It’s been a year since Fresno had an event like this. Fashawn headlines new monthly gig

Brandon Knight misses ArtHop.

He thinks others might, too.

The monthly downtown gathering was a staple of Fresno’s creative arts, music and culture community before it went on hiatus last March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

A year later, and Knight is reviving the idea, if not the actual event, with Barbhop, a spin-off of Barb’s Drive-in, the weekly parking-lot movie night he started in November. Knight also runs the food truck Barb’s Soul Food.

“We need creative outlets. We need spaces where (we) can safely gather. We need space for our artist to shine. Our city needs love,” Knight wrote in a post announcing the event on Facebook.

“We’re starting Barbhop out of a necessity for our community.”

The first event happens 4 p.m. to midnight Thursday, March 4 at the Broadway Plaza parking lot next to the Crest Theatre.

It features a lineup of nearly a dozen food trucks (Barb’s Soulfood, Planet Vegan, the Sizzle Spot) and vendors (Root, FTK, 1481 Fulton, Thrift Demon).

More notable, especially for those for who miss live, in-person entertainment, is the lineup of music, headlined by Fresno rapper Fashawn. It includes London DJ Chloedees, along with Carl Armada, Kasino Kim, Halo the Human, Melly Mel and others.

This is mostly a drive-in style event and will operate similar to the movie nights. It’s free, though parking inside the lot is first-come, first-serve with an RSVP ticket (available online only).

Those in their vehicles can listen to the performances from their car radios, but this isn’t exactly a drive-in concert, either. People will be allowed to venture about and there will be space for walk-ins.

Organizers are clear that social distancing will be enforced and masks required. Lest you miss it, it’s included at the bottom of the event flier: “Mask the f*ck up.”

“It’s tough. It’s such a scary time and were trying to figure out how to navigate together,” Knight says.

“When was the last time everybody had a good time? I don’t think we have to wait any longer.”

When will ArtHop return?

It could be awhile before we see the return of the actual ArtHop.

The Fresno Arts Council says it knows the important role the event plays in the community and is eager to have ArtHop up and running again.

“However, we also care deeply about the health and safety of our community,” says executive director Lilia Gonzáles Chávez.

ArtHop falls under Tier 4 of the state coronavirus guidelines, Chavez says, and will return once Fresno County meets the conditions to move into that tier. For now, the group is hosting the event virtually and encourages other venues to do the same.

This story was originally published March 1, 2021 at 5:00 AM.