Ring in the New Year all month long with exciting events along the Capitol Corridor! Pamper your palate at not one, but two, renowned East Bay Restaurant Weeks; celebrate the joyous Latino tradition of Three Kings Day in San Jose; bring your kids and enjoy coffee at a signature car aficionado event in Martinez; relive the fascinating history of the American Civil War at San Francisco’s Fort Point; and meet and greet your favorite baseball players in Oakland.
Oakland Restaurant Week: 1/11 – 1/21, Oakland
Photo courtesy of Visit Oakland
This year’s Oakland Restaurant Week will mark its 9th edition highlighting the incredible range of culinary delights found throughout this diverse city. Discover new restaurants offering fixed-price lunch and/or dinner menus, with price points from $10 to $70, or revisit old favorites to enjoy limited-time-only offerings. Experience Oakland’s top-rated foodie destinations and explore new dining options to expand your gastronomical horizons. Reservations at participating restaurants are not required, but recommended.
Getting there: Ride the Capitol Corridor to the Richmond Station or the Oakland Coliseum Station, connect to BART, and get off at any downtown BART Oakland station. From there, you can hop on AC Transit with a free Transit Transfer from your Capitol Corridor conductor, or hail a rideshare.
Berkeley Restaurant Week: 1/17-1/27, Berkeley
Photo courtesy of Phi Tran
Get ready for a taste bud revolution with Berkeley Restaurant Week‘s abundance of critically-acclaimed culinary adventures. The bar for excellence is high, as top restaurants throughout Berkeley provide special menus showcasing a multitude of globally-inspired flavors from locally-sourced and seasonal ingredients. As the birthplace of California cuisine and ground-zero of the American farm-to-table movement, Berkeley will showcase an array of participating restaurants sure to please any palate. Explore the variety of dishes from leading culinary destinations with fixed-price menus and special-value lunch/dinner offerings throughout the week. Plan your dining itinerary by making reservations on OpenTable, where you can preview the restaurants and their menus.
Getting there: Ride the train to the Berkeley Station and connect to downtown Berkeley via AC Transit with a free Transit Transfer from your Capitol Corridor conductor. Alternatively, ride the train to the Richmond Station or Oakland Coliseum Station, connect to BART, and get off at the Downtown Berkeley BART stop. From there you can walk, hop on AC Transit, or catch a rideshare.
El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day): Saturday, 1/12 – Sunday, 1/13, San Jose
Photo courtesy of Children’s Discovery Museum
Happening: 10am – 4pm
Christmas may be over, but you can keep up the spirit with a joyful holiday observed in many Spanish-speaking countries: El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos. Held annually at the Children’s Discovery Museum, the event brings to life the cultural richness of long-standing observances. Learn how to make delicious homemade tortillas and participate in traditional Rosca de Reyes bread sampling. Kids will love using their creativity and imagination to make “papel picado” tissue paper flowers and corn husk dolls. Community performers will provide live entertainment, and the Three Kings themselves will offer fun photo opportunities for children and families. All activities are included in the price of museum admission.
Getting there: Ride the train to the San Jose/Diridon Station. The museum is within walking distance of the station, and is also accessible by the VTA bus with a free Transit Transfer from the Capitol Corridor.
Cars, Kids & Coffee: Sunday, 1/20, Martinez
Photo courtesy of Cari Courtright Photography
Happening: 8:30am – 3pm
Calling all car and coffee aficionados! Bring your kids along to historic downtown Martinez for Cars, Kids & Coffee. Held every 3rd Sunday of the month at The Cobra Experience Museum and Event Center in Martinez, this is an ongoing opportunity for folks to experience collector cars of all types. Kids can engage in creative coloring projects, while adults enjoy coffee, donuts, fellowship with car collectors, and learning about racing history. The museum’s focus is to share this history and the love of collector cars with the next generation. The Cobra Experience is a 25,000-square-foot museum showcasing original Cobras, Shelby Mustangs, Daytona Coupes, GT40s, King Cobras, Sunbeam Tigers, and a Lotus, along with engine and wheel displays, posters, photos, and a shop scene as it was at Shelby American in the ’60s. Unique to the museum is a 40-seat surround-sound theater featuring an HD film that tells the Ford and Shelby American story.
Getting there: The Cobra Experience Museum is about 3 miles from the the Martinez Station. From the station, take County Connection #28 bus to the Pine Street stop, which is a short walk to the Cobra Museum, or take a cab, Lyft or Uber for a quick ride.
Fort Point Civil War Days: Saturday, 1/26, San Francisco
Happening: 10am – 5pm
Take a leap back in time and experience the momentous era of the American Civil War at Fort Point Civil War Days. Located under the southern anchorage of the Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point will be called to action once again in a dramatic live re-enactment by members of the American Civil War Association. Ever wondered what daily life was like during the Civil War? The passionate, well-trained reenactors are ready to share their bounty of knowledge to make your experience impressively authentic and memorable. Among the festivities are 19th-century music and dance, 1800’s medicine exhibits, infantry demonstrations every hour, artillery discussions every half-hour, and a flag-raising ceremony. The all-day free event will feature tours throughout the day with cultural and educational enrichment for the whole family.
Getting there: Depending on your station of origin, take the Capitol Corridor’s dedicated connecting bus from Emeryville to one of our San Francisco stops, or connect to BART at the Richmond Station or Oakland Coliseum Station. From any of these San Francisco bus or BART stops, you can take MUNI or call rideshare.
Oakland A’s Fanfest: Saturday, 1/26, Oakland
Photo courtesy of MLB
Happening: 11am – 5pm
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to meet your favorite Oakland A’s player at the annual Oakland A’s Fanfest held on the beautiful waterfront at Jack London Square. The all-day free event will start off with a meet & greet event with team introductions, a “State of the Team” address by A’s President Dave Kaval and Oakland A’s manager Bob Melvin. Coaches and players will have Q&A, autograph and photo sessions. There will be a memorabilia sale; photo ops with the A’s mascot Stomper; food trucks; and a kids area with interactive games.
Getting there: Take the train to the Oakland Jack London Station, which is steps from the FanFest activities.
Written by Sylvia Sheehan