Every first Friday of the month, a joyous celebration of Art, Music, Food, Fun, and Community takes place on the streets of Telegraph Avenue, Oakland. Open galleries, dance parties, live music, and delicious food trucks abound at this open-air bash.

Part karaoke bar, part dive, and part cocktail lounge, The Alley is an Oakland watering hole like none other. Writer Kimberly Chun described it as being designed by “a drunken Walt Disney”, and we can’t say we disagree.

Order a martini (best deal in town), take a seat close to the piano, and prepare to be transported to the 1920s. Feel free to request a song, but you better not ask for the latest pop hit. You’ll want to sing a tune from the Great American Songbook, with something by the likes of Cole Porter or George Gershwin.

If you come on the right night, you might just find a favorite Alley regular leaning against the piano. Close your eyes and his voice will make you think Frank Sinatra has come back from the dead.

Amongst the wave of new breweries popping up in the East Bay, Oakland’s Temescal Brewing stands a cut above the rest. Mouth watering IPAs and Pale Ales are one reason they are a local favorite, but it’s their focus on fostering a sense of community and collaboration that caught the eye of Place Makes. Whether it’s providing space for local Oakland businesses during their “Shops Sale”, providing space for fundraisers during Queer First Fridays, or hosting a recent launch party for Undertone Mag (a new magazine for women of color), or the whimsical ambiance (an outdoor patio complete with a colorful @slowcoolassault mural, and indoor steeting with @merylpataky “no jerks” neon piece, and paper shaped by @bboowwsss), Temescal Brewing is the ideal place for a creative meeting of the minds.

Our Favorite Beers:

• Guava Boat: Pale Ale with Pink Guavas (5%)

• Through the Fog: Scotch Ale (5.6%)

17 years strong, the Art + Soul Oakland Festival live music, art, dance and food in downtown Oakland.