Friday Nights at OMCA is ready to ignite the evening with an unforgettable lineup of music, stories, and hands-on activities for the whole family! This week, we’re celebrating the gripping energy of jazz as the Oaktown Jazz Workshops’ Performance Ensemble takes the stage with a dynamic group of young musicians aged 14-18. These talented students will perform a mix of jazz classics alongside professional master musicians and alumni youth mentors. With performance at the core of their training, Oaktown Jazz Workshops is preserving the jazz tradition and elevating the next generation of professional musicians, educators, and culture bearers.

JAZZ.FM amplifies the atmosphere with a DJ set featuring an eclectic blend of R&B and hip-hop favorites. Experience even more creative flow with Drag Storytime with Per Sia’s lively reading of If I Built a School by Chris Van Dusen. In this exuberant book, a boy imagines his dream school from classroom to playground, offering a fun and imaginative escape for the whole family. And don’t forget the flair! Get creative and celebrate movement and the coming of spring with a fun and colorful ribbon-making activity. Craft your own dance ribbon and join in the festivities!

Friday Nights at OMCA also offer guests a well-rounded gallery experience with Gallery Chats. Unlike the traditional museum tour, Gallery Chats invites visitors to chat, ask questions, and connect with our OMCA facilitators, who combine content knowledge with lived experience to encourage meaningful dialogue and fresh interpretations of our exhibitions. It’s a night filled with jazz, stories, and creativity perfect for all ages. Bring the whole family to OMCA for an unforgettable evening of music, culture, and fun!

Limited $10 flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage until 10 pm. Learn more about getting to the museum.

Program Schedule:

5–9 pm Core Galleries and Special Exhibitions evening hours with Museum ticket

5:15 pm Drag Storytime with Per Sia | OMCA Garden

5:30–7:30 pm Make a Dance Ribbon! | OMCA Garden

5:30–7:30 pm Gallery Chats | All Galleries 

6:30-8 pm Oaktown Jazz® at OMCA | Garden Stage

6:45-8:45 pm JAZZ.FM DJ Set | Amphitheater

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About Friday Nights:

Gather with family, friends, and community every Friday at 5 pm for free live music and hands-on activities, Off the Grid food trucks, and late night access to our galleries and special exhibitions, with a Museum ticket.

Bring your own or grab dinner from any one of the 8 Off the Grid food trucks on 10th Street between Oak and Fallon Streets. Beer, wine, mixed and non-alcoholic drinks are available for sale. After grabbing a meal from a wide and weekly changing menu of culinary creations, head to the OMCA Garden where you’ll find picnic tables and blankets to enjoy your local eats. Play lawn and table games, enjoy weekly rotating Museum programming, and create new memories at one of the Town’s most treasured spaces right in the heart of Oakland.

No outside alcohol permitted. Performances are subject to change. Limited $10 flat rate parking for Friday Nights is available in the OMCA Garage until 10 pm.

Accessibility 

Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is committed to providing programs that are accessible, welcoming, and inclusive of our community. Wheelchairs, sensory inclusive devices, and additional amenities are available for checkout on a first come, first served basis at the Ticketing Desk. To request other accommodations, like American Sign Language (ASL), Cantonese, Spanish or another language interpreter, please email [email protected] at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.