Things To Do in the Central Valley
This is our complete list of fun, family-friendly activities in the Central Valley.
Click on the images or highlighted text for links to the websites for updated information.
First Saturday of Each Month
Home Depot Kids Workshop
9 am – 12 pm
Kids can build a free craft every month at Home Depot stores across the country.
All kids get to keep their craft, receive a FREE certificate of achievement, a Workshop Apron, and a commemorative pin.
Kids Club
Fashion Fair Mall – Fresno
10 am – 12 pm
The Fashion Fair Mall Kids Club is a great opportunity for your child to learn in a fun, interactive setting.
Weekdays – Ongoing
Tot Time
Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Tot Time is a program designed for children (ages 18 months to 5 years) and their parents to interact and learn about amazing animals together.
Each class will: create an animal craft or build enrichment for a Zoo animal, meet a special animal friend, see and touch bio-facts like feathers, shells, skin, and bones, and discover fun facts about animals and nature.
Discounted Movies
Both Maya Cinemas in Fresno and Sierra Vista Cinemas in Clovis offer discounted ticket prices on Tuesdays.
Weekends – Ongoing
Public Shows
Tulare County Planetarium – Visalia
Take imaginary, but realistic, trips through our solar system, as well as explore a variety of other astronomy-related topics.
Weekend Shows
Downing Planetarium – Fresno State
Public Shows Fridays evenings and Saturday afternoons
When the planetarium is open for public shows on a Friday night, weather permitting, we take our telescope outside the planetarium to look at celestial objects.
Kids Belay
MetalMark – Fresno
Saturdays and Sundays – 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Do you want the kids to get some mileage in while you work out?
Want a great weekend activity for the rug rats?
Drop in for kids belay!
Their amazing staff is on hand to belay, teach and motivate!
Various Days and Times
Public Libraries
Kids and family friendly events and activities.
Valley PBS – Family Circle Events
Once per month – Membership Required
For more information, see our Inside Look
Family Days
Fresno Art Museum
FAMily Days at the Fresno Art Museum are community-building, cultural events that are fun and educational, to be enjoyed by the whole family.
They are enriching experiences that are meant to inspire, engage, awaken artistic interest, and educate.
FAMily Days are free events and occur three times per year, in the spring, late summer, and during the Holidays!
San Joaquin and Sierra Railroad Open House
An amazing backyard model train which opens its doors to the public two to three times a year.
Friday Night Family Happy Hour
Moravia Winery – Fresno
Every summer Friday evening from 6 pm to 9 pm, enjoy time with your family at Moravia’s beautiful winery.
Moravia grounds are open for picnicking, kids to play on the SS Moravia, and everyone to relax while the sun sets over the vines.
Movies and Theater
Children’s Musical Theaterworks
Fresno Memorial Auditorium
Children’s Musical Theaterworks is the Valley’s only non-profit theater company dedicated to the training of young performers in the area of musical theater and the arts.
In 2001, the Fresno Memorial Auditorium become CMT’s theatrical home, and we are now in our 18th season there!
Horseback Riding
Yosemite Trails
Fish Camp
One and two hour horseback trail rides depart daily or join us for our exclusive day ride to Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove.
What better way to get a glimpse into Yosemite’s past than to visit these 2,000 year old redwood trees the way John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt did, from the back of a good horse.
Children must be 6 years old or older.
Wonder Valley Ranch
Sanger
Enjoy a peaceful ride through the fields of Wonder Valley on horseback.
Our well-trained Wranglers and great trail ride horses will take care of you and your safety while you get to live out your dreams of riding a horse.
These are guided, walk-only, one hour trail rides through the beauty of Wonder Valley.
Shaver Stable
Shaver Lake
Horseback rides in the beauty of the Sierra.
Children must be 6 years old or older.
Sports Teams
Fresno Monsters Ice Hockey
Selland Arena – Fresno
Fresno Grizzlies Baseball
Chukchansi Park – Fresno
Annual Events
PBR – Professional Bull Riding
Save Mart Center – Fresno
Monster Jam
Save Mart Center – Fresno
Touch-A-Truck
New Covenant Community Church – Fresno
Offers children a hands-on opportunity to explore a variety of machinery and to meet the people that build, protect and serve the local communities.
Big Hat Days
Old Town Clovis
The largest two day festival in Central California.
Over 140,000 visitors fill the streets of Old Town to enjoy hundreds of craft and food booths, carnival and pony rides.
Tulare County Renaissance Faire
Plaza Park – Visalia
Vintage Days
Fresno State
Kids zone with pony rides, petting zoo, crafts and bounce houses, food and craft vendors, live music, game booths.
Fresno Pirate Festival
Kearney Park – Fresno
A pirate event with 100’s of pirates recreating New Providence, a thriving pirate community.
The residents of New Providence will have handmade wares for sale, fine food and ales, dancing gypsies, multiple stage shows, mermaids, and a whole weekend of fun whilst reenacting a bit of history all in the swashbuckling style.
The Kings Fair
Hanford
Fresno Greek Fest
St. George Greek Orthodox Church – Fresno
Food and drinks, live music and dancing, activities for the kids
Fresno Scottish Gathering and Games
Kearney Park – Fresno
Clovis Night Out
Sierra Meadows Park – Clovis
Caruthers District Fair
California’s Largest Free Gate Fair & Parade
Hanford’s Renaissance of Kings Faire
Hanford Civic Center
See historical displays, participate in period activities, shop for hand crafted goods, and see fun and spectacular stage shows.
Wear your Renaissance themed costuming and travel back in time at the Hanford Renaissance of Kings Faire!
Free Admission!
Civil War Revisited
Kearney Park – Fresno
ClovisFest & Hot Air Balloon Fun Fly
Old Town Clovis
Get to the Clovis Rodeo grounds before sunrise and feast your eyes on the majestic hot air balloons readying for takeoff!
ClovisFest spans over twelve city blocks, including side streets where you’ll discover over 200 craft and commercial vendor booths, in addition to our International Village.
Veterans Day Parade
Downtown Fresno
Children’s Electric Christmas Parade
Old Town Clovis
ZooLights
Fresno Chaffee Zoo
