Parks in East Bay, Peninsula drop admission for “Green Friday” 2025
By Tim Fang
Parks on the East Bay and on the Peninsula are offering free admission on Friday, offering an alternative to the crowded shopping malls and stores commonly associated with the day after Thanksgiving.
Dubbing their promotions “Green Friday,” the East Bay Regional Park District and the San Mateo County parks have waived parking and entrance fees on Nov. 28, 2025.
“Green Friday is a healthy and meaningful way to spend the day after Thanksgiving,” Jessica Sloan, volunteer program supervisor of the East Bay Regional Park District, said in a statement. “It’s a chance to enjoy time with family and friends in the outdoors or give back by participating in one of our volunteer clean-up projects. However you choose to spend it, the day is all about celebrating and caring for our natural spaces.”
Fees waived at the district’s more than 70 parks include parking, boat launching and fishing, along with entrance to the Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont. Certain fees will remain in effect for state fishing licenses and concessionaires such as the merry-go-round at Tilden Park in the Berkeley Hills.
The East Bay Regional Park District has offered free admission on the day after Thanksgiving for over a decade.
Meanwhile in San Mateo County, officials said the $6 vehicle entrance fee will be waived at all county parks where a fee is typically charged.
The parks with fee waivers include Coyote Point in San Mateo, Huddart Park in Woodside, Sam McDonald and Memorial Park near La Honda and San Bruno Mountain.
