Fresno State students hung out in Downtown Fresno on Aug. 22 for College Night at Tioga Beer Garden.
The event started at 5 p.m. and people slowly began to trickle into the beer garden, despite the blazing heat.
Last night’s temperature clocking at a whopping 107 degrees proves that, if there’s one thing Fresno State students are good at, it’s rallying in the heat.
Monica Gonzalez, a social work major in her first year of the Master of Social Work program, came with her friends to check out the garden and celebrate the start of graduate school.
“It’s actually our first time doing this,” Gonzalez said. “We got some good food, amazing cookies, burgers. It was fun, and the music has a nice vibe out here.”
Tioga-Sequoia Brewery coordinated and catered the event to the Fresno State community. FresnoHOP offered free trolley rides all night to and from Campus Pointe and Tioga, promoting safe alternative transportation for students 21 and over who wanted to drink at the event.
The trolley was cute, clean and safe. Plus, the air conditioning was blasting to beat the heat, and the on-trolley DJ was bumping tunes the whole way there.
Em Ramos, one of Tioga’s bartenders, tackled the line of thirsty students upon entry. The bar served it’s usual taps and cans, including a special $3 deal on Red Wave beer.
“Fresno State just started school, so we wanted to celebrate that by offering some drink specials,” Ramos said. “We have some local vendors selling food, we have a little portable arcade over here. It’s been a really good night, and we’re looking forward to getting a little bit busier.”
Local food trucks like Dad’s Cookies, Sanchez Corn, Bulldog Burger Bistro and Ampersand Ice Cream lined the venue.
Ampersand did a “college survival lunchable” exclusively for the night, featuring a PB&J flavor, a watermelon Red Bull sorbet, a paw print-shaped ice cream sandwich and nonalcoholic Jell-O shots.
The event also featured local vendors such as Bring the Juice podcast, Gibson Farmers Market, Dog Daze and Dave & Buster’s, which had prizes, merchandise, mini games and more.
DJ Straws, who does a lot of Fresno State events, was set up in between vendors to play for the crowd.
“Here at Tioga-Sequoia tonight, we’re doing the back-to-school night, basically for college kids,” Straws said. “It’s a great time, a great crowd, great drinks.”
DJ Straws spun trendy tunes until 11 p.m. when the night came to a close, and students began heading back to the trolleys after finishing their last drink of the night.
