First time at Art & Craft Workshop! Went with a group of 4 for the Mosaic Lamp 2 hour workshop…read more Great experience besides the minor bumps. Contacting via email with the team was seamless when asking for a discounted price and ensuring our reservation was confirmed. Going in meeting our instructor, Jamie, was great. She was very chill & let our creativity speak. She was very helpful when it came to teaching and explaining. Her lamps were super cute ! The lamp making itself is worth the cost, you come out with a beautiful piece of art that you created. Once you turn the light on the design looks amazing, even if you originally think differently ! As for the minor improvements. We had to call to figure out how to get in. They said they we should have gotten an email about how to enter, but we did not. The other party that came in also didn't get instructions. So we walked the whole square. Entrance will be the gate closest to the main parking lot, on your right. Ask the staff for the code before going in. Also, DO NOT park in that parking lot or you will be towed. The signs were so small, we didn't know but Jamie informed us. Plenty of street parking ! Last, no Turkish coffee or sweets were offered though it said they were on the website. Not a huge deal breaker, but just don't advertise it. Other than that, great experience. Would come back to try a different craft event !!!

DO NOT BOOK HERE!!!…read more THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!!! Jamie - you are a terrible person. My company and I booked a team fun event and let me tell you.... Our appt got pushed out to 3:00pm because they were running behind. Parking was terrible and hard to locate the location because it's literally inside another building with no clear signs at all, so we were FIVE minutes late due to parking and searching for the location. We enter... no one warm welcome. Just a "you're late". Totally bad attitude, not friendly at all, and just giving us the worst customer service ever. We all wanted to leave before we even started but we paid and there were no refunds so we stayed. She was giving us instructions but gosh, the way she was instructing us sounded like we were in boot camp or something. Extremely rude and not enthusiastic about being there. This place must've been desperate to hire anyone. I'm gonna let my team leave their review but my experience was on another level. I chose to make a freaken duck okay... at 4:05 pm i was done with my rug, so i decided to outline it in black.. I had more than an hour left. I go over to ask her if it was better to outline it before or after all the coloring. She tells me that I won't have time? Ummm yes I do! I have a whole hour homegirl. So i ignore her and I go back to my area and start outlining. At 4:45pm I decided ... I don't really like the bold look and she walks over and says that it looks better without the outline. I said okay... I see some blank spots on my rug so I'll add some more teal color after I pluck the black outline off. She says "you won't have time to do that"... like again with the time. So then I start to pluck the black off, and I did finish. She comes over and says: "I told you not to outline your duck in black but you did anyway. I told you not to pluck the black and you did anyway. So you're wasting my yarn and I can't let you use any more" I'm thinking ... WTF? I paid how much to be here and I can't do my artwork? I must've used like 50cents worth of black yarn. The audacity ... She was extremely rude to others around me, my team, and the other groups there as well. This was supposed to be fun but we had such a bad experience. Oh! One more thing. She lied. She said we were late and that she had a hard stop? She had a "mandatory court order appearance". Okay bish, courts closed, and also at 5:15pm there was a lovely couple waiting for their appt. So she had another reservation but made something up about needing to leave. The website says 2-2.5 hours, so what is the rush? Why couldn't I finish my cool duck rug? Why was she scolding everyone like a little kid? No she is not the owner because I asked. Damn... what a waste of time, money, and to Jamie... "her yarn". Oh and the place was hot asf... didn't even wana turn up the AC a little bit. Felt like I was working in third world sweatshop. Here's my duck photo in case you forgot who I am Jamie.

We took our 11 and 14 year old nephews here. The little one was def kind of scared, but we all had…read moreso much fun. There are 2 haunted houses and the second was scary as hell! Totally worth it. The actors were really good and make a solid effort to make it worth your while. It is kind of short so skip paying for the VIP ticket - it'll feel like a slight rip off. We paid for regular tickets - 20 bucks for both haunted houses. There were no lines on a Sunday night - glad we skipped paying for "VIP."

Lines were long but they managed the crowds well. Sets were really cool and the actors did amazing…read morespooky work. Was a bit hard to find, but the logo and spooky faces on the wall, line outside and lights out front made it obvious. Glad they are back after not being around in 2024! If you struggle to find it, just drive the eastridge loop and you will find them!

Took our GS Troop here for the Taylor Swift night--so fun!…read more I've also been for the Daft Punk night with my husband. Always a fun experience, and I love that they have cool themed shows. Would love an emo night! Easy to find, lots of parking.

I came here for the Taylor Swift laser show and it was a fun way to spend an hour. It was just fun…read moremusic, lots of screaming kids singing the lyrics, and some cool lasers to look at. I did have to close my eyes a few times to give them a break from all the colorful lights. You can choose where to sit when you come into the planetarium room. The presenter did a good job. The visuals were a bit older, but it was still fun and the ticket prices were pretty reasonable/affordable. There were lots of parking available in I think Lot E.

MadeBy has quickly become one of my daughter's favorite places. She's 10 and very into arts,…read morecrafts, and hands-on projects, so this studio is right up her alley. We first checked it out during the grand opening and were impressed by how open, bright, and thoughtfully set up the space was. It feels much more spacious and creative than other DIY spots we've visited. We've since gone back for camps and casual weekend visits, and she always finds something new she wants to make. The custom comic book and stuffie stations are especially fun and unique. The staff has also been consistently kind, patient, and helpful every time we've been there. Such a fun place for creative kids.

You gotta take your kids here …read more. 1st - The kids get to do something tangible and creative 2nd - Tech/software shows kids they can do so many different things 3rd - the kids loved it, and didn't want to leave. Looking forward to doing a birthday there!

Cool art walk with free admission to a variety of art museums, galleries, and exhibits, as well as…read morelive music performances, this past Friday. Not all venues were within walking distance. Sure there was a cluster of them in the SoFA district, along South First and Second Street. But others were in the Martha Garden District, an inconvenient distance away. This included Machu Picchu Gallery of the Americas at the Citadel Art Studios ("Amazonian Rainforest Arpillera" 3D cloth appliques) and the Art Ark Gallery (featuring "The Last Set Before Dawn" by Lilly Horani). I viewed some amazing art pieces at Chopsticks Alley Gallery and Works SJ. Listened to Opera singers outside the California Theatre, as well as the sounds of the Michael Webster Quartet on the piano, drums, bass, saxophone, and clarinet in the SJZ Break Room. There was more art to explore at MACLA (current program "From Their Hands to Ours"), as well as live entertainment in the attached Castellano Playhouse, the talented musicians of Los Calderones putting on a show for the crowd. Also checked out "The Woven Pixel" exhibit at the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, and was impressed by the beautiful displays of this unique art form. South First Fridays hosts more lively events throughout the year, such as the SubZERO festival which I've enjoyed before. But this past weekend, the kickoff to the new year was more mellow, no crowds to deal with, just appreciation of the arts. There were a couple food trucks outside some of the bars and entertainment venues too (Tacos El Cowboy, and Stinky Noodle), and no shortage of food options from local businesses in the area to enjoy a snack or meal on this lovely winter evening.

Visited August 1st, the first Friday of the month, for our very first time. We arrived around 6PM,…read moreexcited to see what the Art Walk was all about--but were immediately met with an overwhelming sewage odor. There were only a handful of booths and a few run‑down galleries, and honestly, I wasn't even sure if visitors were supposed to go inside some of them. The crowd was extremely sparse, with just a DJ playing in the background. Maybe things picked up later in the evening between 6 and 10PM, but based on what we saw, it was underwhelming and disappointing. I wanted to love this event--it has so much potential to be vibrant and inspiring--but as it is now, I'm not sure I'd go back. Very sad, because it really could have been awesome.

Love Pace Gallery! This location is small so you'll probably only spend about 15 minutes looking…read morearound. Sign up for their email list so you'll be first to hear about new exhibitions. Because of COVID, you have to sign up for timed (free) tickets to get in. Pre-COVID, they used to have opening receptions with drinks for new exhibitions, so I hope they'll bring those back once it's safe to do so! A great spot to stop by and look at art before getting drinks and dinner in the area.

Great date spot. Clean space. Minimalist and currently featuring Chinese artists…read more This is a fun place to come up with stories of each piece of art and then have Taylor give you a tour with the history of the artists. Come before dinner.

Water Lantern Festival is a must, you have to attend at least once and youll be hooked to come…read moreagain and again. What a fun experience this was to create a lanten and then launch it off into the lake. Got our Water lantern Kits and began getting creative on how to decorate our oun indivitual lanters. You get only one marker so its a good idea to be prepared and bring your own markers of you want to have a veriaty of colors. Dawn was upon us and we began to get ready to launch our lanterns. It was biter sweat launching them because it part of the process however part of you wnts to keep it and take it home. I was curiouse as to what happens to them after they are launched and everyone goes home for the night. You do have your deck of cards both playing cards and conversation cards that were fun to keep as your souvenirs. You also get a wrist band and draw sting backpack that comes in a veriety of colors. Ther are lots of food trucks for purshasing food, drinks and treats. Remember to come early if you want to have dibs on a good spot. Bring a picnic blanket and a pictic to share as they do alow outside food and drinks. Also remember to bring a jacket or light sweater as it gets cooler in the earning. Cant wait for next year and bringing the hubs to enjoy a picnic and the Wate Lanters.

Cute event and opportunity to launch water lanterns and reflect. Check in is smooth and there are a…read moregood number of food vendors for the event. Things that can be improved are: More guidance towards timing of when to decorate your lantern and a provided template. They bring people on stage to share, but maybe there should be an anonymous reading as well. I personally think the event is better in fall because the crowds in summer were too noisy for the performances and meditation. Bring your own picnic blanket and water!

Yesterday, my friends and I came to craft some perler beads for my birthday. We were kindly greeted…read moreand got started right away. The instructor was very helpful and got us situated. The explanation was easy to understand and the tools were cute. The pricing goes either by hour or by board, whichever is lesser. We opted for two small boards and one medium board. There is a wide variety of colors for selection as well as different transparencies. Since we were new to perler beads, our start was a little slow but eventually we got the hang of it. At one point, I reached a dilemma. I wanted to make Momonga but she wouldn't fit in the remaining space of my board. Just then, the instructor came by and chatted with me. I told her my dilemma and after a brief moment, she suggested making the tail in the empty corner of my board and later attach it by jump ring. Brilliant. I noticed she often checked up on people's projects, answered questions, and chatted with them about the characters they were making (both for my group and the tufting group behind us). She dropped by to show me the perler Momonga her coworker made (very cute!). Later, she came back excited, and showed me another idea I could use for Momonga's tail. She showed me a pivot attachment that would make it so the tail would be attached in the back and swing around. She asked if I wanted to try this instead. Yes thank you, it's absolutely perfect!! I wish I got the instructor's name but I was too shy to ask at the end (agh). She was so kind, helpful, and relatable. She really made my crafting experience great and I'm so happy to have had her on my birthday!!

Just a very chill vibe to get your creativity juices flowing. My friends had signed up for a rug…read moretufting session, but we also saw some people assembling tiny beads together into an image. They let me stick around even though I hadn't signed up, so I just took pictures of the process. For the tufting session, you pick a flat image of what you want to make ahead of time. The instructor then will give advice on how to go about putting together your creation. After that, you link the image to the projector and it projects onto your canvas. You then outline the image. Then comes the fun part: the tufting tutorial. The instructor spends about thirty minutes teaching everyone how to use the tufting gun and then has each person practice on a large canvas. After that, you pick your yarn color and tuft away! Apparently, it took four hours for my friends to complete their tufted rugs, but they turned out so cute! They even stayed open past closing hours to let my friends finish. We need more artistic spaces like this.