Fresno DRIVE to host free “Weave the People” event

Join Fresno DRIVE for “Weave the People,” a free, family-friendly event to connect with fellow community members on Thursday, June 4 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at the Fresno Fairgrounds Table Mountain Rancheria Park at 1121 S. Chance Ave. To register for the event, click here.   

The event serves as a kick-off to the Weaver Awards: a microgrant program to support leaders and organizations building a more cohesive community in Fresno. DRIVE received the tremendous honor of being selected as a Community Host by the Aspen Institute's Weave: The Social Fabric Project and will award $2,500 to 20 select local weavers in 2026   

At “Weave the People,” attendees will connect with neighbors they typically don’t have the opportunity to share space with to learn and create together. Fresno DRIVE hopes community members, who attend the event, will build new connections and fortify existing ones.   

Weave the People will feature food and beverage vendors including Sticky Rice on Wheels, Planet Vegan, Tacos El Mandilon and Morena Mia Coffee. Local creatives will offer socially engaged art opportunities with artist Theyduh facilitating button making and artist Ceci Lopez offering live-screen printing. Through these collaborations, DRIVE hopes to honor these vendors' contributions to our community and amplify their work.   

Free parking is available on-site at the Fairgrounds. Attendees can enter through the Chance Avenue gate and follow signage to the parking area. The event will take place in the Table Mountain Rancheria Park, where the children’s playground is located near the pirate ship and the Old-West style building displays of Fort Fresno.  

For those interested in applying for the Weaver Awards, the event will also offer an opportunity to learn more about the application process. Applicants are required to submit responses to six questions with a maximum of 200 words or a 2-minute video.

The submitted project must be identified, along with who it serves, its detailed objectives and how it relates to the elements of weaving. DRIVE requires one recommendation alongside the application. You must live, work or learn in Fresno to apply — and so must your reference.  

The application period is open from June 15 – July 15. DRIVE will offer the following information session and virtual office hours to assist with the application process:  

a. Weaver Awards Info Session (Virtual) 

• Monday, June 15 at 5:30 p.m. 

b. Application Assistance Office Hours (Virtual)   

• Monday, June 22 at 5:30 p.m.  

• Thursday, July 9 at 5:30 p.m.  

• Monday, July 13 at 5:30 p.m.  

DRIVE is excited to connect with our community on June 4 for “Weave the People” and support local weavers through the Weaver Awards. For more information about “Weave the People” and the Weaver Awards, click here.