September Magic: Festivals, Pride & Fresh Starts ✨

September has arrived, and with it comes a wave of energy across the East Bay. The first weekend of the month is brimming with music, festivals, outdoor fun, and family-friendly surprises that make it impossible to stay home. Picture yourself dancing at Pride, tasting heirloom apples in the hills, catching live comedy at the Fox, or cozying up for a movie under the stars.

It’s the perfect time to explore, connect, and soak in everything our vibrant communities have to offer. Let’s dive in and make the most of this weekend!

📅 Saturday, September 6, 2025
📍 Fox Theater – 1807 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA
🕒 Doors 7:00 PM; Show 8:00 PM
💵 Tickets ~$73+

Get ready for a genre-defying electronic music experience! Thievery Corporation (with special guest Blockhead) is bringing their North American Tour 2025 to Oakland’s iconic Fox. Expect a high-energy night filled with their signature blend of dub, trip-hop, reggae, and world beats that have electrified audiences for over 25. This all-ages show will have you grooving in your seat and on your feet. Don’t miss the chance to see these legendary DC-based beatmasters turn Telegraph Avenue into a global dance party! (Upgrade available: add Telegraph Room lounge access for an extra treat.)

📅 Saturday, September 6, 2025
📍 Forest Home Farms Historic Park – 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd, San Ramon, CA
🕒 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Grab the kids and head to the farm for a corny good time – literally! Fun on the Farm is a family-friendly program that transports you to the late Victorian era with hands-on crafts and activities. This Saturday’s theme is Corn Painting, where you’ll learn to repurpose husks and cobs into works of art – nothing goes to waste on the farm. Stroll the historic farm grounds, meet the resident farm animals, and let the little ones immerse themselves in old-timey fun. It’s an educational adventure that brings history to life through play and creativity. Best of all, it’s completely free – an a-maize-ing way to spend an afternoon!

📅 Saturday, September 6, 2025
📍 Washington Manor Park – 14900 Zelma St, San Leandro, CA
🕒 7:45 PM – 10:00 PM

End your Saturday with a cozy family movie under the stars! San Leandro’s Outdoor Movie Night is showing “The Wild Robot,” a heartwarming animated tale about a shipwrecked robot who learns to care for an orphaned gosling. Spread out a blanket on the grass at Washington Manor Park and enjoy the film as dusk settles. There will be plenty of feel-good moments and opportunities to cuddle up with your loved ones. The movie starts at 7:45 PM, but you might want to come early with a picnic and flashlights for after-dark fun. This community movie night is free for all ages, so load up on snacks and get ready for an evening of cinematic magic under the open sky.

📅 Saturday, September 6, 2025
📍 West Oakland Farm Park – 2847 Peralta St, Oakland, CA
🕒 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
💵 Free

Spend a delightful morning at West Oakland Farm Park, where urban farming meets family fun. This 1.5-acre community park has it all: a working farm, a playground, and yes – friendly chickens to visit! Kids can play in the farm-themed playhouse and clamber on the playground’s slides and bridges, then wander through rows of vegetables and flowers to see how food is grown. It’s a great opportunity to teach little ones about sustainability and nature while they have a blast. The park is open to the public and free to enter during these hours. Pack a picnic, say hello to the hens, and enjoy some green space in the city at this hands-on urban oasis.

📅 September 6–7, 2025 (Saturday & Sunday)
📍 Castro Valley Blvd & Redwood Rd, Castro Valley, CA
🕒 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Sat); 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Sun)

Kick off autumn at the Castro Valley Fall Festival, a two-day extravaganza of food, fun, and family entertainment in the heart of Castro Valley. The boulevard transforms into a lively street fair, packed with awesome local vendors, a kids’ zone, and live music on stage throughout the day. Snack on tasty treats from food booths as you browse handmade crafts and community displays. Little ones will love the rides and games, while grown-ups can enjoy live bands and maybe a cold beer in the sun. It’s a community celebration with something for everyone – and with free admission, you can swing by both days to double your fall fun. Don’t forget to check out the classic car show and the pie-eating contest! 🍁

📅 Sunday, September 7, 2025
📍 Garin Regional Park – 1320 Garin Ave, Hayward, CA
🕒 10:00 AM – 2:00
💵 Free (💡 $5 parking fee per vehicle)

Take a bite out of local history at the Garin Apple Festival, a beloved annual tradition in the Hayward hills. Set in the historic Garin apple orchard, this festival invites you to sink your teeth into autumn with heirloom apple tastings, hand-cranked ice cream, and old-fashioned cider pressing. There will be orchard tours, live folk music, and nature crafts for the kids – all in a beautiful park setting surrounded by rolling hills. It’s a drop-in program, no registration needed. Learn about vintage apple varieties (and maybe take home a few) while the kiddos enjoy games from the 1880s and meet farm animals. The event is free to attend; just pay for parking at the park entrance. Come enjoy the crisp fall air, crunchy apples, and country cheer at this local harvest celebration!

📅 Sunday, September 7, 2025
📍 Broadway & 20th St, Downtown Oakland, CA
🕒 Parade 11:00 AM; Festival 12:00–6:00 PM
💵 $20 adults, $15 seniors, $10 youth (13–20), Free < 12

In Unity, We Thrive! Come out for the 15th Annual Oakland Pride Parade and Festival, the East Bay’s biggest LGBTQ+ celebration. The day kicks off with a fabulous parade at 11 AM, marching from Broadway & Grand down to 20th Street with floats, dancers, and contingents showing off every color of the rainbow. After the parade, join thousands at the Pride Festival (noon to 6 PM) in the heart of downtown – a family-friendly party featuring multiple stages (headliners CeCe Peniston and Martha Wash are set to slay the Mainstage!), a Latin stage, a T-Dance stage, and hundreds of vendors and community booths. Enjoy global food flavors, dance to live music and DJ sets, and browse crafts and resources in an atmosphere of love and acceptance. The parade is free to watch for all, and festival tickets support Oakland’s LGBTQ+ community (kids under 12 enter free!). Whether you’re LGBTQ+ or an ally, Oakland Pride is all about coming together, being yourself, and celebrating diversity. Happy Pride, Oakland! 🏳️‍🌈

📅 Sunday, September 7, 2025
📍 Oakland Aviation Museum – 8252 Earhart Rd, Oakland, CA
🕒 11:00 AM – 4:00
💵 $10–$18 (ages 4 & under free)

Aviators of all ages, prepare for takeoff – it’s Open Cockpit Day at the Oakland Aviation Museum! Ever wonder what it’s like to sit in a fighter jet or a vintage plane? Today’s your chance: climb inside the cockpits of historic aircraft like the A-7 Corsair, A-4 Skyhawk, and even a Mig-15 fighter. There’s a massive Short Solent Flying Boat open for walkthrough tours (a rare treat, with an extra fee). Besides the planes, enjoy family activities: flight simulators (small fee), model aircraft exhibits, live music from a local band, and yummy food by Alfredo’s Mexican Food truck on site. The Oakland Fire Department will bring a crash truck for kids to explore, and you’ll even see a display of a Tesla Cybertruck alongside WWII propeller planes – talk about past meets future! This special event happens only a few times a year. Bring the family, bring your curiosity, and get ready to take flight (in your imagination, at least)! Pilot hats optional.

📅 Sunday, September 7, 2025
📍 4th & Howard (outside Children’s Creativity Museum), San Francisco, CA
🕒 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
💵 Free

Ten Bay Area science & tech museums are teaming up to throw a giant science playground in the heart of SF! ConnectFest 2025 is a FREE outdoor family science festival hosted by the Children’s Creativity Museum, and it’s open to curious kids and adults from all over. Come try hands-on experiments and STEM activities from the Bay’s top science centers – launch paper helicopters, fly balsa gliders, and explore the power of solar flares. There’s live music by Grammy-winning kids’ superstars the Alphabet Rockers to get everyone dancing, sweet treats from local vendors, and even a 37-year-old rescued bald eagle named Sequoia to meet (!). Located at 4th and Howard in SoMa, it’s the perfect chance for East Bay families to pop over the bridge and spend a few hours playing, learning, and connecting through science. This festival will ignite your child’s imagination – and you might have a blast, too. Pro tip: Make it a day in the city with a carousel ride or museum visit after the fest wraps up.

📅 Sunday, September 7, 2025
📍 Fox Theater – 1807 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA
🕒 7:00 PM (Doors 6:00 PM)
💵 Tickets ~$59+

Instagram-famous comedian and podcaster Hannah Berner is bringing her raunchy, side-splitting stand-up show to Oakland! Known from Bravo’s Summer House and her viral social media sketches, Hannah serves up an uncensored night of comedy on her “None of My Business” tour. Expect hot takes on dating, feminism, mental health, and all the things we’re all thinking but not saying, delivered with Berner’s signature Brooklyn sass and millennial energy. The historic Fox Theater will be buzzing with laughter as Hannah interacts with the crowd and maybe even spills some reality TV tea. It’s the ultimate date night or girls’ night out for those who love sharp, relatable humor that pulls no punches. Grab your tickets and get ready to laugh until your cheeks hurt – this show is definitely her business!

📅 Sunday, September 7, 2025
📍 Raimondi Park – 1689 20th St, Oakland, CA
🕒 4:35 PM
💵 Tickets $10–$35

Take the family out to the old ballgame and cheer on the Oakland Ballers, our own hometown professional baseball team! In just their second season, the Ballers have been lighting up the independent Pioneer League (they’ve already clinched a playoff spot!). This Sunday, they face off against the Great Falls Voyagers in an afternoon showdown that promises plenty of action. Raimondi Park will host all the fun of minor-league baseball: think up-close views, goofy between-inning entertainment, and a chill community vibe where the players might high-five fans after a big win. It’s Fan Appreciation Day, so expect special goodies or promotions for the crowd. Tickets are affordable, and ballpark snacks like hot dogs and churros are calling your name. Come support Oakland’s boys of summer as they swing for the fences – it’s affordable, family-friendly, and a home run of a Sunday outing! ⚾

An eerie legend lurks in Benicia’s historic downtown… This quiet waterfront city (founded in 1847) is one of California’s oldest – and, according to many, one of its most haunted.

The most infamous haunted spot is the Union Hotel on First Street. By day, this beautifully preserved 1852 inn charms guests with antique décor and Victorian elegance. But when the sun goes down, the atmosphere shifts – guests and staff alike have reported ghostly encounters. The most famous spirit is said to be “Ann Marie,” a young woman who died tragically in the 1800s. Her forlorn ghost is often seen 👀 gazing out from upstairs windows, perhaps still waiting for her lost love. Others have heard phantom music 🎶 or spotted a mysterious woman in a wedding dress drifting silently through the dining room.

Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, you can experience these chilling tales firsthand. Join the Spooky Boos Ghost Walk this fall to hear all about Benicia’s spirited past while strolling the very streets where history refuses to rest. 🎃👻

🍽️ LOCAL FLAVOR

Perched right on the Carquinez Strait, Bella Siena brings together jaw-dropping waterfront views and the cozy elegance of an Italian countryside villa. The moment you step in, you’re greeted by warm Tuscan-inspired décor, a buzzing bar scene, and a dining room filled with the aromas of garlic, basil, and simmering sauces. It’s the kind of place where date nights turn unforgettable and family dinners feel like a celebration.

On the menu? Think handcrafted pastas, perfectly seared steaks, fresh seafood, and decadent house-made desserts – each plate a love letter to Italian tradition with a modern twist. Pair it all with a glass (or bottle!) from their carefully curated wine list, and you’ve got the recipe for an East Bay evening done right. Whether you’re catching the sunset over the water or toasting to the weekend with friends, Bella Siena is where you go when you want flavor, atmosphere, and a little dolce vita magic all in one night.

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As this weekend winds down, remember the East Bay always has another adventure around the corner – from concerts and Pride celebrations to small-town festivals and cozy nights under the stars. However you spend your days, here’s to soaking up the spirit of September and carrying that energy with you into the week ahead.

Stay local & stay inspired,

Ryan DeAmaral

Co-Writer, Twin Oaks Insider

[email protected]