Fun family activities all month long
August is chock full of fishy fun for the whole family at Crab Cove [1], all leading up to the annual Fish Festival on Saturday, August 31, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Doug Siden Visitor Center, 1252 McKay Avenue. This year’s event will include a special 90th anniversary presentation at 11 a.m.
[2]The free family-friendly festival features fishing games, activities, face painting, fish prints, and fin-tastic crafts. The impressive Mobile Fish Exhibit will be on display, showcasing local freshwater fish species.
Fun activities include:
- The Mobile Fish Tank, where you can view large freshwater fish up close in the biggest portable aquarium around.
- Live Caribbean music by Asheba for children and adults from 11 a.m to 3 p.m.
- Free face painting by the Bay Area Face Painters from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Fish prints and other fishy crafts. If you have never created a gyotaku fish print, you may be surprised how amazing these can turn out.
- Backyard Bass and other fishy games.
- Fish natural history displays.
- Saltwater aquariums inside of the visitor center, including a swell shark and moray eel.
No registration is required to attend this free family event. Just drop in. The parking lot right next to the visitor center often fills up on summer weekends, but the large Crown Beach parking lot [3] is just a short walk away.
For more information, call 510-544-3187.
Other fun activities all month long
Summertime Beach Clean Up: August 8, 10 a.m. to noon. All ages. Crown Memorial State Beach, meet at Doug Siden Visitor Center, Crab Cove. Come by the beach to explore and help! We’ll pick up trash and sift the sand for micro plastics. Bring a bucket and gloves or borrow some of ours. Students can earn community service hours. No registration; drop-in.
Story Time: Every Friday—August 9, 16, 23, 30, 10:30 to 11 a.m. at Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove. All ages. Come meet story characters like the Lorax, hermit crabs, and “Swimmy the Fish,” then meet a real animal, do a craft or play a game. No registration; drop-in. Free.
Family Nature Fun Hour—Going on a Bug Hunt: August 10, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove. 8 yrs+, parent participation required. Discover the many insects that hop, crawl and fly! No registration; drop-in.
Sea Squirts: Nature Art: August 13, 10:30 to 11:45 a.m., Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove. Pres-school; Ages 3-5 years. Adult participation required. Registration required [4] ($5 residents, $7 non-residents). Share a morning of shoreline fun with your child. Play games, explore nature, sing songs, and do a craft related to the theme of the day.
Fish Feeding: Every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, 3 to 3:30 p.m. at. Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove. All ages. Visit our aquariums to see who lives here! Observe crabs, fish and other critters while they eat! What’s on the menu? Let’s find out! No registration; drop-in.
Family Nature Fun Hour—Turtle Time: August 17, 1:30-2:30 p.m. at Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove. 8 yrs+. Parent participation required. Meet our resident turtle and find out how this remarkable reptile navigates the world. No registration; drop-in.
Family Nature Fun Hour—Sharks: August 24, 1:30-2:30 p.m. at Doug Siden Visitor Center at Crab Cove. 8 yrs+. Parent participation required. All about sharks: Learn some fin-tastic facts about these mighty predators! No registration; drop-in.