Danny the Dragon Gets a Roaring Revival at Happy Hollow

San Jose’s beloved Happy Hollow Park & Zoo is breathing new life into one of its most iconic attractions—Danny the Dragon! For over six decades, this whimsical train ride has been a cornerstone of family fun in our city, delighting generations with its quirky charm and playful journey through the park. Now, thanks to a renovation project, Danny is set to soar to new heights, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store.

The Happy Hollow Foundation recently launched a $500,000 capital campaign to “reimagine” Danny the Dragon, ensuring this treasured mascot remains a vibrant part of San Jose’s story for years to come. This renovation goes beyond a simple spruce-up—it’s a full transformation. The updated Danny will evolve from a classic train ride into an immersive experience, guiding visitors through themed “lands” that reflect the diverse habitats found at Happy Hollow.

What makes this project extra special is its focus on community. The goal is to fund the entire renovation through local support, with donors earning a unique perk: their names will be featured on “dragon scales” along the ride’s queue fence (I ordered one myself). It’s a chance for San Joseans to leave their mark on a piece of the city’s history.

Below are some of the concepts for the reimagining of the ride, which is expected to be complete later this year. If you are interested in learning more or contributing to the project, head over here!

It's Not Too Late: TOTEM runs until April 15th!

It's not too late!
If you haven't already, you've got one week to catch one of the hottest, most astounding shows here in San Jose.

TOTEM, the traveling Cirque du Soleli show is still mesmerizing audiences, and will be until April 15th.

There is not a moment in the show that I was not amazed, smiling, or actually Oohing and Ahhing at the amazing talent these performers have.

Like many Cirque shows, there is also plenty of humous moments thrown throughout the show.

A couple of favorite moments from the evening..

The "Russian Bars": Just take a look at this photo. Do you see the thin little bouncy bar and how high off the ground these guys are? They jump and twist high in the air and magically (something tells me crazy amounts of practice has something to do with it) land each time back on the bars. This performance had me holding my breath.


(Photo by Daniel Auclair © 2010 Cirque du Soleil)

Another performance I enjoyed was the five girls on unicycles. I don't think I blinked during this part. I like to just TRY to imagine myself in the situation. Having to think about keeping the rhythm with your feet and making sure you're at a certain distance… ignore the audience… and TOSS!CATCH! Don't fall! Yeah I could totally do it. ;)



(Photo by Daniel Desmarais © 2010 Cirque du Soleil Inc.)

You've seen the ads, the artwork wrapped around the Light Rail trains… you've heard your friends rave about it. Be one of them and SEE THIS SHOW before time runs out!

The Weekend Map: San Jose

Here's a pretty cool site that I just found out about called "the weekend map."  It let's you see things that are going on in San Jose over the weekend spanning concerts, sports, volunteer events, conventions, etc. The interface is really slick and lets you quickly filter to only see what's relevant to you.

Check it out right over here.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!! If you still scrambling for a last minute plan, there are plenty of great San Jose restaurants that still have reservations available.  Here's the list of places that have openings somewhere between 5:30pm and 8pm today via Open Table:

• 19 Market
• Amber India
• BlueFin Japanese
• Emiles's
• La Pastaia
• Loft Bar and Bistro
• Maceio Brazillian Steakhouse
• Menara Moroccan Restaurant
• Morocco's Restaurant
• Morton's
• Rangoli India Restaurant
• Rosie McCann's
• Spiedo
• Teske's

Go to OpenTable.com and get your last minute reservation before someone else snags it!