First Fridays in California You Should Visit

Hero Image Credit: Pinkcandy / Shutterstock.com

Every city in California seems to have its own version of the same idea: turn a street into a party once a month. Food trucks line the curb, vendors set up tables, bands play and people just show up to wander. The tradition goes by different names in different places, but the spirit holds steady from one end of the state to the other. 

Oakland First Fridays (Oakland) 

This is the festival other First Fridays measure themselves against. Telegraph Avenue shuts down to cars and the KONO District fills with artists, makers, food vendors, musicians and dancers. Tens of thousands of people show up most months, making it one of the biggest recurring street events anywhere in the Bay Area. 

Where: Telegraph Avenue in the KONO District, roughly between 22nd and 27th Streets. 

Why go: This is the full experience. Street food, live music, local art and crowds that stretch for blocks. 

South First Fridays (San Jose) 

Downtown San Jose's SoFA District turns into an open air gallery once a month. Galleries open new shows, performers take small stages and pop up vendors fill the sidewalks. Some months bring bigger street festivals with outdoor stages and full vendor markets. 

Where: South First Street and the surrounding SoFA Arts District. 

Why go: It's the Bay Area's strongest pairing of nightlife and art in one walkable stretch. 

Venice First Fridays (Los Angeles) 

Abbot Kinney Boulevard is already one of LA's most walked streets, and on First Fridays it gets even busier. Food trucks park along the curb, shops stay open late and street performers work the crowd that mixes locals with visitors checking out the neighborhood for the first time. 

Where: Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice. 

Why go: Good food, beach town atmosphere and some of the best people watching in Southern California. 

NELA Art Walk, Highland Park (Los Angeles) 

This is one of the oldest running neighborhood traditions in LA. Galleries, independent shops and record stores along York Boulevard and North Figueroa Street stay open late for exhibits and live music. 

Where: York Boulevard and North Figueroa Street in Highland Park. 

Why go: It runs on the second Saturday rather than the first Friday, and it keeps a grassroots feel that's harder to find at the bigger events. The independent art scene here has real depth. 

Downtown First Thursdays (San Francisco) 

San Francisco skips the First Friday format but lands close with Downtown First Thursdays. Several blocks of Second Street fill with music stages, food vendors, bars and art installations for one big outdoor gathering. 

Where: Second Street in downtown San Francisco. 

Why go: Same festival energy as a First Friday, just scheduled a day early. 

Sacramento's Arts and Night Market Scene 

Sacramento doesn't run one citywide festival. Instead, galleries, makers markets and neighborhood groups across Midtown host their own First Friday events throughout the month. 

Where: Midtown Sacramento and the surrounding arts districts. 

Why go: A quieter pace, with a focus on local artists and small businesses rather than big crowds. 

Picking Your First Friday 

For sheer size, Oakland First Fridays wins. San Jose's South First Fridays comes in close behind, especially for anyone drawn to galleries and live performance. Los Angeles spreads its version across neighborhoods, with Venice on the first Friday and Highland Park on the second Saturday, while San Francisco and Sacramento each handle the format their own way. 

Whichever city you pick, these nights are still one of the easiest ways to get a real taste of California's food, art, music and neighborhood culture, all packed into a few hours.