From Fresno State gear to local beer, here are 5 gifts that showcase local pride

Saying “With Love, from Fresno” through presents is a routine Sonya Nagai-Menapace goes through annually as she puts together gift baskets to give to celebrity keynote speakers at the popular Central California Women’s Conference.

Welcome to Fresno.

Here’s what makes Fresno special.

Here are fun and cool things about Fresno.

Those are some of the statements Menapace meticulously thinks about when deciding which items to place in a customized gift basket.

It’s a process Fresno folks might also do for family or friends visiting from out of town.

How would you express “Proud to be from Fresno” through gifts that are locally made or simply associated with Fresno?

“There are some things that might seem standard,” said Nagai-Menapace, who is the conference director of the annual women’s event that will feature actress Sarah Rafferty on Sept. 16 at the Fresno Convention Center.

“But also, every year, I try to find a new little treasure to include.”

Here are five categories of items recommended from a few people whose career is about welcoming or representing or simply enjoying life in Fresno.

Something Fresno State

It might seem like a no-brainer to gift something from Fresno State to express Fresno pride, especially if it’s Bulldogs football gear.

As longtime ex-Bulldogs football coach Pat Hill used to say: Fresno State football served as the porch light for the university and the community.

“If we shine brightly,” Hill said, “it shines brightly on all of us in the entire Valley.”

A more unique Fresno State gift that expresses love for Fresno would be a limited edition “Legends of Fresno State Bobblehead.”

This collectible, which was released in 2019, features three Bulldogs greats who went on to enjoy much success in the pros and regularly express an affinity for the Valley in baseball star Aaron Judge (New York Yankees), football star Derek Carr (most notable for his time with the Oakland Raiders) and basketball star Paul George (notably played for the Los Angeles Clippers).

The Legends of Fresno State bobblehead was listed for $124.99 on E-bay.

Got to have ag

There are a variety of agricultural products that could make a gift basket without adding anything else.

Fresno County, after all, is considered the agricultural capital and home to 1.88 million acres of “the world’s most productive farmland, according to the Fresno County Farm Bureau.

And the city of Fresno, despite becoming more and more city-like, still has plenty of farmland, with many locals tied in some form or fashion to the agriculture industry.

But what ag products fit best in a “I love Fresno” gift basket?

Two items come immediately to mind for Robyn Richardson of the Patio Cafe, whose Fresno restaurant strives to offer dishes made with local ingredients and sections off part of her place to sell Fresno-centric gifts.

“Chocolate-covered local raisins would be my first go-to (from) Matoian farms,” Richardson said. “I think I also would include some local olive oil from Enzo’s.”

Of course, if you’re looking for a product that represents Fresno ag, you certainly can’t go wrong with Sun-Maid Raisins.

Headquartered in Fresno, Sun-Maid Raisins dates back to 1912 and produces more than 200 million pounds of raisins each year.

Sun-Maid Raisins, with its iconic red boxes that features the Sun-Maid girl and its classic California Raisins commercials from the 1980s, is arguably the most recognized brand from the Valley.

Nonperishable items

Nagai-Menapace added that one thing to remember about gift baskets is making sure any food items are nonperishable.

So, as much as someone might associate fresh fruits or vegetables like Fresno State sweet corn as a featured-Fresno item, or a tri-tip sandwich from Dog House Grill or scoops from Ampersand Ice Cream, those are all no-no for this ultimate “With Love, from Fresno” gift basket.

Nagai-Menapace suggested gifting a package of nuts that were grown and harvested in Fresno.

“One of the tricks is finding treats that are consumable but manageable in size so they don’t have to lug a big basket,” Nagai-Menapace said, “and things that don’t have to be refrigerated.”

Almonds, in particular, are the leading agricultural commodity in Fresno County with roughly 728 million pounds produced each year, according to Fresno County Farm Bureau.

Pistachios also are a popular item with 392 million pounds produced annually.

Taco love

If the expression “You are what you eat” is accurate, then Fresno has to be a taco.

Tacos are so popular here that Fresno is unofficially considered the taco capital of the world. There’s also an annual event — Taco Truck Throwdown — that celebrates and showcases the number of taco trucks around Fresno and its surrounding communities.

The Fresno Grizzlies, the city’s minor league baseball team, even has an alter-ego name as the Fresno Tacos.

That’s why Sam Hansen, a marketing consultant who specializes in showcasing pride in Fresno and formerly worked as the Fresno Grizzlies marketing director, highly recommends that any gift basket centered around Fresno must include Fresno Tacos apparel.

Most iconically, a Fresno Tacos baseball hat.

The Fresno Tacos date back to 2015 and featured a taco as its logo. The latest Fresno Tacos logo features a taco truck.

A Fresno Tacos hat symbolizes not only a popular food enjoyed by many Fresnans but also Fresno’s fun side with Taco Truck Throwdown being one of the most entertaining events locally held each year.

An adult beverage

Whether you prefer beer or wine, Fresno has plenty of both.

And with Fresno State having a department of viticulture and enology, how about gifting a taste of Fresno with a bottle of wine from the university’s winery?

The Fresno State winery is the largest commercial winery on a university campus in the United States with a crush facility, barrel room and bottling room. All of which is used both for learning purposes for Enology students and to produce local wines.

Some bottles come with a Fresno State Bulldogs logo on the label.

But if wine is not your thing, there’s also “Red Wave” beer, named in honor of the Fresno State sports fan base that’s known as the Red Wave.

The light lager beer was created by local brewing company Tioga-Sequoia and is considered the school’s official licensed craft beer.

“It’s more than just a beer,” Fresno State President Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval said. “It’s a celebration of our community, our traditions, and the Bulldog pride that unites us all.”

For those wanting to involve an alcoholic beverage but perhaps without those Fresno State ties, the Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company, which is based in downtown Fresno, does offer the “Nickel Nickel 9” 40 oz.

It’s considered the first-ever premium malt liquor 40 ounce dedicated to the Central Valley.

If those gifts aren’t exactly what you’re looking for, other Fresno-centric items to consider are gift cards to various Fresno stores and restaurants, or entertainment tickets.

Like to Simonian Farms, Heirloom or to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.

“The goal is to leave a mark so when they leave to go home, they have a nice memory or memento of Fresno,” Nagai-Menapace said. “And maybe they’ll come back for another visit.”