The City of Oakland, Visit Oakland, and Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Invite Everyone to Enjoy the Holiday Season in Oakland
Oakland, CA – The Joy to The Town holiday campaign encourages Oakland residents and visitors to enjoy fun and festive events and support local businesses as they celebrate the season. Known as a diverse city filled with creative energy, Oakland is home to numerous venues hosting holiday events, and small businesses and shops that are signature to The Town. These hidden gems are found in each of Oakland’s distinctive neighborhoods. From artisan baked goods to hand crafted maker creations, local fashion, vintage treasures, foodie finds, and eclectic shops filled with unique gifts – Oakland is the place to find the perfect present for someone special.
With vibrant art, live music performances, holiday shows, local markets, family-friendly activities and an award-winning dining scene – Oakland’s community welcomes everyone to The Town this holiday season. Oakland experiences also make great gifts! Experiential gift giving with certificates for art tours, cooking classes, concert tickets, reservations for amazing culinary adventures, and hotel stays are a wonderful way to customize a gift for someone special.
“Oakland was recently voted one of the Top 10 Best Small Cities in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler readers because of our history, diverse culture, ideal location, and welcoming community” stated Peter Gamez, President and CEO of Visit Oakland. “The holidays are a wonderful time to visit Oakland and experience the warmth and genuine spirit that make The Town so special. With numerous festive events, it’s the perfect opportunity to stay overnight and enjoy all that Oakland has to offer.”
HERE ARE JUST A FEW WAYS TO EXPERIENCE JOY TO THE TOWN . . .
LIGHT UP THE HOLIDAYS
With Tree lightings at Jack London Square on Saturday, November 29th and the Claremont Club & Spa on Wednesday, December 3rd, and the return of Glowfari at the Oakland Zoo through Sunday, January 25th – The Town shines bright throughout the holidays!
SHOP FESTIVE HOLIDAY MARKETS
Discover handmade crafts, delectable treats, coffee and more as our Oakland community holiday markets share gifts and goods that will delight every shopper. Start the holidays with the Joy to the Town! Holiday Market, taking place Saturday, December 6th at Jack London Square. This free, family-friendly event brings the community together for a day filled with shopping, skating, and amazing live music including the Ray Obiedo Latin Jazz Ensemble featuring beloved Oakland legend Pete Escovedo. There will also be Santa visits with free professional keepsake photos and lots of holiday cheer. The fun continues with the 8TH Annual Black Holiday Shopping Experience featuring Oakland’s Black owned businesses on Sunday, December 7th. Children’s Fairyland hosts their Adults-Only Holiday Night Market on Friday, December 12th and on Sunday, December 14th the annual Oakland Coffee Market shares delicious cups of joy at the historic Rotunda Building.
TASTE YOUR WAY THROUGH THE TOWN
Voted the #1 Best Food City in the U.S., Oakland’s culinary and cocktail scene is diverse and delicious! Restaurants and bars in every neighborhood will be serving incredible bites and sips ideal for celebrating the season. Enjoy events like the Joy to The Town Restaurant & Bar Holiday Hop on Friday, December 5th, the Black Vines Wine Dinner with Chef Nelson German at alaMar on Sunday, December 7th and so much more.
ENJOY THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Oakland is home to numerous music venues including the historic Paramount and Fox theaters, Yoshi’s, and New Parrish - just to name a few. The music genres shared in The Town are as diverse as Oakland’s culture. The holidays welcome performances from top artists including Sheila E. Friday, November 28th through Sunday, November 30th, John Legend Tuesday, December 9th, Con Funk Shun Friday, December 19th, and many more. The Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir hosts their 40th Annual Holiday Concert: Hope In Harmony on Saturday, December 6th, the Oakland Gay Men’s Chorus presents “Make the Yuletide Gay!” on Friday, December 12th and Saturday, December13th and the Oakland Symphony’s Let Us Break Bread Together – a tribute to Whitney Houston takes place on Sunday, December 14th.
STOMP, DANCE, & CELEBRATE
STOMP celebrates its 30th anniversary touring North America! Matchboxes, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, and more fill the stage with energizing beats at STOMP: the inventive and invigorating stage show that’s dance, music, and theatrical performance blended together in one electrifying rhythm. STOMP performances take place Saturday, December 6th and Sunday, December 7th at the historic Henry J. Kaiser Auditorium. Graham Lustig’s Nutcracker is Celebrating Six Decades of Dance on Saturday, December 20th and Sunday, December 21st. The spirit of the holidays is shared with beautiful dancing, magnificent scenery and imaginative costumes. The Oakland Symphony along with the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir bring Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score to life.
VISIT THE CLAUS FAMILY
Cookie Decorating with Mrs. Claus on Wednesday, December 3rd at the Claremont, Photos with Santa at the Joy to The Town festival Saturday, December 6th, and Cruises with Santa on the U.S.S. Potomac on Sunday, December 14th are just a few of the places you can hang out with our North Pole pals!
UPCYCLE & GO VINTAGE
Oakland is home to 40+ incredible vintage shops that feature fashion, vinyl records, retro housewares, locally produced jewelry and beauty products, candles, and so much more. Discover The Town’s treasures on a self-guided tour of all things vintage.
GIVE A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE
Buying a gift card is a lovely way to choose a personalized experience for friends and family. Think art classes, history tours, spa treatments, award winning dining, concerts, movies, hotel stays and more. The possibilities are truly endless in Oakland.
RELAX, STAY AWHILE, & GET FREE TICKETS TO AMAZING EVENTS
Oakland has more than 40 hotels from historic icons and sleek contemporary urban oases to family friendly hotels and chic boutique properties. With an array of hotels to choose from, there is a place for everyone to call home. When guests stay two nights at one of our Oakland hotels, they receive two tickets to either Glowfari at the Oakland Zoo, the 40th Annual Interfaith Gospel Choir concert, or the Oakland Symphony’s Let Us Break Bread Together – a tribute to Whitney Houston. Oakland hotels host festive events and give locals and visitors more reasons to stay and enjoy all that The Town has to offer! Book a hotel stay today!
The Joy to The Town holiday season promotion is a partnership between the City of Oakland, Visit Oakland and the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.
To learn more about Joy to The Town and explore the event calendar, online small business directories, and shopping resources go to VisitOakland.com/holidays/. #joytothetown #visitoakland #oaklandloveit
About Visit Oakland
Visit Oakland is a non-profit organization marketing Oakland, California as a travel destination. Visit Oakland offers a wide variety of complimentary services and materials for travelers interested in visiting Oakland. For more information, check out visitoakland.com. Want to share the Oakland love with the world? Follow @visitoakland on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, and LinkedIn. #visitoakland #oaklandloveit
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