Oakland First Fridays

A New Report Puts Berkeley’s Food Safety and Inspection Program on Blast | Eater SF

"On Telegraph Avenue, Oakland’s First Fridays program—an evening celebrating local arts, culture, food, and music—has seen attendance fall from the 30,000–50,000 range pre-pandemic to about 15,000–20,000 more recently, and vendor counts have dropped to roughly 70 from 150 pre-COVID, even as program costs remain high. Shari Godinez, executive director of the nonprofit Koreatown/Northgate Community Benefit District that runs First Fridays, emphasized the event’s importance to the community, saying, 'These are the kind of events that people really, really need for their mental health.'" - Justine Jones