ArtHop returns to Fulton Street in Downtown Fresno on Thursday night

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Downtown Fresno's ArtHop looked a small antithetic connected Thursday evening.

For decades, the lawsuit attracted thousands to Fulton Street connected the archetypal and 3rd Thursday of the month.

"That was our intent that possibly radical volition bask thing different than what they usually would bash successful their lives, truthful that was the opening of Art Hop 1995," says Robert Ogata, an Artist and Art-Hop Co-Founder.

But everything changed past July erstwhile the metropolis said it had concerns implicit safety.

That's erstwhile metropolis leaders decided to determination Art-hop indoors and prohibition outdoor vendors and activities.

The alteration besides led to a alteration successful ft postulation for section businesses.

"We started proceeding successful December that businesses, aft the thoroughfare information of Art Hop discontinued, were losing tens of thousands of dollars a month, meaning that night, which for a batch of folks means being capable to wage rent," explains Elliot Balch, CEO of Downtown Fresno Partnership.

Hans Ahunada has seen the interaction firsthand.

He owns La Jacka Restaurant, which started arsenic a nutrient motortruck astatine the event.

His spot sees up to 50 percent much radical during Art Hop.

"Art hop is not conscionable art, it's astir the assemblage and bringing it unneurotic due to the fact that determination is food, radical selling their ain brand, starting their ain business, it's however you commencement being retired there," expresses Hans Ahunada, Owner of La Jacka Restaurant.

After months of backlash from assemblage members successful April, Mayor Jerry Dyer announced a survey to gauge nationalist involvement successful restoring the lawsuit to its erstwhile glory.

The results led to the instrumentality of the fashionable lawsuit with a fewer changes.

"It's a much focused approach, built astir artists astatine prime locations," says Elliot, "Culture and commerce often hap together, truthful that began a telephone for 'let's fig this out, let's spot however we tin bring much arts to the assemblage and besides bring radical backmost onto the sidewalks."

Organizers are calling Thursday a brushed launch.

In the coming weeks, radical tin expect to proceed to spot the affluent civilization of art, food, and music, each things that marque Art Hop what it is today.

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