Fans Fest 2026

The Teams That Are Here Want to Be Here and Want to Stay

Story and Photos by Roberto Santiago

This past Sunday, the Town turned out on a beautiful sunkissed day to celebrate Oakland sports. Our intrepid reporter Roberto Santiago was on the scene to get a sense of who was there and what made the day so special. 

The History

When the previous professional baseball team stopped holding their FanFest, the Oakland 68s stepped up, holding some version of their own Fans Fest since 2021. Steve, a 68s board member and volunteer working this year’s event, noted that Fans Fest pre-dates the announcement that that other team was moving and started as a way for fans to keep celebrating their shared passion. The event was brought to new heights in 2024, when the old team was a lame duck and the Oakland Ballers were still little more than an announcement. Steve told Dispatches that “two years ago…it was like a prolonged goodbye. It was definitely more of an emotionally charged event two years ago.” Then the vibe began to shift. Last year, with the Ballers entering their second season and the Oakland Roots firmly on board with the event, Steve noted, “It reflected a pivot away from what’s lost to being grateful for what we have now.” And this year? “The teams that are here want to be here and want to stay.” 

So, what gets people out on a beautiful day to enjoy music, food, drinks and the city of champions? (Wait, does one need more than that?)

The Teams

This year’s event was held in Fruitvale Village, shutting down two blocks of East 12th St. between 33rd and 35th Avenues. Among the many food, drink, and memorabilia vendors were the expected booths representing the San Jose Sharks, Oakland Roots and, of course, the Pioneer League champion Ballers. They weren’t alone, however, as there were other franchises and communities hoping to entice fans to come out to support their games too. Among them were two professional ultimate frisbee teams, the Oakland Spiders (men) and the Bay Area Falcons (women). Both teams play their home games at Fremont High School in East Oakland. Ultimate frisbee is one of the many sports with a claim to being among the fastest growing in the country, a claim borne out by the proliferation of pro leagues over the last decade. The Spiders play in the Ultimate Frisbee Association, the sport’s top pro league with 22 teams across the United States. The Spiders won back-to-back UFA championships in 2014 and 2015. The Falcons, meanwhile, were the Western Ultimate League runners up in 2025. Falcons representative Sara “Noodle” Brande exuberantly stated that the team’s mission is to show the girls of the East Bay that they too can be professional ultimate players.

Knowing that not everyone can get from Oakland to San Jose for a hockey game led Cassidy Lavin to co-found the Oakland Skates. Lavin has been playing hockey in Oakland since he was two years old including “at the Oakland Ice Center before it had a roof.” The team plays in the Mountain Hockey League, and for fans of Shoresy, Lavin assures us that the Skates are a skills-first team, not a bunch of brawlers. The league pulls from recent college players and affiliated puck players and conducts games by NHL rules.

All three teams offer a similar pitch to get families through the door: Fast paced action at an affordable price. Season tickets for the Skates range from $49-$99 total. At the Falcons, kids under 12 get in free. Andrew Moore of the Spiders described a familiar East Bay game day atmosphere: food trucks, SPCA adoption events, and local vendors.

The Principles

The day featured musical acts including DJ Criddy, B’s favorite Jwalt, punk standouts Stay Out and Banda La Iniciativa. There was also an interview with soccer legend Shep Messing, who played for the Oakland Stompers after stints with the USMNT and the Pele-led New York Cosmos, along with appearances by B’s owners, coaches, and players. Dispatches was able to catch up with a couple of folks as they came off stage. Two recently signed Ballers, Damian Stone and Langston Burkett, shared their thoughts on the event. Both players call northern California home but were attending their first Fans Fest. “I didn’t know what to expect,” said Stone, “but the town showed up. It’s crazy how much the atmosphere of the fans—it’s at a different level.” Stone grew up in Fremont as a fan of Oakland sports teams, and of the Oakland community, Stone said, “it’s special, special.” Burkett grew up farther away in Santa Cruz. Of his first Fans Fest, Burkett remarked, “Great energy. No environment like this.”

Oakland rapper Jwalt has become a staple of the Ballers gameday experience over the last two years. The Ballers approached him in 2024 to solicit his support for the team. Later, he joined the ownership group, wrote the Town soundtrack Ballers Ballad and performed at each home game of the championship series. “[The Ballers] were like, we see that you put Oakland on your back,” he said. “So it’s been an honor to be part of the Ballers.” It was also the first Fans Fest for Jwalt who was happy to soak in the day. “I’m excited to be here. It’s an honor to perform here, and just be within the community.”

The Community

Teams, athletes, and artists are often the most visible, but Fans Fest is of course about the fans themselves. It’s a love letter to Oakland sports and the people who have been through all the highs and lows they bring. Dispatches caught up with some fans to get their reasons for coming out. 

Mike, aka Mista Macc, has been a staple at Oakland games for years. With his signature long, thin beard and sunglasses, Mike said he had come out to enjoy the city of Oakland where he was born and raised, “It’s a sports city. It’s culture for me out here. It’s beautiful.” 

Jolene said she came out to support her local team. When asked which one? “Ballers, Roots FC, everyone.” 

Dr. Zafirah Ned of the Black Panther Party Alumni Legacy Network came out to simply support the event. Dr. Ned opined, “The Oakland Ballers have been doing a great job. They’ve been a great support to us and everything we’ve been doing in Oakland. So we’re out here to support the Oakland Ballers, Roots and everyone that’s out here supporting the community.”

I asked each of these fans what was the best thing they’d seen that day. Their responses were all in the same vein. 

For one Deaf attendee who did not provide his name, it was seeing the ASL interpreter on stage for the interviews, a new feature at Fans Fest aimed at including even more of the Oakland community.

For Mike, it was seeing, “the community come together once again. Like last year at Raimondi Park. Whether you’re a Ballers fan, Roots fan, Soul fan or just a fan of the city of Oakland, you’re out here celebrating with everyone far and wide.” 

For Jolene, it was the crowd, the food and the vibes. 

Dr. Ned summed up the collective feeling, “The best thing I’ve seen today is all the love,” she observed. “Everybody coming together in unity and solidarity. Just being here having a good time. Fellowshipping with each other and loving on each other. And that’s the blessing. Everybody supporting Oakland.”

Roberto Santiago is a third generation Berkeley boy currently raising the fourth generation. Roberto’s writing has appeared in Latina, Parents, and various online outlets. A lifelong baseball fan, Roberto worked briefly with the Boston Red Sox and once hit an RBI single off Spaceman Lee on a 2-2 changeup. It was his only at bat ever in a real baseball game. Find him on Instagram.