Viva CalleSJ - April 21st

This week has been insane, so today I just have a quick teaser for an upcoming post. Viva CalleSJ is one of my absolute favorite San Jose events and it's back April 21st. It also happens to run through one of my favorite Downtown districts, SoFA. More on this next week!

Mural Festival adding nine new works of art along the Guadalupe River Park!

Between April 30th and May 8th, the SJ Walls mural festival will result in nine new murals along the Guadalupe River Park painted by 17 artists. The event even includes an art show, live painting, a pop-up market, and a mural tour ride.

The murals around Downtown San Jose mean a lot to me personally as the first date with my now fiancé was actually a mural tour on a pedicab ride (shout out to Eco City Cycles for enabling the best first date ever).

As part of the festival, there will be an art reception and gallery soft opening at Empire Seven Studios on April 30th between 7pm and 10pm. The actual painting will take place between May 1st and May 8th, with a pop-up shop at Cukui. Live painting open to all will take place on May 1st at Citadel Studios. And last but not least, there will be a bike tour hosted by SJ Bike Party and the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition on May 7th.

For more info, the full press release is below.

MURAL FESTIVAL ADDS NINE NEW ARTWORKS 

ALONG THE GUADALUPE RIVER PARK

SJ WALLS AND THE GUADALUPE RIVER PARK CONSERVANCY IS BUILDING THE BAY AREA’S LONGEST PUBLIC ART CORRIDOR

April 30 - May 8, 2022; San Jose, CA: SJ Walls (formerly POW! WOW! San Jose) returns as a mural festival bringing 17 local artists to paint nine new murals along the Guadalupe River Park in downtown San Jose. The event includes an art show at Empire Seven Studios gallery soft opening, live painting by artists, a pop-up market, and a mural tour ride. This internationally renowned public art and culture festival embarks on its fifth year this April 30 – May 8, 2022, and will be the first festival among the worldwide network to center the murals along a natural waterway.

Originating in Hawaii in 2010, Worldwide Walls Festivals happen in over 20 cities around the world. SJ Walls is produced by Empire Seven Studios, a team of local cultural curators who specialize in producing public art in San Jose that you know and love. To date, they have added over 70 murals and public art installations across San Jose and Santa Clara County. 

The mural festival continues the partnership with the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy (GRPC), an organization in existence for over 25 years, providing community leadership for the active use and development of the Guadalupe River Park.

The goal of the initiative, Guadalupe River Art Walk, is to inspire a shared vision of the Guadalupe River Park and Gardens as a natural public art gallery by creating a series of new art installations that become a permanent cultural destination in downtown San Jose. With a robust collection of existing artworks and opportunities for future murals in and around the Guadalupe River Park, the Art Walk aims to highlight underrepresented and evolving stories of community, resilience, and inspiration.

Notable  Calendar  Events (Subject to change):

• Saturday, April 30: 7:00-10:00pm:

“This is the Way” – Art Show at Empire Seven Studios

Opening reception of the main art show at Empire Seven Studios featuring the artists of SJ Walls.

Located at 525 N 7th Street, Suite 10.

On view between April 30th - May 20, 2020

• Sunday, May 1 to Sunday, May 8 (sunrise to one hour before sunset):

Mural painting and installations in the Guadalupe River Park and Gardens by all SJ

Walls artists.

SJ Walls pop-up shop at Cukui, open daily except Mondays. Located at 229 Jackson

Street

• Sunday, May 1 (sunrise to one hour before sunset):

Happy Little Trees

Meeting of the Minds Collective artists from Citadel Studios will be setting up their easels at different locations within the park and painting just for the fun of it. Open for anyone to join!

• Saturday, May 7:

Tour Ride with SJ Bike Party and Silicon Valley Bike Coalition

Experience the Guadalupe River Park Gardens on one or two wheels through cycling, skateboarding, roller skating, or riding a scooter!

Pop up market with SJ Makers

Local market bringing the community together by uplifting small businesses, artists & musicians

 

 

SJ Walls and the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy are grateful for the support and partnerships of Applied Materials, Anne and Mark’s Art Party, County of Santa Clara (Supervisor Otto Lee and Supervisor Cindy Chavez) City of San Josè’s Office of Cultural Affairs and Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department, Beautify SJ, Cresco, Exhibit Jtown, FOMO MOFO, Kelly Moore Paints, Montana Cans, San Jose Conservation Corp/Resilience Corp, San Jose Downtown Association, Groundwerx, Team San Jose, Valley Water, and YBCA for their commitment to arts, culture, and public space in San Jose. For more information about how to donate or to become a sponsor, please visit https://sjwalls.com/donate

 

For more information on SJ Walls contact info@sjwalls.com or visit www.sjwalls.com

 

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About SJ Walls:

SJ Walls (formally POW! WOW! San Jose), established in 2017, is Northern California’s regional branch of the Worldwide Walls network of festivals happening in over 20 cities around the world. Led locally by the Empire Seven Studios collective —a contemporary urban art gallery and cultural institution in Japantown, San Jose, California.

Over the past five years, SJ Walls has grown into a premiere art festival with a line up and experience that rivals some of the best in the world. Much more than a multi-day festival, SJ Walls is also a vehicle to celebrate  San Jose’s  past, present, and future creative culture.

To date, SJ Walls has produced over 70 murals and visual art installations throughout San Jose, with a focus on overlooked places in our city. Our goal is to strengthen community ties by bringing local and worldwide contemporary art to San Jose to highlight the diversity our city has to offer.

 

 

About GRPC:

The Guadalupe River Park Conservancy (GRPC) provides community leadership for the development and active use of the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens through education, advocacy, and stewardship. 

This two-and-a-half mile ribbon of parkland runs along the banks of the Guadalupe River in the heart of downtown San Jose. The River Park serves as a north/south connector and contains beloved features such as the Guadalupe River Trail, the Rotary PlayGarden, the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden, and various public art including the Guadalupe River Art Walk.

Programming within the park includes educational opportunities, volunteerism, and a variety of year-round events for the public to enjoy. For more information visit www.grpg.org

San Jose's new Better Bike Plan 2025

San Jose's 2020 Bike Plan led the city to become one of the most bike-friendly in the United States. It resulted in 392 miles of on-street bikeways and 62 miles of trails. Now, it's successor is looking to take things even further.

Better Bike Plan 2025 would call for 37 miles of new trails, 79 miles of new separated bike lanes, 101 miles of bike boulevards on slow-speed streets, and upgrading 293 miles of existing bike lanes with additional safety measures.

When San Joseans were polled, many said that they would want to bike more but were concerned about safety. This new plan attempts to alleviate those concerns by focusing on increasing safety such as adding protected lanes. 

If all goes well, the improvements, additional bike lanes, and trails could be fully rolled out over the next 4 years.

Source: San Jose Inside

Better Bike Plan Workshop

Tomorrow there will be a public workshop for San Jose's Better Bike Plan 2025 project. Many more bike sharing stations are coming to San Jose, and this is a great opportunity to provide your input on a plan that will make biking "safer, easier, more convenient, and more comfortable to everyone."

The workshop takes placer from 11am to 1pm, December 1st (tomorrow), at Veggielution in Emma Prusch Farm Park (647 South King Road, San Jose).

2nd Annual Silicon Valley Bikes! Festival and Bike Show

From San Jose Bike Party:

Join San Josè Bike Party and the Valley’s racing, road, recreation, fixed gear, cruiser, vintage, lowrider, mountain biking and cool urban lifestyle cyclists and their families for a day of fun and community building on Sunday, May 15th, 11am to 5pm at Kelley Park’s History Park, 635 Phelan Avenue at Senter Road in San Josè.

Admission to the public is $5, kids two and under are free and $5 per show bike.

• Food Trucks
• Craft Beer
• Kids’ Space
• Bicycle Show
• Free Valet Bike Parking
• Expo
• Amazing Vendors
• Talks
• Music

1st Annual Silicon Valley Bikes Festival (May 3rd @ History Park)

A new Bike Festival and Show is coming to History Park to kick off National Bike Month in May. In addition to tons of bikes and vendors, the event will also feature Moveable Feast Food Trucks, Santa Clara Valley Brewing Craft Beers, a Kid's area, and free valet bike parking (cool).

Admission is $5 and the event runs from 11am to 6pm on Sunday, May 3rd.

Source: San Jose Bike Party

San Jose Bike Party: 2nd Annual Dublin Ireland Mayor's Ride Tomorrow

The mayor of one of our key sister cities is making his annual stop in San Jose and will be participating in a special Irish-themed bike party tomorrow--Irish music and all. Everyone is welcome! They will meet at San Jose City Plaza at 9:30 AM (don't forget to change your clocks) and ride on a 7-mile route through Downtown that will show off new bikeways and bike share stations. Check out the route and the press release below and don't forget to grab a Guinness after the event.

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SAN JOSE BIKE PARTY PRESENTS
THE 2ND ANNUAL DUBLIN IRELAND MAYOR’S RIDE

SUNDAY, MARCH 9th, 9:30 AM 
Event Info: www.sjbikeparty.org

San Jose Bike Party Will Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a Little Early  This Year  

As part of the Sister City relationship between the cities of Dublin and San Jose, the Lord Mayor of Dublin will be making his annual stop in the Silicon Valley.  The Lord Mayor will ride with San Jose Bike Party and local residents for a Sunday morning of cycling, music, and fun. San Jose’s cycling and creative community will be featuring Guerillaz in Da Mixx synchronized music bikes with a playlist consisting of traditional Irish tunes and Bike Party favorites.

Lord Mayor Oisín Quinn is the 344th Lord Mayor of the city of Dublin and has been a city councilmember since 2004. Next year the city of Dublin will celebrate the 350th anniversary of the city’s first Lord Mayor. Visible on the Lord Mayor at all public events is the Great Chain of Office which was presented by King William III (William of Orange) in 1698. The Chain is worn at all official ceremonies and is composed of decorative links including the Tudor rose, a harp, a trefoil shaped knot and the letter S (thought to stand for Seneschal or Steward).

 We will meet at San Jose City Plaza at 9:30AM PDT (don’t forget to set your clock forward by one hour the night before) and ride on a route of about  7 miles. We will be visiting some of the city’s downtown  landmarks and recent bikeway improvements, including bike share stations, green bikeways, and newly placed bike corrals or on-street bike parking facilities.

A map of the complete route will be available at SanJoseBikeParty.com two days before the ride. Everyone is welcome to attend or participate.

WHAT: THE 2ND ANNUAL DUBLIN IRELAND MAYOR’S RIDE
WHERE: Departs from San Jose City Hall Plaza
WHEN: Sunday, March 9thMeet at 9:30 AM

More information on the organization, including details on future rides, is available atwww.sjbikeparty.org.

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About San Jose Bike  Party:

San Jose Bike Party is a late evening ride around the Bay Area’s largest city; with different routes and start points. We ride as one cycling group on the 3rd Friday of every month. Weather does not cancel the ride. San Jose’s biking community, much like the city itself, has grown rapidly, and San Jose Bike Party’s goal is to be a positive part of this growth. Each month, the event sets out to explore the city via bicycle, featuring an ever-changing route, new playlists for the ride, and regroups that encourage participants to socialize with others. San Jose Bike Party is a monthly happening which encourages participants to ride bikes, make friends, and celebrate their city.

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San Jose Bike Party Hosts Third Annual Ladies Ride

Relaxed and Fun Ride Encourages More Women to Ride Bicycles 

San Jose, Calif.—San Jose Bike Party is hosting a special Ladies Ride on Saturday, July 14 at 5 p.m. The Ladies Ride is an annual event organized each summer specifically for female bike riders. Ladies of all riding backgrounds are encouraged to attend, as the pace of the ride will be relaxed. The route is approximately 15 miles through the streets of San Jose.

"Our goal with the Ladies Ride is to eliminate the gender gap in bicycle riding, where we see more en riding than women," said Katie Heaney, a Ladies Ride and Bike Party volunteer. "We hear from any women that they feel uncomfortable riding on city streets. With this ride, we're showing women that bike riding is fun, social, a great way to exercise, and can be low-stress if we find the right routes. That's what Bike Party did for me, and now I hope the Ladies Ride will get more women on bikes every day."

When: Saturday July 14, 5 p.m.
Where: Downtown San Jose, Start Location to be announced
More Info: www.sjbikeparty.org

San Jose Bike Clinic
San Jose Bike Clinic will assist Ladies Ride participants with bicycle maintenance and roadside assistance. San Jose Bike Clinic, which will be coming soon to a location in downtown San Jose, is an educational organization that is associated with the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition. The mission of the San Jose Bike Clinic is to provide a shared space for bicycle repair and education and to build a robust and diverse cycling community in San Jose. For more information visit www.sjbikeclinic.org.

About San Jose Bike Party 
The San Jose Bike Party mission is to “build community through cycling.” They achieve that mission by facilitating a monthly bike ride that is open to all riders in the bay area. This ride takes place every month on the third Friday of each month. The rides often include thousands of riders on many different types of bikes. Bike Party riders are instructed to follow traffic laws, such as stopping at red lights and not blocking cars. For more information visit www.sjbikeparty.org.

Mad Science Bike Party Tomorrow

The latest Bike Party--which is Science themed--is coming tomorrow between 6pm-10pm.  It kicks off at Cannery Park (401 E. Taylor Street) and features food trucks, a raffle, local clothing vendors, and even a performance by SJ Taiko! More info can be found right over here.

Bike Party this Friday

The theme for this Friday's bike party is the 70s! Route information will be posted on Thursday right over here. Even if you don't plan on riding, it is a pretty neat event to watch.

San Jose Bike Party Formal Ride - May 20th

The latest San Jose bike party is coming this Friday and the theme is dressy. Don't be surprised if you see a thousand people that look like they're biking to prom this weekend.

"This months theme is the Formal ride so get dressed up and get ready to ride. and don’t forget a corsage for your special lady… the night promises to be a night full of Awkward dancing and even awkwarder kisses.  Please remember to keep your outfit clear of your chain so you don’t have a wardrobe malfunction and end up as the only one at the dance without pants."

For all the info, just click right over here.

Bike Party Survey

Interesting survey results from San Jose Bike Party participates. As soon as a bike sharing program comes to San Jose, I'm going to join the next run!

Survey Results

Bike Party’s goal is to build community through bicycling.  In order to determine if we are achieving our goal, we surveyed our riders and participants.

Over 500 participants responded to a self selection survey. (We posted in on the website and sent it out to the facebook group).

These are the results (with 585 completed).

34% of particiapants have attended 1-2 rides

28% have attended 3-4

13.6% have attended 4-6

15.3%  have attended more than 6 rides

After Riding with Bike Party,

30.3%  have purchased a bicycle

78.6% have purchased bicycle accessories

39.6% have paid for bicycle repairs

76% of riders have made friends because of Bike Party.

Because of Bike Party,

57.9% ride their bicycle more often for transportation

77.3% ride their bicycle more often for recreation

79.8% feel more confident riding solo or with a small group of friends

75% have learned more about local bicycle routes

79.8% have learned more about the local community

75.8% have learned more about safe riding

22.7% have participated with other groups

San Jose Bike Party - Xmas Ride Tomorrow

Bring a thermos of coco cause it’s gonna be a cold but awesome night as we ride through some of the best decorated neighborhoods of San Jose. Decorate your bike with tons of lights as we show folks how we roll.

We will be doing a canned food drive at the START of the ride, so bring a CAN!

Route and Prerides will be announced Closer to the ride.

San Jose Bike Party + Left Coast Live!

Click here for more details!

San Jose Via Velo "Bike Party" this Saturday!

On Saturday, May 15th from 10am to 3pm, San Fernando Street is being shut down between 3rd St. and 87 for what is essentially a huge bike party. I'll quote the flyer below: "The ViaVelo turns this otherwise busy thoroughfare into a car-free promenade to gather, bike, walk, skate, dance, or stroll on a sunny May day." This event will feature live music on 2 stages, green living demonstrations, children's activities, guided bike rides, organic food cooking demos, a high-tech scavenger hunt via bike, yoga, and some giveaways for kids. Sounds like an awesome event! Thanks to Quan for sending this in.