Bill Clinton will be in Downtown San Jose Today

Bill Clinton is making a single stop in the Bay Area today as part of the campaigns for Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom. That stop happens to be at San Jose State University. Why San Jose? In the SFGate article, Newsom's former chief political strategist says: "If you are going to do one stop in the Bay Area, it makes sense to choose the largest city." Shabam. Click here for the full article, (oh and thanks DLO for the tip).

Does anyone else find it interesting that politicians/leaders from all 3 core Bay Area cities are making a run for State office? Brown was former mayor of Oakland, Newsom is the current mayor of San Francisco, and Meg Whitman was CEO of San Jose's eBay, growing it to an $8 billion company. Hopefully the election winner(s) will keep the Bay Area in mind from their Sacramento perch.

Baseball San Jose: What would a downtown ballpark do for San Jose?

The San Pedro Square Market's Steve Borkenhagen tells us how a downtown ballpark would positively impact San Jose:

Halloween in San Jose 2010!

I'm a huge Halloween fan--as you can probably gather from my Halloween in the Park initiative--and have been going to most of the local Halloween events for the past several years. I thought I would share some of my top picks of places to visit. So far I have only visited Halloween Haunt and Pirates of Emerson. I also hear the Swank Farms Cornfield Maze is really good this year.

Halloween Haunt @ California's Great America - Santa Clara
The largest Halloween event in Northern California by a mile. Knott's Berry Farm was the first amusement park to throw special events for Halloween, and now that Great America is owned by the same parent company (Cedar Fair Parks) we get to share in the action. The third annual Halloween Haunt is on par with last year. They claim to have the exact same 6 haunted mazes from last year, but Carnevil (the clown one) is 90% new and vastly improved. The also have a haunted ride called Black Widow's Cavern (Logger's Run) which is completely new this year (it used to be Camp Gonnagetcha).  There are also 4 Halloween shows, 3 are unchanged from last year but unfortunately the musical "Fangs" replaces a very entertaining Ed Alonzo Show (his magic show got moved to Knott's Berry Farm). I hate to say it, but Fangs is definitely worth skipping to focus on the other attractions. An added bonus is that all rides worth going on are still open and the roller coasters are being run with all the lights turned off. The cost is between $25-40 per person, but it's a lot of bang for your buck. Also for 2010, Halloween Haunt has been expanded to be open on Sundays in addition to Fridays and Saturdays.

Pirates of Emerson - Pleasanton 
The preeminent Bay Area Halloween event for almost 2 decades is returning this year with an expanded event. There are 5 haunted mazes this year, a Halloween Carnival (perfect idea for Halloween in the Park), and several other attractions such as a 3 story mobile home from Burning Man. This is MUCH MORE intense than Great America, so don't bring your young children to this one. You'll get scares from every angle, including above and below you. The haunts are extraordinarily well done, and they only let in small groups... so you'll get what you pay for. The cost is $20 per person, but this year they are also selling "Monions" while let you access the carnival games and some of the special attractions. Expect to drop $25-30 for a full experience. If anyone from Pirates is reading this, please have a look at the SJ Convention Center or one of the many empty parking lots in Downtown San Jose next year ;)

Swank Farms - Hollister
This actually features 2 different main attractions. The first is a massive cornfield maze + treasure hunt, that could easily be a multiple hour excursion. The second is a very long haunted maze that is supposed to be quite good this year. Last year they actually had 2 different mazes, but they've been combined into one mega attraction for 2010.

The cost is $25 per person.

The Scotts Valley High Haunted House - Scotts Valley
A high school production may seem out of place on this list, but I assure you that this one is 100% worthwhile. I've attended this the past two years and each year it has been my single favorite haunt. As opposed to your typical maze where you have people randomly popping out at you, each year there is a unique story with hundreds of actors, making you truly feel like you're immersed in a horror movie. You can also forget the saying "don't touch the actors and they won't touch you." Last year's hospital theme included surprises like receiving fake shots and other miscellaneous medical experiences. There was also a part where they separated EACH person in your party and sat you in a small dark room by yourself. Insanely scary and much more interactive than any of the major venues. Plus the money connected is donated to charity. One caveat, due to how awesome this haunt is there may be a 2-3 hour wait. At least you'll have the high school dance team dressed up as zombies entertaining you while you wait (and performing Thriller in its entirety every 15min).

The cost is ~$10 per person. Oct 21-23 only, starting at 7pm. 555 Glenwood Dr., Scotts Valley.

ON HIATUS FOR 2010:

Gyro's 4D Fear Factory - San Jose

SJDA: Discounted Sharks Tickets!

Downtowner Online – Special Edition A service of the San Jose Downtown Association
An exclusive offer from our friends at the San Jose Sharks:
It’s time to FEEL THE TEAL.  Time to experience the one-of-a-kind, electrifying atmosphere that is San Jose Sharks Hockey.  The Sharks are back and are ready for another deep run into the playoffs!

We can help you FEEL THE TEAL and see new captain Joe Thornton and recent arrival Antti Niemi with this special San Jose Downtown Association offer.

Tuesday, October 19 vs. the Carolina Hurricanes
$60* Lower Bowl Tickets (normally priced at $83* – a discount of almost 30%)
$40* Sideline Upper Bowl Tickets (normally priced at $58* – a discount of over 30%)
*Price does not include service fees or shipping. 
For tickets, click the following link and in the “Promotions and Special Offers” box use the following password: SJDA.  Be sure to select the $83 or $58 price level.  The discount will be reflected once you select the number of seats and price level you want.

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1C00451F9C294068?artistid=806018&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=9 <http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1C00451F9C294068?artistid=806018&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=9> 
Enjoy the game!
Rick Jensen

Walk to Fight Childhood Cancer!

 

Event: 2010 Give thanks. Walk. - San Jose, CA
Location: San Jose, CA
Date: 2010-11-20

Join us on Saturday, November 20, as St. Jude supporters in the San Jose, CA community, and more than 60 other cities nationwide, come together to participate in the Give thanks. Walk. to raise money for the children of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

• Event Venue: Great Mall
• Address: 447 Great Mall Dr, Milpitas, CA 95035
• Registration Starts: 7:00 AM
• Walk Starts: 8:00 AM

Registration for this family-friendly event is FREE. Simply click "Register" from the links above to sign up and create your own personal or team fundraising Web page. From there, you will be able to send e-mails to your friends and family to ask them to join your walk team and make a donation to support the lifesaving work done at St. Jude.

Walkers who reach the following fundraising totals will receive exciting Give thanks. Walk. prizes.

• Walkers raising $35 will receive a 2010 Give thanks. Walk. t-shirt
• Walkers raising $100 will receive a t-shirt and a Give thanks. Walk. water bottle.
• Walkers raising $250 will receive a t-shirt, water bottle and a St. Jude tote bag.

To donate on behalf of a walk team or participant, select "Sponsor a Participant" from the links above and search for the person or team you would like to sponsor. Your generous donation will help St. Jude fight childhood cancer.

A special thank you to the Give thanks. Walk. National Platinum Sponsors:

Also, thank you to our local sponsors and supporters:

Questions about our local event? Interested in volunteering or getting more involved in the event planning? Please contact your local St. Jude representative:

- Laura Cuellar
- (510) 595-2100
- laura.cuellar@stjude.org

PRESS RELEASE:

San Jose residents are encouraged to register for national Give thanks. Walk. to be held November 20.

San Jose walk will be one of more than 60 events nationwide to benefit St. Jude.

ALSAC/St. Jude Contact:

Laura Cuellar

510.595.2100

Laura.cuellar@stjude.org

SAN JOSE, CA (10/05/10) – San Jose residents can join walkers across the country in taking

steps in the fight against childhood cancer by participating in the national Give thanks. Walk.™ to

be held Saturday, November 20 at the Great Mall starting at 8:00 a.m. The San Jose event is one of

more than 60 Give thanks. Walk. events held on the Saturday before Thanksgiving benefiting St.

Jude Children’s Research Hospital®.

While registration is free, participants are encouraged to ask friends and families to sponsor

them with a donation to St. Jude. All registrants who raise a minimum of $35 will receive an

official Give thanks. Walk. T-shirt. Those who register to walk by October 23 will be entered to

win a $100 gift card.

“The Give thanks. Walk. is a great opportunity for San Jose to start off the Thanksgiving

holiday healthy by participating in our event that benefits St. Jude and thousands of children who

are battling cancer and other deadly diseases,” said Laura Cuellar, St. Jude Representative.

This national event helps kick off the seventh annual St. Jude Thanks and Giving® campaign,

which encourages consumers to “Give thanks for the healthy kids in your life, and give to those

who are not.” National sponsors for the Give thanks. Walk. are New York & Company, Brooks

Brothers, Window World, AutoTrader.com and Breitling. Local sponsors for the event include La

Kalle FM, Recuerdo FM, Estereo Sol FM, El Avisador Magazine, and Great Mall.

For more information about the Give thanks. Walk. and to register, visit

www.givethankswalk.org.

clubHOUSE Restaurant Opens on October 15th!

Looks like Downtown San Jose patrons will have yet another restaurant to choose from this Friday. On Twitter they describe themselves as:

"A brand new exciting Restaurant located in downtown San Jose. It's a sports lounge with a Wall Street influence. Located at 150 S. Second St."

And their last tweet says:

"clubHOUSE Restaurant and Sports Lounge to have GRAND OPENING This Friday Oct. 15th! Ribbon Cutting at 4:30pm and official party at 7pm."

Arte Flamenco de San Jose Performing at SCU

San Jose's local flamenco troop is performing at SCU's Mayer Theater this Sunday. Expect some amazing guitarists, singers, and of course flamenco dancers. Click on the image below for all of the details!

2 More San Pedro Square Market Leases!

La Fina Cocina

Celebrating the Mexican Kitchen!

La Fina Cocina, “The Fine Kitchen” is a California based Latino lifestyle company, dedicated to providing unique pro

ducts for the kitchen, that reflect the vibrant and iconic images of the Mexican culture.

The company was founded by Rose Mendoza in 2009. Rose is a Chicana born and raised in California, her goal is to share her life long passion of preserving and celebrating the culture, through these product offerings.

La Fina Cocina, will offer distinctive products found in traditional and contemporary Mexican kitchens to include aprons, table linen, and tableware.

The product line is available in 3 distinctive patterns:

• Old Mexico patterns

• Mexican contemporary patterns

• Chicana - iconic images, celebrated by today's popular culture.

Glo Jewelry

More details soon to come!