Bring the whole family

Children’s Fairyland

One thing I’ve always loved about the beautiful, low-tech amusement park beside Lake Merritt is the rule posted at the front gate. “No child admitted without an adult,” it reads, and also “No adult admitted without a child.”

The whole point of the endeavor is to encourage shared enjoyment, and anyone who’s spent time there understands just how unerringly the park hits that goal. It’s stocked with low-tech rides whose goal is not to instill fear or an adrenaline rush, but excitement and wonder.

There is a small, manageable population of animals for petting and a host of participatory events. There are puppet shows whose theatrical panache can rival that of a professional company. And you don’t even have to take part in any of these offerings to have a good time; on the first of her many visits over the years, my then 3-year-old daughter devoted a good 45 minutes just to chasing soap bubbles on the sun-dappled plaza by the entrance. It’s that kind of place.

699 Bellevue Ave. 510-452-2259. www.fairyland.org

— Joshua Kosman

Lake Merritt Gondolas

Imagine a piece of “la Serenissima” Venice in a favorite corner of “the Town.”

Dolce Vita Gondola offers leisurely rides on Lake Merritt available from its jewel box boathouse filled with Italian and Moorish treasures where you can picnic with friends before taking to the water.

These real Venetian gondolas are available to book for a private cruise, or you can rent the boathouse for private parties. The experience is best at night, when the lights reflect on the water like pixies that wandered over from Children’s Fairyland — and it’s even better if you get one of the singing gondoliers.

Put on your boater hat and striped shirt, we’re going for a ride, amore mio.

1520 Lakeside Drive. 510-4956290 www.dolcevitagondola.com

— Tony Bravo

The Grand Lake Theatre

Oakland’s full-time movie palace opened in 1926, and it shows. The theater features gorgeous period decor inside and out, complete with a classic, 2,800-bulb sign so huge it dominates the Grand Lake neighborhood skyline.

And yet owner Allen Michaan, who has operated the theater since 1980, makes sure it is a state-of-the-art facility. Mostly a first-run theater, it has the best 70mm projection in the Bay Area, and also the best 3-D projection as it is one of the few that uses a dual 3-D projection system instead of one.

It also is increasingly becoming a go-to venue for special events, such as the Noir City film festival, the 66th San Francisco International Film Festival — which for the first time this year hosted its opening night outside of San Francisco to screen “Stephen Curry: Underrated” at the East Bay movie house — and, recently, a special screening of the first two episodes of “Blindspotting” with several cast members present.

3200 Grand Ave. 510-452-3556. www.renaissancerialto.com

— G. Allen Johnson

The Paramount Theatre

Walking into the Paramount Theatre doesn’t just feel like entering another time, it’s entering another world. The Art Deco masterpiece by famed Bay Area architect Timothy Pflueger has a dark glamour that evokes the golden age of Hollywood, from the period-perfect furnishings in the lobby and lounges to the ornate chandeliers and and plush velvet botanical pattern seats.

In addition to hosting performances, the landmark also still fulfills its original purpose as a movie palace with regular screenings of vintage favorites, including screenings with live music presented by the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. Getting lost in the dark of the gorgeous auditorium as ghosts of cinema past flicker onscreen feels both decadent and nourishing to the soul for any film lover.

2025 Broadway. 510-893-2300. www.paramountoakland.org

— Tony Bravo

The New Parkway

Oakland continues on G16