The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) recently announced the renewal of Friday Nights at OMCA. The popular weekly Friday night series from 5-9 p.m. is presented in partnership with Off the Grid. Featuring extended museum hours and half-price admission for adults, free admission for ages 18 and under, Friday Nights @ OMCA also features special in-gallery programming, a cash bar from Blue Oak café, live music, dancing, food demonstrations, hands-on workshops, free drop-in family friendly activities and more. Favorite food trucks will return in 2014, along with an influx of new flavors and cuisines from Off the Grid’s vendors.
The popular Friday Nights @ OMCA series runs from 5-9 p.m. and offers half-price admission for adults and free admission for ages 18 and under. The event is presented in partnership with Off the Grid, an organization that brings together various high-quality street food vendors in one space. Photo by Marc Fiorito courtesy of Off the Grid
BC Staff Report
Published: April, 2014
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) recently announced the renewal of Friday Nights at OMCA. The popular weekly Friday night series from 5-9 p.m. is presented in partnership with Off the Grid. Featuring extended museum hours and half-price admission for adults, free admission for ages 18 and under, Friday Nights @ OMCA also features special in-gallery programming, a cash bar from Blue Oak café, live music, dancing, food demonstrations, hands-on workshops, free drop-in family friendly activities and more. Favorite food trucks will return in 2014, along with an influx of new flavors and cuisines from Off the Grid’s vendors.
"By the end of 2013, we had welcomed nearly 100,000 visitors to Friday Nights @ OMCA in the program’s inaugural year," said OMCA’s Cynthia Taylor. "We’re proud to have been named ‘Most Authentically Oakland Weekly Event’ by East Bay Express, and one of ‘12 Hot Outdoor Places to Dine and Drink in the East Bay Right Now’ by Zagat. With 2013’s success, we’re thrilled to welcome back Off the Grid and other partners to OMCA for another great year of fun, food and museum-quality Fridays."
Off the Grid began in June 2010 with the simple idea that grouping street food vendors together would create an experience that would allow neighbors to connect with friends, and families to reconnect with each other. Since then, Off the Grid has worked hard to develop markets that are located in urban cores of cities, and that utilize spaces that are not easily activated effectively throughout the day. Currently, Off the Grid operates 25 markets in the greater Bay Area, and works with over 180 vendors weekly. At its core, Off the Grid believes in the power of a shared food experience to connect communities.
The Oakland Museum of California brings together collections of art, history and natural science under one roof to tell the extraordinary stories of California and its people. OMCA’s groundbreaking exhibits tell the many stories of California with many voices, often drawing on first-person accounts by people who have shaped California’s cultural heritage. Visitors are invited to actively participate in the Museum as they learn about the natural, artistic and social forces that affect the state and investigate their own role in both its history and its future. With more than 1.8 million objects, OMCA is a leading cultural institution of the Bay Area and a resource for the research and understanding of California’s dynamic cultural and environmental heritage.
OMCA offers onsite underground parking and is conveniently located one block from the Lake Merritt BART station, on the corner of 10th Street and Oak Street. The accessibility ramp is located at the new 1000 Oak Street main entrance. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays. Parking at the Museum Garage is a $5 flat fee starting at 5 p.m. Friday Nights @ OMCA is made possible in part by generous support from the Walter & Elise Hass Fund.
By the time the live band begins at 7 p.m., dancing is well underway during Friday Nights @ OMCA. Photo by Shaun Roberts courtesy of Oakland Museum of California
