{"id":303311,"date":"2026-05-06T23:06:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T23:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/303311\/"},"modified":"2026-05-06T23:06:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T23:06:11","slug":"how-special-event-parking-works-in-downtown-fresno","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/303311\/","title":{"rendered":"How special event parking works in downtown Fresno"},"content":{"rendered":"

In February, the city took over operations for the entirety of downtown parking<\/a>; the thousands of spaces, split between surface lots, garages and street meters.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the most recent piece of an almost-decade-long effort<\/a> to improve the experience of finding (and paying) for parking in the city\u2019s urban core.<\/p>\n

The changeover hasn\u2019t been without issue, especially as it relates to the handling of event parking. It\u2019s drawn the ire of business owners and a policy update on how the city deals with parking meters.<\/p>\n

Gridlock and price surges<\/p>\n

Within weeks of its takeover, the city was tested on whether it could manage two large scale events happening on the same night.<\/p>\n

It was \u201cgridlock on O Street,\u201d per theater critic Donald Munro<\/a>, when \u201cBeetlejuice the Musical\u201d opened at the Saroyan Theatre on the same night the Valentine\u2019s Day Super Love Jam happened at the adjacent Selland Arena. The city was working through kinks in its mobile app and kiosk system and, according to Munro, unprepared for the hundreds of concert and theater goers descending on the venues\u2019 designated parking garage.<\/p>\n

He missed the opening curtain because of the delay.<\/p>\n

In April, business owners began raising concerns over special-event pricing at parking meters along Fulton Street. The Layover cancelled a Saturday night karaoke after it discovered meters in the area were set at $30 due to a concert at Chukchansi Park. \u201cWe can not ask for our customers to pay that,\u201d the nightclub\/music lounge wrote in a social media post.<\/p>\n

Business owners took note again, when meters along Fulton Street were posted as $25 for Saturday night\u2019s Tequila Fest at Chukchansi Park.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe city was in for another round of real frustration, on a problem long since identified,\u201d Downtown Fresno Partnership CEO Elliott Balch told The Bee on Monday. For months, the city had been trying to create a promo-code work around for businesses. With Tequila approaching, the partnership pushed for, and quickly received, a policy update that would set meters at $2 an hour for two hours, before any special-event rate kicks in.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re going to the event, we want the lots to be the best option. If you\u2019re not going to the event, we want meters to be available.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s how event parking is handled around Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Balch said.<\/p>\n

How does special event parking work in downtown Fresno?<\/p>\n

Changes aside, event parking can cause some confusion downtown.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because (and this is worth noting) downtown parking, both at meters and in the lots and garages, is mostly free.<\/p>\n

There is no charge for parking after 6 p.m. on weekdays and all weekend.<\/p>\n

The huge caveat of course, are these special events, which the city said it designates based on \u201canticipated attendance volumes, traffic impacts, and proximity to key activity centers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Typically, the events are attached to one of downtown\u2019s core venues: Chukchansi Park, Selland Arena\/Fresno Convention Center and Warnors Theatre.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not always the case. Events can be designated any time the \u201cprojected demand necessitates operational adjustments,\u201d the city said. See Thursday\u2019s Fulton Street Hop, for example.<\/a><\/p>\n

During events, parking rates can range wildly; anyway from $7-$50, according to the city<\/a>, \u201cbased on anticipated demand, with the goal of improving parking availability and reducing congestion.\u201d That pricing is applied to all meters, garages and lots within a designated \u201cevent zone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those also vary by event and venue.<\/p>\n

The zone for Chukchansi Stadium, for example, runs from H to L streets between Ventura Avenue and Tuolumne Streets, in an area that includes The Layover, the Crest Theatre, Libelula and other downtown businesses. The rates inside that zone fluctuate: from free on a standard weekend with no events, to $7 during Grizzlies games and up, or $25 or more nights when there are concerts or international soccer games at the stadium.<\/p>\n

The city\u2019s Parking Division currently shares updates via social media<\/a> in coordination with event venues, but it can still be difficult for businesses to navigate when customers can\u2019t get a clear sense of parking costs on any given night. As BB\u2019s Gelateria posted in a comment online<\/a>: \u201cWe\u2019ve also seen our customers avoid the area if there is an event and parking goes through the roof.\u201d<\/p>\n

The changes the city implemented last week are an example of the quick work that can happen when the business owners speak up in a concerted voice, said Balch, with the Downtown Fresno Partnership. It\u2019s not a complete solution, but a good step forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to harm small business. We don\u2019t want to kill karaoke night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Fresno's Fresno’s spiral parking garage is located on Van Ness Avenue and Inyo Streets in downtown Fresno. It’s one of five garages operated by the city of Fresno along with four lots and thousands of metered parking spots in downtown Fresno. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com \"Fresno's Fresno’s spiral parking garage is located on Van Ness Avenue and Inyo Streets in downtown Fresno. It’s one of five garages operated by the city of Fresno along with four lots and thousands of metered parking spots in downtown Fresno. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com <\/p>\n

This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 1:53 PM.<\/p>\n

Related Stories from Fresno Bee<\/p>\n

Joshua Tehee<\/a><\/p>\n

The Fresno Bee<\/p>\n

Joshua Tehee covers breaking news for The Fresno Bee, writing on a wide range of topics from police, politics and weather, to arts and entertainment in the Central Valley.\n <\/p>\n