Upcoming PAC*SJ Events

The Preservation Action Council of San Jose (PAC*SJ) has several great events over the next couple months including a Lincoln Avenue Walking Tour in a few hours. For information and tickets, head over to the PAC*SJ Facebook page over here.

"Lincoln Avenue Walking Tour"
May 14th at 10am, Intersection of Lincoln and Minnesota

We'll be strolling Lincoln Avenue looking at the design of the commercial buildings and hearing stories about the town of Willow Glen and some of the colorful characters who lived and worked there.

If you don't order tickets in advance, arrive 10 minutes early to see if there are any spaces remaining. Tickets are $10 for PAC*SJ members and $15 for the general public. Package prices are available for the series of walks

"Renovation or Restoration - Making the Best of Your Old House."
June 28th at 7pm, The Firehouse at History Park San Jose

Preservationist, licensed house inspector, and DIY expert Ron Tanner will offer a slide show that illustrates several projects he and his wife undertook as they restored an 1897 Baltimore brownstone---condemned property, which was a wrecked former frat. house--and then restored an early Victorian farm house that hadn't been altered since 1959. Combining humor with history and his extensive knowledge of old houses, Ron will try to answer the question, Should you make your old house even "better" than it was originally?
Drive through the gate off Phelan Avenue to enter the park.
The event is free, but donations will be accepted to cover the refreshments.

"A Night in Old Havana"
July 14th at 6:30pm, San Jose Woman's Club (75 S. 11th St.)

Make your way through the palm trees to the San Jose Woman's Club –the scene of spicy and sultry Cuba-central, for a Night in Old Havana!

Enjoy a Cuba Libre, Mojito, or Rum Punch, or a Cuban Mocktail and nosh on Havana street food while listening to hot Cuban beats. Guys: Dust off your white fedora and don your guayabera shirt. Gals: 50s tropical cocktail or cuban whites are muy bonita! Yes, there will be a costume contest! Don't forget to snap a selfie in the Hot Havana Photo Booth.

At 8 p.m., John Pastier, formerly a Seattle design critic and the first architecture critic for the Los Angeles Times who now lives in Naglee Park, will present a slide show of Havana Architecture.
The evening is co-hosted by SJWC and Preservation Action Council * San Jose. Tickets $5 for SJWC and PAC* SJ members, $10 general. Suggested donation of $5 per cocktail to help cover event costs.

Visual San Jose, Citywide Photo Contest

The Preservation Action Council of San Jose (PAC*SJ) and San Jose Historic Landmarks Commission in conjunction with Content Magazine and our sponsors is hosting Visual San Jose, a citywide historic photo contest. The contest is free and open to professionals, non-professionals and students (under 19). The deadline for photo entries is April 17, 2015.

May is Historic Preservation Month and this photo contest will celebrate historic preservation through the eyes of Bay Area photographers. Our mission is to promote historic preservation by raising awareness of San Jose’s historic resources, to celebrate the efforts to preserve our city’s history and to recognize the irreplaceable historic resources that are threatened.

Finalists’ photographs will be included in the June/July 2015 issue of Content Magazine and on display locally in San Jose in early June. The contest awards reception, in conjunction with the Content Magazine release, will be held on June 16, where winners in each category will be presented with prizes from our sponsors.

Submission Requirements:

• What: Photographs of historic structures, sites or historic artifacts within San Jose
• When: Photographs taken between July 1, 2014 to April 17, 2015
• Where to submit entries: Submit photographs (limit 2) in jpeg format to Submit2015@VisualSJ.com by April 17
• Entries must include: name, date taken, category and a description of the photograph 
• Categories: professional (earns over 50% from photography), non-professional or student (under 19)

Entries will be judged based on photographic technique, photographic creativity, historical significance and the short written description. For more details and rules of the contest please visit www.VisualSJ.com. 2014 photo contest finalists can be viewed at www.SJhistoricalphoto.com.

Donations (tax deductible) will be gratefully accepted to go toward the cash prizes of the chosen winners. Donations may be made by mailing a check payable to the PAC*SJ with a notation that it is for the Visual San Jose photo contest. Mail your donation to: Preservation Action Council of San Jose, History Park, 1650 Senter Road, San Jose CA 95112-2599. For questions or to donate, contact us by email at info@VisualSJ.com.

PAC*SJ is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to preserving San Jose’s architectural heritage and quality of life, through education, advocacy and events.

The San Jose Historic Landmarks Commission supports and advises the San Jose Planning Department and the City Council on historic preservation issues.

Content Magazine is a bimonthly San Jose based magazine promoting the people, events, and businesses of San Jose. San Jose deserves a magazine that is able to articulate the unique life & style of our city.

The Preservation Action Council of San Jose (PAC*SJ) Free Movie Night

The PAC*SJ is hosting a great event for anyone that is interested in San Jose's history. They will be screening several films showcasing San Jose in the 50's, along with an era-appropriate pot luck (think Vahl's Restaurant in Alviso) and costume contest. All of the details are below:

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The Preservation Action Council of San Jose (PAC*SJ) will be hosting their traditional Movie Night on November 14, 2013 to celebrate San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley.

The event will be held at:

San Jose Woman’s Club
75 South 11th Street, San Jose

The doors will open at 6:15. This event begins with a potluck of 1950’s dishes contributed by the guests, who are encouraged to wear vintage outfits from the 1930’s - 1950's.

The movies will include promotional films about Dole canning and downtown San Jose in the 1950’s, old commercials, views of the spring blossoms and Moffett Field, and very early movies from the Edison Studio of the Hotel Vendome and Lick Observatory.

In addition to the great food and entertainment, there will be a silent auction and a Holiday Boutique table with period items.

There will be prizes for the best recipes and costumes.

The event is free to the public. Many streets in the area offer free parking after 6:00, but guests may choose to park in the SJSU parking garage on 10th Street for $5.00.

From Animal House to Our House: A Love Story

Tomorrow preservationist and DIY hero Ron Tanner will be performing his one-man show at The San Jose Woman's Club on July 2nd at 7:00pm, and at The Booksmith on July 3rd at 7:30pm. Ron's book FROM ANIMAL HOUSE TO OUR HOUSE: A LOVE STORY tells how he and his wife bought a ruined frat house and -- not knowing anything about renovation -- restored the house to its original Victorian glory. Their work was featured in THIS OLD HOUSE magazine in 2008.

The Preservation Action Council of San Jose, The San Jose Woman's Club, The Victorian Alliance of San Francisco, and The California Preservation Foundation are co-hosting these events to raise awareness about preserving the great architectural heritage of San Jose and San Francisco.

Ron's presentation (with a slide show) is hilarious and awe-inspiring and is drawing a wide audience from preservationists, DIYers, old house lovers, inspiration-seekers, and romantics. The trailer for the show is below: