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East Bay · Alameda County

Professional bartenders in Oakland.

Jack London Square waterfront events, Uptown weddings, and downtown corporate gatherings. See each bartender’s rates, ratings, and an estimate built for your event before you send a request. The Stock List sizes ingredients to your headcount and the Smart Staffing Calculator recommends how many bartenders your event needs.

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Oakland services

Find Oakland bartenders by event type.

Every event has its own pace and bar logic. Jump to the page that matches what you're planning — or build your event directly and the Smart Staffing Calculator recommends your bartender count.

Weddings in Oakland

Professional wedding bartenders sized to your guest count, signature cocktails for the couple, and a portable bar where your bartender lists one.

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Corporate events in Oakland

Professional bartenders for company holiday parties, product launches, client receptions, and all-hands events.

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Private parties in Oakland

Professional bartenders for engagement parties, dinner parties, anniversaries, and intimate at-home celebrations.

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Holiday parties in Oakland

Professional bartenders for December company holiday parties, end-of-year celebrations, and seasonal at-home gatherings.

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Birthday parties in Oakland

Professional bartenders for milestone birthdays, surprise parties, and any celebration that deserves a real cocktail menu.

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Fundraisers in Oakland

Professional bartenders for galas, silent auctions, benefit dinners, and golf-tournament hospitality.

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Networking events in Oakland

Professional bartenders for industry mixers, alumni nights, demo days, and meetup happy hours.

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About Oakland

Where we work in Oakland.

Oakland sits in Alameda County, within the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area. Jack London Square waterfront events, Uptown weddings, and downtown corporate gatherings.

  • Downtown Oakland
  • Jack London Square
  • Rockridge
  • Temescal
  • Lake Merritt

Planning in Oakland

Planning an event in Oakland.

Permits and alcohol rules

Oakland's Parks, Recreation and Youth Development guide says that, under the city's municipal code, drinking alcohol in a city park, recreation area, open space or playground requires a permit, and that larger private events need a park permit with bigger gatherings also needing a police special event permit; the guide dates from some years back.source 1 The guide adds that amplified sound audible beyond a short distance in a park needs a permit from the parks director, and that selling goods or collecting donations at a park needs prior commission approval.source 1 The state ABC district-office listing assigns Alameda County, and so Oakland, to the Concord office.source 2 Rules change; confirm current requirements with the city and ABC before planning alcohol service.

Event spaces

Lakeside Park centers on Lake Merritt, which the city calls one of its most celebrated and accessible parks, and also holds the Edoff Memorial Bandstand, the Rotary Nature Center and the Gardens at Lake Merritt.source 3 The city's Lakeside Park Garden Center page says the building has two full-service kitchens and three rooms, and that renters may hire a caterer of their choice.source 4 The Lake Merritt Sailboat House, next to the lake, is described by the city as hosting wedding ceremonies, receptions, corporate and private events, with the rental area including the kitchen and the balcony.source 5

Season and weather

NOAA's Coast Pilot, describing the whole Bay Area, says summers are dry, sunny and warm and winters wet and occasionally stormy, with the rainy season typically over by mid-April.source 6 It adds that summer fog and low clouds generally spread in through the Golden Gate in the late afternoon or early evening, travel east toward the Berkeley hills, and often clear in the bay by midday, a pattern relevant to evening lakeside receptions.source 6

Getting there

BART's Lake Merritt station page says the station is near Oakland Chinatown and Laney College, is served by AC Transit, and that its parking lot is closed.source 7 AC Transit says its Transbay service crosses the bay by bridge to San Francisco's Salesforce Transit Center, with stops in many East Bay neighborhoods and park-and-ride lots.source 8 The city says Lakeside Park has a daily entrance fee as well as paid parking, with parking inside the park operating from morning until dusk.source 4

These are summaries of public agency information, not legal advice.

Sources

  1. 1How to Enjoy Your Park (parks guide, version 7.12.18) · City of Oakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development, oaklandca.gov
  2. 2ABC District Offices · California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, abc.ca.gov
  3. 3Lakeside Park · City of Oakland, oaklandca.gov
  4. 4Lakeside Park Garden Center · City of Oakland, oaklandca.gov
  5. 5Lake Merritt Sailboat House · City of Oakland, oaklandca.gov
  6. 6United States Coast Pilot 7, Chapter 7 · NOAA Office of Coast Survey, nauticalcharts.noaa.gov
  7. 7Lake Merritt station · BART, bart.gov
  8. 8Transbay · AC Transit, actransit.org

FAQ

Oakland bartender questions.

What areas are in and around Oakland?

Areas in and around Oakland include Downtown Oakland, Jack London Square, and Rockridge. Nearby cities with their own pages on bartendersNow™ include Berkeley, Alameda, and Emeryville. Browse the Oakland page and its nearby links to compare areas as you plan.

What kinds of events does the Oakland page cover?

Jack London Square waterfront events, Uptown weddings, and downtown corporate gatherings. See the event pages for Oakland for planning guidance on each kind of event.

Can I drink alcohol at a picnic in an Oakland park?

According to the city's parks guide, drinking alcohol in a city park without a permit is not allowed under the municipal code. Confirm current rules with the city.

Can I bring my own caterer to the Lakeside Park Garden Center?

The city's page says renters may hire a caterer of their choice. Confirm current rental terms with the city.

Does a private event in an Oakland park need a permit?

According to the city's parks guide, private events above a certain size need a park permit, and larger ones also need a police special event permit. Confirm current rules with the city.

Questions about pricing, RBS certification, staffing and the Stock List are answered on the FAQ page.

Nearby

Also serving East Bay.

Bartenders often cover several cities in the same area — if your venue sits between two of these, either page is a fine place to start.

Other cities in Alameda County

Oakland is part of Bay Area. Browse the full region page for nearby cities and coverage details.

Oakland is in Alameda County. Browse the county page for nearby cities and coverage details.

Looking more broadly? Browse bartenders for hire across the Bay Area and Central Coast.

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