Diane Skillman

Kids go wild at the Oakland Zoo! Especially when nose to nose with a giraffe, paw to paw with a tiger, singing with the birds, and hanging with the monkeys. Enjoy a fun day exploring the attractions at a wild kingdom that sprawls across more than one hundred wild acres of natural habitat, home to over 440 native and exotic animals.

Spend some time hanging out at Café Van Kleef. Gather with politicians, artists, entrepreneurs and a host of other very interesting people at a café bar. This nightlife destination is fast becoming the hippest spot to mingle with intellectuals, enjoy elegant drinks, and hear the best from local blues, jazz and contemporary musicians.

You'll get a punch in the mouth at the Eat Real Festival. Beginning on Friday and running through Sunday, more than 100,000 foodie fanatics savor the flavor when sampling an array of local food trucks, street vendors, and DYI demonstrations and workshops serving handcrafted foods, wines, beers and more.