Where do I begin? FoodieLand Night Market was such a food and drink extravaganza. So many foods,…read moredrinks, desserts and every thing in between was available here. Walking in and I was overwhelmed with all the choices I had to choose from. I wanted one of everything and but knew it would be almost impossible to eat that much food, so I had to choose wisely. My eyes said to my stomach, you will eat and everything will fit My brain said, I wish I had the room for all this delicouse food that caught my eye, but do the math eyeballs. Some of our choices were BAO BUNS Daddy'sBeef Ribeye Buns Thinly sliced beef ribeye marinated in sweet Vietnams Soy and sesame,garnished with both pickled and fresh veggies,topped with sweet chili sauce. These boa buns were very asty and satisfying. Buns were fluffy and meat was well seasoned. Topping were fesh and crisp in every bite. It was just an appetizer to the begining of our food journey. QUESIBERRIAS Quesiberrias were small but they came in an order of three so there was enough for each of us. They were the perfect size with good flavor and seasoning. They were topped with onions, cilantro, avocado sause and a slice of lime to squeeze on top. Also ordered some chicken wings that wee very good with the right amount of spice. BONE MARROW Bone marrow came with mushrooms in a garlic sauce and a slice of white bread and slaw. Really enjoyed this and happy that our bone had a good amount of bone marrow. The mushrooms and garlic complemented it well and it was well seasoned. This was one of the foods I was really looking forward to trying. DRINKS Bought a horchata and ube horchata to quench our pallet. One thing I can say is these drinks wee over the top and very satisfying. Horchata was cold and refreshing. Ube horchata was differnt but the flavors complemented eachother well. It was topped with a chocolate rim, whip cream, a chocolate drizzled cookie and a cookie waffer. The portions were enought for two to share. DESSERT Went with the Dubi mini pancakes. The pancakes were fluffy and topped with chocolate, pistachio gem, and the crunchy stuff, lol, you know what I mean. These were sweet and satisfying and a good size portion to share if you wanted to. Second dessrt we went with the panden sago. It was panned jelly, panden pudding, coconut strings, coconut jelly. and sago. It was cold and sweet but not to sweet. It was perfect for cool off from the hot weather. Was looking forwad to the ube sago wich wwas my first choice, however, they sold out. It was a good day of them, yay. This was a food filled, sampling, drinking and eating experience. Had a good time and chared some good food. Definately looking forwad for the next one.

Expensive and poorly operated…read more PROS: - There is a LOT of different food, drink, and shopping vendors. The food we had was delicious. My favorite was Elaine's bread pudding. - They bring local artists to perform CONS: - Parking was $15 and it took us 40 minutes in line to park. That was ridiculous. - Entrance was $12, but with the cost of the expensive food, we felt like there should not be an entrance fee on top. - The food is x2 or x3 the normal price!! ONE churro was $10!! Seriously? Half a lobster with garlic noodles was $33. A half pineapple with rice and chicken and mac and cheese was $25. TIPS: - If you do come, bring a picnic blanket or chairs to chill on the grass. So glad we did, got to relax on the grass while eating. - Not allowed to bring a backpack, but can still bring small bag and water bottle. There was a refill station but it was empty when we tried to get more water. A lot of the food I guess are considered fusion or "trendy," like sushi pizza or korean tacos. It was cool to try but with the hassle of parking and prices, I don't think we'll be coming back.

The San Jose Jazz Summer Festival is held every year in downtown San Jose…read more It was a great time! Good vibes, multiple stages to choose from, lots of vendors and an awesome grown & sexy vibe. There are levels to the stage access, general access wristband gives access to 4 stages. Then there's an all stages wrist band that gives access to additional stages. Those stages were on the perimeter of the festival at the surrounding hotels and one stage was at the BreakRoom close to the festival main entrance. I arrived to the festival around 12 noon and the lines to enter were long. There are a host of volunteers who show up take the event flow. Day 2 of the festival Patti LaBelle was headlining!! Bring your own chair for a seat at the main stage, people arrive early to set their chair up, so consider this if there's someone you want to see on the main stage. The weather was great and I had a fantastic time. I'll check out next years lineup for sure! Cheers!

There was a promo saying "beat the rush & buy your tickets online!" So, I did. When I arrived,…read morethinking I just needed to show my QR code get my wristband and away I go - WRONG!!! Everyone else must have seen the same promo because the line snaked around so much I couldn't find the end. No exaggeration. Was in line over 1 hour to get in. They definitely need to improve this. So, once I got in, the music was great. I missed The Altons due to the line fiasco. I did get to see the Sinceres from East LA. They were very good.

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!

We enjoyed the Rotary Club of San Jose Fourth of July Fireworks this past Tuesday at Discovery…read moreMeadow. It's an ideal setting for this event, with lots of space to lay out your mat or blanket on the grass, even with crowds of visitors in attendance. Also, the view of the fireworks is spectacular from anywhere in the park (one of the best views of fireworks I've ever had, for free!). It felt like the light show was up close as the fireworks illuminated the clear night sky, along with patriotic tunes playing through the speakers.  The fireworks show was at 9:30pm, but starting around 7pm, there was live music and entertainment for those who showed up early. SJZ Boombox Truck was awesome, playing a range of jazz, pop, rnb, and classics for the crowd... out of a truck! The "monopoly" section of the park was closed off and reserved for staff/event organizers. It was cool that they gave away free red, white, and blue beach balls to the crowd, mostly kids playing with these throughout the evening, but our adult-only party took one home too. No food trucks/vendors on site, except for mobile elote and hot dog carts bordering the event. A multitude of porta potties in the back, so there were never lines or any waiting. Lots of police/security in the area, to ensure safety. A well-organized event overall. If you are looking for a great view of the 4th of July fireworks show, in a relaxing and casual setting with live music, this is a pretty perfect option.

Very poorly planned without considering the size of spectators. Most people end up stuck in…read moretraffic. There is no traffic nor crowd control. My neighbors' "fireworks" show is better organized.

After hearing about this event, I'm glad I got to experience it!…read more My family and I walked through with some friends, and we all had an enjoyable time. I personally would not want to drive through this experience, as it was really fun to immerse ourselves in the colorful lights and fresh air. There are many food trucks, and there are lots of tables to eat at. There was also a juggler for kids entertainment. Another pro: there was a diaper and nursing station for parents. Only suggestion for improving is to have clearer communication regarding shuttle from the park to Netflix (the spot for arrival is different than that for departure). Also, the shuttle line takes quite a while. It is worth reconsidering the shuttle if you go in the evening with small children that have bedtime curfews.

Although we have been to this park numerous times, it took having a three year old spirited kid to…read moreget us to plan a visit. This light show requires purchasing tickets online and choosing a date and time slot so this is not for the spontaneous! The confirmation email was very clear about instructions, how to arrive, etc. And yet, we still saw several cars with headlights on (you turn them off after driving in). We picked the first time slot of 6 pm so there wasn't any traffic and all the staff make it very easy and clear to enter safely. It took us about 30 minutes to drive through all the light displays and it was magical. There are themed neighborhoods of lights like elves, north pole animals, dinosaurs, garden flowers, and several beautiful arches of lights. It was nice to see so many families with young adults enjoy it, so I think it is for all ages. If the weather isn't bad, you can have your kids stick them selves out of moon roof and windows. There are open restrooms at entrance and at the end. Very family friendly and affordable ($30 per vehicle). Cozy pajamas and blankets optional!

October 2025…read more... Another Halloween season of driving from Sacramento all the way to San Jose to experience Bernal Scream again! We're pretty dedicated fans of this Haunt and they never disappoint! The props are really well executed. Actors stay in character and really perform in a way that is curated well. Security measures are present and it always feels like a safe environment despite the screams and fun. I enjoyed 2024' location, I enjoyed 2025' location... I have one gripe that..... might give away one of the areas during the walk-thru experience.... For 2025... It was held at the fairgrounds and you get your tickets, walk inside to the lined waiting areas and wait to be called for entry. Once we entered the haunt, just the 2 of us, it was a series of different rooms to walk thru, experience the "theme" of each area, actors are spread out within the venue for that extra scare... One of my hesitations with any haunt.... it's not the actors, props, setups, or darkness...... it's usually having to face the unknown of what might be a scare presented as a phobia. For 2025, there was an area that had from what I could see.... like plastic prop style snakes, and that's a real phobia for people. Obviously, this is my issue to deal with personally, but it would be nice to not encounter a snake effect during haunts. That room scared me the most, and although I knew logically they weren't real, it's a real phobia, a real scare, and an elevated heart rate that I didn't want to experience. We will continue to support and enjoy Bernal! The team does amazing work! But please..... if reading this, take that into consideration. Other than that..... thank you for offering another great year of scares!

Absolutely incredible! This haunted house had me scared cheatless from the moment I walked in!…read moreEvery corner had something unexpected, fun, and totally thrilling. The energy, creativity, and detail put into every scene made it feel so real. it's an experience you have to see for yourself. It's not just scary, it's entertaining, dynamic, and full of surprises from beginning to end. A perfect event for the whole family or a night out with friends. Totally worth every penny. I can't recommend it enough, you gotta check this out!

We attended Taylor Street night market two weeks ago. This was a very happening place for locals…read more Lots of food trucks and behind the Gordon biersch brewery. The night we were there, they didn't have live music, but there was a cool DJ, so there was a lovely feeling. LOTS of families, LOTS of singles mingling. Very local feeling. Would definitely go regularly if I lived nearby and would consider it a local treasure!

This is a fairly small event held on select Thursday evenings. But for the size of the venue space,…read morethey offer a good amount of seating. I attended last week, and there were plenty of visitors, but it wasn't overly crowded, and the vibe was chill. The SJZ Boom Box musicians were performing from their mobile stage, playing their own renditions of old school hip hop and rnb tunes, including Tevin Campbell's Can We Talk, Montell Jordan's This is How We Do It, and Only You by 112. If you grew up in the 90's these were the jams, I didn't mind them bringing a bit of nostalgia for attendees. A small lineup of merchandise tents were set up at the center, and a couple of lawn games on site as well. Of course, there was beer too! Ordered a couple different snacks while there. The chicken sandwich from Chubby's Chick'n was humongous, pretty much good for two meals, and this food truck was quick with the service. And the crab taco from Shrimp'n Aint Eazy was yummy, though my fave from this truck is typically the chopped cheese. Service was super slow on this day, which was disappointing as I usually encounter reasonable wait times from this vendor. Even though some of the food trucks may be lacking in service or offerings on any given day, there are enough options with the rotation of vendors that you'll probably find something to your liking here. Plus, it's free to visit the Gordon Biersch Night Market, not to mention easy street parking within walking distance.

Free art exhibits, live music, delicious food and drinks... this is definitely my kind of event!…read moreVarious musicians performing at participating venues during specific times throughout the day, it was enjoyable entertainment. First I stopped by Whole Foods, cuz ya know, I could fit in a little bit of grocery shopping in between songs. Lots of outdoor seating around, and David Jesitus (duo) performing for passersby. Then, off to Visual Philosophy Studio, where I got to check out the opening reception for Encode-I art exhibit by Yue Xin, and met the artist while listening to the sounds of Asher Stern (unique covers of songs like Santeria and No Diggity). Afterward, Hop & Vine made the most sense since it was just a few minutes walk away. Had some really great wine and snacks here, specifically the house made jalapeno poppers were delicious. Peter Martin wowed the cozy-sized crowd with his electric guitar and vocals, playing a range of songs, including instrumentals for hits like Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud. He played till 7pm, an hour later than the listed time for Second Saturday on The Alameda. Many of these artists did a lot of folksy music and renditions of songs, and I was loving it. My final stop for the night was J. Lohr Vineyards, the only one with live music later in the evening on this day, two hours of duets and harmony by the Complements... so many covers on the keyboard, guitar, and vocals including How Deep is Your Love, Don't Wanna Miss a Thing, Hotel California, Your Song, Can't Help Falling in Love, Take On Me, and I Wanna Dance With Somebody. I was able to experience so much in just a few hours. Even without stops at the tattoo parlor, coffee shop, or pancake house (other spots that had live music on this Second Saturday as listed on the schedule), I was more than satisfied with my visit to this event. A great opportunity to explore and support local businesses along the Alameda while appreciating the work of various artists and entertainers at no cost, with bonus freebies offered by specific venues as well. I'll definitely be back.