** The following review reflects my experience DURING the COVID-19 pandemic. **…read more I know this wasn't technically the annual Temescal Street Fair, but I don't believe the event on Sunday, October 25, had an actual name. It was referred to as a picnic which made sense if you took advantage of the neighborhood restaurants offering outdoor seating. Jamie W. and I did by having our first real outdoor dining experience together right outside of Daol Tofu & BBQ, a relatively new Korean spot that made an excellent Bo Ssam for two with tables that were properly distanced from each other. Even more than that though, this urban picnic offered us an opportunity to roam the neighborhood and take notice of all the ethnically diverse array of eateries at our own pace. I actually found the absence of mobile amusement rides, performance stages, and free salsa lessons blessings in disguise. This was held in response to Oakland's Flex Streets initiative, where restaurants and shops take over closed blocks for brief periods of time. During these challenging times, I welcome these picnics and hope more are scheduled. RELATED - Exploring Temescal? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2I0RAHj

This is a big Street Fair!! I decided to take BART here, a super convenient way to go, just get…read moreoff at MacArthur station, and it's literally around the corner. I also took my bicycle, lots of bike parking here also. Lots of food choices here, and I like how all the businesses in the area are open also for even more choices. There are 2 music stages, the one at the end had salsa going when I got there, with everybody doing the salsa. Lots to see, buy, and taste, I'll definitely be back!!!

This is an awesome annual street fair featuring a mile-long stretch of vendors and entertainers on…read moreSolano Avenue. Such diverse offerings, it's hard to run out of things to see and do. Rescue pigeons and doves, Berkeley Humane with cats and puppies available for adoption, 3-D Theater tent, karaoke, face & body art, an artisan and art fair, massage tents, magic shows, balloon artists, the Big Bubble People (creating giant bubbles for the kids as well as bubble play), judo demos, taiko drumming performances, lots of dance routines, and plenty of live music entertainment, at least one stage/tent on every block with different bands playing throughout the day, in addition to youth orchestras... and there were a LOT of blocks that seemed to never end (I was planning to watch The Long Walk later that day, and felt like I was actually living it here before even seeing the film). Community organization booths included the Happy Day montessori school and Child Therapy Institute, among others. And there was no shortage of food and drink options to grab a snack or meal, a combination of local brick-and-mortar businesses along the street as well as food trucks and vendor tents serving anything and everything, from mediterranean bites to asian fusion to cajun cuisine, along with classic dishes like pizza, hot dogs, and loaded fries. I picked up lunch from Tante's food stand and enjoyed a delicious hot link and potato-spinach knish. The only downsides to this event were the crowds, making it hard to move around at times, and the parking situation which was difficult in the surrounding neighborhood streets.

Great annual community event. Bring a hat and water if it's a sunny day. There are so many stands…read morerelated to the community businesses and high school organizations, as well as several vendors for food, crafts, cute trinkets. This event has a tradition of happening a week after school starts. Good way to discover the businesses and organizations in Albany/Berkeley.

This annual event is for sure a fun free event, I'd imagine a must-see if you are a kite fanatic…read more Bringing my son for the first time, it was fun for him to see the kites, although he was a little too young to truly appreciate them. :: He's 2.:: I'd say at anytime there were about 10-15 large balloons taking up the skies of Caesar Chavez park and loads of small, more amateur kites. :: Who knew the kite biz was so popular and thriving?:: The festival is in the main grassy area, which was crowded with booths, rides and people, but the main path along the water, no one. We were able to enjoy the walks and the views and then walk into the festival. We rode our bikes and there was ample free bike parking. They had free shuttles which had incredibly long lines. A lot of traffic and high priced parking, but I did see a ton of people walking over the bridge towards 4th St. Overall, a solid kid friendly event that lets you enjoy a beautiful park, the beautiful views, sunshine and some pretty epic kites!

Warm and a fair amount of wind for the kites to fly itself and no need to run to get it up and…read moreself-flying! Breezy day and admirable kites to be looking over the waters and hills here. There are food trucks and jumpy jumpy play area for kids. One can set up campground here for the day if wanted! Family fulfilling fun!

I scored early entry tickets through Yelp and attended my first Bizerkley Fest…read more There were a number of food vendors and some local artisan type vendors as well. I bought some delicious cookies, kale chips, and an African combo platter. All were excellent. I do wish there were some more drink options as there were mainly lemonade stands. And more healthy foods would be a great touch. Overall, I think the cause (to help rescue pitties) is an important one, and I enjoyed seeing the diversity of the attendees supporting vegan eats.

Thanks for the express tickets Yelp :)…read more Gelato stand was the best, and All Pau's "tuna" (Japanese watermelon) poke bowl was refreshingly yummy. Really enjoyed some tofu jerk chicken. Hula dancing was awesome. Enjoyed getting lei'd. Incredibly disappointed that many of the vendors were not ready, took down our name and numbers, and never got back to us. The lines grew too long so we didn't return to those vendors as the wait would had been over an hour. Beer garden didn't have a lot of seats but you could just sit on the side walk/curb.

NARRATIVE Approaching and passing the West Oakland BART…read moreStation giants and giantesses constructed from metal begin to fill the skyline. As the sun sets, fire tongues lick and leap from metal sculptures. Robots lumber and throw flames. Leather pants, and fire tools abound to the marvel and disbelief of the attendees and to the satisfaction of the artists and performers. CONTACT INFORMATION The Crucible 1260 7th Street Oakland, CA 94607 Phone: 510-444-0919 Email: info@thecrucible.org HOURS Wednesday-Saturday, 2nd week in July 8 pm - midnight * Fire & Arts Soiree is held on Saturday. PRICE RANGE Luxurious (but worth it!) or ask to volunteer! SUMMARY After 7 years of watching this flaming spectacle from the freeway and that BART-way I finally decided to volunteer to get a grounds-eye view of the goings-on. From the gorgeous Serpent Mother to the stories upon stories of metal sculpture gods and goddesses surrounded by a flaming garden of spectacle, art, robotics, pyrotechnics, demonstration, and interactivity (DANCE DANCE IMMOLATION!), the entire site is alight with elements that entice and delight all ages. Last night I served as a youth escort and worked with another youth escort to introduce the little 5 years olds to the fire arts and explain how it all worked. Their eyes (as well as mine) opened wide at the wonder of so much fire, noise, music, performances, and characters that abounded on the grounds. The Fire Oddesey combines dance, theater, opera, live and recorded music, humor, acrobatics, aerobatics that filled the bleachers and held the audiences delight. All hail the Fire Arts Festival and the Crucible for an excellent event! SERVICE Awesome. Well organized from the layout to the volunteer experience and the participant logistics. RESTROOMS Port-o-potties with handwashing stations! (Always appreciated.) SUGGESTION More demonstrations of the how these pieces were created or perhaps a pre-festival gallery walk where we can ask the artists how these pieces were created!

So, there were some big improvements to the previous year's FAF. First, it is in a much larger…read morespace. You had to shuttle from Bart this year, but that looked very organized. I drove this year, and parking was very easy and the security for the event was on top of everything. Second, they do have a few new exhibits... not many, but the Pendulum of Fire, which I think is new, just rocked. On Saturday, it did full loops and it was amazing to photograph. Third, they did seem to improve the bathroom and food situations. Now, I'll speak from the photography side of things. First, I would recommend going on the earlier days as it is difficult to maneuver through the Saturday crowds. I love the ease of being able to get credentialed for the event, but you still have to battle people just walking in front of your shot. Since they paid the same price as you, you can't really get upset at it happening, but it did ruin some nice shots. Second, I did feel that I was repeating my shots from last year. The new exhibits were great, but after 2 hours of shooting I felt like I had exhausted my captures. Last, for some reason, I was not as impressed with the stage entertainment as I was last year. I can't really explain. Don't know if it was the acoustics or what, but it just seem to be off. I think I might be in the minority. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kicksaveandabeauty/sets/72157621569257643/

After seeing the Raiders and the 49ers win .-Just Win Baby . It was time for ROA . I jumped in the…read moreWeekend Whip cranked some Black Eyed Peas and rolled to Rockridge . I was able to park on a side street 2 blocks away from the Festival. I street Hiked to ROA and started Wandering the Festival. I was Pleased to see Plenty of People , Plenty of Food Trucks and Booths , Beer Tents and Live Entertainment. I was entranced by Paul's Paella Booth and Got a Seafood Paella from them that was quite Yummy. I then found the Beer tent and got a Adams Black Lager Ale. The Festival is quite Big . Well worth attending . I really like the 57th Street Gallery Stage with the Live Jazz Band . I noticed a lot of Restaurants I haven't been to . Ill remedy that over time LOL. The ROA is a great way to feature the Rockridge Area and Local businesses.

2nd yr to Rockridge Out & About Sun 10/9/11. From Union City Bart on Sundays gotta transfer at…read more19th St & take Pittsburg/Bay Point train. Got there kinda late. Spin the Wheel at Market Hall. Got a Grab Bag w/ Ancho Chicken Rub. Another ticket got a Magnet. Stood in line again the Market Hall Red Bag. Wanted the Gift Certificate but it's too hard to win. Wood Tavern - bought a $7 pastrami sandwich. Very good & filling. With a beer it's $10. Cash only. Window only, restaurant wasn't open. Southie's next door was packed. Food demo - tried a Spinach quiche & some chocolates from Bittersweet Cafe. Trader Joe's had samples of soda drank, peanut butter pretzels, & Jo-Jos Halloween cookie. Lots of food vendors & some food trucks. Worth going every yr!

Only went to this festival in 2023. Things were secretly modern and there was a way of purchasing…read morestuff at it. Didn't stick around for the whole time, but it was worth attending. Hopefully it will return next year.

I've been to the Art & Soul Festival more times than I can remember, way before I started Yelping…read more I remember it starting a few years after they canceled the Festival At The Lake. Lots of food vendors, stages, etc, but the best thing I like about this Festival is the Oakland vibe. Every time I go, it reminds me of Festival At The Lake or Hip-Hop On The Green. Especially near the main stage when the main artists are doing their thing. This year was no different. Yes, the $15 entrance fee and $5 parking was higher than last year, but it was worth it to me, I don't mind paying if I'm enjoying myself. Keep doing you Oakland!!!

D-e-a-a-o, Daylight come and me want go home...at 80, Belafonte is tireless in his humanitarian…read moreefforts as an activist and was the recipient of the first Berkeley Jazz Icon award. And yes, the man graced us with a verse of the song he will eternally be equated with. This tribute was a real treat in the midst of a concert that brought out many artists that we have scarcely seen since the seventies. It was as if time stood still as Randy Crawford belted out 'Street Life', accompanied by Joe Sample. A wave of nostalgia washed over me as Roy Ayers, Jean Carne, Lonnie Liston Smith, Wayne Hendersen and one of my favorite singers, Jon Lucien performed, and still has an amazing rich and deep voice. It seems like yesterday, when we would bring the rice balls, chicken, potato salad, and fruit salad, feasting while we drank in the rich sounds of Grover, Donald Byrd, Pieces of a Dream, Miles, Stanley Clarke, and countless other jazz greats over a 3 day lineup sitting high up on the hill overlooking the tower, the San Francisco bay in the background and feelin' the 420 buzz...yes, those were the days...excuse me while I get out my vinyl and reminisce. update: we lost another great artist...Jon Lucien passed just a few days after this concert...bless you for your gift to us all...RIP