July 17, 2008

Calendar of local events

Unless otherwise noted all phone numbers are in the 408 area code.

MUSIC

June 7 – July 26
The Vasona Vibrations Summer Music Series kicks off its sixth season with free music in the park every Saturday evening from 5 – 7 pm through the end of July. The South Bay Folks organization is again this year co-sponsoring the Vasona Vibrations Concert Series. The free concerts are held on the outdoor stage near the boat dock area. Chairs are provided on a first come-first served basis. Concert-goers may bring lawn chairs or blankets and stretch out under the trees to enjoy a picnic dinner during the concert. Alcohol is permitted for picnickers in the concert area. Kicking off the series are the 10th Avenue Band on June 7, followed by Blah Blah Woof Woof (acoustic Americana) on June 14. The concerts are free. Vasona Lake County Park charges a $6 per car parking fee. For more information, visit http://www.southbayfolks.org/vasona2008/

July 10 – Sept 4
Metro’s “Music In The Park” concert series will feature alternative Celtic rockers Flogging Molly on July 17 and Vanessa Carlton on July 24. Concerts are free to the public and held consecutive Thursdays at downtown San Jose’s Plaza de Cesar Chavez from 5:30 – 9:15 p.m. Music In The Park is sponsored by Dos Equis and features an eclectic mix of top-name performers. Food and beverages are available at the park, as well as Lounge in the Park, open to the public for beer, wine and sangria. For a complete concert details, visit www.sjdowntown.com and search on “music in the park.”

July 10 – 31
Music at Greystone Park: The Almaden Community Center and Almaden Advisory Councils will once again host their popular summer concert series at Graystone Park.  Concerts will be held Thursdays in July from 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.  This year’s lineup includes The Cocktail Monkeys on July 17, SAGE on July 24: SAGE, and The Groove Kings on July 31. Graystone Park is located on the corner of Mt. Carmel and Camden Avenue.  All concerts are free.  These concerts are a great opportunity to have a picnic dinner with family while enjoying good music.

CHILDREN/FAMILY

July 9 – Aug 27
Looking for a fun, free outdoor activity for your summer evenings? Then look no further than downtown San Jose’s Cinema San Pedro and Cinema St. James 2008: Co-produced by Cinequest and the San Jose Downtown Association, these open air showings are free to the public and begin at dusk. Movies are preceded by an “opening act” activitiy, event, interactive game, etc. All you need is a chair or blanket – snacks are available on site; dinners-to-go can be purchased in San Pedro Square. Cinema San Pedro Street is located between Santa Clara and St. John streets, Cinema St James at St. James and North Second streets. For a complete listing of movies and additional information, call 279-1775 or visit www.sjdowntown.com and search on “cinema.”

July 10 – Sept. 8
Circus Vargas 2008 is bringing its brilliant blend of breathtaking circus artistry and hilarious slapstick comedy to the San Francisco Bay Area. From the up-close-and-personal interactive pre-show through the death-defying high-octane finale, Circus Vargas delivers smiles and thrills for children young and old — and everyone in between! To purchase tickets, go to www.circusvargas.org or call toll-free 877-GOTFUN1

July 12 – Aug 29
The antique jewels of the San Jose Fire Museum are on exhibit at the new Club Auto Sport showroom. Event dates are July 2 through Aug. 29, Wednesday through Friday, from noon to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays: 7/12, 7/25, 8/9 & 8/23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free. Club Auto Sport is the area’s premier attraction for auto enthusiasts and collectors, located at 521 Charcot Ave., San Jose. Pictured: This 1890 Steamer Fire Engine is an example of the vehicles on display at the new San Jose Fire Museum exhibit. It was San Jose Fire Department Franklin Engine 3, housed at Fire Station 3 through the 1906 Earthquake.

July 18
Adventures on the Green: Spend a warm summer day in the Guadalupe River Park with this free fun-filled event open to folks of all ages. Activity booths, free entertainment and wonderful play structures will fill Arena Green, located across from the HP Pavilion on the corner of Santa Clara and Autumn Streets in downtown San Jose. Catch a performance by the zany Andy Z, Catch a ride on the children’s carousel (children under 10 ride for once for free) and take some time to visit the education booths and learn more about the Guadalupe River. For more information about this event please call (408) 298-7657 or visit www.grpg.org. This event is being sponsored by Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens with help from the Sharks Foundation and the city of San Jose.

July 27
A Celebration of the Founding of El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe in 1777: Presented by History San Jose, this Family Day invites the community to a free celebration from noon to 5 p.m. at the Peralta Adobe (built in 1797), in downtown San José. The community may experience first-hand life in the mid-18th century, including the Spanish flag-raising ceremony and the reading of the Pueblo charter. Music by the Alta California Orchestra and the Calicanto Singers will provide the atmosphere and the Peralta Adobe the backdrop. San José was the first city (pueblo) in California. To celebrate San José’s founding, many family-friendly events and hands on activities are planned. These include traditional singing and dancing, spinning and weaving by the Serendipity Spinners and the Glenna Harris Weavers.  There will be docents from the deSaisset Museum representing the Ohlone’s at the ‘Please Touch’ table.

FIFTY PLUS

July 26
SeniorNet, computer classes for adults 50 and over will hold registration for computer classes at the Almaden Community Center, 6445 Camden Avenue. Registration for intermediate courses is at 1:30 p.m. Registration for Computer Fundamentals is at 3 p.m. Courses include Basic Digital Photography, Basic Digital Photo Editing, Greeting Cards, Windows XP, File Management and Computer Tips and Techniques. All classes will be held at the Almaden Community Center. For more information call Don House at 268-1703 or visit www.snlcsj.org.

VOLUNTEERS

Ongoing
Humane Society Silicon Valley is actively seeking volunteers to provide foster care to kittens and dogs. Foster families provide long and short-term care for animal families in their homes. For more information, please visit http://www.hssv.org/you_can_help/volunteer/positions/foster.htm, or contact the special needs department at at 408.727.3383 ext. 834 for dogs and 819 for kittens.

CLASSES

Ongoing
Children’s Drawing & Painting Classes - art classes for children 7-12 years old are offered in Nelly Rouhani’s house in Almaden. Classes are on Tuesdays or Thursdays from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. with a maximum 4:1 child to teacher ratio. Children will learn about the fundamentals of drawing and paint using various media. Tuition is $100 per month, and includes all required materials. A snack will be provided. For more information, call 607-7588 or email niloufarafshin@sbcglobal.net.

Clay classes for adults.  New handbuilding ceramics classes are forming now. These small, relaxing clay classes are held on Tuesday & Thursday evenings from 7-8:30 p.m., and Wednesday mornings from 9:30-11 a.m. The fee includes instructions, clay, glazes, use of tools, and kiln firings. The classes are held in the artist’s studio in Almaden. For more information or to register, call 679-0238. Space is limited to only 4 students for each class, so register today!

MISCELLANEOUS

July 19 – 20
The Santa Clara Convention Center hosts Wedding Faire 2008, with over 50,000 square feet of everything needed to plan for the perfect wedding. Now in its twentieth year, this one-stop resource event offers the bride-to-be an invaluable time saving resource encompassing over 80 vendors ranging from florists to bakers to bridal designers and beauty consultants. Wedding Faire also features a variety of seminars and a companion online site to help plan the perfect event. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Tickets are $12 at the door and $10 in advance. For advance tickets and information call 284-1500 or 1-800-445-2545 or find us at www.wedding-faire.com.

July 20
Every Day’s a Holiday Event! The American Cancer Society Discovery Shop features a selection of seasonal decor items. Hours are 12:00 noon to 4 p.m. American Cancer Society Discovery Shop, 1103 Branham Lane, 265-5535. Proceeds support cancer research. Hope.Progress.Answers.

Ongoing
James Lick High School Class of ‘58, 50th Reunion will be held on August 2, 2008 at 11a.m. at James Lick.  Tickets are $30 which includes a BBQ lunch.  For more information, go to Classmates.com and click on the Events/Reunion link and get info on registering before July 15th.  Any questions email Bettysjc@sbcglobal.net, put “Reunion” on subject line.

Get ready for a blast from the past! Leland Chargers Class of 1988 are reuniting this September. The location will be the Hotel Valencia in Santana Row at a to-be-announced date. For more details or to join a Reunion Committee, contact Paula Cavagnaro at CavagnaroPaula@yahoo.com or Laura Delizonna at ldelizonna@gmail.com
Willow Glen High School Class of 1988 Twenty Year Reunion. This event will be held on Sept. 13, at the Hotel Los Gatos, 210 E. Main St. in Los Gatos, at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $95 per person. For more information, go to Classmates.com and click on the Events/ Reunion link and register today.



HAVE AN ITEM FOR OUR CALENDAR?
We are seeking calendar items pertaining to the south bay communities we cover in our seven monthly community newspapers: Blossom Valley, Cambrian, Campbell, Evergreen, Santa Teresa, Willow Glen, Fifty Plus, and our weekly publication, Almaden Times Weekly. Items must be submitted by email or fax several weeks before the event. Send an email to candy@timesmediainc.com or fax to Candy Richter at 494-7078. Photos should be sent digitally as jpegs or mailed to Calendar, Times Newspapers, 1310 Tully Road, Ste. 107, San Jose, CA 95122. Due to the large volume of items received calendar requests left on voice mail cannot be used. Space is limited.