Green Friday is an antidote to shopping and capitalism, East Bay parks are free

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - Ever since REI made a splash in 2015, announcing to the world that it would be closed on the day after Thanksgiving so that its employees could play outside, #OptOutside has been trending throughout the country.

Save the Redwoods League and the California State Parks system soon followed suit, offering free park passes on the day after Thanksgiving, hoping to get people out of the malls and into nature. All 2,500 passes have sold out.

The East Bay Regional Park District, however, has waived all entrance fees on Friday as part of the Opt Outside movement. Entrance to the park district's Ardenwood Historic Farm will be 
free too. 

A few highlights include: a Turkey Hike from 10 a.m. to noon at the Redwood Regional Park in Oakland and a Post-Thanksgiving Holiday Fun Day from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Crab Cove Visitor Center in Alameda.