Thanksgiving Feast at Scott's Ballroom in Downtown San Jose

Thanksgiving is just a week away. If you don't feel like cooking this year, Scott's Seafood is doing a Thanksgiving Brunch and Dinner Buffet in a ballroom overlooking Downtown San Jose. It'll feature all of the classics plus prime rib and shellfish. You can make reservations on OpenTable.

Happy Veterans Day San Jose!

San Jose has hosted a Veterans Day Parade since 1919, and this year is no different. This event is the largest Veterans Day Parade in Northern California and honors all who have served or are currently serving our country.

The pre-parade ceremony begins today at 11am in Plaza de Cesar Chavez and is followed by the parade itself at 12pm.

Below is a handy map of the parade route which starts near Highway 87 on Santa Clara Street and then ends in front of the San Jose Marriott past Plaza de Cesar Chavez. You can also find more information about the parade over here.

World's largest Christmas light maze

The holidays are getting nearer and Enchant is coming back to San Jose's PayPal Park later this month. The world's largest Christmas light maze will be available from Friday, Nov 22nd to Sunday, Dec 29th. You can find more info and tickets over here.

Source: SJtoday

Dia de los Muertos San Jose

Dia de los Muertos is a celebration of life, family, and culture. San Jose's Dia San Jose Festival & Oldies Never Die Concert is a two day event featuring live music, food, and art. 

It takes place at Plaza de Cesar Chavez in Downtown San Jose on Friday, October 18th and Saturday, October 19th. You can find tickets and more information over here.

Happy 4th of July! 🎆

This year, the big news is a new fireworks show in East San Jose centered around Lake Cunningham. This will be the first official fireworks show on the East Side.

There are already even more ambitious plans for next year to include carnival rides. This could be a great new tradition for an area that has been underserved when it comes to cultural events.

Stay safe and have a great 4th!

Source: NBC Bay Area

Rose, White & Blue Parade and Festival

San Jose's 4th of July "Rose, White & Blue" Parade and Festival is a beloved tradition along the Rose Garden neighborhood and The Alameda. The parade itself starts at 9:45am on Dana Avenue and then goes down Naglee and turns onto The Alameda. After the parade is a huge party near the end of the route.

The festival is wrapped around the Westminster Presbyterian Church and goes from 11am-3pm. The event includes dancing, pro wrestling, skateboarding lessons, live music, and a kids play area. The entertainment is accompanied by food trucks and vendors.

In addition to being patriotic, this event represents the multicultural diversity of San Jose and the amalgamation of many different communities. It's a beautiful event and a great way to start off the 4th of July!

Easter Brunch in Downtown San Jose 🐣🥂

As usual, the San Jose Downtown Association has a list of all the great brunch options in Downtown San Jose for Easter weekend. They also have a brief history of brunch in America.

I'll call out Rollati specifically since they have a special Easter Menu with a Cocoa Pappardelle (lamb ragu, pistachio, and mint gremolata) and Italian Easter Bread pictured below. However, you can't go wrong with any of the restaurants below. I've been to all but one.

For your convenience, here is the entire DTSJ brunch list with links to the restaurant in the title:

Rollati

Brunch at Rollati is best enjoyed with a group of friends, so you can order the Aperol Spritz Tower for four, which is their featured Brunch Cocktail.  Brunch entrees include Italian Toast (Sweet Batard, Nutella, Maple Syrup) and Buttermilk Pancakes with Huckleberry, plus the entire lunch menu.  Brunch served Sat. & Sun. 11am to 3pm.

The FAB

The FAB brunch menu includes Egg Machaca, Pozole, and their hearty loaded dirty fries, served “breakfast-style” with a soft over-easy egg.  Brunch served Sat. & Sun. 11am to 3pm.

The Club on Post

The brunch menu at The Club includes Berry Waffles, Chilaquiles, Crab Cake Benedict, or a Club Burger, served brunch-style, with an egg on top of the Wagyu patty.  There’s a full bar and specialty cocktails, but the Fever Tree Sparking Sicilian Lemonade is worth a try.  Brunch served Sat. & Sun 11am to 3pm.

SP2 Communal Bar  & Restaurant

The Sourdough Machi Waffle, Tri-Tip Hash, Smoked Salmon Scramble (to name just a few) pair perfectly with imaginative cocktails that include an Elderflower Spritz, Passionfruit Bellini, and a drink called Corpse Reviver No. 2.  SP2 also has a preset Brunch menu that allows you to choose an entree, side and a salad for the fixed price of $45.  Brunch served Sat. & Sun. 11am to 2pm.

The Farmer’s Union

The Chuy’s Michelada at Farmer’s Union is practically a meal, but you will want to try the Chicken Fried Chicken & Eggs or the Huevos Motulenos with turkey, peas, cojita cheese, and friend plantain.  Brunch served Sun.11am to 3pm.

Mama Kin

Brunch at Mama Kin includes the usual brunch staples, along with Cajun Creole specialties of the house, but it’s mostly about the vibe.  On Saturday, the R&B Brunch and Day Party, features R&B tunes from the 80s to the 2000s.  Sunday is the Boom Box Brunch and Day Party, with a DJ playing music from the golden era of Hip Hop.  Brunch served Sat. & Sun. 10am to 3pm.

Poor House Bistro

Jambalaya Scramble, Pecan pancakes, New Orleans-style Beignets, and Pain Perdu (New Orleans French Toast) are just a few choices on the brunch menu at PHB. Doors open 10 am, but the live Blues on the Patio entertainment doesn’t start until noon.  Brunch served Sun. 10am to 2pm.

Whispers Cafe & Creperie

The sweet and savory crepes at Whispers are offered all day every day, but it’s a very popular place for brunch on the weekends. It’s also the longest hours for Brunch in the downtown, for early risers who don’t want to wait until 10 a.m. to eat.  Brunch served Sat. & Sun. 8am to 3 pm.

Fountain Restaurant

Located inside the Signia by Hilton San Jose, next to the Circle of Palms, offers a weekend brunch that includes Lobster Benedict served atop fresh artichoke hearts, generous Avocado Toast and Trout Toast, Pancakes, and Belgian Waffles. The weekend brunch menu also adds lunchtime go-tos like the tasty Fountain Burger with balsamic onion jam and gruyere, plus salads, sandwiches, and a crowd-pleasing kid’s selection with Mac n’ Cheese, Chicken Tenders and Sliders.

Rollati's Cocoa Pappardelle (lamb ragu, pistachio, and mint gremolata) and Italian Easter Bread

Downtown San Jose is St. Patrick's Day Central 🍀

The Downtowner has a list of some of the St. Patrick's Day festivities happening in Downtown San Jose this weekend. Get out there an have a great time!

Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations in Downtown San Jose include a leprechaun hunt, a leprechaun chase, a 5K race, lots of live music, and a lot of green beer. Whether you’re Irish, or just love a good party, here’s some celebrations taking place this weekend:

The South Bay’s Biggest Celebration - Friday-Sunday @ O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub

The Shamrock Run & Leprechaun Chase - Saturday @ San Pedro Square Market

Shamrock Stroll Bar Crawl - Saturday, starts @ The Rec Room

Paddy Hard Bar Crawl - Saturday & Sunday

Shenanigans & Sushi - Sunday @ Sushi Confidential

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration - Saturday & Sunday @ Five Points

Qmunity District’s St. Patty’s Pre-Game Vendor Market - Saturday on Post Street

St. Patty's Day Club and Music Festival - Sunday @ Myth Lounge

Happy Valentine's Day San Jose

Our friends at SJtoday have a great guide to celebrating Valentine's Day locally with everything from unique events, to parties, and dessert specials.

As an added bonus, they have a map of local love stories and there are quite a few in San Jose.

See their Valentine's Day guide here. Hope everyone has a fun time tonight with their special someone! 💗

Santana Row 2024 Lunar New Year Event on Feb 10th

Santana Row is welcoming the Year of the Dragon with entertainment and specials at several restaurants and stores. On February 10th, Santana Row Park will filled with lion dances, cultural performances, and surprise red envelopes containing gifts and offers. The event will be hosted by NBC Bay Area's Mike Inouye.

Scroll on down to see the dining and shopping specials that will only be available on Lunar New Year.

DINING SPECIALS:

Dumpling Time - Visit the pop-up bar outside Dumpling Time for to-go dumplings & drinks.

EMC Seafood - $20 gift card to customers that dine-in Chinese New Year who spend over $20 (before tips & tax) Card valid 2/25-4/30. One card per table, only in store.

Fogo De Chao - $25 Fogo Card for every purchase of a Trilogy Wine Box or purchase of the Seafood Tower Appetizer. 

LB Steak  - To celebrate the Year of the Dragon and the good fortune it will bring, LB Steak is offering a special Wagyu Fried Rice and cocktail offerings during February. Plus, receive a red envelope with your meal, containing a special offer to redeem upon your next visit. Offers include a complimentary dessert, appetizer, or even a Tomahawk steak!  Available for lunch and dinner, from February 10th-February 18th along with regular menus.

Maido - $5 off purchase from 2/10-2/19

Momosan  - Head into Momosan for a special discounted offer on 2/10/24.

Oveja Negra - 20% off 

Ozumo - Complimentary Dragon Crunch Roll with the purchase of a signature roll. Available 2/10/24 from 12pm-5pm.

Palmetto Superfoods - Pop in for an in-store promotion and 10% Off when you order the Just Acai Smoothie with Renude's Chaggaccino (must order with a staff member to receive discount)

Rosie McCann's - Enjoy Lunar New Year Festivities within Rosie McCann's and Chinese dinner special, plus specialty cocktail, Dragon Sour!

Straits- Receive a free glass of sparking for dine in guests only with your food order. 

SHOPPING SPECIALS:

Amour Vert - Year of the Dragon Sip & Style event , 2024  promotion and 15% off.

Atelier Studio - Receive $20 off for any new service.

BoConcept - 20% off 2/10/24-2/11/24

Fjällräven - End of season sale, select items 30% off.

Le Labo - 1.5 Ml Fragrance samples within red envelopes (while supplies last).

Optical Illusions - 35% off Trunk Show Items 2/10/24 only. 

Vince - 15% off entire purchase on 2/10/24 only. 

Some restrictions apply, see merchant for details.  Valid Saturday, February 10, 2024 only.

Welcome to 2024!

The last time I did a New Year's post was in 2020. San Jose growth has been sort of on pause since then--but this is the year I think we'll start to see some real change. I'll say the same message I said back then. Hopefully we will see our city grow in every way possible this year! 

If you think 2024 sounds like the future, you're not the only one. I asked Dalle-3 to generate an image for "welcome to 2024 San Jose" and this is what I got 😅

Last chance to see the holiday projections at St. Joseph's Basilica this season

Right next to Christmas in the Park is a really cool projection-based light show at St. Joseph's Basilica. You can get a gist of it from the video below, but I was watching it for a solid 10 minutes. Lots of families taking photos in front of it. If you haven't seen it yet, there are still a few days before it's taken down until the 2024 holidays.

I'm hoping to see more art projects like this throughout San Jose. It really adds to the holiday atmosphere Downtown, which is already at an 11 out of 10.

New Years Eve options in Downtown San Jose

There is a New Years event for everyone in Downtown San Jose this year. If you have kids, there are "Noon Year's Eve" events at the Children's Discovery Museum and 3Below Theatre & Cafe. If you like fine dining, Rollati and The Fountain have you covered. 

If you want to party there are at least a dozen night clubs doing events Downtown in just about every genre you can think of from house music to Cumbia to Bollywood. Then if you're not hung over you can do the San Jose Bike Party New Year's Day bike ride at noon on the 1st.

The SJDA has put together a handy list of all the events going on over here. Have fun and stay safe!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

We hope that you and your family have the best holidays this year!

If you feel like driving through neighborhoods to find the best decorated homes in San Jose, there is a handy website for that over here. Some of the homes have been featured on TV shows and even have light shows synced to music.

Happy Holidays! 🎄🎅

Introducing San Jose Monopoly!

Monopoly has been running local city editions for some time now, and finally San Jose gets their own version of the famed game. This is long overdue, especially considering that San Jose has the largest Monopoly board in the world.

The entire board features local landmarks and even the money has been personalized for San Jose. Properties include San Jose State, San Pedro Square, Municipal Rose Garden, and Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Instead of railroads, you have the VTA. I also like how the game uses one of my favorite photos of Downtown San Jose towards the bottom of the board. 

The question everyone was wondering is which two locations get the coveted Boardwalk and Park Place spots--the most valuable on the board. One is the Winchester Mystery House and the other is Original Joe's. Okay, here is where the criticisms start. I get the Winchester Mystery House, it's easily one of the top attractions in San Jose. Original Joe's? It's not even originally from San Jose, the first one was in San Francisco. I like Original Joe's and it was one of my favorite restaurants growing up; however, I really think that spot belonged to Santana Row.

Second, Downtown San Jose has it's own spot but so do many locations that are within Downtown San Jose. I'm not sure how you can own Downtown without owning everything inside of it. I think it would have made more sense to put a Downtown neighborhood like SoFA on there or the SAP Center which is oddly missing.

Thirdly, there are three spots dedicated to the Santa Cruz area. Everything else is from San Jose, so those could have been the Alviso Marina, the Salt Flats, Almaden Beach, etc.

I know, it's just a game and I'm probably taking it too seriously. I'm still thrilled that it exists, caveats and all.

Now actually finding the Monopoly San Jose Edition might be a bit more difficult than you would think. It's sold out every place I checked and hopefully will be back in stock at Amazon at some point over here. I was able to get a copy right when it came out, but now it's gone. The VTA is giving away 20 copies as part of a contest in January.

DALL-E 3's take on Christmas in San Jose

I tried several different prompts on DALL-E to get an image of Christmas in San Jose, and believe it or not this was the least terrifying. I would describe it as a giant Santa with cold dollish-blue eyes holding a Christmas tree in a fictionalized version of Santana Row. Hopefully DALL-E 4 will be more polished. 😅

Tomorrow I'll have a post (and a critique or two) about my favorite gift for San Jose enthusiasts this year.

Spirit of the Row in San Jose

Every Tuesday leading up to Christmas, Santana Row is hosting free holiday performances featuring local community groups in Santana Row Park. There will also be photos with Santa in the Oak Tree Lounge by Blue Bottle and snow showerers in Park Valencia.

Below is the full lineup of performers:

Tuesday, December 12

The New Ballet performing The Nutcracker

Sarah Bylsma Soloist

Fantasy Dance

Presentation High School Choir & Dance

Santa Clara Elite Dance

Melissa Marielle Vocalist

Los Laurales performing Feliz Navidad

West Valley Dance Company

Tuesday, December 19

The New Ballet performing The Nutcracker

Sarah Bylsma Soloist

Nor Cal Dance Arts

PNC Music Management 

Joy of Dancing Competition Team

Castillero Middle School Choir

Almaden Spirit Athletics Cheer & Hip Hop

Santa Run Silicon Valley is coming to San Jose on Dec 17th

Are you ready to join thousands of Santas, elves, reindeer, and other festive characters for a fun and charitable event in Downtown San Jose? If so, mark your calendars for December 17th, when the 12th Annual Santa Run Silicon Valley will take place.

The Santa Run Silicon Valley is a 5K run/walk that benefits Christmas in the Park and the Downtown Streets Team, two local organizations that work to make San Jose a safe, clean, and vibrant place for everyone. The event is organized by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Foundation, which also produces the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot and the Lam Research Heart & Soles Run.

The Santa Run Silicon Valley is not just a race, it's a celebration of the holiday spirit. Participants are encouraged to dress up as their favorite holiday character or tradition, and enjoy the festive atmosphere at the start and finish lines. There will also be a costume contest, a kids reindeer dash, and a virtual run option for those who can't make it in person.

The race starts at 8 AM at W Santa Clara Street and Almaden Avenue, and follows a scenic route through Downtown San Jose. The finish line is at Christmas in the Park, where you can enjoy the beautiful displays and attractions. You can also visit the nearby Winter Wonderland for some ice skating and carnival rides.

If you want to be part of this merry event, you can register online at https://www.santarunsv.com/ until December 16th, or on race day at the San Jose Chamber of Commerce. The registration fee is $45 for the 5K Santa Run and $25 for the Kids Reindeer Dash (ages 2-7). You can also sign up as a Holiday Hero for $500 or $1000 and get extra perks like VIP parking, a private tent, and recognition on the website. All proceeds go to support Christmas in the Park and Downtown Streets Team.

Don't miss this chance to have some fun, get some exercise, and give back to our community. The Santa Run Silicon Valley is a San Jose tradition that you won't want to miss!

Winter Wonderland is officially open in Downtown San Jose 🎡🎄

A holiday carnival is now in full swing adjacent to San Jose's Christmas in the Park. Rides include a nearly 70-foot tall Ferris Wheel, a Carousel, an Alien Invasion centrifuge, Tilt-a-Whirl, a Dragon Wagon coaster, and many smaller rides for younger children. Tickets are $5 a ride for the major attractions.

After three years of street closures on Park Avenue (and the whole COVID thing), Winter Wonderland is back in full force! You'll find rides both on Park Avenue and Paseo de San Antonio. The Park Avenue rides will be oriented for older kids, teens, and adults while the Paseo will have rides ideal for younger children.

Winter Wonderland Ride Hours

• November 25 - 26: 12pm - 11pm

• November 27 - 30: 3pm – 10pm

• December 1 - 3: 12pm – 11pm

• December 4 - 7: 3pm – 10pm

• December 8 - 10: 12pm – 11pm

• December 11 - 14: 3pm – 10pm

• December 15 - January 1: 12pm - 11pm

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Warm wishes to you and your family from your friends at The San Jose Blog!