A tiny and frivolous question: are there places/festivals these months in SF/East Bay area where one can get freshly spun cotton candy? My little one has been hoping for months to try some, but we only see pre-made/commercially sealed ones. Would be thrilled for tips if anyone knows! Thanks!
If you find yourself in the South Bay, HalalStreet Hot Pot & Xinjiang Cuisine in Newark has a cotton candy making machine. There are dozen of shapes and color combos you can select on the machine, then your child can watch how the machine works spinning out the cotton candy. It was a huge hit with my 5yo. Just make sure you call them to confirm the machine is working before you go.
Haven’t been to the Tilden Park Merry-Go-Round in some years, but they used to sell it inside the concession stand.
Also, they have a cotton candy booth at the Kensington Hilltop Elementary School Carnival, which is held the Saturday (day before) Mother’s Day in May every year. Other school fairs in the east bay probably have cotton candy, too.
County Fairs usually sell cotton candy, too.
I think the California State Fair sells cotton candy and it’s still going until 7/28/24.
Hope you find some cotton candy!
this is more of a hybrid, but if you are willing to spend $7 there is a vending machine at Bay Street in Emeryville that spins it on demand. So it is freshspun, but from a machine instead of a person. VERY fun to watch it get made, and it gets made in a fun flower shape, and availble whenever you want it! I think you can pick the color/flavor.
Lincoln Square in Oakland hosts free events on the 2nd thursday of the month during the summer. They almost always have cotton candy available and I think it's free. regardless, these are fun, lowkey events even if they don't have cotton candy.
Golden Palace Chinese/Japanese restaurant in Moraga has a cotton candy machine in the corner of their dining room. They make it each day and give little bags of it to kids after the meal. You could call them and ask what time of day they make it, so you can come dine while the machine is going! But even if you miss them making it, you will get a bag of "fresh" cotton candy.
Super random, but there is actually a vending machine that spins fresh cotton candy on Bay Street in Emeryville.
Bay Street Emeryville had a cotton candy vending machine the last time I was there (March). You can choose from a few different designs and watch as it's made. Something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHgJAn_i8Rk
I had to do this search in the south bay several years ago - found a store in san jose that has a cotton candy machine. I just tried searching yelp again in sf and east bay and found "Endless Summer Sweets" in berkeley that advertises fresh spun cotton candy (along with other traditional fair treats). Haven't been myself but hopefully it works out!