Eat Real Festival Descends on Jack London Square This Weekend

By Meesha Halm

It's time to get real - real hungry, real crowded and eat lots of real food at Oakland's Eat Real Festival, which is being held this weekend at Jack London Square from Friday to Sunday. The annual event is a veritable D.I.Y. Be-In with amateur bakers and backyard butchers, plus 50 street food trucks will be on-site hawking their tasty bites and over 40 small-batch breweries, local wineries and seasonal cocktail mixologists on hand to ensure that your Mason jar runneth over.

As always, entrance to the family-friendly event is free, with food from individual curbside eats priced separately ($5 or less), but this year the festival will be selling a limited number of VIP tickets ($39) that give guests access to a reserved seating area away from the crowds where there will be exclusive tastings, demos, and most importantly, private bathrooms. In addition, they'll be hosting Meatopia, a ticketed opening night party based on New York City's premier meat-centric festival that will feature an AYCE BBQ and meat feast prepared by some of the country's top chefs ($50 per person, which includes two drinks).

For the complete schedule of events, directions and ticket information for the VIP lounge and Meatopia, check out the Eat Real Festival website.