SJMADE Holiday Fair

Over 425 local makers, artists, and creators will make this year's SJMADE Holiday Fair the largest of all time. In fact, this will be the largest holiday craft fair in the South Bay this year. The event will be hosted on Nov. 25-26 (Black Friday and Small Business Saturday) at the Santa Clara Convention Center across the street from Great America. Hours are 11am to 7pm and admission is completely free, including parking. There are also door prizes for the first 500 attendees each day.

For more info head over here.

Vendor List

• (the) Lisa Inez - D5
• 011ybits Pixel Art - R6
• 9 Lunas Accessories - B9
• A Jar of Pickles - P1
• A Miyako M - E3
• A Worm Friend - L4
• Acardellart - I6
• Adrianna Gluck - J4
• Aechungg Art - Q3
• Aegean Roots Co - A14
• AJNA California - N4
• Alice Reva Designs - J4
• Alina Diane - R4
• Alix Clo - Q12
• All The Way Handmade - C9
• Alma Superfoods - S20
• Altar Ceramics - B16
• Amapola - H2
• Ana 'N Shy - R2
• Apple Core Made - N14
• Aqua Cherry - O15
• Aquamarinejewelrystudio - L24
• Arely Cardenas Art - E8
• Art & Function - L11
• Art by Julia - O4
• Art by Paulina Hoong - G6
• Art by Robin Klinger - F17
• Art of Robert Liu-Trujillo - G20
• ArtifexWax - R13
• Artisans by Garima - D8
• Arts from Glass - M3
• Ashby Confections - T4
• Atiso Garden - Q11
• Bad Witch Crystals - C2
• banh.bells - T8
• bao by andrea - H20
• Barkin by Brit - B19
• Bart Bridge - I13, I14
• Be Heart Now - S15
• Bead To The Beat - F2
• Bean Horse Car Designs - C15
• Bee's Little Shop - E16
• Beeyond Boutique - S3
• Blue Pine - A13
• Blue Seal Pottery - R10
• bobo design studio - K7
• Bobo Jewelry - I16, I17
• Bohemian Moon Art - B11
• Bonblissity - A7
• Bonzi Studio - N11
• Box Paper Scissors - M15
• breakfestive - I4
• Brigachero - L23
• BVanSoi - N19
• By Shawna Chan - H1
• California Hats Co. - S1
• Caoculator - D2
• Carmel Berry Company - S20
• Carrots & Hummus - Q9
• CARTERA - E12
• CasaQ - I3
• Catch The Light Jewelry - M4
• Ceramics by Jane - C3
• CG19 - S14
• Chains by Lauren - F8
• Charlotte Truffles - C11
• Cheery Human Studios - G15
• cherrypugpie - G21
• Chibi-Oneechan - B7
• ChibiJay Designs - F15
• Chibird - O7
• Chilla Art Design - C18
• Christian K Bonner - L10
• Christine's Cookie Co - F19
• Cloud Cat Arts - M12
• Clouds Design Studio - T7
• CloverLeafPie - A9
• COCOACENTRIC - P10
• Color Cruiser - D11
• ColorfulSheep - T2
• CositasContreras - D6
• Crafted - L16
• Crafts by Saap - O10
• Cuddly Potatoes - O8
• Cyndercake - L20
• D EL Beauty LLC - N21
• Da Kine Hawaiian Stuff - I1
• Dark Lantern Perfumery - B17
• DAVENLY - B5
• DazedWaves - O14
• De La Luna Designs - R12
• Demby | Co - F1
• Derptiles - Q2
• Designs by Masako - L13
• Dirty Mermaid Beauty - P17
• Doey's Originals - B18
• Dream Vale Studios - S13
• DreamCreamCo - O16
• Dreamin Chocolat - J7
• Dyedandgonetocali - T11
• Earthside Candles Co - C17
• Eddie Ramirez Art - H22
• eden & zoe - G19
• Emeri LLC - F6
• Eminence Candle Collective - G8
• Enigma Blanks - O19
• Escama Studio - H13
• Exhilo Apparel - B8
• Felicia Liang - M7
• Fever Dream Crochet - T20
• Finding Vettey - T6
• FLORA MAKES ME SMILE by The Pencil Circle - Q18
• Fluffed Animals - I7
• Foustman's Salami - J17
• Fractal Flora - K15
• Franci Cakes - H10
• Future Bloom Apparel - N8
• FuturisNow - C10
• Fuyuverse - M10
• Gabbie Gallery - D13
• gigil party - R5
• Gila Glass - E12
• Ginger Lab - K3
• Girl Boss Anna - L3
• Girthybobastraw - N5
• Glass Scout Studio - J3
• Golden Hour Designs - B15
• Golden Luxe Jewels - J1
• Good Honey Handmade - R8
• Gooseberry Designs - G11, G12
• Goozee Pins - R16, R17
• goyangii - D16
• Grace Lee - S9
• gyozados - O6
• Hachi Bit - A11
• Hamimo Small Things - T18
• Happiears - S8
• Hash Ceramics - K16
• Healing Hands Reiki, LLC - L5
• Hella Bay Clothing - F3
• Hella Kinketsu - N5
• Hello Lily - F12
• Henry Noodle - N10
• HolidayPop - D20
• Hook & Yarn Creations - M5
• Huang Pottery - C19
• iikoshop - I2
• IkaOuji - T16
• Island Memories SF - A4
• Island Shrimp Bottles - Q4
• Italian Doll - R3
• its.clay.day - S9
• ItsKleine - E15
• Itsy Gifts - E4, E5
• Jacqueline Westermeyer Studio - G18
• Jale - F4
• Jaliren - C19
• JaneLi.Co - N13
• Jasmin Mostafa - H17
• JayEm Boutique - T13
• Jean Choe Art & Design - L21
• Jerky Jerks Jerky Hut - C20
• Ji Clothing & Living - D12
• Jill Rachel Designs - A5
• Joce - N6
• Jodi408 - A16
• JOJA Candles - F16
• Jollymoonscrystals - P2
• Joy and Jams - O9
• Joy Blossoms Clay - P8
• Juicey Gems - T12
• Juliet's Succulent Garden - J13
• Jumbo Jibbles / Harumo Sato - L8, L9
• Jumping-Jax - L17
• JZL.LTTRSandCRFTS - H18
• Kane and Ruby - O21
• Kavaia Tea - B3
• Kawaii Glass Co - M2
• Kelsiekishidraws - Q7
• Kidtzia’s Soapy Skin - M24
• Kin Leaf Tea - M11
• Kindred Cooks - H7
• King and Queen Things - Q15
• kinokurei - I21
• Kirei Essentials - M11
• Klaybykristina - S5
• Knightkun - M10
• Krafttee - F14
• Kumalma - H9
• Kyla Camille - M9
• La Luna Designs - B17
• LA MENO - B20
• LaanMao - R14
• Lacelit - B10
• Laiberry Art - N11
• Language of Knots - D9
• Laruce Beauty - S11
• Le Blanc Candles - F9
• Le Petit Elefant - K13, K14
• Leah Mark Designs - J10
• Leena's Little Light LLC - L6, L7
• Lianna Soap - P3
• Light and Flicker - K11
• Lilaque - R9
• Linai - Q5
• Linda's Obsession - P16
• Lipton Cunningham - D1
• Little Blue Cabin - I9
• Little Shop of Florals + J.Duh - G16, H6
• Local Color -
• Love Through Letterpress - D15
• Low Beauty - B13
• Lunar Remedy - D17
• Lvely Studio - R18
• Mac's Topicals - R15
• Macrame Kreations - H16
• Maddie Bee Studios - S8
• Made by April-Lynn - K12
• Made by Cas5 - E9
• Made by Chanamon - E1
• MADGAL design co - Q8
• Magical Girl Bella - O13
• Magically Luna Shop - P9
• Magnote - G22
• Makenna Kwik - H15
• Malaya Botanicals - R7
• Malisa Suchanya Illustrations - H4
• Mama Shaman Kuna Prints - P19, P20
• Maria Javier Coaching - R9
• Mary Hammond Designs - P18
• Matcha Paper Co - B14
• Matilda Bliss Studio - D4
• McKinnon Collective - C16
• ME Crafts - E6
• Meelee Art - L16
• mew doodles - D3
• MicheleDraws - E10
• MiGi Cera Candle Co - C13
• Mike & Niki's Honey - N20
• Millie Jay - G2
• MiniDes - D10
• Mirples Dirples - I3
• Miss Maegan’s Bowtique - O1
• MOB Leather - S12
• Moe Meido - S14
• Morning Crane Healing Arts Center - R20
• Morning Tea - T17
• MorninGlam - H23
• Motif's Art Studio - G3
• mtp_arts - P13
• Munch N Grub - I5
• Mute by JL - F6
• Nan's Gourmet Foods - Pastamore - T1
• Naoshi - H24
• NARA STUDIO - M13
• Naturals by Nisha - G7
• Neko-Oi - A12, B6
• Nellie & Kevin - K6
• Nerdy But Still Girly - T10
• New Growth Heritage LLC - A10
• Niliah Arts - T3
• normal Behaviour - F18
• NÜR - P15
• Occasionalish - N17
• Old River Design Co. - S4
• Old World Linen - P4, P5
• On Point Pins - B4
• Oyster Art Gallery - J9
• P.M.B.Q. Studios - P11, P12
• Pabkins - Fine Art & Illustrations - E19
• Pacifico Pottery - P8
• Painting With James - F2
• Panty Cat - L14
• Paper Picture Mama - F11
• Paper Sweetly - O12
• Parasol Paper - R1
• Passage One - K10
• Pear Life - L18, L19
• Pen 2 Paige - Q19
• PepperCut Studio - A8
• Peripheral US - T19
• Pinwheel Chocolate - M22
• Plant Slut - C1
• Plant'd LLC - M3
• POKOPIPO - I23
• Poppy & Quail - A6
• Poppy Paint Studio - N15
• Potato Illustrates - N7
• Props & Pop - M20
• Q Branch Woodworks - F10
• quirky burp illustrations - J15
• Racarons - E11
• RainandJas - M6
• Raphael Originals Jellyfish - H3
• RC3D - P6
• Real Mojo Foods - E2
• Red Pantz - G13
• Reed Artistry, LLC - I10
• Reflections - A1, A2, A3
• Renata Bartula Designs - H8
• Render Goods - S2
• Rinicake Art - T9
• River Girl Farm Company - L4
• Rockie Illustrations - Q18
• Rogue Candle Company - M18, M19
• Rosie Sterling Silver - R19
• Roxanne’s Biscotti - J18
• Ruthie K.Yamada Art - H22
• S for Sparkle - Q12
• SAADIA ART LLC - F7
• Sabukana Designs LLC - J8
• Sacred Beauty - O11
• Saeyri - E14
• sakuradragon - J11, J12
• SaltyMamaCraftCo - R2
• Salvage Flows - M23
• Sandwich Bag Games - Q13
• Sausalito Blue - L12
• Seto Arts - Handmade Ceramics Goods - F5
• Shelbe Shop - C5
• Sherry Lou Studio - L15
• Shibui Wood and Designs - I11
• Shop Mai and Mariahs - S3
• Sick Soaps - H5
• Simply Handpicked Co - M17
• Sincerely Daijoubu - N12
• Skinbliss - J16
• SLEEPOVER FRIENDS - N22
• Sleepy Rhino - O3
• slumptown supply co. - B1
• Small Batch Jam Co. - D19
• Smunchies Co. LLC - M16
• Snippet Studios - G17
• Soap N Hope (McJay Wellness) - S16
• Something Jackalope - Q9
• Something Soothing Co. - B8
• Soulzential - S6, S7
• Stars and Sprinkles - B2
• Steamy Tech - M14
• Stella Lumen Crystals - M8
• Stephanie Hayes Pottery - M5
• Studio Anai - Q14
• Sud Scents - M1
• Sudibear - E7
• SumLilThings - A15
• Sumsaara - O17
• Super Kawaii Apparel - C14
• Sweetdragon Baking Company - Q1
• Sweeter than Honey Bakery - J5
• TalkingThyme - M21
• Tangleweeds - T15
• Teappo - H11
• Tenuiya - L22
• Terra and Self - L2
• Thank You Ceramics - O20
• The Animal Box - G1
• The Brown Sugar Shoppe - I24
• The Chaga Company LLC - N16
• The Concrete Flamingo - Q19
• The Designing Chica - I12
• The Didi Jewelry Project - G14
• The Garden Home - N9
• The Golden Era Of Cinema - N1, N2
• The Kibler Elf - N22
• The Knotty Corgi - I8
• The Land of More Designs - I21
• The Little Forest Ceramic Shop - T14
• The Little Friends of Printmaking - K5
• The Little Pup-up Shop - O18
• The Little Red House - K8, K9
• The Lola x Kenneth Collaboration - D14
• The Ponnery - B14
• The Source Zero - I15
• The Weekend Store - N23
• The Wildest Company - C7
• The Wonderstruck Printmaker - G14
• Thousand Skies - K1, K2
• Tickle Me Lavender - I20
• Tiny Egger Cheeser - C12
• Tiny House Chocolate - O5
• Tiny Right Brain Designs - E18
• TinyMakesThings - T21
• TOA - G9
• Tony Bui Fan Club - K4
• TOOFOOFEEFA - Q17
• Toss & Throws - T5
• Traveling Calligrapher - G10
• Treasure California - G4
• trivial PURSUITS - I20
• TSEATJEWELRY - C4
• Turq and Terra - F13
• TUYYO Foods - I22
• Unicorn Crafts - L1
• Unsettle - E17
• UNTIL THERES A CURE FOUNDATION - S19
• UpbeatPals - G5
• Urembo Asili - P10
• Usagiduck - C8
• Utku Kids - O2
• Veganly Soaps & Candles - Q8
• Vinyl Resting Place California - T8
• Visionary Arts - I18, I19
• Viva Frida - P14
• W House SF - N18
• Waxy Waves LLC - Q6
• We Rock Communities - Q16
• Wearable Phantasy - S17
• West Coast Vibez - S18
• What the Pickles - J14
• Wild Rina - H19
• Wooden Contraptions - H21
• Woof Baked Goods - R11
• Woofboard LLC - B12
• Yana Co Crafts - D18
• Yarn Circus - J6
• Yay! It's Vica - D7
• Yinaya - Q20
• Yoruco - J2
• Yosemite Flower Farm - Q10
• Yours Truly, Mary Anne - C6
• Yum Me Studio - P7
• Yuzu Soap - H12
• ZEBA - H14
• zizi & me - O20

Aloha Downtown Skate roller rink opens Nov. 19 in Downtown San Jose

The holiday rink that has been a staple of Christmas in the Park for years is returning--with a big twist. Instead of ice skating, it's a roller rink. It will still be wrapped around the Circle of Palms but there will be retro elements to give it a "roller disco" theme. There will also be new areas to sit and rest between the two concentric skating circles. 

It all starts November 22nd. For all of the details, check out the press release below.

Downtowners are changing skates this holiday season in San Jose

Aloha Downtown Skate opens Nov. 19 and daily through the holidays

 

SAN JOSE – Aloha Downtown Skate roller rink will replace Downtown Ice this holiday season beginning Nov. 19 at the same Circle of Palms plaza on Market Street next to the San Jose Museum of Art and Signia by Hilton. 

The downtown anchor holiday attraction is produced by Aloha Fun Center in partnership with San Jose Downtown Association and with funding from the City of San Jose.  Google is presenting sponsor.

Downtown Skate manager Tricia Lee McNabb, who has worked at the downtown rink each of  its 26 years, thinks the switch from ice skating to roller skating is a good move.  “Like a lot of people, my sister and I were looking for something fun to do together during the COVID lock-down and we both had loved roller skating as kids,” she said.  “Every year I would get a new pair of skates for my birthday and now I’m continuing the tradition.”

Apparently, McNabb and her sister are not alone.  A roller-skating page on social media platform TikTok has received more than 8 billion views after shelter-in-place mandates started in spring 2020, and now roller skating has had a resurgence in popularity.

“I used to skate recreationally in the Circle of Palms area and always thought it would be a great spot for a roller rink,” said Downtown Skate producer Elizabeth Ruiz, who also operates the Aloha Fun Center at Eastridge and was a former member of the Silicon Valley Roller Girls roller derby team.  Ruiz says she is honored to have an opportunity to activate this high-profile urban space and bring her style of roller-skating fun to downtown San Jose.

The design of inner and outer rings around 32 palm trees lit with programmable LED lights will be familiar to anyone who skated previously at the ice rink.  There will be two areas for skaters to rest on benches between the palms and retro design elements to play off a “roller disco” theme.  The popular Snowman Hot Chocolate cabin is again next door to the rink.

McNabb pointed out that the most noticeable change will be the fact that the rink will be at plaza level rather than on a raised platform. 

“Not only will skaters be able to rest on benches right between the palm trees, but the trees themselves will appear taller and more majestic,” she said.  

Construction started Oct. 31 and will take less than three weeks, a reduction by four weeks compared to the ice rink build.  Basic construction includes a Sport Court laid over a plywood base plus “Jersey barriers” – also known as “K-rail” – providing the walls of the rink.    

McNabb said she looks forward to working with the rink’s neighbors at the San Jose Museum of Art, 50 West office building and especially the Signia by Hilton hotel this season. 

“Last year, the rink was open but the hotel was still closed, and it definitely felt like there was something missing,” McNabb said.

The cost to skate on the downtown rink will be $20 for 90 minutes, including skate rental.  Tickets can be purchased online in advance or at the rink.  

The roller rink will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekends and from Dec. 17-Jan. 7.  Weekdays before Dec. 17, the rink will be open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., closing at 9 p.m. on Sundays and 11 p.m. on Friday nights and the night before Thanksgiving.  The Opening Ceremony will be at 6 p.m. Nov. 22.

Ruiz stepped in to ensure the Circle of Palms will be busy during the holidays after last year’s ice rink operator opted not to return this year. The location just across the street from Christmas in the Park is ideal for a fun family-oriented activity, she said. 

“Christmas is my favorite holiday and I love skating, so this is a great combination of two things I am very passionate about,” Ruiz said.

The rink will stay open through Jan. 8.  Rink information, hours and tickets are available at alohadowntownskate.com or through sjdowntown.com.

San Jose Holiday Drive Through Light Show 2022

During peak COVID the folks behind Christmas in the Park came up with a novel drive through concept so that families could enjoy the holiday decorations while staying safe. This year we have Christmas in the Park AND the Holiday Drive Through. Best of all, ticket purchases help fund the traditional Christmas in the Park event Downtown, still the largest Christmas event in California.

Tickets cost $30 per car (not per person) and the event now takes place at Lake Cunningham Park from November 26th to January 1st. The main entrance is on Tully. 

For tickets to the Holiday Drive, click here!

November 2022 Downtown Dimension Highlights

The November 2022 Downtown Dimension is available for download.
 
This month's newsletter highlights:  

• During a month of transition -- the first of its kind at the San Jose Downtown Association -- our new CEO Alex Stettinski absorbed as much as he could from Outgoing CEO Scott Knies, who wrapped up as much as he could.  
• At the Annual Meeting Oct. 14, Stettinski expressed his excitement about coming to San Jose and a promise to give downtown his all.  And in his final State of the Downtown speech, Knies provided a list of things that have taken up his time and still have not been completed.
• Look for a new holiday tradition on skates and in the Circle of Palms when Aloha Downtown Roller Rink opens Nov. 19.
• Other traditional events return downtown for the holidays, including Christmas in the Park and Winter Wonderland.  In November, just about every arts group has something to offer for audiences of all kinds.  
• The entrepreneurial spirit is very much alive in downtown San Jose, where several businesses have recently opened.  Have a look at the thoughts and dreams of owners of Ashy Aromas, Suerte Eatery, Tiny Keyboard Shop and Woofboard.  The list is even longer, so look for more openings in our next edition.

South FIRST FRIDAY - November 2022

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back this week! Galleries (both permanent and temporary) will be open from at least 5-9pm. Participating venues include ANNO DOMINI, Institute of Contemporary Art, KALEID Gallery, Works San Jose, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, the SoFA Market, MACLA, Art Ark Gallery, and MACHU PICCHU.

Admission is free and all ages are welcome. Click here for a preview of featured art!

Happy Halloween 2022!! + Halloween in the Park (Part XIV)

Happy Halloween everyone, hope you have a blast tonight! This might be the first Halloween in 3 years where the event is back full-force! Halloween is my favorite "holiday" of the year. It's the one day where you get to interact with your neighbors and the wider community. The level of creativity in decorations and costumes is also the most eclectic and interesting out of all the holidays for me--whether that's for trick-or-treating, Halloween parties, or work events.

Usually in October we have a wish-list post for Halloween in the Park. The idea is to build on the momentum that Christmas in the Park brings to San Jose each year and create something of similar scale for the month of October with Halloween in the Park! A lot of the infrastructure such as wiring, lighting, and booths might even be able to be shared between the events. The goal would be to make Downtown San Jose the epicenter of October Halloween experiences.

Below you will find brainstorming ideas we have collected for this concept so far over the years. Please have a look and provide your feedback and suggestions in the comments. Thanks!

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The largest draw to Downtown San Jose for many years now has been Christmas in the Park. It has continued to grow year after year and brings in visitors from all over the Bay Area. It's economic impact is substantial and helps keep many Downtown businesses and restaurants alive.

What would you think about a similar event for Halloween? Picture Downtown lit up in orange and purple with elaborate Halloween displays assembled by local artists. Perhaps infrastructure could even be shared with Christmas in the Park (e.g. retail booths). A strong event in October would help maintain traffic between the summer months and Christmas in the Park. Here are the ideas we have so far:

• Animated Halloween Displays
• Created by local artists
• Analogous to the Christmas displays that attract many families during Christmas in the Park (almost half a million visitors)
• Family friendly so that everyone can enjoy it (PG/PG13, perhaps around the same level as Great America Halloween Haunt)
• Halloween Lighting
• Orange, purple, and green LED lighting on trees
• May be possible to use new programmable LED lighting that can go from Halloween colors to Christmas colors with the push of a button, allowing the lights to stay up for Christmas in the Park as well and reducing setup/take-down costs.
• Halloween Food
• Booths with candied apples, chocolates, candy, pumpkin seeds, etc.
• Food trucks
• Trick-or-treating station - a free piece of candy to anyone wearing a costume any day in October (could also be used to hand out promotional flyers for Downtown events/businesses/resources)
• Retail Booths selling Halloween items, for example:
• Artwork (paintings, glass pumpkins, etc.)
• Home decor/crafts like candles
• Light-up hats/necklaces/bracelets
• Costumes
• Zombie/Halloween make-up station 
• Halloween-themed Carnival Games
• Pirates of Emerson and Candlelighters (Fremont) do a good job of providing family-friendly games themed around Halloween
• A handful of children's rides could also be added to the Paseo and reused for Christmas in the Park
• Interactive Art
• Subzero/ZERO1-style, but with a Halloween spin.
• Halloween-themed video game kiosks and/or arcades
• Pumpkins
• Instead of the sponsored Christmas trees in Christmas in the Park, how about decorated Pumpkins (can even be Styrofoam so there is no mess/decay)?
• Pumpkin carving station for families. 
• Pumpkin carving contest.
• Costumed Entertainers
• Walking around the area, not necessarily scaring people but adding to the ambiance and providing photo opportunities for families
• Haunts / Mazes
• Would be ideal if these were nearby, perhaps in vacant retails spaces, surface parking lots, the San Jose Convention Center tent, or at SJSU.
• Could partners with one of the established San Jose haunt providers such as Deadtime Dreams or The World's Largest Haunted House.
• Potential Events
• Zombie-O-Rama can be used to kick off Halloween in the Park (late Sep. / early Oct. time-frame)
• Zombie Crawl
• Dia De Los Muertos Events
• Halloween/Dia De Los Muertos Bike Party
• Horror Movie Trivia Contest
• Weekly horror movie screening (perhaps in the Circle of Palms area?)
• Costume Ball
• Pet costume contests and pet-friendly events

Inspirations:

• Winchester Mystery House Unhinged
• Candle Lighters
• Pirates of Emerson
• The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze (photos below)

SJDA Annual Meeting 2022

Scott Knies' final State of the Downtown address can be watched in full below. He outlines several initiatives that he was not able to complete in his 34 year career at the SJDA such as creating a new Downtown Plan, cleaning up our streets from those that suffer from mental illnesses and addition, and doing something about old and deteriorating buildings Downtown that have not been maintained by their owners. He also introduces the SJDA's new CEO, Alex Stettinski.

Live music returns to St. James Park throughout October

Friends of Levitt Pavilion San Jose: “Building Community through Music”.

Every Sunday in October (Oct 2, 9, 16, 23, 30) bring a picnic, drop a blanket on the lawn and enjoy free, all ages, high quality concerts from 3pm – 6:30pm in Historic St. James Park. There is a Beer Garden featuring Camino Brewing suds, and delicious local food trucks will be on hand to ensure a stress free Sunday evening in the park.

In the news: Yes - you may have heard about Levitt San Jose’s struggles to break ground at St. James Park. Having dealt with a progress-halting lawsuit recently, Friends of Levitt Pavilion San Jose perseveres, and sets the tone for the future site of a Levitt Pavilion with this first concert series. By recognizing the magic of live music to bring communities together and activate public spaces, Levitt San Jose strives to carve out a new era for Downtown San Jose’s most historic park.

About the Levitt San Jose Fall Concert Series: 

Formed in 2016, Friends of Levitt Pavilion San Jose is a nonprofit with a mission to build community through free, all-ages, high-quality live music shows and performances on a permanent stage in historic St. James Park.

The Levitt San Jose Fall Concert Series, presented by Madrone Ventures & Studio Current, will feature top local and national artists, giving a sneak peek of what’s to come when Levitt Pavilion San Jose joins the community of permanent Levitt venues across the country.

We are proud to announce that the Fall Concert Series began with a performance from Antibalas on October 2^nd, 3pm – 6:30pm. It’s hard to believe that more than twenty years have passed since Antibalas’s humble beginning as a neighborhood dance / protest band in the block parties and underground parties in pre-gentrified Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Over the past two decades they have evolved into what The Guardian called “one of the world’s finest Afrobeat bands” while enjoying equal renown for their cross-genre collaborations with legends of popular music. Opening for Antibalas will be Salinas locals, Quiensave. ¿Qiensave? is a Cumbia Urbana group from Salinas California with roots stretching back to Michoacán, Mexico. They create high energy dance music that has fortunately blessed them with the opportunity to travel throughout California, Arizona, Mexico, and Colombia.

 

October 9^th Lyrics Born, the “funkiest rapper alive” took the stage from 3p – 6:30pm. Known for weaving funk and soul into classic, boom-bap Hip Hop, his energy electrified the crowd!

 

Jose James performed on October 16^th. Known as a jazz artist for the hip-hop generation, José James artfully blurs the lines between traditional and contemporary jazz, hip-hop, soul, funk, pop and rock. San Jose’s own Jackie Gage will open with her velvety voice, uplifting songwriting, and transcendent music.

 

October 23rd will welcome Latin Folk songstress, La Doňa from 3pm – 6:30pm. La Doña, born Cecilia Cassandra Peña-Govea in San Francisco, California, is a solo reggaeton singer, songwriter and multi- instrumentalist. The Chicana artist began her career at age 7 playing trumpet, and later strings and percussion in her family’s conjunto. She also played in a youth salsa band and a Balkan fusion band before synthesizing her unique upbringing in her original compositions. La Doña combines her deep roots in Latin folk traditions like corridos and rumba with the propulsive modern sounds of reggaeton, cumbia, and hip hop. Mosaic Organization will begin the show with a variety of cultural performances ranging from dance to live musical performance.

 

The Fall Concert Series will close on October 30^th with performances from San Jose local, Will Sprott and Orgone, whose sound draws from 1960s and 1970s-era funk and soul.

 

Friends of Levitt San Jose social links: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter,

The Levitt San Jose Music Series is supported in part by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, which partners with towns and cities across America to activate underused public spaces through the power of free live music, creating welcoming, inclusive destinations. Presenting a broad array of music genres and cultural programming, Levitt venues and concert sites are community anchors where families, friends and neighbors of all ages and backgrounds come together. Learn more at levitt.org. #MusicMoves

Día De Los Muertos party today

There is a massive Día De Los Muertos celebration in Plaza de Cesar Chavez that runs from 11am to 7pm today. The event features all sorts of live entertainment including pro wrestling and mural painting. Of course there will be tons of Mexican cuisine and live music as well. More details below courtesy of the San Jose Downtown Association.

Saturday, October 15

Plaza de Cesar Chavez

11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Día De Los Muertos, also called Day of The Dead, is a celebration of life. Día San José is a culmination of family, entertainment and (most of all) fun! Throughout the day, we sing, dance, laugh and celebrate our loved ones. 

• Main Stage with continuous, live entertainment

• Chicano Art Mercado

• Pro wrestling in a full-size ring

• Authentic Mexican cuisine

• Live mural painting

• "Native Roots" vendors celebrating indigenous heritage

• "Lowrider Altars," presented by Blvd Bombs.

The first 300 kids through the gates will receive a free T-shirt they can paint in their favorite colors.

Ticket prices: $8-10 adults; $5 students; kids under 12 are FREE.

Champions of Magic - Contest Winner

Congratulations to David Gauthier! 🥳🎊

You have won 4 tickets for the internationally renowned show Champions of Magic. 

For those that did not win, you can still purchase tickets over here.

October 2022 Downtown Dimension Highlights

The October 2022 Downtown Dimension is available for download.
 
This month's newsletter highlights:  

• BART has made much progress this past month on its plans to bore under downtown to build stations along its line down Santa Clara Street to the City of Santa Clara.
• Caltrain moved to the front of the line, claiming "dibs" on 1.1 million square feet of office development on land it owns in front of Diridon Station.
• This year's Annual Meeting will be unique.  We provided a link in the pdf you can link to for easy access to voting for Board members and to fill out the end-of-year survey.  The electronic version of Dimension should have more links in the future.
• Celebrate a new batch of Downtown Doors.
• Learn more about Christina Ruiz doing what it takes to earn a nod as Groundwerx Employee of the Month
• San Jose Marriott has a new owner, part of a huge nationwide transaction of resort and upscale urban hotels.
• ABVE the Basics shows how to take over a kitchen to cook up modern Mexican food.
• Businesses can buy transit passes for all its employees for a year and be reimbursed from the City Department of Transportation
• Take a look back at our regular From the Archives feature, which offers glimpses at what was going on 10, 20, 25 and 30 years ago in downtown San Jose.

Wayfinder

The San Jose Museum of Art recently unveiled artwork by SJ-based artist Juan Carlos Araujo called "Wayfinder." This work celebrates the history of lowrider culture in San Jose--which may grow now that the cruising ban is lifted.

Auaujo's banners are installed along East Santa Clara Street between Market and 20th, connecting East San Jose with Downtown. You can find more info about the project over here.

Scott Knies: The Exit Roast

After a whopping 34 years of service, Scott Knies is retiring his post as the executive director of the San Jose Downtown Association. He was the first hired executive for the SJDA and launched many great initiatives and events such as Music in the Park, Downtown Ice, and the Downtown Farmer's Market. 

He's going out with a bang. A roast will be held in his honor at the Signia by Hilton (former Fairmont) on Saturday, October 29th from 6-10pm. You can buy tickets over here.

He'll also be doing his last "State of Downtown" speech and slideshow on October 14th.

Champions of Magic Giveaway

As mentioned last week, the internationally renowned show Champions of Magic is doing five performances at the San Jose Civic from Dec. 27 to 29. You can buy tickets right now over here starting at $69 per person... but you might be able to get those tickets for free right now. We are doing a giveaway for four tickets for the December 27th show!

To enter the contest, all you have to do is fill out this form (below is an image of what it looks like), check "San Jose," and mention The San Jose Blog. That's it, should take 30 seconds.

We will keep the contest open for a week and then announce the winner next Friday!

South FIRST FRIDAY - October 2022

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back this week! Galleries (both permanent and temporary) will be open from at least 5-9pm. The Street Mrkt urban faire featuring artists, special performances, live music, food trucks, and a beer garden will be running in parallel until 10pm. Two local breweries--Camino Brewing Co. and the Fox Tale Fermentation Project are the stars of the beer garden this month.

Participating venues include ANNO DOMINI, Institute of Contemporary Art, KALEID Gallery, Works San Jose, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, the SoFA Market, MACLA, Art Ark Gallery, and MACHU PICCHU.

Admission is free and all ages are welcome.

Click here for a preview of featured art and list of all street vendors.