14th Annual Autumn Lights Festival

Art and nature enthusiasts from all over the region will flock to Oakland's Lake Merritt to immerse themselves in the 14th Annual Autumn Lights Festival, a one-of-a-kind interactive art experience that is always the talk of the town. We invite you to celebrate our 14th Annual festival in-person over three spectacular nights October 16-18, 2025. Prepare to be dazzled, mesmerized and amazed at this magical benefit for the non-profit Friends of the Gardens at Lake Merritt where you will experience 75 locally-produced illuminated art displays sparkling and beaming throughout Oakland’s beloved eight-acre municipal gardens. Additional highlights include live entertainment, our annual art market, kid's zone, costume contest for adults and kids (come lit!), artists awards, and our ever-popular food court with local food trucks, vendors, and beer + wine gardens. Purchase your tickets now as this event typically sells out!

An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public space where people are present. By attending the Autumn Lights Festival in Oakland, you expressly agree to comply with any and all rules and safety guidelines put in place by the event organizers, and voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19, waiving all claims and potential claims against the event organizers, and their affiliated companies relating to such risks.

We ask that you not attend if the following is true for you or anyone in your party:

• Within 48 hours prior to attending the festival, you have experienced symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g., a fever of 100.4F or higher, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking muscle pain/achiness, headache, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, nasal congestion, runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue or any other symptoms associated with COVID-19 identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention);

For reference, please retain a copy of the above protocols.

Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?

This is an all-ages event. Children 5 and under are admitted free (no ticket required) with a ticketed adult.

Tickets are only available on Eventbrite. Space is limited in the park. If the site says tickets are sold out, then there are no tickets remaining for that day.

What about Transportation & Parking?

The most direct way to get here is by bus (AC Transit – 511.org) or rideshare (Uber/Lyft) to the Lakeside Park entrance @ Grand & Bellevue. Or, take BART to the 19th Street Station, exit onto 20th Street, then walk (10 -15 minutes) or ride share to Lakeside Park. Bicycling is also a good option (bicycle parking will be available onsite). Vehicle parking inside the park fills up very early – and there is little to no street parking in the adjacent area, so please use public transit, ride share or bicycling.

Autumn Lights is a fundraiser and will take place rain-or-shine. No refunds will be issued.

For your safety, the following items are not allowed: NO Cans or Glass Bottles. NO Coolers or Ice Chests. NO Alcoholic Beverages.NO Animals with the exception of Service Animals. NO Weapons of any kind.

Yes, tickets purchased through this site are transferable. You will need to go through the proper Eventbrite process to transfer tickets. Start by logging in to your Eventbrite account, then "transfer tickets" to a new event in order to swap dates. Ticket swapping does not work for tickets with dates that have passed (e.g. a Thursday 10/16 ticket date cannot be exchanged on Friday 10/17); ticket date changes will only work if the desired date is not sold out.

You may bring either your printed ticket OR have the email with the scannable ticket code showing on your phone. Tickets will be scanned at the entrance to the event. Tickets are only good for single entry.

Yes. Tickets will be scanned at the event. The name on the ticket is used to lookup tickets that don't scan properly and/or to research other ticketing issues. Each ticket is good for one (1) entry. We recommend buying tickets only through this site to ensure that you receive a valid ticket.

Your ticket is good for the date shown on the ticket. Up until 24 hours prior to the event date, you are able to change your ticket to a later date if those dates are not yet sold out.

Autumn Lights is a fundraiser for a local nonprofit. As such, we do not offer refunds for unused tickets. You are allowed to give, or transfer, your tickets to others if you are unable to attend the event.

www.GardensatLakeMerritt.org

Host or Publisher The Friends of the Gardens at Lake Merritt