Oakland may not have a home team to root for in the Super Bowl on Sunday, but it is nevertheless rolling out the welcome wagon for weekend revelers and beefing up security around town.
On Sunday, the National Football League’s official Super Bowl Watch Party and Fan Zone will take place at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts at the south end of Lake Merritt.
The event features a free outdoor public festival with live entertainment, family-friendly activities and local food vendors.
(NFL via Bay City News)
Five thousand people have so far RSVP’ed for the Oakland Fan Zone, and the Official NFL Super Bowl Watch Party is already sold out, according to city officials.
“Oakland is on the move — and the world is taking notice,” said Mayor Barbara Lee.
The Oakland Police Department will be out in force Sunday and will staff a mobile command post at the watch party and fan fest, which will “coordinate communications with the Oakland Fire Department and other city and local partners to ensure a safe and well-managed event,” OPD officials said in a news release.
Also, officers will be patrolling around Lake Merritt and will focus on robbery prevention and illegal ATV and dirt bike activity.
OPD’s Special Operations Division will also be deployed throughout the city, as will the department’s helicopter, its SWAT team and additional traffic enforcement and undercover officers.
Officers will also be stationed in the Uptown and Downtown areas, including along Broadway, and a community resource vehicle will be parked near 18th Street and Telegraph Avenue “to support community engagement and provide a visible police presence,” according to OPD.
In addition to the events at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, Oakland will play host to the Divine 9 and HBCU Flag Football Classic at Laney College on Friday from 3-7 p.m.
Also on Friday at 3 p.m., DJ DNice will headline a “Day Party” at For the Culture at 701 Clay St. and from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, people can visit the Complex Family Style Food Fest at the Oakland Arena in parking Lot B.
People can go to Visit Oakland online for more information about the city’s Super Bowl events.