The Fun Things To Do On Alameda Island
This article is about fun things to do on Alameda Island is sponsored by San Francisco Bay Ferry – The best way to cross the Bay.
All Photography by Marissa Joy Clark
THE FUN THINGS TO DO ON ALAMEDA ISLAND
Would you like to know how to get from San Francisco to the East Bay in 20 minutes? And never get stuck in traffic, pay a bridge toll, or waste your time circling for parking…
There’s only one way to do it, but there’s a catch, it involves stunning views of the SF skyline and waving to the traffic on the Bay Bridge as you speed under it.
Sipping cold drinks from SF Bay Ferry’s wet bar as you cruise by Yerba Buena Island is pretty sweet, and the craziest caveat is that the trip will only cost you $4.70 one-way.
Actually, there’s a second caveat: you’re going to wish the trip took longer because the SF Bay is simply gorgeous to watch on the water.
We took off on a Saturday from the SF Ferry Building at 12:50 pm and arrived at the Main Street Alameda Ferry Terminal at 1:10 pm. Then it was on to the famed Spirits Alley, which is a 5-minute ride on the FREE Island Hopper Shuttle or a 20-minute walk along the Oakland Estuary. Either way, you can’t lose.
Alameda County has as an average of 261 sunny days per year with an average summer/fall high temperature of 68 degrees…so yeah, walking to any of the spots on this list is a safe bet, and so is getting great views of the Bay.
A List of Alameda Festivals This Summer & Fall can be found at the bottom of this article : )
Now let’s take you through the fun things to do on the west side of Alameda Island…
Spirits Alley
There’s always something going on at Spirits Alley. Not only are there several world-class breweries, wine cellars, and a distillery, but there’s a new outdoor music venue, a new public waterside park, a haunted aircraft carrier that hosts parties, and tons of fun festivals to hit this summer, and fall.
Faction Brewing
We started at Faction Brewing because there was a “Rock & Roll Flea Market” there that day, which meant plenty of live punk & rock music, dozens of clothing vendors, arts, crafts, vinyl record vendors, and of course, all the delicious fresh brewed beer you want.
The Rock & Roll Flea Market
ZouZou Mansour, lead singer and lyricist for the Band ‘Soraia‘ performed at Faction Brewing.
There were tons of fun vendors to check out, and their sunny patio outback has great views of the SF Skyline too,
The Alameda Point Antiques Fair
Photo courtesy Alameda Point Antiques Fair
The Alameda Point Antiques Fair happens every first Sunday on Alameda Point and it’s a 5-minute walk from the Ferry Terminal. It’s also the largest antiques show in Northern California and boasts some 800 dealer booths. All items are 20 years old or older. The fair is the ultimate place to shop for vintage and antique home decorations, clothing, furniture, jewelry, art, pottery, books, and collectibles.
The fair happens every first Sunday in Alameda.
Dashe Cellars & Urban Legend Cellars
Photography by Alex Mak
Dashe Cellars is a family-owned, artisan winery with a nice, shaded patio overlooking the Bay. They have a pop-up food vendor on site as well as live music events. Check their website for events this summer. Urban Legend Cellars, next door Urban Legend Cellars, serves all sorts of great wines too.
A nice patio for eating and drinking comes standard with every venue you visit in Spirit Alley.
Radium Runway
Radium Runway is Alameda Point’s captivating open-air arts hub, where intimate concerts, eclectic festivals, and one-of-a-kind events come to life. Set against a stunning waterfront backdrop, their vibrant new outdoor music venue has a wonderful vibe.
We watched singer-songwriter Sunny War play her folk-punk songs and sipped brews made at Almanac Brewing just a block away. This venue is ideal for all ages, plus they let you use their parasols, chill on the turf, or hit the dance floor (even dogs are welcome).
As part of their SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: JAZZ MAFIA’S GRATEFUL BRASS is going to be jamming there August 17th, and TRUE LOVES w/ Andre Cruz & Chris Lujan are playing September 21st. Tickets are just $20, which is a steal. All summer concert info here.
Almanac Brewing
Photo courtesy Almanac Beer Co.
Almanac Beer Co. brews a delicious range of fresh and barrel-aged beers, has a large busy patio and a bunch of food options too. It’s definitely dog and family-friendly as well.
USS Hornet – Sea, Air and Space Museum
Photo courtesy USS Hornet
The USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum holds community events on board the decommissioned aircraft carrier, from dance parties to kid days. It’s definitely a memorable venue. Check out all the events they’ve got coming up like the History Mystery “After-Hours” Tour and their new Arts and Craft Faire, here,
Seaplane Lagoon Promenade
In the background is “Beken”, 2022, a 32-foot Corten steel sculpture by DeWitt Godfrey on Seaplane Lagoon Promenade.
The new park/promenade is located next to the Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal, which operates on a weekday schedule, and boasts views of Seaplane Lagoon naval ships like the USS Hornet and the San Francisco Bay. It sits across from the Alameda Naval Air Museum and Radium Runway. It’s a waterfront venue that hosts lots of summer festivals, too.
Humble Sea Brewing Co.
Photo courtesy Humble Sea Brewing Co
Humble Sea Brewing Co is the newest brewery at Alameda Point. Lager and West Coast brews are available on draft with plenty of pop-up food options depending on the day. The friendly vibes and decor kind of reminded me of Temescal Brewing in Oakland.
If you get hungry for a sit-down meal you just walk next door to…
Saltbreaker
Photo courtesy Saltbreaker
This joint came highly recommended by Alameda locals. Saltbreaker is the hottest new restaurant on the island, it features California seasonal produce, supports local farmers, and boasts an incredible lineup of ocean-inspired entrees.
Oakland to Alameda Water Taxi
Want to extend your East Bay adventure to Oakland? There’s a new FREE water shuttle running from Alameda Point to Jack London Square. It’s a cute little yellow boat named “Woodstock” after the Alameda neighborhood (although we assumed it was named after the bird from Peanuts, lol).
Shuttles run Wednesday-Sunday about every 10-20 minutes from 8:00am-8:00pm.
Photograph by Alex Mak
We took it from Alameda to Oakland at sunset and hit up Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon for a nightcap.
For more information on Woodstock find the schedule here. And remember, these are just a few of the fun things to do near the Main Street Alameda Ferry Terminal. Alameda has dozens more places to see and venues to drink in. Check out all the fun-looking festivals happening on the island in the coming months…
Alameda Festivals This Summer & Fall
August 10 – Elevate Local Shops: Rock n’ Shop at Faction Brewing
August 11 – USS Hornet Museum First Annual Arts and Craft Faire
August 17 – JAZZ MAFIA’S GRATEFUL BRASS
August 17 – South Seas Swing 2024!
Aug 17 – 18 – Alameda Island Running Festival
Aug – 25 – Caviar Tasting at the St. George Spirits Distillery
Aug 24 – 25 – Electrify Expo North America’s Largest Electric Vehicle Festival
Aug. 31 – Everybody Eats Festival – Fashion & Food Collide
Sept 8 – Alameda Point Antiques Faire
Sept 7–8 and 12, 14–15 – NEON SPEAKS FESTIVAL & SYMPOSIUM
Sept 21: TRUE LOVES w/ Andre Cruz & Chris Lujan at Radium Runway
Sept. 22 – Beer City Alameda, 25 beverage companies serving beer, kombucha, and hard tea.
Sept. 26 – 28 – West End Arts District & Bandaloop present Somewhere to Land, an evening of vertical dance off the side of one of our hangars.
Oct. 19 – Donut Fun Run, a timed, donut-themed 5k race.
Oct. 19 – The IVth Gathering: San Francisco’s World Goth Day Festival
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