10 Popular Festivals In Oakland, California

1. Art & Soul Festival [Last event in 2019]

The mesmerizing Art & Soul Festival in Oakland celebrates the city’s rich musical heritage every year. This annual event keeps evolving every year, adding new activities apart from the old favorites. The festival includes a tempting assemblage of food booths, an excellent artisan marketplace, a wide-ranging urban/world dance stage, mural paintings, acrobats, aerialists, dance competitions, and more. It also boasts the biggest Family Fun Zone in the Bay Area. The zone comprises exciting rides for kids, interactive arts, and eclectic carnival games. Thousands of people participate in this famous event, which is packed with art, dance, food, music, and fun in the captivating downtown of Oakland and lasts for two days.

Art & Soul Festival

Address: 14th & Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612

Website: Art & Soul Festival

Takes place: July

2. Eat Real Festival [Last event in 2019]

An annual festival of mouthwatering food, Eat Real Festival focuses on a wide array of street food, delectable cocktails, a great collection of local wines, craft beers, and artisan recipes. Organized by Food Craft Institute, all food and drinks here use local ingredients. Come, join in the festivities, and relish fine craft beers and tempting food at this yearly event in Oakland. From ice cream to street tacos, expect nothing but sustainable local ingredients in all the food items.

Eat Real Festival

Address: Oakland, CA 94607

Website: Eat Real Festival

Takes place: September

3. Autumn Lights Festival

You will love being immersed in lush green gardens while marveling at the lighting installations and artworks beautifully created by Bay Area artists during Autumn Lights Festival in Oakland. The evenings of this festival feature live music, fire dancers, and illuminated art, making the event a memorable one. The immensely popular yearly event benefits Gardens at Lake Merritt and is great fun for people of all age groups. The festivities last for three nights and are hosted in the themed gardens at Lakeside Park. It is usually characterized by a wide variety of delicious locally made dishes, soft drinks, and locally crafted wine and beer that can be bought by the participants.

Autumn Lights Festival

Address: Oakland, CA 94607

Website: Autumn Lights Festival

Takes place: October

4. Laurel StreetFair World Music Fest [Last event in 2019]

Welcome to this admission-free annual celebration in the city of Oakland, which is suitable for all ages. Laurel StreetFair World Music Fest is a community fundraiser event and celebrates music, dance, and lip-smacking cuisines from all over the world. The money collected from this festival is donated to Laurel District Community to help in promoting different art projects, trash-removal initiatives, improvements in the streetscape, and more. Musicians from different parts of the world participate in this event with great enthusiasm and zeal. Come and experience the real melting pot of Oakland’s musical heritage.

Laurel StreetFair World Music Fest

Address: 35th Avenue & MacArthur Blvd, Oakland, CA 94619

Website: Laurel StreetFair World Music Fest

Takes place: August

5. Hiero Day

Heiro Day is a music festival celebrated in the Bay Area, which has witnessed rapid growth in popularity ever since it was conceptualized by the hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics. It was in the year 2012 when the festival was celebrated for the first time, and since then, there has been no stopping as it is now an annual celebration in the city. The festival showcases an array of diverse cultures, talented artists, and a plethora of the finest local delicacies, as well as crafts originating in the Bay Area. Another good thing about this event is that the crowd here is diverse, and people from all age groups, including their young children, are welcome. The musical lineup has been a delightful combination of national and local artists.

Hiero Day

Address: Oakland, CA 94607

Website: Hiero Day

Takes place: Usually held in September

6. Oakland Greek Festival

Each year, Oakland Greek Festival celebrates the magnificence of the Greek culture, which is profound, historic, and a celebration of life. When you participate in this festival, it will be an unforgettable experience of Greek tastes, sounds, and sights. The festival presents authentic Greek cuisine, dances, and costumes so that you can feel as if you are one of the Greeks, albeit for a brief period. Join the festival to celebrate the richness of Hellenic culture in Oakland, California!

Oakland Greek Festival

Address: 4700 Lincoln Ave, Oakland, CA 94602

Website: Oakland Greek Festival

Takes place: May

7. Oakland Carnival

The premier Oakland Carnival is known for its scintillating live performances on the stage, an international food court, game zones for the youth, an African marketplace, and a pavilion for salsa and soca dance. Although the festival is relatively new, it has become quite popular because of uniting elements such as culture, wellness, food, dance, and music. The festival showcases musical traditions of various carnivals, including that of North America, Central America, South America, and the Carribean. You can see international artists as well as artists from the local Bay Area performing here.

Oakland Carnival

Address: 4096 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA 94611

Website: Oakland Carnival

Takes place: Usually held in June

8. Black Cowboy Parade & Heritage Festival

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by KQED Truly CA (@kqedtrulyca)

Black Cowboy Parade & Heritage Festival has been celebrated for over four decades in Oakland, California. The festival celebrates the contributions made by the city’s black community. The festivities include an annual parade where people from diverse fields participate with equal energy and enthusiasm every year. The event marks the participation of trick riders, countrywide cowboys, local businesses, community organizations, and schools.

Black Cowboy Parade & Heritage Festival

Address: De Fremery Park, 18th & Adeline, Oakland, CA 94607

Website: Black Cowboy Parade & Heritage Festival

Takes place: October

9. Black Joy Parade

Here is a festival that celebrates the contribution of the black community toward the city and their influences on the local culture. The festival was celebrated in Oakland for the second year in 2019 and was a celebration of creativity and energy. The family-friendly event is free for all and lasts for a day. Black Joy Parade showcases a variety of groups, ranging from motorcycle crews to dance troupes, local politicians to social service organizations and book clubs. The community festival also features a number of vendors, a concert, dance performances, and a kids’ zone.

Black Joy Parade

Address: Oakland, CA 94607

Website: Black Joy Parade

Takes place: February

10. Chinatown Street Festival

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jim Mourgos (@mourgos_freelance)

Chinatown Street Festival is a free-for-the-public, two-day event in Oakland. The festival is celebrated in Chinatown and consists of hundreds of booths. Each year, community organizations and small businesses from across the state participate in the event, showcasing different varieties of delectable delicacies, special services, and Oriental products. The festival also includes two stages for entertainment, art and crafts, and a beautiful cultural village.

Chinatown Street Festival

Address: Broadway, Alice, 13th & 7th Sts, Oakland, CA 94607

Website: Chinatown Street Festival

Takes place: August

Celebrate the vivid festivals of Oakland

Oakland is a city with many charms, but what makes it even more exquisite is its plethora of colorful festivals and events all through the year. To make your task easy, we have compiled the most popular festivals in Oakland, California, so that you can plan your travel well.