Events and Programming
Pourr Decisions, also listed under its corporate and former public name The Terrace By The Vault, is a small wine-lounge venue at 521 1/2 McHenry Avenue in Modesto. Its programming is broader than a conventional concert calendar: visitors may encounter live music, stand-up comedy, DJ-led social events, creative workshops, wellness gatherings, networking evenings and private celebrations. The strongest pattern is intimate, participatory programming built around food, drinks and conversation rather than large touring concerts.
Live music has been part of the venue’s identity since its 2019 opening, when the owners announced Saturday performances and brick-oven pizza on the patio. Current visitor listings continue to describe evening musicians, outdoor seating and a relaxed atmosphere. Reviews from 2022 through 2026 mention live music, cocktails, pizza, small plates and a patio with fire pits, although the frequency and performers vary by season and event organizer.
Publicly indexed 2026 events show the range clearly. Documented examples include comedy shows featuring Sydney Stigerts and other stand-up performers; a January “Pour Decisions” comedy date; a Pilates Brunch Club session with DJs, mimosas and small-business vendors; Her Hour social dance events; a canvas-tote paint night; a “Sip and Swoon” gathering; a Glow Social Club evening with a welcome drink, charcuterie and interactive activities; and Swoon & Sparkle, a book-bedazzling workshop with champagne or a mocktail. A September comedy show was promoted as an outdoor-patio event, while the Pilates event used the patio for brunch after the workout.
As of September 15, 2026, announced or publicly indexed future programming includes a women’s Her Hour Dance Party on September 19, an ABC Night networking event on September 24, and Swoon & Sparkle on September 25. These bookings suggest that the venue is continuing to favor early-evening social experiences, community gatherings, creative classes and small-format entertainment. No publicly indexed 2027 or later performance announcement was located in the records reviewed.
Event pricing is organizer-specific. Recent examples range from about $25 for comedy to approximately $34-$50 for social or creative events, with a $40 advertised price for Swoon & Sparkle before fees and a $55-$75 range for the 2026 professional networking event depending on registration timing and membership. Some tickets include drinks, materials, mimosas, food or vendor access. Ordinary dining visits are commonly described as costing approximately $20-$30 per person before tax and tip.
Tickets and Booking
There is no single venue-wide ticket structure. Tickets are normally sold for the individual event by the organizer, and some evenings remain regular lounge service rather than ticketed shows. Popular events may have limited capacity because the indoor room is small, while patio events depend on weather and layout. Read the event description carefully for door time, age requirement, included food or drinks, refund terms and whether the program is indoors or outside.
Door times vary. Recent event listings show doors opening about 30 to 60 minutes before the advertised start, while some workshops use a short check-in period before the activity begins. Comedy listings have shown 6:30 p.m. doors for a 7:30 p.m. show, and the paint-night listing showed 5:45 p.m. doors for a 6 p.m. start. Arriving early is useful if your ticket does not reserve a specific seat.
Refund policies also vary by organizer. Public listings have included no-refund events, refunds up to seven days before the event, and tickets transferable to another guest. Do not assume that a venue cancellation policy applies to every show. The terms attached to the specific event are the controlling information.
For popular comedy, women’s social events or workshops with limited materials, buying ahead is safer than relying on door sales. Reservations are also sensible for ordinary dining on busy Friday and Saturday nights; a February 2026 visitor said the indoor area filled quickly and that a reservation helped.
About The Terrace By The Vault and Pourr Decisions
The venue occupies a small, detached former bar building at 521 1/2 McHenry Avenue. It opened in June 2019 after a renovation led by property owner Tom Oliveira and Madison Olds. The business was introduced as the Modesto sister location of The Vault in Ripon, combining a wine lounge with the neighboring Liquid Gold Studios salon. A California business-record mirror reports that The Terrace By The Vault corporation was filed on April 10, 2019, and remained listed as active in March 2026.
The site has an earlier nightlife history. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the Portofino Caffe property was known for a busy patio, music and dancing. After Portofino closed, the building was used by another short-lived eatery and later became associated with Bella Vagos salon and cafe. The Terrace was intended to bring regular nightlife back to the former Portofino setting rather than create a purpose-built theater or concert hall.
The name Pourr Decisions is now used across current event and restaurant listings, while The Terrace By The Vault remains part of the business identity and address history. For visitors, the two names refer to the same McHenry Avenue location. It is best understood as a wine lounge and hospitality venue that converts into a small event space, not as a dedicated auditorium.
Seating and Layout
The only published capacity figures located are from the venue’s 2019 opening report: approximately 40 people indoors and about 100 on the outdoor terrace. Those figures describe the original operating plan, not a current certified occupancy rating, and a later remodel may have changed the practical arrangement. No current floor plan, room dimensions or official occupancy document was publicly available in the sources reviewed.
Inside, expect an intimate lounge with tables, bar seating or relaxed seating rather than theater rows. Outdoors, the brick patio contains tables and comfortable seating, with fire pits mentioned in current visitor listings and reviews. The patio is the principal event area for some comedy, dance and social programs. It also provides the most spacious setting for mingling, while the indoor room is usually better for conversation during hot, cold or windy weather.
No permanent VIP section, balcony, raised stage, numbered seating plan or reserved “best seat” area has been documented. Seating may therefore be assigned by the event organizer, arranged around tables, or handled informally on arrival. For comedy, a position facing the performance area with a clear view of the patio or room is preferable. For live music, tables closer to the performer offer a more direct experience, while seats farther away may be better if you want to talk and dine.
Acoustically, the venue is designed for a compact lounge environment. A visitor review praised the atmosphere but said amplified background music became difficult for conversation during a very hot evening indoors. That suggests that sound levels and comfort can change with temperature, crowd size and whether the program is amplified.
Getting There and Parking
The address is 521 1/2 McHenry Avenue, Modesto, California 95354. The venue is on lower McHenry near downtown, in a small detached building associated with the larger 521 McHenry property. Look for the separate half-address rather than assuming the salon building is the event entrance.
Event listings have advertised free parking, and current destination listings identify parking as an available feature. However, no authoritative source publishes the number of spaces, a parking diagram, reserved accessible spaces or a guaranteed event-night parking arrangement. Allow extra time on Friday and Saturday evenings and follow any on-site directions rather than assuming every nearby space belongs to the venue.
Public transportation is provided through Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority service along McHenry Avenue. Route 22 runs between the Modesto Transit Center and Vintage Faire Mall via McHenry and Standiford; Route 23 also travels between the transit center and the northern McHenry corridor. The route maps show stops along lower McHenry, including the downtown end of the corridor, so visitors should select the stop nearest 521 1/2 McHenry for the direction and time of their trip.
From the Modesto Transit Center, ride north on a McHenry route, exit at the appropriate downtown or lower-McHenry stop, and continue along McHenry toward the half-addressed property. Because stop locations and schedules can change, check the current trip planner before traveling. StanRTA states that its buses are accessible to wheelchairs and other mobility aids. Late-night return service may be limited, particularly after weekend events, so a rideshare, taxi or designated driver is more practical for shows that finish late.
Inside the Venue
The atmosphere is closer to a neighborhood wine lounge than a formal performance hall. Current descriptions mention wine, beer, cocktails, frozen drinks, pizza, bruschetta, cheese boards, pretzels and other shareable food. Reviews repeatedly single out stone-oven pizza, cocktails and small plates, with examples including a Lavender Blackberry Martini and Sour Patch Margarita. Menu items and availability can change.
The patio is a major part of the experience. Its original design included brick paving, mature trees, a water fountain and an opening that could slide aside toward McHenry Avenue. More recent visitor accounts mention fire pits, a photo opportunity described as a Barbie box, and a relaxed outdoor setting. A 2025 review also referred to a brief closure for remodeling before reopening under the Pourr Decisions name, but no detailed renovation specification was published.
Current destination listings identify restrooms, Wi-Fi, credit-card acceptance, outdoor seating and television access. No public source confirms coat check, merchandise sales, lockers, a dedicated box office, charging stations, a permanent dance floor or a house merchandise program. Those features should not be assumed for a specific event.
Entry procedures depend on the event. Expect ticket or guest-list check-in for promoted shows, followed by seating or patio placement. For ordinary lounge visits, reservations may be used during busy periods. The venue’s public event record does not establish a universal bag policy, camera policy, dress code or photography restriction, so follow the organizer’s instructions on the individual event listing.
Nearby Amenities
The location sits within the broader downtown and central Modesto dining area, where visitors can combine a Pourr Decisions visit with restaurants, bars, coffee shops, theaters and local landmarks. Downtown Modesto’s visitor information highlights the Modesto Arch, the State Theatre, the Gallo Center for the Arts, McHenry Mansion, restaurants and pedestrian-friendly streets.
For a fuller meal before an event, downtown and McHenry-area choices include Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican, pizza, coffee and casual bar food. McHenry Village is farther north on the same corridor and provides additional restaurants and shops, while downtown offers the densest concentration of nightlife and cultural attractions. Because opening hours vary, an early dinner is safer than planning to arrive immediately before doors.
Nearby lodging includes hotels and motels on or near McHenry Avenue and downtown, including properties around the 900- to 1,500-block range of McHenry and central Modesto. Visitors staying overnight should compare the walk, parking arrangement and late-night transportation rather than assuming the venue is attached to a hotel.
What Makes This Venue Special
The most distinctive feature is the combination of a compact indoor lounge and a substantially larger patio in a former neighborhood nightlife setting. The venue’s character comes from adaptation rather than monumental architecture: a small detached bar building, brick paving, trees, a fountain, fire pits and the visual connection to McHenry Avenue create a setting that feels more like an evening courtyard than a conventional event room.
Its programming also fills a useful niche in Modesto. The venue can host a wine-centered date night, a local musician, a stand-up bill, a women’s social event, a creative workshop, a professional gathering or a wellness morning without pretending to be a large-scale theater. Local and visiting organizers can build events around drinks, food, vendors and conversation. That flexibility is reflected in the 2026 calendar, which moves between comedy, fitness, networking, creative activities and social dance programming.
The economic and cultural impact is visible but not quantified by a published study. The venue has preserved a hospitality use at a site once known for nightlife, supports paid event work for performers and organizers, brings visitors to lower McHenry, and appears in local tourism and dining recommendations. A 2026 professional event at the venue also directed proceeds toward the San Joaquin Scholarship Fund. These are practical signs of community participation, although no verified figures for jobs, sales, attendance or neighborhood spending were located.
Visitor Tips and Information
Plan for a flexible, social visit rather than a highly choreographed theater experience. Check whether your event is indoors or on the patio, arrive early if seating is unassigned, and bring a light layer for outdoor programs even in warm weather. Fire pits can make the patio comfortable on cool evenings, while summer heat has been mentioned in visitor feedback.
Current directories label the venue wheelchair accessible, but no detailed accessibility statement provides entrance widths, ramp information, accessible restroom specifications, seating distribution or patio-surface measurements. Visitors with mobility, hearing, vision or sensory-access needs should verify the specific event layout before purchase. StanRTA buses serving the area are described as accessible, but the final sidewalk route should also be checked for the individual stop.
Age rules are event-specific. A comedy listing required guests to be 21 or older, a women’s dance event was also 21+, while the canvas-tote workshop allowed under-18 guests with a parent or legal guardian. Do not assume that a regular lounge night, workshop or performance has the same age policy as another event.
No universal dress code, prohibited-items list or venue-wide photography policy was publicly documented. The safest approach is to bring only essentials, avoid outside alcohol or food unless the organizer expressly allows it, and follow the rules printed with the event ticket. Dogs have been described as welcome on the patio in visitor listings and reviews, but an event organizer may set a different policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Terrace By The Vault called now?
Current public listings use Pourr Decisions or Pourr Decisions Wine Lounge, while the address and business history also use The Terrace By The Vault. Both names refer to the same venue at 521 1/2 McHenry Avenue. When searching for an event, try both names because organizers and directories do not always use the same spelling or branding.
What type of venue is Pourr Decisions?
It is primarily a wine lounge and food-and-drink venue with indoor seating and a larger outdoor patio. It also hosts small performances, comedy, workshops, wellness events, networking gatherings and social celebrations. It is not a conventional theater with a permanent auditorium, large stage or touring-concert production infrastructure.
Does Pourr Decisions have live music?
Yes. Live music was part of the original 2019 operating plan, and current visitor listings continue to mention evening musicians. The music appears to be a recurring lounge feature rather than a daily or fully published concert series. Performer names, start times and whether music is indoors or outside vary by night and season.
Does the venue host comedy shows?
Yes. Publicly documented comedy events in 2026 included bills featuring Sydney Stigerts, Branson Garza and other stand-up performers. At least one listing placed the show on the outdoor patio and required guests to be 21 or older. Comedy tickets have been advertised around $25, although future prices and lineups may differ.
How much do tickets usually cost?
There is no fixed venue price. Recent public examples range from roughly $25 for comedy to about $34-$50 for social, dance or creative events. Workshops may include materials or drinks, while professional networking events can cost more. Treat these as representative ranges, not guaranteed prices for every future program.
Can I buy tickets at the door?
Sometimes, but it depends on the organizer and remaining capacity. Some events are limited, pre-registration based or explicitly non-refundable. If the event includes supplies, a meal component or a guest list, advance purchase is more likely to be required. For a popular night, buying ahead is safer than assuming door sales will be available.
Does the venue take reservations?
Visitor reports indicate that reservations are useful during busy Friday and Saturday evenings, especially when the indoor area fills quickly. A reservation for dining is not necessarily the same as a ticket to a performance. For ticketed events, follow the organizer’s instructions about seating, check-in and whether food or drinks must be purchased separately.
What is the venue’s capacity?
The published opening report gave the small indoor room a capacity of 40 and the outdoor terrace space for about 100 people. Those figures date from 2019 and should not be treated as a current certified occupancy limit. No later official capacity document or current floor plan was found, and the remodel may have changed practical seating.
Is Pourr Decisions indoors or outdoors?
Both. The venue has a compact indoor lounge and an outdoor patio with tables and fire pits. Some comedy, dance and social events are specifically advertised for the patio, while ordinary dining may use either area. Check the event description before attending because weather, temperature and crowd size can affect the available layout.
Is there assigned seating or general admission?
No universal seating system is published. The small room and patio may be arranged with tables, lounge seating or event-specific layouts. Some programs may provide informal first-come seating, while others may use reservations or a guest list. VIP sections, numbered seats and a permanent balcony have not been documented.
Is the venue wheelchair accessible?
Current destination listings identify the venue as wheelchair accessible, but they do not provide enough detail to confirm entrance dimensions, patio routes, accessible seating, restroom design or surface conditions. Visitors with specific access requirements should confirm the event layout before buying. StanRTA buses serving the McHenry corridor are described as accessible.
Is parking free?
Several event listings advertise free parking, and current venue directories identify parking as an available feature. However, no verified source gives the lot’s size, number of spaces or a guaranteed event-night arrangement. Arrive early on busy evenings, use only clearly permitted spaces and allow time to find alternatives if the venue area is full.
What public transportation serves the venue?
Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority Routes 22 and 23 operate along McHenry and connect with the Modesto Transit Center. The routes include stops through the lower-McHenry and downtown corridors. Because the venue’s exact nearest stop and late-night service can vary by direction and schedule, plan the final walk and return trip before attending an evening event.
What food and drinks are available?
Public descriptions and visitor reviews mention wine, beer, cocktails, frozen drinks, stone-oven pizza, bruschetta, cheese boards, spreads and other small plates. Specific menus change, and ticketed events may include a drink, light bites or brunch while other admission prices cover entertainment only. The lavender blackberry martini and pizza are frequently mentioned by visitors.
Are dogs allowed?
Current directory information and visitor reviews describe the patio as dog friendly. That does not necessarily mean every ticketed event permits pets, especially during crowded comedy, dance or wellness programs. Service animals are subject to applicable law, while ordinary pets should be confirmed against the rules for the particular event and seating area.
Does the venue have professional sound and lighting?
No current public technical sheet lists a house PA, microphones, monitors, stage dimensions, lighting fixtures, rigging points, projection equipment or production crew. The venue clearly supports small music, comedy and DJ events, but equipment appears to be event-specific or undocumented. Organizers needing production specifications should obtain a technical advance before booking.
What should I wear to Pourr Decisions?
No venue-wide dress code has been published. Visitor descriptions suggest a relaxed lounge and patio atmosphere that works for casual evening clothing, date-night outfits or event-specific themes. Some social programs encourage themed clothing, such as pink attire for the Pilates event. Comfortable shoes and a layer for the patio are practical choices.
Does the venue have a weather policy?
No general weather or patio-cancellation policy was located. Because several events use the outdoor terrace, rain, wind and extreme heat may affect seating or timing. Read the organizer’s updates before traveling, particularly for comedy, dance, wellness and workshop events advertised outdoors. Indoor capacity may be more limited if a patio program moves inside.
Are there events announced beyond 2026?
No publicly indexed 2027 or later bookings were located in the event records reviewed through September 15, 2026. The documented 2026 direction is clear, however: comedy, live music, creative workshops, social gatherings, wellness programming and professional events. Future announcements may be released on an event-by-event basis rather than through a long-range season calendar.
Why is the venue significant in Modesto?
Pourr Decisions continues a nightlife tradition at the former Portofino Caffe property, a location remembered for its patio, music and social atmosphere. The 2019 reopening adapted that setting into a wine lounge, and current programming gives local organizers a flexible place for small performances, classes, fundraisers and community gatherings.
