Oakland’s Magic Kitchen
Oakland's Magic Kitchen
A Series of Family-Friendly Cooking Shows
About the Series
Children’s Fairyland brings you another exciting season of Oakland’s Magic Kitchen, a delightful cooking show for kids – and their grownups! Join Quercus, our beloved furry friend, as he hosts a series of culinary adventures featuring esteemed local Guest Chefs. Together, they explore the world of food, ingredients, and cooking basics, all while creating fun and kid-friendly recipes.
Our Guest Chefs will guide you through each step of these exciting recipes, with Quercus asking all the curious questions to uncover the secrets behind making delicious, nutritious meals.
Plus, all guests get to taste the dish and take home the recipe! Get ready to experience a taste of Oakland with us!
Upcoming Shows
Quercus is snoozing for the rest of the year and will reopen Oakland's Magic Kitchen in 2025. Stay tuned for dates and more information about our next Guest Chefs!
Don’t miss out on this magical experience!
Oakland's Magic Kitchen is made possible with support from Visit Oakland and SaveMart Cares Foundation.
Meet Quercus – the Host of Oakland's Magic Kitchen!
Our Fairyland Family is Growing!
Meet Quercus – our brand new puppet mascot!
Once upon an oak tree, there perched a mythical creature of the most curious kind. With its ears and tail mimicking the shape of oak leaves, it camouflages among the trees and casts a silhouette and shadow unlike any other ever seen before. Its wings are curiously sized and while they aren’t large enough for flight, they are just the right size for gliding gracefully between branches and trees.
This curious creature has a curious name: Quercus! And Quercus is curious in every way.
Quercus is observant, inquisitive, playful, and incredibly alert! Their ability to camouflage in the oak trees allows them to see, hear, and feel the world around and below them very easily. Quercus is always learning from their surroundings because they’re always listening. They know so much because they ask so much! They ask so much because they see so much! They see so much because they’re present with all of their senses! Quercus is always learning by watching, listening, feeling, smelling, touching, tasting, and being one with the world around them.
Fun Facts:
Quercus is an omnivore living in a symbiotic, harmonious relationship with the grove in which they dwell feasting on invasive plants, fungi, and insects harmful to the trees. Bark beetles and termites are their favorites!
Quercus can be quite the rodenty little rascal, never missing an opportunity to chase a squirrel–it’s great exercise! If Quercus ever catches up to a squirrel, they’ll likely ask for a hug! Quercus loves a cuddle.
There’s only one thing Quercus loves more than a cuddle, and that’s a question! Quercus loves to learn new things so they’re always asking questions and sharing what they’ve learned!
Chef Michele McQueen from Town Fare
Kids Get Cooking with Quercus and Chef Michele McQueen
Children’s Fairyland welcomes your family to Oakland’s Magic Kitchen, a series of playful cooking shows with local guest star chefs and Fairyland’s puppet mascot, Quercus. This special gathering is an interactive cooking demonstration that sparks children’s eagerness to help in the kitchen as they learn about food facts and culinary basics!
Enjoy a taste of The Town! Chef Michele McQueen joins Oakland’s Magic Kitchen to bring you and your family into the very special magic that’s made her a culinary master, an Oakland restaurateur, and a local legend. She’s appeared on several Food Network shows and won over the likes of Steph Curry and Vice President Kamala Harris! When she’s not managing and cheffing at Town Fare (located at OMCA!), she’s rolling up her sleeves supporting efforts to address food insecurity in Oakland’s most vulnerable communities.
We’re so proud to wrap up an incredible season of seasoning in Oakland’s Magic Kitchen with the force that is Chef Michele McQueen. Don’t miss this flavorful finale!
Saturday, October 26
11:30 a.m.
Aesop’s Playhouse
