Free & Cheap
Family-friendly Bay Area Fun on The Cheap
Discounted admission to museums, plays, classes and other tips to discover free fun for East Bay Area children.
Upcoming Free or Cheap Events in the East Bay
Saturday, July 18, 2026
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Lake Merritt Creatures Parade @ Snow Park6:30 pm – 9:00 pm: After Dark Swim @ El Cerrito Swim Center
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Live in The Laurel @ Laurel District
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm: Free Telescope Viewings @ Chabot Space & Science Center
8:00 pm – 9:30 pm: Movie in the Park: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs @ Redwood Heights Park & Rec Center
8:30 pm – 10:30 pm: Waterfront Flicks: 10 Things I Hate About You @ Jack London Square
Sunday, July 19, 2026
11:00 am – 2:00 pm: Celebrate 132 years of Fentons Creamery @ Fentons Creamery11:30 am – 2:30 pm: The Final Match at Bay Street @ Bay Street
12:30 pm – 1:00 pm: Malinky Music: Bilingual Music Series @ Main | Alameda Free Library
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Circus in the Parks @ Salesforce Park
Free & Cheap Resources for Families
Berkeley Family Bike Fest & Family Cycling Rodeo
My favorite kid-friendly bike rodeo event is happening 3/18 at LeConte school in Berkeley, and everyone's invited.
Oakland playground: Union Point Park
This playground, located very close to Pump It Up in Oakland, will keep tots entertained for a while, and when it gets old, you can ...
You’re invited: {510} Saturday Cereal Cinema with Close5
Join us for our 12/10 Cereal Cinema pajama party at New Parkway where we'll enjoy a cereal buffet while watching classic Saturday morning cartoons! All ...
20 free things to do in the East Bay before summer is over
Take on one of these items as your mission every day, and you'll definitely be getting the most out of the East Bay.
Fortune Cookie Factory in Oakland
There’s a fortune cookie “factory” in Oakland’s Chinatown, and if you are not paying attention you’ll miss it. Tucked into the span of two small ...
Kid Report: Geocaching in the East Bay
Our Kid Reporter today is Soren who will be starting Kindergarten this year. I started geocaching after my mom told me about it. We watched ...
Kid Report: Menchie’s – Berkeley Frozen Yogurt
I will be in third grade this fall. I am a guest writer on 510Families.com this summer. Do you think your kids enjoy frozen yogurt ...
Day trip idea: Howarth Park in Santa Rosa
Howarth Park has enough attractions to keep you busy all day long, and though it’s further away than Tilden Park, it’s almost definitely sunny there, ...
Brentwood farms fruit picking, tips for families
Monday, I drove four boys out to Brentwood to go fruit-picking. I was vague in my promises — berries, cherries, apricots, or whatever they have. You like ...
A Parent’s Guide to South Berkeley: The Lorin District
The Lorin District is close enough to Ashby BART for train spotting, the library for storytime, and Grove Park for all kinds of recreation. The ...
