Oakland Bulky Block Party draws hundreds looking to toss mattresses, appliances and piles of trash
on October 26, 2026
By 8:45 a.m. on Saturday, more than 50 vehicles stuffed with unwanted furniture, children’s toys, construction materials and mattresses had lined up on Edgewater Drive in East Oakland.
Crews were directing cars into a lot where drivers would find roll-off dumpsters, lightning loaders and machinery for processing mattresses. According to Oakland Public Works Department staff, some people had parked the night before, wanting to be first to dispose of their waste at Oakland’s second Bulky Block Party of the year.
The event offers a free way to dispose of bulky waste and is part of the city’s efforts to combat illegal dumping, a public health and safety crisis that leaves streets littered with debris. The city has struggled to stay ahead of the problem, with dump piles forming within days of a cleanup. A year ago, Mayor Barbara Lee added weekend cleanup crews, and in the spring, the city looked into using drones to spot illegal dump sites. Oakland’s three-year illegal dumping strategy targets a 20% increase in residents’ use of free bulky-waste disposal services in highly dumped neighborhoods, including East Oakland.
First launched in 2018, the program paused in 2024 due to budget constraints and staffing limitations. It relaunched in July. A total of 385 residents participated, and the event collected more than 30 tons of bulky waste.
James West arrived in a gray pickup loaded with plastic containers, tattered tote bags and bulging black garbage bags. He was helping a friend clear his backyard. West estimated disposing the load at a dump could cost more than $100. As a teen, West dumped waste illegally while working as a paid hauler. He now teaches his children to dispose of waste properly, he said.
“I see people dumping stuff, and I’m assuming that they’re trying to save money,” he said. “But it’s not right what you’re doing to save money.”
Two mattresses sat atop Mario Sanabria’s van, and household items filled the backseat. Sanabria had more waste but could bring only what would fit in his vehicle. Renting a larger one would have meant paying for an otherwise free service.
Without the event, Sanabria said he would have stored the waste at home and tried to gradually dispose of it during his weekly Tuesday trash collection.
“I’d just pile it. Pile it at home, pile it in the yard,” Sanabria said.
Household waste already fills his small garbage can, leaving very little room for bulky items, he said.
Danny Deleon learned about Saturday’s event through Instagram and waited 50 minutes to unload the appliances he brought, including a toaster oven and an automatic trash can.
Deleon said he walks through illegally dumped trash on the way to the bus stop in his Fruitvale neighborhood. He wished the Bulky Block Party was held more often.
Public Works operations Manager John Hillmon said more than 400 cars came through the line, and the event went an hour past its scheduled 1 p.m. cutoff.
Hillmon said raising awareness of services is another goal of the event. Residents can schedule bulky-waste pickup at home once every calendar year, an option he said many don’t know about.
The Bulky Block Party is scheduled to return Jan. 23, April 24 and June 26, according to the Bulky Block Party website.
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