Tag Archives: tower district

Local

Splash is more like a tidal wave

I have been waiting and wanting to write this blog for more than a few years. Splash, the newest gay bar in Fresno, is open for business! Located in the heart of the Tower District at 644 E. Olive Ave the brand new club serving the LGBTQ+ is on the Southwest corner at Broadway.

Don’t let the club name and brand fool you. This gay video bar didn’t simply splash on the scene this week it crushed Fresno nightlife like a tidal wave. We waited in line for about 20 minutes around 9pm after eating dinner at Lincoln Pub. The dance floor was full and the vibe was fun and good energy. The front bar is perfect for lounging and the back bar sits right off the dance floor.

By 11pm the line was around the corner and it looked like it was probably about an hour wait if I had to guess. The drinks were great, there was plenty of bartenders and the prices were very reasonable. I wasn’t crazy about the cover charge of $6, I’m not a big fan of cover charges in Fresno, but that’s another blog for another day. Suffice it to say that Splash is absolutely the place to be in Gay Fresno!

Truth to be told I was personally assuming that Splash would wait until after all the construction was done in the Tower before opening their doors. Rather, they opted to hit the ground running on June 15th when California officially reopened. Not only was that pretty ballsy (which I totally respect) they totally pulled it off. I had more fun at Splash last night than I ever did at Legends or FAB in the last five year (the former has closed and is up for sale and the latter was dark as a tomb when we walked by it to get back to our car). Make no mistake it everyone there is a new top dog in town!

Local

I simply cannot wait

It’s hard for some people to believe that Fresno actually had a semi-passable nightlife albeit many many years ago. There was the Express, then Deja Vu, and on Friday nights you could bounce back and forth between The Circle and the first 18+ gay establishment Bam Bam’s. Much later came Legends.

Today, since Legends will not reopening and is up for sale last I heard, we are left with the sad little engine that couldn’t FAB. They only play house music because it seems the ownership team cannot get out of the 70’s San Francisco scene. They charge cover, even during a pandemic, and who the hell is going to pay cover in Fresno? Lol. Anyway, I said all that to say this: I simply cannot wait for things to turn around and to see what Splash can do in and for a local gay community that desperately needs it. Not only will we be famished from suffering through a pandemic but we will be long over due for a fun place to dance, hang out, and get some decently priced drinks.

It’s still a ways off I’m sure but if and when Splash does actually open their doors in the Tower District: I simply cannot wait.