Fans from beyond the Valley come to Fresno for Grizzly Fest

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The place to be in the Fresno this weekend? Woodward Park for Grizzly Fest, which has now grown well beyond the Valley.

"It's national now," said attendee Mike Tarango. "It's not just Fresno, it's not just California, it's national."

Mike Tarango has been to every single Grizzly Fest so far after having shows at the fairgrounds and Chukchansi Park. This is the event's second year at Woodward.

"It's bigger, wider, more outdoorsy. Pretty nice," he said.

It's been nice for Aren Hekimian, too. He's a promoter for the event but also a native who's seen the Valley come together for one event.

"If you look around here you'll see all walks of life," he said. "I haven't been anywhere in Fresno to see this eclectic of a vibe in my 31 plus years of living."

About 15,000 people showed up last year, but organizers expect this year to get close to 18,000 people total. Fans from more than 28 states flooded in to see a wide range of artists, from Schoolboy Q and Portugal the Man on Saturday to Matisyahu, Young the Giant and G-Eazy on Sunday.

Fresno Police had 16 officers staffed at the event each day and despite the big artists and turnout, they've had no incidents or arrests so far. They have been focused on keeping the noise in check for people living nearby.

"As the weather gets warmer people open up their windows so we're always cognizant of that," said deputy chief Andrew Hall. "They've been good about keeping the noise level down and shutting it down at ten o'clock."

Of course, local artists like Wee Beasties and Fashawn performed to represent Fresno making locals like Tarango happy and bringing in thousands of others to experience what Fresno has to offer.

"Everybody is gonna enjoy Fresno a little more because of Grizzly Fest," Tarango said.