Friday Nights at OMCA: Noise Pop Vinyl Celebration | Oakland
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OMCA (Oakland Museum of California) | 1000 Oak Street Oakland, CA 94607
Event Details
Submitted by the Event Organizer
“Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid” Block Party + DJs (Oakland)
The Town’s favorite block party, Friday Nights at OMCA, is back for the 2026 season, inviting the Bay to kick off the weekend with the crew—whether family, friends, or neighbors. Join us every Friday, April–October, at 5 pm for a free evening of live music, interactive activities, Off the Grid food trucks, and, with a Museum ticket, exclusive late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions. Limited flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage for $10.
Friday Nights at OMCA are back and ready to kick off the season in style on April 3, 2026.
Fuel your night with a rotating lineup of Off the Grid food trucks stationed along 10th Street between Oak and Fallon Streets, serving up bold flavors and local favorites. Inside, near the Koi Pond, purchase beer, wine, cocktails, and refreshing non-alcoholic options to sip while exploring. In the Garden, picnic tables, blankets, and a dazzling view of Lake Merritt welcome you to settle in with your meal. With games, engaging museum programs, and a vibrant community atmosphere, it’s the perfect setting for making memories marked with unmistakable Oakland energy, week after week.
Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid
Between April and October, every Friday, 5-9 pm
Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., Oakland
FREE (for food truck access and outdoor activities)– Optional late-night museum admission for purchase
How To Get There
- BART: OMCA is at the corner of Oak and 10th Street and is located one block from the Lake Merritt BART Station.
- AC Transit: OMCA is accessible by a number of AC Transit bus lines. OMCA is at the corner of Oak and 10th Street. An accessibility ramp is located at the main entrance on Oak Street between 10th and 11th. For more information, visit actransit.org.
- Free Bike Parking: Free, on-street bike parking is available outside the Oak Street entrance to the Museum. Limited free covered bike parking is available in the OMCA Garage during garage hours, and on Oak Street Plaza, which is on the third level of the Museum, during Museum hours
- Street Parking: Free street parking of often available.
- Garage Parking: Event parking is available at the Museum Garage, with a $10 flat fee starting at 5 pm.
- Get Driving Directions
The main highlight of July 18th’s event at Oakland Friday Nights is a special panel discussion on the history of vinyl LPs.
Decades after records were declared dead media by the mainstream, the vinyl revival has broken through to popular consciousness. But for many musicians, visual artists, designers, and fans, vinyl’s visceral power has never disappeared. In this energetic panel discussion, presented in collaboration with Boing Boing and Noise Pop, Boing Boing editor David Pescovitz and a panel of legends from the worlds of art, design, and music will discuss why we still yearn to put the needle on the record.
Guests include:
- Boing Boing editor David Pescovitz
- Nick Harmer, bassist, Death Cab for Cutie
- Winston Smith, legendary punk artist for Dead Kennedys, Green Day, and Alternative Tentacles
- Lawrence Azerrad, designer of iconic albums by Wilco, Miles Davis, and the Beach Boys
Oakland Museum of California Special Events | July 18
- 5–9 pm: Half-off gallery admission for adults, free for ages 18 and under
- 5–9 pm: Local beer and wine specials in the Blue Oak beer garden
- 5–9 pm: All Museum galleries open late
- 5–9 pm: Gourmet food trucks from Off the Grid featuring the best in local cuisine: get the weekly list here
- 5–6:30 pm: July resident Vinyl DJ Surya Dub Crew spinning hits in the 10th Street Amphitheater
- 5–8 pm: Family-friendly drop-in activity: summer pinwheel-making
- 6:30–7 pm: Pop-up talk in the Gallery of California Art with artist Carrie Hott on whales
- 6:30–9 pm: Dance instruction and live performance with Samba Funk in the 10th Street Amphitheater
- 7–8:30 pm: Talk, Play, and Sip, an in-gallery discussion in the exhibition Vinyl, this week with a panel of special guests from Boing Boing and Noise Pop
- 7:30–7:45 pm: A Snack Size Docent Tour, a fifteen-minute mini-tour led by a talented OMCA Docent to introduce you one of the Galleries—you won’t know which until the tour begins.
Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.
Cost: $7.50*
