A decorator by trade, Irene Forbis always wanted to open her own event venue, realizing her dream with The Palomino. Photo by Frank Lopez

A new event center has arrived in Downtown Fresno. The Palomino now hosts gatherings at its new Van Ness Avenue and Tuolumne Street venue.

The entrance to the building at 2111 Tuolumne St. is on the north side, leading to a custom-made door featuring a glass and metal grid pattern. Previously a Bank of America, the newly renovated Palomino event center can hold up to 400 guests with a dance floor.

Irene Forbis, who rents the 9,000-square-foot space, has been decorating for 20 years. Forbis always dreamed of having her own venue to host events.

 

“I’d go all over the Valley, so my dream was to have one place. I learned a lot of what I like and didn’t like about certain places, so it was a great way for me to implement it here,” Forbis said.

Clients can hold weddings, baby showers, quinceaneras and even business meetings. Forbis said the space can also accommodate smaller gatherings.

After scouting other buildings, the location downtown was convenient because of the various amenities, proximity to freeways and parking. Being indoors means regulating the temperature during summer events.

Transforming the space from a bank to an event venue took a lot of renovation, said Forbis. Forbis and the building owner put detail into the design of everything during the upgrades.

 

The Palomino takes up about half of the total building. The remainder is used by the Garda World armored car business.

Forbis was specific with the type of mirrors and fixtures used for the bathrooms. They were completely renovated to accommodate the venue’s new style.

Other renovations included flooring — the previous green carpet for the bank was replaced with a gray symmetrical printed rug.

Commuters can see a new paint job on the entire building as they drive by. The inside of the building was also painted and decorated; chandeliers replaced previous lights, and hooks were added for Forbis’ specialty — decorating with drapes.

 

The venue will also offer a stocked kitchen space for caterers to prep and serve in. The Palomino also has a newly decorated bar space.

Last weekend, The Palomino hosted a grand opening event, showcasing the new look of the venue and decorating skills for events.

“everybody was pleasantly surprised because it’s very updated. Very modern looking. I call it mid-century modern,” Forbis said.

The Palomino hosted its first event this past Saturday and is now open for business.