The Whole Vine Festival began with one woman’s promise.
When Vickie Goudreau moved from Pismo Beach to California’s Central Valley, she didn’t come by accident. It was a business decision — and it meant leaving the ocean for farmland, the coastline for the unknown.
She had her doubts. She had heard the comments that weren’t so kind: about Fresno, about the Valley heat, about the long stretch of Highway 99. But before packing a single box, she made a choice that would change everything.
That decision — to love before feeling — became the seed that grew into something far greater.
The question that started it
When the move finally happened, what she found wasn’t what she expected. Again and again, people from every walk of life spoke poorly of the Valley — often comparing it unfavourably to beach cities. People who lived here. People raising families here.
That realisation sparked a deeper question: what happened to cause this? And more importantly — what could be done about it?
Out of those questions, a movement began. A few friends gathered and started to pray for a way to restore pride, belonging and hope in the hearts of Valley residents. Because anything loved has the best potential of becoming beautiful.
The answer came in the form of a celebration — one that could remind people of the beauty, abundance and greatness of their own home.
A festival that could shift the narrative — not through argument, but through joy. That’s how the idea for The Whole Vine Festival was born.
Why grapes
Because grapes tell the story of the entire Valley.
The San Joaquin Valley is the only region in the nation that produces table grapes, raisin grapes and wine grapes — all in one place. From the farmer’s field to the family table, grapes reflect who we are and what this region can produce. They’re beautiful, versatile, and woven into the fabric of our economy, our culture and our identity.
The name itself — The Whole Vine Festival — came from a farmer’s daughter, who saw that table grapes, raisin grapes and wine grapes included everyone in the celebration. No grower left out. The whole vine.
What it became
Conversations turned into action. Partnerships formed with Fresno State and with growers, commissions and local businesses across the region. What started as a handful of people praying for their neighbours is now an annual celebration on the Fresno State grounds — free to attend, free to park, with a free Kids Zone, so that no family is priced out of a day celebrating the place they live.
The 4th Annual Whole Vine Festival is Saturday, October 24, 2026.
Celebrate the Valley’s ‘grape-ness’ with us.