Oakland Greek Festival — Greek food & music

The Oakland Greek Festival opened Friday, May 15, at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension in Oakland for a three-day run of food, music, dance and church-centered cultural programming. Visit Oakland lists the event at 4700 Lincoln Avenue, with hours of 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults, while children 12 and under are free, according to Visit Oakland and the family-events site 510 Families. The festival is one of the East Bay’s recurring spring cultural events, and the East Bay Times reported Friday that it dates to 1972. The paper said this year’s edition includes three dining formats, live music, dancing and cathedral tours. Visit Oakland describes the event as a public celebration of Greek food, costumes, dances and history hosted on the cathedral grounds. (visitoakland.com) ### Where is the festival and when can people go? The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension is hosting the festival at 4700 Lincoln Avenue in Oakland. Visit Oakland and 510 Families list the same weekend schedule: Friday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Greekend, an events listing focused on Greek festivals, published the same dates and hours for the 2026 event. (eastbaytimes.com) Friday, May 15, is the opening day, and Sunday, May 17, is the closing day. That places the event squarely in the current weekend rather than later in the month. ### How much does it cost to get in? Visit Oakland lists general admission at $5 for adults and says children 12 and under are free. 510 Families repeats the same pricing and notes that advance entrance tickets are available. (visitoakland.com) An Eventbrite listing for “OAKLAND GREEK FESTIVAL 2026” also identifies the cathedral as the venue and the festival as the organizer. A separate events listing on AllEvents says multi-day options were also offered, including $8 for two days and $12 for three days. Visit Oakland’s annual-event page lists the $8 two-day ticket but does not mention a three-day option in the excerpt available through search results. ### What is on offer once people are inside? (visitoakland.com) Visit Oakland says the festival features authentic Greek food, costumes, dances and other programming tied to Greek culture and history. The East Bay Times reported that this year’s event includes three types of dining experiences, live music, dancing and cathedral tours. The Greekend listing describes it as an annual celebration of Greek culture with cuisine, music, dancing and cultural performances. (allevents.in) The festival’s public-facing descriptions frame it as a family-oriented event. 510 Families includes it in its Bay Area family calendar, and Alameda Kids lists the same May 15-17 dates, $5 adult admission and free entry for children under 12. ### What should visitors know about parking and getting there? 510 Families says free parking is available at the Mormon Temple, Ability Now Bay Area and Head-Royce School, with free shuttle service to and from those locations. (visitoakland.com) The same listing says premium parking in the parking pavilion costs $30 and is cashless. Visit Oakland says rideshare drop-off and pick-up is on Lincoln Avenue by the outdoor elevator next to the garage. (510families.com) That gives visitors an alternative to festival parking lots and shuttle stops. ### Where can readers check details before they go? Visit Oakland’s event page says the festival continues through Sunday, May 17, at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension. (510families.com) The 510 Families listing points readers to OaklandGreekFestival.com for tickets and additional logistics, while Eventbrite carries the 2026 ticket page under the festival’s name. (visitoakland.com)