Hooray, it is June! Time for long summer days and plenty of family fun. Fill your calendar with street fairs and festivals, plus special events to celebrate Father’s Day, Juneteenth, and Pride Month. Here’s a round-up of amazing East Bay activities with kids throughout June.
New Museum Exhibits for Families
Keep your kids’ curiosity growing at a museum exhibit that appeals to children and adults:
- Exploratorium: Adventures in AI – Opens June 12th at the Exploratorium. Discover how AI works, think like a computer, and create with image generators.
- California Academy of Sciences: Unseen Oceans & Dino Days – This new exhibit at the Cal Academy plunges into the deep where strange sea creatures, daring scientists, and amazing tech bring the ocean’s mysteries to life! Dino Days is a prehistoric party! Walk among 13 life-size, animatronic dinosaurs—no time machine required.
- OMCA: Fairyland @ 75 : A Legacy of Magic – Dive into Fairyland’s history, evolution, and everlasting magic. Walk through the beloved park’s timeline with “then and now”photos, including a display of Magic Keys through the decades.
Reserve Tickets to Shows & Performances
See magical musicals Anastasia or Shrek The Musical. Pick up tickets to Gilroy Gardens’ Three-Pit Circus–it’s all cherries and circus charm. Find more upcoming ticketed performances and events >
All Month: Pride Month
June is Pride Month. Celebrate and be an ally at LGBTQ+ events for the whole family, like the exciting and tot-friendly Proud of my Family Day at Children’s Discovery Museum on June 7 or Pride Weekend at Filoli on June 14-15. Watch one of the local Pride Parades; don’t forget to wear your rainbow colors.
Juneteenth Celebrations
Juneteenth, a celebration of black liberation, is recognized with events throughout the East Bay. There’s the Richmond Juneteenth Parade, Oakland First Friday, and many other family-friendly festivals.
Save the Date for These Exciting Community Events
-
- June 1: Bay Area Book Festival
- June 7: San Leandro Cherry Festival and Parade & Oakland Carnival
- June 13: Alameda County Fair begins
- June 14: Summer on Solano
- June 15: Father’s Day & Open Cockpit Day
- June 18: Kidchella: Reading & Music Festival
- June 19: Juneteenth & Free Entry to National Parks Day
- June 20: Circus Bella at Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
- June 21: Alameda Sand Castle Contest & Oakland LakeFest
- June 21 & 22: Chabot’s Bubblefest
- June 24: Big Truck Day in Newark
- June 26: Community Picnic in Berkeley
- June 28: Fairyland Fairy Fun Fair and Martinez Beaver Festival
- June 29: Cal Sailing Club Open House
Take Me Out to the Game
The Oakland Roots (soccer), Oakland Ballers (baseball), and Oakland Spiders (ultimate frisbee) games make for a fun family outing.
Visit a U-Pick Farm for Stone Fruit
Peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, and other seasonal offerings are prime for picking at U-Pick farms in the East Bay. Hand-select the season’s freshest produce for a memorable and delicious family outing. Don’t forget to pack water and a hat — it gets hot out there.
Watch a Movie Under the Stars
The outdoor movie season is here! Watch family-friendly films on the big screen just after sunset. It’s one of those must-do summer activities that’s also totally free. Many movie showings invite families to bring blankets, chairs, and picnic dinners or snacks to make the most of their evening. See the full outdoor movie round-up >
Free Museum Days
Plan an outing to one of the world-class museums in the Bay Area; take advantage of free admission on certain days. Pro Tip: Children 12 and under always receive free admission to OMCA. Learn more about ways to get into museums for free >
- June 1: First Sunday at OMCA (nearly free!)
- June 3: Conservatory of Flowers and Cartoon Art Museum Pay What You Wish Day
- June 4: GLBT Historical Society Museum in San Francisco
- June 5: BAMPFA, Museum of Craft and Design, and SFMOMA
- June 7-8: Bank of America Free Museum Days
- June 8: Free Family Day at SFMOMA
- June 10: San Francisco Botanical Garden
- June 14, 21 & 28: Free Saturdays at de Young Museum in San Francisco
- June 19: Free Entrance Day at National Parks
Visit Swimming Pools, Splash Parks and Beaches
Splash into swimming. Pools, splash pads, beaches, and water parks are open for water play. Check out our favorite swimming destinations >
Schedule a Parents’ Night Out
Parents Night Out, also called PNO, is evening childcare that’s essentially a drop-off play date. It’s super convenient for parents who want a date night and fun for kids! Children typically spend the evening doing some combination of eating pizza and dessert, playing with other kids of a similar age, making art, and watching movies. Reserve a space for your child in advance; see all the providers >
Favorite Free & Cheap Happenings
- Mondays – Splash Park in El Cerrito
- Tuesdays – Blake Gardens in Kensington
- Wednesdays – Summer Kid’s Movie Series in Alameda (Starts June 11)
- Thursdays – OMCA Garden in Oakland
- Fridays – Story Time at Crab Cove Nature Center in Alameda
- Saturdays – Sulphur Creek Nature Center in Hayward
- Sundays – Tilden Park Steam Trains in Berkeley
Sign Up for Summer Reading at a Library
Your local library’s summer reading program is kicking off this month. Visit a branch to register your child and keep their mind engaged with the power of books. Most summer reading programs offer special perks to participants, plus there’s often a range of exciting events like performances or puppet shows. Sign up today!
For lots more ideas, check out our guide to what to do with kids during summer vacation! Plus there’s still time to sign up for camp; see our Summer Camp Guide.
s p o n s o r 
Disclaimer: 510families urges you to confirm any event details, like date, time, location, vaccine requirements, and admission prices with the third party hosting the event.
