Oakland is an amazingly diverse city, with roots in a range of cultures and traditions. Reflecting this, many annual events are held in Oakland usually but not always centered around Downtown and Lake Merritt.
- 7 Port of Oakland Harbor Tours (Free Harbor Tours), 10 Clay St. The Port of Oakland offers once a month a 90-minute free harbor tour of the Oakland harbor. A free reservation must be made online, reservation opens on the first Monday of each month at 8PM. Harbor tour dates for 2023 are: June 9, July 21, August 11, September 15, October 13. free. (updated May 2023)
- Oakland Art and Soul Weekend, Downtown Oakland. Third weekend in August. Four stages worth of live music, in a city with a long history in the arts. Blues, Jazz, Rap, R&B and Indie performances abound. $50-60 at the gate. (updated Jun 2020)
- Oakland Chinatown Streetfest, Oakland Chinatown, ☏ +1 510 893-8979, fax: +1 510 893-8988, oaklandCTchamber@aol.com. Last weekend of August. A celebration of many cultures. Local bands, singers, demonstrations by local acrobats and even the Shao Lin monks, Taiko drumming, Polynesian dance, all reflecting the amazing diversity of Oakland. Free. (updated Jun 2020)
- Eat Real Fest, Jack London Square, ☏ +1 510 842-0029, info@eatrealfest.com. Second weekend in September. A celebration of food and food culture, especially locally-grown ingredients. A combination county fair, food festival and block party, by their own admission. Entry is free, no food item over $5. (updated Jun 2020)
- Oaktoberfest, MacArthur and Fruitvale (see website for directions), info@oaktoberfest.org. Last weekend of September. The Dimond District's answer to Oktoberfest; biergartens, stuff from local breweries and even a root biergarten for those who want to celebrate without alcohol. $20 and up - see website. (updated Jun 2020)
- Halloween On Piedmont, Piedmont Ave. Last Saturday in October. The entire length of Piedmont Avenue from West MacArthur Blvd. to Pleasant Valley Ave. including Mountain View Cemetery participates in this event. Trick-or-treating is allowed at many of the stores, pumpkin patches, haunted houses, special movies at Piedmont Theater and so on. Security handled by a local biker group. (updated Jun 2020)
- Día de Los Muertos Annual Festival, International Blvd between Fruitvale Avenue and 42nd Avenue. An outdoor festival that draws 100,000 people to celebrate Hispanic history and culture in the Fruitvale neighborhood. Live music, family-friendly games, rides and activities, traditional Latin American artisans, and the altar artistic installations created by community members. October 31. (updated Nov 2021)
