The Naglee Park PorchFest brought together the neighborhood during the pandemic and is now returning on June 17th. This event turns porches, driveways, and lawns into stages for bands. The Campus Community Association and Messenger events organizes the bands, food trucks, and bathrooms but the real party is being hosted by the neighbors of Naglee Park.
In it's inaugural year--Summer 2020--bands were loaded onto trucks and paraded through the neighborhood while neighbors watched on their lawn. This year they have grown to 10 bands in 10 different locations which you can find on the map below.
It all does down this Saturday from 3-7pm on 12-14th Streets just south of Santa Clara Street.
Viva Calle SJ is back for it's 2nd event of 2023! 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 Downtown Westbound features three activity hubs which are basically festivals-within-a-festival that highlight the local area. This time the activity hubs will be at San Carlos, Roosevelt Park, and SoFA. 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.
SYMPHONY SAN JOSE CHORALE presents
"CAROLS IN THE CALIFORNIA” Saturday, Dec 10 in SAN JOSE
Holiday Special
15th Annual Family Tradition Returns for One Night Only
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WHO: Symphony San Jose Chorale presents
WHAT: "Carols in the California"
WHEN: Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 7pm
WHERE: The California Theatre, 345 South First Street in downtown San Jose
WHY: A Family Holiday Tradition! The Symphony San Jose Chorale under the baton of Elena Sharkova presents the 15th Annual "Carols in the California", an exciting and festive program of holiday cheer. Enjoy a traditional sing-along of your favorite carols with choir and brass ensemble and prepare to be dazzled by performances of classical works by members of Symphony San Jose and the SSJ Chorale all in the warm glow of the beautifully restored California Theatre.
Symphony San Jose Chorale
Elena Sharkova, conductor
Marques Jerrell Ruff, special guest vocalist
And while downtown, enjoy Christmas in the Park, The Holiday Roller Skating Rink Under the Palms, and Winter Wonderland rides and games just two blocks from the theater. San Jose comes alive with the Holiday Season, with activities and memories for the entire family! All-day inexpensive parking is available at the city-owned garage on San Carlos Street with entrances on both Second and Third Streets.
PRICES: $36 ($26 for attendees under 26 years old.)
BOX OFFICE PHONE: 408.286.2600 or Website: www.symphonysanjose.org
Or visit the Walk-In Box Office between 10am and 5pm, Monday through Friday at 325 South First Street in downtown San Jose, between San Carlos and San Salvador Streets just one-half block from the California Theatre.
Photo of conductor Elena Sharkova with Chorale by Robert Shomler
THE PROGRAM:
O Come All Ye Faithful (Sing-Along)
Little Star of Bethlehem
Do You Hear What I Hear?
The First Noel (Sing-Along)
Shine on Me
Christmas Spiritual Medley (with Marques Jerrell Ruff)
I Saw Three Ships
The Twelve Days of San Jose Xmas
INTERMISSION
Jazz Trio (with Jazz style Sing-Alongs)
We are Christmas (with Marques Jerrell Ruff)
Too Hot to Handel (with Marques Jerrell Ruff)
Every Valley
For Unto Us
Hallelujah
Silent Night (Sing-Along with an added verse in Ukrainian)
Total concert is 100 minutes with intermission
ABOUT THE CHORALE
Symphony San Jose Chorale performs classical masterworks and contemporary music with the symphony, as well as a wide range of pieces, from jazz to liturgical and everything in between. Performances include Movies in Concert, acapella programs, and appearances with smaller instrumental groups in San Jose and peninsula locations throughout the San Francisco Bay area. Maestra Elena Sharkova, who directs the Symphony San Jose Chorale and the Cantabile Youth Singers, is an internationally recognized conductor, lecturer and master teacher.
More about Chorale Director, Elena Sharkova:
Russian-American conductor Elena Sharkova is recognized nationally and internationally as an inspirational, versatile, and effective conductor, choral clinician, music educator, and lecturer. She has conducted professional, university, youth, and community choirs and orchestras in 17 countries across North America, Asia, Eastern and Western Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. Elena has served as a jury member at numerous national and international music festivals and competitions.
Full Bio Here: https://www.symphonysanjose.
About Marques Jerrell Ruff:
American bass-baritone Marques Jerrell Ruff has performed across the globe, including at the Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles, California, the Weiner Musikverein in Vienna, Austria, the Rudolfinum in Prague, Czech Republic, and the Mariinksy Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Hartford Courant marveled, “Ruff has a voice that has power, clarity and brilliant shades of color.” Mr. Ruff is a former member of the Grammy® award-winning ensemble, Chanticleer, and has distinguished himself as a versatile, dynamic performer and conductor across multiple genres. He is currently on the roster of several of the top choral ensembles in the country, including the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Conspirare, Exigence, and Seraphic Fire. Most recently, Mr. Ruff made his debut in South Korea with The National Chorus of Korea, conducted by EJ Yoon, as the baritone soloist in Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony. He holds degrees in music from Central Connecticut State University and the University of Missouri-Columbia, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Music Education at Florida State University. Mr. Ruff is a member of ACDA, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He can be found @marquesjruff on all social media.
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 2nd, 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 9th 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 16th. 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 30th 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
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
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!
Ludwig's--one of my favorite Downtown restaurants--is hosting multiple Oktoberfest celebrations this year. The first couple events are this weekend on September 16th and 17th with an encore next weekend on September 23rd and 24th.
There is food, beer (hopefully in a boot), music, dancing, a best-dressed contest, and a Stein-Holding competition. To get in, you have to purchase a table which allows entry for 6-8 adults. You can buy tickets over here.
The SoFA Street Fair FALL EDITION is Sunday September 26, 2021, 2-8pm. After 2 years of virtual and hybrid events to keep the music playing, we are finally back LIVE on First Street, with the best local music and performance our San Jose scene has to offer. This event continues to be FREE, and ALL AGES are welcome. There are 8 outdoor stages and 66 live acts performing - all within 2 blocks. Rock bands, Alt bands, Punk bands, Latin bands, Jazz Bands, Singers, Comics, Wrestlers, and Burlesque Performers. There’s a little something for everyone. https://
Every Sunday, St. James Park will host FREE performances by our talented arts organizations in the area. Viva Parks Downtown and Filco Events have come together to present this great series called "Sundays in the Park with ARTS" and it runs all the way until October 24th.
Each week, the event will run from 2-5pm on the grass in front of the Corinthian Building at St. James and Third. A professional stage, sound, and production system will be there each week. It's recommended that attendees bring chairs, a picnic basket, and blankets.
This week's event on August 29th features the San Jose Popup Choir leading the audience in HAMILTUNES -- the official public sing-along to the Broadway musical. SJ Popup Choir is the only officially licensed presenter of HAMILTUNES in the bay area, so it's one event you won't want to miss if you're a fan of the smash-hit musical. You'll be able to access all of the lyrics on your phone. Again, it's from 2-5pm this Sunday at Saint James Park.
One of Downtown San Jose's largest events is back this week. San Jose Jazz's Summer Fest runs Friday to Sunday with multiple stages and options for every budget (including $5 streaming passes for one of the stages). The main stage will be centered in Plaza de Cesar Chavez but various events and the overall atmosphere will encompass large portions of Downtown San Jose. It will be a fun weekend to be in the area even if you are not attending the full event.
The full blurb is below and you can access the full roster and tickets over here.
Celebrate the Rebirth of “Live” at San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, August 13–15. One of the first significant live music events in the Bay Area in 2021, the Fest reclaims its place as "one of the world's great urban jazz festivals" (DownBeat Magazine) with a more compact footprint centered on the Sobrato Organization Main Stage in the Plaza de César Chavez. We'll bring you six stages with the same great vibe and a mix of international stars, emerging artists and local gems playing jazz, blues, R&B, New Orleans, Latin and more, including Grammy / Emmy / Academy Award winning artist Common, Latin jazz legend Pete Escovedo, fast-rising soul singer Judith Hill, funk powerhouse Morris Day and The Time, Latin urban party starter Ozomatli, Blue Note recording artist Kandace Springs and 70+ more.
Celebrating its 31st festival year in 2021, Summer Fest is an eclectic musical celebration that inspires family reunions, gathers old friends and brings music to every corner of downtown San Jose. Tickets and info at summerfest.sanjosejazz.org.
San Jose is in desperate need for some new events to brighten up the end of 2020 (finally). Filco Events is coming to the rescue with the First Annual SoFA Holiday SPECIAL, an online-only event featuring a dozen local artists performing holiday tunes across multiple streaming channels. The event will also feature San Jose-themed skits, fake news PSAs, and Mighty Mike McGee as the Grinch Who Stole Christmas n the Park.
Tickets are only $4.99 and go towards supporting the local art scene. You can learn more about the event and grab your tickets over here!
