Rock 'n' Roll Marathon this Weekend

If you’re looking for a fun and fast way to experience the spirit of San Jose, look no further than the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose marathon. This annual event, which will take place on September 30 and October 1, 2023, is part of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series that features live music, cheer squads, and a festive atmosphere along the course.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose marathon offers four distances to choose from: half marathon, 10K, 5K, and KiDS ROCK. Whether you’re a seasoned runner or a beginner, you’ll find a challenge that suits your level and goal. Plus, you’ll get to enjoy the scenic views of downtown San Jose, the Rose Garden, and the Alameda as you run.

The race weekend kicks off with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo at the San Jose Convention Center, where you can pick up your race packet, shop for running gear, and get inspired by guest speakers and experts. On Saturday, you can join the 5K or the KiDS ROCK races, which are perfect for families and friends who want to have some fun together. On Sunday, you can test your endurance and speed in the half marathon or the 10K races, which are known for being flat and fast.

But the fun doesn’t stop at the finish line. You’ll also get to celebrate your achievement with a medal, a T-shirt, a free beverage, and admission to the Finish Line Festival and Post-Race Concert. There, you can rock out to live bands, enjoy food and drinks from local vendors, and mingle with other runners and spectators.

If you’re feeling generous, you can also run for a cause by joining the St. Jude Heroes program. By fundraising for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, you’ll get free race entry and other perks, such as an exclusive medal, a race singlet, and access to the race weekend hospitality experience. You’ll also help St. Jude lead the way in treating and defeating childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Register now for the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose marathon and get ready to rock your run. You’ll not only have a blast, but also make some lasting memories in Speed City (new nickname for San Jose?). For more information and registration details, visit the official website of the event.

Viva CalleSJ Willow To Roses on April 23rd

Viva Calle SJ is one of San Jose's largest and most unique events. Miles of city streets will be completely shut down to let people walk, run, bike, unicycle, or skateboard down the streets of San Jose. 

Viva Calle Willow To Roses features multiple activity hubs which are basically festivals-within-a-festival that highlight the local area. This year the activity hubs will be at San Jose State University, Downtown Willow Glen, and the Municipal Rose Garden. You can expect live music, vendors, food, activities, bike parking, and good times at all four hubs. In between the activity hubs you will still find all sorts of interesting stops, hydration stations, and stores. Up to 100,000 people attend this event, but it never feels crowded given how spread out it is.

It's crazy to think that during this event it's feasible to walk from Downtown Willow Glen to Downtown San Jose, or vice versa since there is no beginning or end and the traffic flows in both directions. 

Viva CalleSJ 2022 takes place on Sunday, April 23rd from 10am to 3pm (streets are closed until 4pm). It is completely free and you can use the handy map below to locate the routes and festivities. For more info, head over here. Hope to see you there!

Viva CalleSJ 2022 on Sunday, September 18th

Viva Calle SJ is one of San Jose's largest and most unique annual events. Miles of city streets will be completely shut down to let people walk, run, bike, or skateboard down the streets of San Jose. 

Viva Calle features multiple activity hubs which are basically festivals-within-a-festival that highlight the local area. This year the activity hubs will be at Parque de los Pobladores (Downtown), Kelley Park & History Park, the Arena Green, and Japantown. You can expect live music, vendors, food, activities, bike parking, and good times at all four hubs. In between the activity hubs you will still find all sorts of interesting stops, hydration stations, and stores. Up to 100,000 people attend this event, but it never feels crowded given how spread out it is.

This year the route is essentially a hub Downtown with 3 spokes extending to the activity hubs. It's wild to think that you can walk from Kelly Park to Japantown in the middle of city streets.

Viva CalleSJ 2022 takes place on Sunday, September 18th from 10am to 3pm (streets are closed until 4pm). It is completely free and has no designated beginning or end as it's not a race. It also overlaps with a PokemonGO community event, so you may see a lot of people on their phones. You can use the handy map below to locate the routes and festivities. For more info, head over here. Hope to see you there!

Viva Calle 2019 Part 2 - "Parks to Roses" on Sep 22nd

Rain and hail may have put a damper on the first Viva Calle this year, but that is not going to happen again in late September. Thankfully we have not one but two Viva Calle's this year.

During Viva Calle SJ, miles of city streets will be completely shut down to let people walk, run, bike, or skateboard down the streets of San Jose. Viva Calle features multiple activity hubs which are basically festivals-within-a-festival that highlight the local area. For part 2, the activity hubs will be at Backesto Park, Arena Green, and the Municipal Rose Garden. You can expect live music, vendors, food, activities, bike parking, and good times at all three hubs. In between the activity hubs you will still find all sorts of interesting stops, hydration stations, and stores. Last year over 100,000 people attended the event.

Viva Calle 2019 "Downtown and Eastbound" takes place on Sunday, September 22nd from 10am to 3pm (streets are closed until 4pm). It is completely free and has no designated beginning or end as it's not a race. However, it appears that for the first time ever there is also a new 5K at 8am.

You can use the handy map below to locate the routes and festivities. For more info, head over here. Hope to see you there!

San Jose is the 2nd Best City for Trick-or-Treating!

As a huge fan of Halloween, I'm thrilled to see San Jose maintain its Zillow rank as the 2nd best city to Trick-or-Treat in. Each year, Zillow creates the list using population density, walk score, home values, local crime data, and age distributions. This should theoretically provide the cities where trick-or-treaters can get the most candy, in the least amount of time, with the fewest safety risks.

This year San Francisco has overtaken Philadelphia for the top spot, which now ranks #3 right behind San Jose.

Within San Jose, the top specific neighborhoods for trick-or-treating were West San Jose, Willow Glen, Cambrian Park, Rose Garden, Almaden Valley.

Source: Zillow

Best Cities to Trick-or-Treat 2016

As a huge fan of Halloween, I'm thrilled to see San Jose maintain its Zillow rank as the 2nd best city to Trick-or-Treat in. Each year, Zillow creates the list using population density, walk score, home values, local crime data, and age distributions. This should theoretically provide the cities where trick-or-treaters can get the most candy, in the least amount of time, with the fewest safety risks.

Philadelphia took the top spot away from San Francisco this year, which now ranks #3 right behind San Jose. This means we now have the highest ranking west of the Mississippi for the study.

Within San Jose, the top specific neighborhoods for trick-or-treating were West San Jose (new this year), Cambrian Park, Willow Glen, Almaden Valley, and the Rose Garden.

Source: Zillow

Saturday Stats: Best Cities to Trick-or-Treat 2015

San Jose has reached an all-time high in the list of "Best Cities to Trick-or-Treat!" Zillow creates this list using several variables such as Zillow Home Value Index, population density, Walk Score, local crime data, and the percentage of the population under the age of 15. This should theoretically provide the cities that provide "the most candy, in the least amount of time, with the fewest safety risks."

For 2015, San Jose ranked #2 on the list! Last year San Jose was #5, and the year before that we were #4. Within San Jose the top neighborhoods for trick-or-treating were Cambrian Park, Almaden Valley, Willow Glen, Blossom Valley, and the Rose Garden.

To see the other cities that made the list, just scroll down or hit the source link.

Source: Zillow

Help San Jose win "America's Best Rose Garden"

Click here to cast you vote for San Jose! For more details, check out the Friends of The San Jose Rose Garden website.