Local businesses and organization were creative with their 2026 April Fools' Day pranks. Photo composite by Cecilia Lopez

Rickshaws, baked beans and a hot dog tonic — Valley businesses didn’t hold back on April 1.

Several local companies took to Facebook and Instagram to prank their followers with fake announcements, and the results were pretty creative.

Fresno Yosemite Airport posted a rendering of indoor misters at every gate — a bold vision for a building that is, in fact, indoors. Tioga Sequoia Brewing Co. in Downtown Fresno announced it would be welcoming a McDonald’s PlayPlace to its taproom. And Visalia Transit revealed a bold new transportation solution for the city: rickshaws, the people-powered carriages popular in Japan and China in the 19th century.

On the food side, Me N’ Ed’s teased a new baked beans menu item, while Component Coffee — with locations in both Fresno and Visalia — encouraged customers to try its new hot dog tonic.

Central Valley sports also got in on the fun, announcing that Fuego the Fox, the beloved mascot of local soccer team Fresno Fuego, is hanging up his tail for good.

Brands leaned heavily into absurd, food-driven mashups and “is-it-real” promotions this year, with companies like Raising Cane’s pitching a fake “Cane’s Sauce Coke,” Dole touting canned fruit-scented air, and multiple brands rolling out intentionally off-putting hybrids like cookie toothpaste and matcha mayo.

At the same time, some companies blurred the line between prank and promotion — most notably Dunkin’, which offered more than a million free coffees tied to a promo code — underscoring how April Fools’ has evolved into a legitimate marketing play rather than just a throwaway gag. 

No word yet on whether any customers actually showed up looking for the PlayPlace.