Join us for Gallery Chats, an opportunity to chat with and ask questions of our enthusiastic and knowledgeable OMCA Facilitators.
Admission ticket required
Events
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Upcoming Events
35 events found.
Calendar of Events
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Every first Sunday of the month, General Admission to OMCA’s Galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences is free and tickets to Special Exhibitions in our Great Hall are offered at a discounted price of $6.
Free
Walk through OMCA’s landmark building and gardens with members of the Council on Architecture.
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Settle into the warm, after-hours glow of the 2026 ThursDates season with a signature cocktail, laid-back beats from DJ China G, and the kind of unhurried energy that allows connection and creativity to flourish. This Thursday, DJ China G will be setting a groove-worthy atmosphere in Town Fare for a Mahjong (麻将) game night, all while Sketchboard Co. hosts enchanting unrestricted live figure drawing sessions in the Gallery of California Art. Models Paz Hidalgo and Quinn animate each session, bringing gentle butoh dance and experimental movements to their poses.
Admission ticket required
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Join Mewuk basket weaver Jennifer Bates for a special basketry demonstration and conversation exploring the artistry, techniques, and traditions of California Native basketmaking. Jennifer will share her personal practice, discuss the plants and materials used in traditional basketry, and walk audiences through key steps of gathering, cleaning, splitting, and preparing materials. Enjoy an up-close look at her artistry, learn the difference between twined and coiled techniques, and take part in a lively Q&A.
$1 – $30
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Calling all nature lovers and the nature-curious! For this month’s installment of Member Tours at OMCA, come in your walking shoes ready to explore the wonders of Oakland’s natural history. Join us for a special nature walk led by OMCA’s Curator of Natural Science, Ryder Diaz.
Free for Members
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In this introductory workshop, led by Jennifer Bates (Northern Sierra Mewuk) and her apprentice, Jeannette Innerarity (Ione Band of Miwok), attendees will explore basketry materials, learn foundational techniques, and be guided through weaving a basket base. All materials will be provided. This intimate workshop emphasizes close instruction, cultural context, and an opportunity to learn directly from two experienced weavers.
$10
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Slip into the easy cadence of ThursDates with an evening that blends music, flavor, and community. Begin by exploring a curated tasting from Black Vines*, featuring wines crafted by Black-owned wineries, paired with tasty bites from Town Fare. As you wander, DJ Mark DiVita sets a smooth, soulful backdrop that gently fills the cafe. Later, settle in for an intimate set by acclaimed singer-songwriter Diana Gameros, joined by Patrick Wolff on clarinet and saxophone, offering reflective melodies rooted in stories of home and belonging. It’s a night designed for lingering conversations, quiet discoveries, and the pleasure of experiencing art, music, and culture at your own pace.
Admission ticket required
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Join us for Gallery Chats, an opportunity to chat with and ask questions of our enthusiastic and knowledgeable OMCA Facilitators.
Admission ticket required
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OMCA’s Spotlight Sundays is excited to continue our Community Conversations series. The year’s installment will explore radical public imagining. In alignment with OMCA’s special exhibition, Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain, project partners will include Dominique Walker and Alia Phelps of Moms4Housing, Brandi T. Summers of Archive of Urban Futures, and June Grant of blink!LAB architecture. Through performance, interactive engagement, movement, and conversation, this immersive experience will examine what it means to build our muscles for audacious dreaming during difficult times. Please join us for this inspiring event!
$1 – $30
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Unwind in the gentle pulse of ThursDates at OMCA with a signature cocktail and smooth beats from DJ Mark DiVita, setting the perfect backdrop for a relaxed evening of creativity and connection. This Thursday, make new connections with a “Spaces of Belonging” trivia night in Town Fare, while Sketchboard Co. hosts uninstructed live figure drawing sessions in the Gallery of California Art.
Admission ticket required
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Join us for Gallery Chats, an opportunity to chat with and ask questions of our enthusiastic and knowledgeable OMCA Facilitators.
Admission ticket required
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1 event,
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Organized by the Oakland Museum Women’s Board (OMWB), the White Elephant Sale is the largest rummage sale in Northern California and the biggest annual fundraising event benefiting the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA). The sale returns for the 2026 season, starting with its Preview Sale on January 25, 10 am–3 pm, and running through the beginning of March.
$50
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Don’t miss the 67th Annual White Elephant Sale’s Open Warehouse Days! Join us for this beloved Bay Area tradition and the largest rummage sale in Northern California. Browse without the crowds on select days between January 29 and February 21, between 10 am and 2 pm. New merchandise will be added throughout the sale. Reserve your spot for $7 per day.
$7
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Ease into an evening of creativity and connection at ThursDates, where music, movement, and hands-on art come together in the warm after-hours shine of OMCA. Start with Crochet Jam, a relaxed, no-rules finger-knitting experience rooted in African American weaving traditions, where you can weave, chat, and unwind at your own pace. In the same gallery, lose yourself in the meditative sounds of Mia Pixley, whose cello, voice, and spoken word combine classical and experimental influences to create stirring, transformative melodies. All the while, DJ Mark DiVita fills Town Fare with eclectic beats, setting a vibrant and inviting atmosphere with cocktails, bites, and mingling among new friends or old.
Admission ticket required
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Join us for Gallery Chats, an opportunity to chat with and ask questions of our enthusiastic and knowledgeable OMCA Facilitators.
Admission ticket required
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Ongoing events
Evening hours
ThursDates at OMCA
Experience ThursDates at OMCA – your weekly night out at the Museum rich with cocktails, culture, and community. Mingle at Town Fare Cafe by Chef Michele McQueen, where you can enjoy drinks and light bites against a backdrop of music, or explore the galleries which come alive at night with a mix of pop-up performances, chats, live drawings, and more– just for adults!
Evening hours
Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid
Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid, Oakland’s favorite free weekly block party is back, April—October!
Gather with family, friends, and community every Friday 5—9 pm for live music, hands-on activities, Off the Grid (OTG) food trucks, and late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions, with a Museum ticket.
Gallery Events
Gallery Chats at OMCA
Join us for Gallery Chats, an opportunity to chat with and ask questions of our enthusiastic and knowledgeable OMCA Facilitators.
Third Sundays
Spotlight Sundays
Every third Sunday, OMCA invites visitors to Spotlight Sundays, a series of conversations, performances, and experiences that showcase California visionaries.
First Sundays
First Sundays
Every first Sunday of the month, General Admission to OMCA’s Galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences is free and tickets to Special Exhibitions in our Great Hall are offered at a discounted price of $6.
Gallery Events
Group Tours
Interested in bringing a group to engage more deeply with our gallery content? Sign up for a Group Tour where knowledgeable facilitators share insights and help make meaning with your group in OMCA’s galleries.
Annual events
Community Event
White Elephant Sale
The Oakland Museum Women’s Board started the White Elephant Sale over sixty years ago. The annual event is not-to-be-missed.
Community Celebration
Lunar New Year
OMCA celebrates the Lunar New Year and explores the shared connections between the diverse Asian cultures of the Bay Area. These family-friendly programs will include both virtual and in-person offerings that celebrate and honor Lunar New Year traditions through storytelling, performances, activities, cooking demonstrations, and more. OMCA holds space for our AAPI communities to come together and uplift each other with both in-person and virtual healing circles.
Community Celebration
Día de los Muertos
In collaboration with OMCA’s Día de los Muertos Committee, we honor Day of the Dead every October and November.