September in Fresno
Hot early, real relief by late month. The valley shifts into harvest and football.
91°F / 61°F
Hot early, cooling by late month. The first weeks still hit the low 90s, but mornings turn crisp and the back half of September brings the first comfortable days since spring.
September is the turn in Fresno. The first half of the month still runs hot, with afternoons near 90, but by late September the valley finally gets real relief. The season shifts into harvest and football. Fresno State plays its home games, the fields come in heavy with grapes and almonds, ClovisFest fills Old Town, and the hikes that were too hot all summer start to make sense again.
Bulldog Football
Fresno State football is the centerpiece of fall in the valley. Home games at Bulldog Stadium are loud, red, and the social anchor of the season.
Fresno State Home Games
The Fresno State Bulldogs play their home football games at Valley Children's Stadium, long known as Bulldog Stadium, on the northeast edge of campus. September is the start of the home slate, and a night game in the bowl is one of the loudest sports settings in the valley. Check the schedule for kickoff times and which weekends are home games.
The student section, the Red Wave, is the loud end of the stadium. Get there for the entrance, when the team comes out to the fight song.
Tailgating at Fresno State
The lots around Bulldog Stadium fill with tailgates for hours before kickoff, and the scene is a big part of the day. Red is the uniform, and the parking lots turn into a sea of grills and canopies. Arrive early on a home Saturday or evening, since parking and traffic tighten up near the stadium.
Watch Parties in the Tower District
When the Bulldogs play on the road, the Tower District bars and sports spots around Olive and Wishon fill up with the Red Wave. It is the easy way to catch a game without driving to campus. The district is walkable and stays busy on game days.
Harvest Season
September is harvest in full swing across the valley. Grapes, raisins, cotton, and almonds all come in, and the farm landscape is at its most active.
Raisin and Grape Harvest
The raisin harvest peaks in September, with grapes drying on paper trays between the vines before they are rolled and collected. Drive the county roads around Selma, Fowler, and Kingsburg to see the trays and the picking crews at work. Selma calls itself the Raisin Capital of the World, and September is when that is most obvious.
Go out in the morning light when the rows of drying trays catch the low sun. Stay on the public roads and out of the working fields.
Almond and Cotton Harvest
September is also almond and cotton season. Almond shakers work the orchards and leave the nuts in long windrows to dry, and the dust they kick up hangs over the orchards. Cotton fields south and west of Fresno start to open white before the pickers run. It is a working landscape, so watch for slow farm equipment on the rural roads.
Simonian Farms
Simonian Farms on Clovis Avenue is a year-round farm stand that leans into fall in September, with valley fruit, vegetables, nuts, and the start of the pumpkin and harvest displays. It is an easy single stop if you want the harvest without driving the back roads. The old farm equipment and country-store setup are part of the draw.
ClovisFest and September Events
September events start to move back outdoors as the heat eases. ClovisFest is the big one, and the evening calendar fills out.
ClovisFest and Hot Air Balloon Fun Fly
ClovisFest is a free late-September street fair in Old Town Clovis with vendor booths, food, and a car show along Pollasky Avenue. The draw is the hot air balloon fun fly, when balloons launch in the early morning before the wind picks up. Check the schedule for the exact weekend and the balloon launch time, since it depends on the weather.
The balloons go up at dawn, not midday. Get to Old Town early if the balloon launch is the part you want to see.
ArtHop
ArtHop is the free art walk on the first Thursday of every month, centered in the Tower District and downtown Fresno. Galleries and studios open in the evening and the Tower restaurants stay busy. By September the evenings are cool enough that the walking part is comfortable again.
Big Fresno Fair Approaches
The Big Fresno Fair runs in October at the Fresno Fairgrounds, and late September is when the buildup starts around town. It is the largest annual event in the region, with concerts, livestock shows, horse racing, and fair food. Watch for the dates and the concert lineup to be announced as the month closes.
Cooler Hikes Return
By late September the trails that baked all summer are workable again. Mornings are crisp, and the foothills open back up.
Lewis S. Eaton Trail
The Eaton Trail runs along the bluffs above the San Joaquin River on the north edge of Fresno. It is paved and mostly flat, and by late September a morning walk is comfortable rather than punishing. Start near Woodward Park and follow it into the wider San Joaquin River Parkway.
San Joaquin River Gorge
About 45 minutes northeast of Fresno near Auberry, the San Joaquin River Gorge has trails that drop through oak woodland to the river and a footbridge across it. With the worst heat gone, you can hike farther into the day than you could in summer. The climb back out is the work, so save water for it.
The full loop crossing the river footbridge is worth the extra distance once the weather cools. In summer most people turn back early.
Shaver Lake Area Trails
Up Highway 168, the trails around Shaver Lake stay cool and the pines start hinting at fall by late September. The lakeside paths and the forest roads make for easy walking at around 5,400 feet. It is a good shoulder-season trip before the high country closes for winter.
Farmers Markets and Food
September markets are heavy with late-summer produce, with fall crops just starting to show up. It is one of the best produce months of the year.
Old Town Clovis Farmers Market
The Old Town Clovis Farmers Market runs Friday evenings on Pollasky Avenue into early fall. September brings late grapes, melons, tomatoes, peppers, and the first winter squash, alongside food vendors and live music. The evening weather is finally comfortable for walking the street.
Vineyard Farmers Market
The Vineyard Farmers Market near Blackstone and Shaw runs weekend mornings year-round and is at its fullest in September. The late-summer fruit and vegetable haul is heavy, and the morning hours are pleasant again. It is the biggest of the area's regular markets.
Tower District Restaurants
With patio weather back, the Tower District around Olive and Wishon is a good place to eat in September. The historic district has a mix of restaurants, bars, and coffee spots, many with outdoor seating that was too hot to use all summer. It pairs well with a First Thursday ArtHop or a Bulldog watch party.