How do you know it is October in Fresno?
You know because the city comes to life with Halloween Spirit stores offering costumes and other Halloween props. Screams from haunted attractions are heard throughout while masked monsters give citizens a run for their money, and zombies, witches and ghouls run rampant through the city streets.
One attraction in Fresno that has everyone reading the ghost signs is the Patch. Located on Nees Ave. between First and Fifth Streets, the Patch is anything but your ordinary Halloween attraction.
The location is marked by a giant pumpkin in the dirt field, one of the first attractions erected by the Patch to grab the attention of those driving by. The pumpkin is the only one of its kind on the west coast, and will be the home to a Halloween Express store.
Recent legal wrangling delayed the Patch’s scheduled opening on Oct 5, but organizers are confident it will open soon. Admission will only cost visitors $1, which accommodates everything except for the rides, food, and merchandise. The Patch will be open everyday of the week throughout the month from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., with each day having its own special event.
“The Goal of the Patch is to provide a safe holiday for everyone from all over the valley.” Hanna Johnson, PR for the Patch Marketing Manager for the Ronald McDonald House.
Other attractions include rides, which will only cost guests $1 per ride, carnival games, different food vendors, that run from open to closing, a pumpkin patch, concerts performed by local bands. Live music will be performed on a 40-foot stage in a 6,000-square foot arena. Last but not least, the Patch hosts a monster of an attraction, a 108-foot lizard is used an educational tool for children by day, when school children can experience walking through the inside of the behemoth and learn about its internal organs. By night, the lizard becomes as evil inside as it looks on the outside; the attraction transforms into a haunted “house” for screams of frightening entertainment. The lizard is the only one of its kind in the nation.
The Patch offers educational tools and opportunities. Teachers can schedule to take their class on a field trip for a school tour, and others can schedule to celebrate their spooky theme birthdays as well.
Teachers, bring in your I.D. to get 15 percent off of pumpkins and fall decorations.
On Oct 16, admission will change to $10 for just the day, and 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House. There will be trick or treating, kids’ entertainment, costume contests, live concerts, food, vendors, and unlimited rides.
What are you waiting for? Go to the Patch and enjoy the variety of entertainment that happens each and every day of the week! For more information about the Patch, go to ThePatchFresno.com. You can also find the Patch on Facebook.com, and Twitter.com.
