Free Play Thursdays Keep the Games Rolling at MiniBoss in Downtown San Jose

Thursdays at MiniBoss turn into an open invitation for unlimited arcade action with no tokens required. The Downtown San Jose spot at 52 East Santa Clara Street opens its full lineup of more than 30 classic cabinets and a dozen pinball machines to anyone who walks through the door, letting groups challenge one another on everything from multiplayer favorites to vintage standbys without spending a single quarter.

Craft cocktails and solid bar food keep the energy going while the screens flash and the joysticks get a workout. Wings, Detroit-style pizza, and creative drinks pair easily with long sessions of play, making the free-play night a natural stop for friends who want both nostalgia and a proper Downtown evening.

The regular Thursday policy has become a reliable highlight for locals who remember the days of stuffing machines with change. Sundays shift to a family-friendly window (kids allowed from 2-10pm), but the midweek free access remains the clearest draw for adults looking to stretch their gaming time without the usual cost.

Source: Instagram

Freestyle Legends Take Over The Plaza Tonight in Downtown San Jose

A full night of classic freestyle hits lands at The Plaza this evening, right in the heart of Downtown San Jose. Freestyle Explosion brings Stevie B, The Cover Girls, Trinere, and a supporting cast that includes Johnny O, Seduction, Rockell, George Lamond, and Nyasia to the outdoor stage at 1 Paseo de San Antonio.

Doors open at 5 p.m. with the music starting at 7 p.m. General admission covers lawn space for dancing and standing, while reserved front sections offer assigned seating closer to the stage. Food trucks and beverage booths will be on site, and nearby Downtown restaurants remain available before the show. Blankets smaller than 6 by 8 feet are allowed on the lawn; chairs, outside food, and large bags are not.

Stevie B headlines with the songs that defined the late-’80s freestyle sound, including “Because I Love You,” “Spring Love,” and “Party Your Body.” The Cover Girls and Trinere add their own chart-topping tracks, creating a continuous run of dance-floor classics under the open sky. A lowrider car show by the United Lowrider Council and Highside NorCal Car Club adds another layer to the evening.

The Plaza’s central location makes the concert easy to reach by light rail, rideshare, or nearby parking garages. For fans of the freestyle era, the stacked lineup on one stage offers a rare chance to hear these artists together in Downtown San Jose.

Tickets remain available through CalTix for those still planning to attend.

World Cup Fever Filled Downtown San Jose with Record Crowds

Over six weeks of World Cup matches, Downtown San Jose recorded more than 900,000 visits, far surpassing the original projection of 350,000. San Pedro Square became the clear center of the action, transformed by the San Jose Earthquakes and city partners into a continuous outdoor festival with jumbo screens, food, and fans packed along the pedestrian mall.

High-demand games pushed the numbers even higher. Mexico’s matches drew the largest turnouts, with nearly 40,000 people across Downtown for the Round of 16 clash against England and more than 37,000 for an earlier group-stage game. Organizers responded by adding screens and, when needed, shifting the biggest crowds to Discovery Meadow and SAP Center. Restaurants and bars in the square reported steady waves of customers that many owners described as stronger than multiple Super Bowls combined.

The success built on San Jose’s deep soccer roots and deliberate planning. City leaders had set aside funding two years earlier for major-event coordination, a decision that paid off once the tournament arrived. Light-rail trains filled, sidewalks stayed busy, and the usual quiet of post-pandemic office hours gave way to an energetic, multi-week celebration that felt closer to a music festival than a typical Downtown evening.

Safety challenges appeared at the edges of the official zones, yet the overall experience remained manageable as organizers refined operations match after match. The stretch offered a clear demonstration of what Downtown can deliver when people have a compelling reason to show up.

With the final behind us, the calendar already includes the CrossFit World Championships at SAP Center and the convention center, plus upcoming tech gatherings, concerts, and street festivals. The infrastructure, partnerships, and recent practice are in place. Sustaining the energy will depend on creating more reasons for residents and visitors to return, night after night.

Source: The Mercury News

The Domes Brings a Striking Immersive Venue to Downtown San Jose

A towering white geodesic dome near San Pedro Square has drawn puzzled glances from passersby in Downtown San Jose over recent weeks. The 60-foot structure on the corner of Post and San Pedro streets now serves as The Domes, an immersive event space designed for 360-degree experiences through high-resolution projection and spatial audio. Its recent ribbon cutting marked the start of operations in a space that feels like a scaled-down version of The Sphere in Vegas.

Programming inside the dome already includes watch parties for major sporting events alongside corporate functions, art installations, and social gatherings. The venue operates under a multiyear lease with plans in motion to add a second dome through fundraising and a third further down the line. This setup creates flexibility for everything from large-scale viewings to intimate creative showcases while maintaining high technical standards.

Founder Chris Lawes launched the underlying technology and immersive theater work in San Jose back in 2015 before expanding elsewhere. Bringing the concept home as a permanent fixture reflects a desire to create a shared community asset rather than a one-off spectacle. The space aims to uplift visitors and serve as a hub where local residents, businesses, and nonprofits can amplify messages and host meaningful events.

City leaders have highlighted the practical appeal and innovative edge. The setup allows for a wide range of gatherings without requiring travel to distant destinations, and early events such as the Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce celebration demonstrated its immediate utility. With its striking presence and adaptable interior, The Domes will become the latest entertainment fixture in the heart of Downtown San Jose.

For event tickets (currently featuring World Cup watch parties), head over here.

Evolution Night Club Brings New Nightlife Energy to Downtown San Jose

Downtown San Jose gained another exciting nightlife destination as Evolution Night Club prepared to open inside the historic Lion Building. The popular venue relocated from Sunnyvale to 97 S. Second Street and signed a 10-year lease for 3,500 square feet of ground-floor space.

The owners, originally from San Jose, selected this corner location for its strong visibility and the parking lot directly across the street. They worked on tenant improvements that included booth seating along the windows, a full bar, and a dedicated dance floor so the club could welcome guests later this year.

This move filled a vacant space in a historic building constructed in 1907. With the Sunnyvale location closed due to redevelopment, Evolution Night Club now focused entirely on delivering a fresh experience right in the center of San Jose.

There is no ETA on the grand opening, but hopefully it will open in time to take advantage of the World Cup crowds.

Source: SVBJ

BILT rewards card and San Jose discounts

Happy tax day everyone! Today will be a slightly different kind of post. I'm a big fan of leveraging credit cards to get as much free stuff as possible and maximizing discounts on every purchase I make. I've stayed at fancy hotels for free countless times and flown all around the world using points. It's a bit of a side-passion of mine, perhaps an obsession. Currently I have an Amex Platinum (Personal & Business), Amex Gold, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Atmos Summit, Bonvoy Brilliant, and many others. 

I've been testing out a card by a newer company called Bilt for the last several months. They are the first (and only) card company where you can earn points on your rent or mortgage payments. That was my main use case for getting their premium card along with the generous sign on bonus, but it's a pretty awesome card in general for everything (except for taxes ironically).

Points can be converted to various hotel programs and 15+ airline partners, including Alaska Airlines... my go to at SJC. Southwest is also a partner as well as United, JAL, British Airways, Etihad, TAP Air Portugal, United, Cathay Pacific. and Emirates. Because of the flexibility, the points are worth roughly 2 cents each. You also get 4% back in "Bilt Cash" on purchases which you can exchange for more points, gift cards, etc. I value these at about 50 cents on the collar, so call it about 2 cents per dollar you spend.

So in essence, between the 1x points and 4% Bilt Cash, the Bilt Blue Card with no annual fee gives you 4% back on ALL purchases you make (except for taxes) and you can earn points on you rent or mortgage. The $99/year Bilt Obsidian also gets you 8% off Dining OR Grocery, and 6% off all travel purchases. Lastly, the $499/year Bilt Palladium gives you 6% off everything.  You can only pick one of the three, I went with the Palladium since it's the absolute best card you can get for non-category spend. The AMEX Platinum is still the best for flights, AMEX Gold is the best for restaurants, Chase Sapphire Reserve is the best for Hotels. For everything else, this is the new king of the hill. 

As an added bonus, you get additional points with Lyft, Walgreens, and several other partners including many San Jose restaurants. These include:

• Downtown - San Pedro Social, District, Farmers Union, Serious Dumpling, and Teske's Germania
• Santana Row - LB Steak, Seft Bank, El Jardin, Momosan, Zazil Cocina, Meso, and Suspiro
• Willow Glen - John's, Stacks, Toast, Casa Villa, and Mimosas
• Japantown SJ - Hukilau and Spread
• Tons of others in East San Jose, Almaden (La Foret), Evergreen, etc.

There are also discounts on fitness classes and parking garages as well as other perks such as comedy club and dining experiences. It's a pretty fun and interesting ecosystem, not at all what I expected from a credit card company.

Customer service has been hit or miss for me since they have been completely slammed after rolling out these three new cards. That is an area where AMEX is way stronger today, but it's a small price to pay for better discounts and rewards on purchases.

The Bilt Palladium has become my favorite credit card, but you can't go wrong with any of the three they offer today. The Bilt Blue is probably the best no-fee card today. The Obsidian is arguably on par with the AMEX Gold for dining, but with a much lower annual fee. The Palladium is ideal for people that know how to milk the points system and/or want to consolidate a bunch of premium cards into one.

To learn more or pick a card, click here!

The Price Is Right Live Brings Iconic Game Show Thrills to San Jose Civic

The Price Is Right Live comes to the San Jose Civic on Friday, October 9 at 8 PM with its high-energy stage production and all the classic elements fans know and love.

You will step right into the nostalgic world of the original sets featuring The Big Wheel, Plinko, Cliffhangers, and the Showcase. A celebrity host will keep the laughs flowing while randomly selected contestants compete for big prizes that range from household appliances and dream vacations to electronics and even a brand-new car.

Lucky audience members can score prizes without ever leaving their seats. The touring show has played to packed houses for more than twenty years and has awarded over fifteen million dollars in cash and prizes across the country.

San Jose now joins the fun with this special stop that turns television memories into an interactive night out right in the city.

Tickets will go on sale Friday, April 10 @ 6 AM via Ticketmaster.

PayPal Park Expands Its Role with Regular Concert Nights in San Jose

You'll soon discover more opportunities to catch major live performances at PayPal Park. The San Jose City Council gave unanimous approval for the stadium to host up to 15 concerts each year. This decision locks in the venue’s future as an essential part of the city’s entertainment lineup.

Careful planning went into the approval. City officials established volume limits and reporting requirements that respond to neighborhood feedback. You can expect concerts to run between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. while maintaining respect for those living nearby.

The stadium delivered impressive results for the local economy. In 2024 events there produced $111 million in total economic impact and backed nearly 1,000 jobs. Concerts will amplify these benefits and bring more crowds to support Downtown San Jose businesses.

You also have big matches to look forward to at the park soon. The U.S. Women’s National Team will face Japan in a friendly. Fans will also see Cruz Azul take on Atlético Nacional. PayPal Park will additionally serve as a venue for early-round action in the 2028 Olympic soccer tournaments.

Source: SVBJ

PayPal Park's Concert Era: Bringing 15 Live Music Events to San Jose Each Year

San Jose has greenlit up to 15 concerts annually at PayPal Park, expanding the city's largest outdoor venue into a key spot for live music. This decision opens doors for major acts to perform between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m., adding to the limited options for large-scale shows in the area.

The concerts stand to invigorate the local economy through hundreds of jobs tied to event operations. Visitors from afar will fill hotels, while attendees head to nearby restaurants and bars before and after shows, creating a ripple effect. City leaders plan to track this impact using cellphone data, sales tax figures, and small business health metrics. Past events like those featuring electronic music artists near City Hall and in the SoFA District already attracted over 20,000 people, hinting at the potential for even greater activity around PayPal Park.

This development also promises to enhance Downtown San Jose, with spillover crowds exploring unique spots for dining and nightlife. As the region's biggest city, San Jose gains from these gatherings that foster community and draw attention to its evolving scene. The venue's location near retail areas could boost sales for businesses, as seen with a 15 percent increase during previous holiday events at the park.

To address potential issues, the city requires noise studies for the first two concerts and commits to monitoring effects on neighbors. Limits on the number of shows help balance excitement with resident comfort, ensuring adjustments if needed. Traffic concerns around exits like Coleman Avenue receive attention too, with hopes for smoother flow during events.

Overall, these concerts along with a future Levitt Pavilion in Downtown San Jose mark progress toward making San Jose a must-visit destination for music lovers.

Source: SVBJ

San Jose Steps Up as Premier Entertainment Destination for 2026 and Beyond

San Jose is transforming its Downtown core into a lively center for events and gatherings, setting the stage for an unforgettable 2026. The city council's recent unanimous vote turned Post Street into a pedestrian mall, much like the beloved San Pedro Square, enhancing walkability and inviting more foot traffic. This move, coupled with the approval of six new entertainment districts Downtown, opens doors for organizers to host vibrant events where people can enjoy drinks while strolling the streets. Mayor Matt Mahan highlighted these zones as essential for fostering a dynamic atmosphere, and now the city awaits proposals from creative minds to bring them to life.

Major events on the horizon promise to elevate San Jose's profile significantly. With Super Bowl LX and FIFA World Cup matches at Levi's Stadium in nearby Santa Clara, the Bay Area expects around 350,000 visitors from outside the region, generating about $600 million in labor income. Local leaders like San Jose Downtown Association interim CEO Gumby Marques emphasize the importance of showcasing Downtown's best features to build lasting civic pride. Ongoing beautification efforts, including murals and improvements along the Santa Clara corridor, add to the appeal, ensuring the city shines not just for 2026 but beyond.

Established festivals and conventions already demonstrate San Jose's growing draw. The Fountain Blues & Brews festival marked its 42nd year in June with record attendance of about 5,000 people, fueled by live music and a strong sense of community. FanimeCon, the city's largest convention this year, boosted local businesses like Pizza My Heart to historic revenue highs. Nvidia's GTC conference brought a 132% surge in restaurant visits, while events featuring DJs like Steve Aoki and Fisher drew thousands to plazas and streets. These successes underline how events vitalize Downtown and position San Jose as a must-visit spot.

Beyond events, hospitality plays a key role in sustaining this momentum. San Jose boasts 4,500 hotel rooms Downtown and 10,000 citywide, though experts like Sharks Sports & Entertainment president Jonathan Becher call for a shift toward family-friendly designs to attract more leisure travelers. Overcoming the image of a mere business stopover, the city is prioritizing entertainment and arts to stand out. With upcoming highlights like the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and NWSL National Championship, San Jose is aligning investments to claim its spot as the West's sports and entertainment capital.

Source: SVBJ

Great Big Game Show Now Open at Westfield Valley Fair

San Jose just welcomed the arrival of the Great Big Game Show at Westfield Valley Fair. This interactive experience lets you step into a real game show setting, complete with a live host, bright lights, and lively music. Two teams compete in a variety of fast-paced challenges, from trivia and chance games to creative tasks involving props. Whether you’re drawing, building, or guessing your way to victory, this attraction delivers all the thrills of a televised game show without the stress of a huge audience.

To mark their grand opening, the Great Big Game Show is hosting a special competition packed with free games and fantastic prizes. If you’re eager to join the action and test your skills, head to their website to join the waitlist and secure your spot.

Nestled in Westfield Valley Fair, a go-to spot for shopping and dining, the Great Big Game Show adds a new layer of fun to an already popular destination. One of the reasons why Valley Fair continues to thrive while most malls across the US are on life support is their willingness to add nontraditional stores and entertainment into the mix. Valley fair also has escape games, Bowlero, Immersive Gamebox, and a new high-end movie theater (Alamo Drafthouse).

Top San Jose Blog posts of 2024

Below are the most popular posts on The San Jose Blog this year. The general theme appears to be food🍔!

#1 Santana Row has a Speakeasy now! (April 12)

#2 Raising Cane's is opening their first San Jose location in Evergreen (Feb 4) 

#3 San Jose's fanciest movie theater shuts down (July 12)

#4 Campus Burgers will offer $2 Hamburgers and $3 Cheeseburgers in Downtown San Jose (Apr 28)

#5 Augustine will be Santana Row's newest high-end restaurant (Oct 17)

San Jose's fanciest movie theater shuts down

The ShowPlace Icon movie theater at Westfield Valley Fair has suddenly shut its doors. The theater was one of the many entertainment draws at Valley Fair and featured premium seating, food, and cocktails. The ShowPlace Icon in Mountain View's San Antonio Center has also shut down.

COVID and the writer's strike was not kind to the movie theater business. Even though Icon offered a more unique upscale spin on going to the movies, sadly it wasn't enough.

There is good news though. The space will remain a movie theater and the general manager of Westfield Valley Fair has indicated that there will be a new theater operator soon.

Source: Silicon Valley Business Journal

CaliBunga Waterpark San Jose officially opening June 29th!

What was once known as San Jose's Ranging Waters is being reborn as CaliBunga Waterpark San Jose starting on Saturday June 29th. The park is located inside Lake Cunningham Park and features over a dozen water attractions. It'll be open from 11am-6pm every day until August 7th and then open weekends through September.

They have upped the food options with in-park Food Trucks like Los Tres Hermanos and El Bombero 408. Best of all, they are planning a new restaurant and wine garden that will be open year-round! That is a great way to utilize space that would generally be empty most of the year. The restaurant will also have live music and an event space.

Tickets start at $28 for Twilight Admission (after 3pm). General admission starts at $53 and season passes start at $65. You can also rent cabanas with locking storage and food service. For more info, head to the CaliBunga website.

Wednesday Wishlist: Universal Studios San Jose?

I haven't done a proper Wednesday Wishlist post in years, but I saw something in the Catalyze SV newsletter that got me thinking. The Pleasant Hills Golf Course in East San Jose has sat vacant for ages--114 acres of prime space rotting away unused. Catalyze SV has several prudent suggestions for what this space can be utilized for such as affordable housing and open space. However, I wanted to throw out a wild idea.

San Jose has been doing more than it's fair share of adding housing in Silicon Valley and is one of two cities in the South Bay that is not resistant to building high-rise housing. There is plenty of space and opportunity for infill housing throughout San Jose, but it is extremely rare to have this much contiguous space anywhere.

So my crazy idea is to utilize the space for large-scale entertainment. It was a golf course in the past, why not a theme park?

Great America is shutting down to build housing in a matter of years and we almost lost Raging Waters this year--which is already only a seasonal park. Side note that Raging Waters is being renamed to CalBunga Waterpark and is right next door to this vacant land. One of the biggest criticisms of the San Jose area is lack of things to do... so why not use this space for fun and entertainment.

You might be thinking that this couldn't possibly be enough land for a legitimate theme park. However, it is more than enough. You can see it's size in relation to CalBunga and Cunningham Lake above. 

Again, this is 114 acres. Universal Studios has just proposed a new theme park resort concept in Waco, Texas that is oriented for kids under 13-years old. Think of it as the next step above Happy Hollow. It's being built right in the middle of a residential area and is oriented in a way where most of the rides are indoors and the buildings themselves will minimize noise travelling outside the park. 

The entire space including a hotel, surface-level guest parking, employee parking, and room for expansion comes out to be 97 acres.

Okay, but what about a theme park for everyone including adults and teens? One of the most efficiently laid out theme parks I have been to is Universal Studios Singapore. It features a dozen major attractions for all ages, is beautifully themed, and has multiple hotels connected to the property. The park itself is only 62 acres. They also have an aquarium, casino, and other attractions that would all fit within the envelope of this space.

It seems like Universal Studios is now taking some risks and is aggressively expanding. They are building one of the largest and most immersive parks in Florida, have a new concept coming to Las Vegas, and are pushing for a new park in the London area. Building something in the affluent Silicon Valley area could be an interesting opportunity. Any hotels could also serve a dual or triple purpose to support conventions and business travel. This area is only a 12 minute drive away from Downtown San Jose and the San Jose Convention Center.

This is obviously a long shot, but I've seen stranger ideas come to life!

Culture night market tonight at Discovery Meadow

Head over to Discovery Meadow today anytime from 4pm-10pm for live music, activities for the kids (bouncy houses, connect four, jenga), and all sorts of local vendors. There are two stages, food trucks, a beer garden, Coterie Den vintage thrift market and more.

The event is free and open to all ages and pets. For more info click here.

Raging Waters San Jose has a new name

After quite a bit of drama, Raging Waters will return this summer with a new operator. However, the name will be new. The waterpark will now be called Calibunga San Jose. 

California Dreamin' will put in millions of dollars in capital improvements and plans to have the park open by Memorial Day weekend. It also happens to be the same company that is redeveloping the former Raging Waters park in Sacramento, which it also renamed to Calibunga.

Source: ABC7 News

Sky Zone is bringing indoor zip lines and climbing walls to West San Jose

A major indoor active entertainment space is coming to Westgate Center at 1600 Saratoga Avenue. Sky Zone will feature zip lines, trampolines, climbing walls, and drop zones inside a 34,800 SQFT anchor retail spot.

Kids will get to run, jump, and play in a safe environment. Some of the activities also include aerial dodgeball, basketball dunking, gladiator-style jousts, and free climbing. There is also a toddler zone for younger children.

There is still no ETA for when Sky Zone will open, but when it does it'll be a great addition for the many young families that live in Silicon Valley.

Source: The Mercury News

San Jose's Raging Waters is coming back better than ever

After a lot of drama, Raging Waters will reopen this summer after all. San Jose has approved California Dreamin' Entertainment as the operator of the Lake Cunningham water park. 

Raging waters opened in 1985 as the largest water park in Northern California and has a 350,000-gallon wave pool and 14 water slides. The previous operator (Palace Entertainment) suddenly breached its lease two years before expiring in 2025.

California Dreamin' will put in millions of dollars in capital improvements and plans to have the park open by Memorial Day weekend. It also happens to be the same company that is redeveloping the former Raging Waters park in Sacramento. Plans for Sacramento include more attractions, a lazy river with a swim-up bar, a year-round restaurant, 2-acre venue with wine garden and live music, and a Chuck E. Cheese-themed children's area with family-friendly water rides. Hopefully they will do something similar to help revitalize the San Jose landmark.

Some of the specific opportunities mentioned for Raging Waters in San Jose are an expansion of the park to include the marina, lake, Action Sports Park, or underdeveloped areas. 

As a side benefit, by getting the park open this summer San Jose will collect around $5 million in tax revenue.

Source: SVBJ

Urban Putt, a love letter to San Jose's past, present, and future

With anticipation building for over a year, I thought there was no way that Urban Putt could possibly live up to the expectations in my head. I was wrong. Best. Minigolf. Course. Ever.

You walk through a very subtle entrance at 201 S. Seconds St., right next to Scott's Seafood. As soon as you walk in you are immediately transported to another planet. If Urban Putt was a standalone bar, it would already be one of the best ones in San Jose. Specialty drinks include The Winchester Old Fashioned with a smoke bubble, 10th Street Penicillin using local San Jose-made whiskey, Steve's Espresso Martini (pictured below), and a fruity Happy Accident which you wear around your neck and take with you as you golf.

For food, I just sampled a small number of their menu items at the media preview night but have plans to return this weekend for "more thorough research." The Pad Thai pizza was super tasty, as was the street corn salsa and Bavarian Pretzel with locally produced IPA mustard. I'm looking forward to trying their OMG Burger, which is a smash-burger on Texas toast with avocado and a fried egg.

Okay now for the best part. The golf course is incredible. It puts any other course I have ever done to shame in terms of creativity, engineering, and localization. It starts with an homage to Downtown San Jose and then blends innovation with nostalgia. I don't even want to show all the photos so that you get to experience some surprises while you're there. 

Some of the holes are actually races with your party of up to 4 people, including a game of labyrinth. One is a real-life game of Duck Hunt. Another is inside of the Winchester Mystery House. There's a shark, a downed UFO, a replica of the San Jose Electric Light Tower, a submarine, and a finale worthy of Silicon Valley. Some of the holes even have hidden tricks and easter eggs, including some trippy optical illusions and effects with vacuum tubes.

If there was ever a time to run out and support a new local business, this is it. I already have my next two trips lined up. Urban Putt officially opens to the public today at 4pm. After 8pm it will be 21+ only.

This has immediately become my top destination to take people from out of town. What a way to start 2024!