both are things children usually get pretty excited to see.

          “We really need to educate and expose our children to nature,” said Carole Bence, a longtime volunteer with the garden. “I’m all for children coming out to explore.”

A Science Saturday event for children will take place March 7th and will focus on Pollinators.

          Also coming up in March is the Clovis Botanical Garden’s “Spring Into Your Garden” event. It’s taking place Friday, March 20th and Saturday, March 21st. Over 500 plants will be for sale. They are water-wise and native to California.

          In addition to the plant sale, during the Saturday portion of the event, a garden tour, exhibitors and guest speakers will be on hand to answer questions and educate the public.

          Local horticulturist, John Pape will speak at 10 a.m. about “Caring for Climate Appropriate Trees.” At Noon, Elinor Teague will speak about “Fertilization in Our Hot Dry Climate.”

          “It’s fun,” said Bence. “It’s very well organized. People who come will get great advice for their garden.”

          There’s a $5 fee to attend. Children and Clovis Botanical Garden members are free.

Spring Into Your Garden takes place March 20th and 21st.

          Anyone interested in learning more about “Science Saturday,” “Spring Into Your Garden” or anything else related to the Clovis Botanical Garden can visit their website at ClovisBotanicalGarden.org

Hero Alliance Provides True Superhero Experience for Valley Kids

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Historically, here on FresYes.com, our web traffic statistics have shown us that our readers really like when we share great, local birthday party options that you can book for your child’s next celebration. If you’ve got a little one who’s into superheroes – I’ve got a great local company to share with you!

Have you ever watched a movie or a tv show that features a kid’s birthday scene in which the parents hire a costumed superhero or princess to make an appearance at the party? Odds are you’ve seen this common movie trope. Sometimes this situation goes well, the dressed-up character is convincing, the kids (well, actor kids) go nuts and it makes for a great party. Other times, particularly in comedies, the costumed performer falls a bit (or a lot!) short of expectations and hilarity ensues as the kids make skeptical comments about whether it’s really Elsa, or Anna, or Batman.

Two weeks ago, I attended my nephew’s 5th birthday party and he is a BIG Spider-man fan. Halfway through the party, imagine his excitement when Spider-man rang the doorbell and said he was there to hang out with him and his friends! Dear Fresnans, this Spider-man was GOOD!

Spider-Man arrived at the birthday and was happy to go along with whatever the birthday boy wanted to play for a bit – they toured the yard together.

My own son was a pretty big Spider-man fan around the ages of 4-7, and he would have likely lost his little kid mind if a convincing Spider-man had shown up at his party. So, far all of you with children in the age range who could have their day, no year absolutely made by their favorite hero or heroine showing up as a guest at their home – I’ve got all the details on a fantastic company in Fresno providing an exceptional character experience.

The company you’ll want to be sure you follow on social and keep for reference in your phone is the Hero Alliance: Heroes for Hire. Hero Alliance is a locally owned company that promises the most authentic character experience and the most realistic costumes in the Central Valley. “We are a group of individuals that believe in keeping imagination alive by providing the most authentic, realistic superhero entertainment for you and your loved ones. Not only do we look the part, but we ACT the part!” Having seen Hero Alliance’s Spider-man in action, I can confirm that this is definitely the case.

When Spiderman arrived at my nephew’s party, his costume was very believable and he moved the way Spiderman moves, and made hand gestures like Spiderman makes. He was friendly and immediately interactive with all the young children at the party, following them into the two-story play structure in the yard (as requested by the children) then posing for pictures with the kids in quintessential Spiderman poses. After picture time, an un-costumed member of the Hero Alliance team (all staff wore Hero Alliance shirts and were friendly and professional) began painting faces with Spiderman themed artwork (she was calm, sweet and patient with each wiggly little one) and a couple other members of the team began setting up what appeared to be some sort of obstacle course.

Spider-man face paint being applied

The course turned out to be the Superhero Training Grounds and after face painting, each child got coaching and Superhero moves and looking out for others and their safety. It was really cute, very well done and after the training was complete, each child received a Superhero Certificate!

Superhero training in progress!
A newly certified Hero!

The list appears to be ever-growing, however, it appears that the current available characters offered by Hero Alliance are: Batman, Joker, Spiderman, Spider Gwen, Super Man, Super Girl, Antman, Iron Man, Hulk, Joker, Harley Quinn, Bane, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow, Falcon, Jedi Warrior, Rafael (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle), Deadpool, Captain Marvel and Dr. Strange.

Hero Alliance offers several different party or event packages at a variety of price points. The largest package features an hour and a half of entertainment that includes a character of your choice, photo time, hero/jedi/ninja training obstacle course, a themed game with prizes, themed music, certificates for children (and a special surprise for the birthday child), face painting or balloon animals for up to 15 children and the Happy Birthday song sung by the character to the child. This package runs $225, but pretty much includes all the entertainment you’ll need to delight a crowd of youngsters for an entire party. The smallest package coming in at $85 still provides 15-minutes of immersive character fun. To view all the packages and find out how to book your child’s favorite hero for an upcoming event click here.

On a final note, my sister-in-law who booked with Hero Alliance said they were absolutely amazing to work with, down to every detail, including accommodating special needs and sensory issues. She was so impressed and said she’d recommend the company to anyone who’s young one’s love superheroes! I hope this article helps many of you bring dreams to life for the kids in your lives!

*Note: This post is not sponsored in any way, Hero Alliance did not know I would be writing it – I just love sharing great local businesses with you all!

What’s Hot & Happening

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With Mardi Gras coming up next week, there are so many fun events this weekend! Before the parade, join your F-R-I-E-N-D-S for Trivia or get some new ink at the 16th Annual Fresno Tattoo Expo! Be sure to let @fresyes know how you spent your weekend!

Here’s What’s Happening this Weekend:

Friday, Feb. 21st:

Saturday, Feb. 22nd:

Sunday, Feb. 23rd:

FresYes Realty Expands to South Valley; Join us for Celebration

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FresYes Realty is expanding to the South Valley with an office in Kingsburg and you’re invited to join us for the Grand Opening celebration.

“With inventory in Fresno and Clovis continuing to tighten, more families are moving to nearby towns just south of us,” says Jason Farris, owner of FresYes Realty.  “These families want and deserve the same 6-star service we give them here in Fresno and Clovis. We saw the need and wanted to serve it.”

A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 4 p.m., Friday, February 28th at the new Kingsburg location at 1332 Draper Street, Suite C. The party continues until 7 p.m. There will be tasty food, non-alcoholic drinks, giveaways and raffle prizes.

Nancy and Todd Thompson will lead the South Valley office. The long-time Valley residents live in Kingsburg and know the area well.

“I wanted agents who not only would do a great job for people buying and selling in the South Valley, but ones that lived there as well,” Farris says. “There is no better person to explain the benefits of living someplace then one of its own.”

FresYes Realty Expands to South Valley

FresYes Realty works to go above and beyond what is required to do. Growing a strong, healthy community is key. That’s why FresYes Realty is committed to helping all Valley residents find the home that’s right for them.

“People in rural areas deserve the same love and attention as anyone, for us to help them means everything,” Farris says. “There truly is something special about handing over the keys to a home that a family will grow in. Knowing we played a part in that is more rewarding than almost any other career choice a person could choose.”