This weekend (August 27-29) on the waterfront in Oakland, the Eat Real Festival encourages people to “Eat it. Make it. Grow it.” With a focus on sustainable food, eating healthy and eating quickly, this is a street food fair unlike any you’ve experienced.
In its third year in Oakland, the Eat Real Festival takes place on Jack London Square starting on Friday afternoon and running through Sunday. Each day features street food, beer and wine, a literary festival, music, food craft and an urban homesteading zone. Friday (2-9PM) is highlighted by an Ice Cream Social while Saturday (10:30AM-9PM) will showcase a butchery contest. The festival wraps up on Sunday at 5pm.
For beer lovers, the attraction to watch for is the Beer Shed. This former shipping container has been converted into a refrigeration unit with 30 taps on the outside to serve cold beer and revolutionize the concept of beer at festivals. Unveiled at last year’s Eat Real Festival, the beer shed provides all the selection and variety of a beer festival in a footprint that allows for so much more to happen around it.
Those looking to sample beer from the shed can purchase a souvenir mason jar and drink tickets. Drink tickets are good for non-alcoholic beverages as well as wine and beer. Alcoholic beverages will cost 2 tickets while those not containing alcohol will cost one, so feel free to invite a designated driver to keep the roads safe.
If a designated driver isn’t available, look into staying at the Oakland Marriott City Center. As the hospitality sponsor, the Marriott is offering discounted rates for the weekend. This way you can have fun at the festival and not have to worry about getting back to Sonoma County.
Admission to the festival is free. For directions and more information on discounted hotel rates, the Eat Real Festival’s webpage is a great source of information, including a full schedule of events for the weekend.
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