Fans Fest in Oakland Set to Celebrate The Town

Fans Fest is a reason to get together and celebrate Oakland

Since the Oakland A's announced their intention to leave for Las Vegas in April of 2023, there has been a lot of frustration being voiced by fans at the ballpark and online. The team has turned off replies across all of their social channels due to the amount of frustration they were receiving, recently telling The Athletic, "this decision is in response to a lack of civil discourse in some comments."

On Saturday, A's fans and the people of the East Bay will flock to Jack London Square and put their passion for the city on full display for Fans Fest, a celebration of The Town. Former A's players will be there, along with the Oakland Roots and Soul, the Oakland Ballers of the Pioneer League, and a number of other clubs from various levels of athletics. 

The goal of the event is to celebrate Oakland. While some will see this as an opportunity to bash the team that's leaving town, that isn't what Fans Fest is about. 

In addition to autograph signings with former A's players, there will be a raffle with special prizes like one-of-a-kind cards that have been made, custom signed bobbleheads, posters, and other assorted merch. There will be an interview session with the president of the Oakland Soul, the women's USL team, and a talk with the co-founders of the Ballers a little later in the day. 

Not only will Fans Fest provide an outing for baseball fans (since the A's failed to put on a fest of their own...again), it will also be a reason to gather and support the local community. Local retailer Oaklandish, as well as a number of breweries and even the Stockton Ports, an A's affiliate, will all be in attendance.

Fans Fest is to be a celebration of everything Oakland. While the A's may not like it in The Town anymore, the city still has plenty to offer. Saturday will be a great opportunity to see what's out there. 

The event is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., run until 4 p.m., and will even include two stages for the numerous interviews that are set to take place. A full schedule of the day's events can be found at the Fans Fest website. The event is free to attend, and there will be free parking options available as well.