This October, California Humanities is heading to Fresno to celebrate the people, stories, traditions, and cultures that make California’s Central Valley unique.
From October 2–4, 2026, the Great Valley Gathering will transform Courthouse Park in downtown Fresno into a space for music, dance, storytelling, foodways, Native cultural practices, traditional arts, and community conversation.
The free, three-day festival is presented by the Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) in collaboration with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and is part of the Smithsonian’s nationwide “Of the People” initiative commemorating America’s 250th anniversary.
California Humanities is honored to be part of the Gathering alongside Central Valley traditional artists and culture bearers. We’ll invite visitors to stop by, create with us in a community collage activity, and learn more about Reclaiming Our Stories, our ongoing initiative that centers California Native stories, experiences, and perspectives.
Bringing Reclaiming Our Stories to Fresno
At the California Humanities space, visitors will have the opportunity to explore materials from Reclaiming Our Stories, our initiative that centers California Native voices, histories, experiences, and perspectives.
Through the project, California Humanities has created opportunities for California Native people to share their own stories and for audiences across the state to listen, learn, and reflect.
At the Gathering, we’ll bring some of that work into the community through project materials and an interactive collage activity that invites visitors to create and reflect with us.
It’s another way to experience the humanities—not only by reading or listening, but by creating, sharing, and connecting with one another.
We’re looking forward to spending the weekend in Fresno, sharing Reclaiming Our Stories, meeting people from across the Central Valley, and celebrating alongside the traditional artists and culture bearers who will be part of the Great Valley Gathering.
Join Us in Fresno
Great Valley Gathering
October 2–4, 2026
Courthouse Park
1100 Van Ness Ave.
Fresno, CA 93721
Free and open to the public.
Come find California Humanities, add your voice to our community collage, and experience three days celebrating the people and traditions that continue to shape California.
Learn more at gathering.actaonline.org.
