#TeenTopics: Free Oakland Fun

Looking for something fun to do for free? Here are some suggestions of places to go. 

PARKS 

Redwood Regional Park What's better than walking in giant trees that are over 100 years old? A great way to relax. You have to pay to park but you can take three different buses to different areas of the park from the Fruitvale Bart Station. 

Photo by Billy Huynh on Unsplash 

Garber John Park You can do an easy 1 mile loop at this forested park behind the Claremont Hotel.  The 36 AC Transit bus will take you there from West Oakland Bart.  

Morcom Rose Garden Stop and smell the roses! Take the 12 bus from downtown down Grand Ave.  

Peralta Hacienda 

Get your history on at this park. The land has changed some since it's inception when the Peraltas here in 1820 when California as it is now was part of Mexico. Take the 20 or 21 bus lines from Fruitvale Bart.  

WALKING  

Walking Tours Walk walk walk! Great exercise and it's always free.  

Some places:  

• Chinatown 
• Lake Merritt  

EVENTS 

First Fridays – every first Friday in Uptown. Lots of art, music, and great people watching. 

Black Joy Parade happens near the end of February. Lots of good people, a fun parade, vendors, and lots of joy.  

Oakland Pride happens in early fall.  A full day of a parade and a festival.  

Black Cowboy Parade happens the first weekend of October. Horses! Lots of cowboys. Marching bands. Find out more at the Black Cowboy Association website.  

LIBRARY  

So many free things available to check out from or at the library. Or to do at the library or through the library.  

• Outdoorsy things    
  • Free State park passes 
  • Park Backpack – complete with compass, binoculars, and more!  
  • Start a garden! Most branches have seed libraries to get you started with a little dirt on  you side 
  • Telescope and other stargazing things – did you know you can check out a telescope from the library? Also there are free nights at Chabot Space and Science Center 
• Games – Many of our branches have board and card games you can play in the library. While away sometime learning a new game or enjoying on you already love. 
• Discover & Go – free museum passes for those 14 and older. 
• Programs – many branches have weekly programs for teens and there are special ones all year round 
• Streaming materials – some great sites to check out accessible for free with your library card in pin number are     
  • Kanopy is for movies 
  • Libby is good for downloadable print & audiobooks 
  • Hoopla is good for downloadable print & audiobooks as well as movies and magazines 
• In summer we have teen summer programming and you can win prizes for doing any of the things listed here.  
• And near the beginning of the year you can apply for the Oakland Youth Poet Laureate program. You can meet other young writers, learn more about your craft, represent the Library at City events, and even win a scholarship! 

Some books and films set in the Bay Area to inspire you!

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Photo Credits:

• Photo by Priyanka Sethy on Unsplash
• Photo by Billy Huynh, opens a new window on Unsplash, opens a new window 
• Photo by Tiffany Chan on Unsplash