By Tamara Palmer
The sixth annual edition of Oakland’s majorly cool Eat Real Fest is back in Jack London Square from September 19–21, which means the Town is practically giving you permission to start your weekend early on Friday. With hundreds of street food items available for $8 or less and seven different craft food and beverage-themed pavilions to graze, there’s a lot to explore at this event, which is organized by Oakland’s Food Craft Institute.
Arrive early
Eat Real Fest runs from 1–9 p.m. on Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, and 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Don’t be the one Instagramming the ridiculous lines that may form around your favorite foods between 1–3 p.m.; be the one Instagramming your delicious dish that you probably acquired with a minimal wait time earlier or later.
Don’t drive
Ride your bike, take BART and the free Broadway shuttle, or cruise on the ferry from San Francisco or South San Francisco. If you do insist on driving, for heaven’s sake go back to the first tip and arrive early; the Jack London Square parking lot is not very big and will fill up quickly.
Bring a water bottle
The law of past Eat Reals dictates that it’s probably going to be hot and you are probably going to be thirsty. Bring a water bottle and take advantage of the free hydration stations. And not to be your mom or anything, but some sunscreen might be a good idea too.
Strategize in advance
Study the schedule to see if you might want to join the daily Pickle Party, learn how to bake a pie, brew some kombucha, or partake in several other skill-oriented workshops and gatherings within the festival.
Split up with your friends
This is a pro tip that will be especially awesome if you are at Eat Real during peak hours. Don’t wait with your friends in the same line; split up and double down on the food you’ll be eating.
Eat these recommended dishes
The caliber of vendors is high and you’ll find much to consider, but here are a few picks. Items calculated to make your tummy happy include wildly flavored popsicles from Davis’ Fat Face, Peking duck pizza from San Francisco restaurant Mozzeria, rice burgers from Berkeley’s KoJa Kitchen, potsticker burritos from Oakland’s Hella Vegan Eats, red beans and rice and other Southern fare from Souley Vegan (which has a restaurant nearby if you fall in love), banh mi from SF pop-up Rice Paper Scissors and whatever animal is cooking up from chef John Fink’s catering company The Whole Beast.
Photos: crowd shot by Joon Oh, Rice Paper Scissors photo (above) by Mona Wong, and Koja Kitchen (top) by Philip Yip
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