Love all Los Altos festivals and fairs. The more the merrier. Arts & Wine, seasonal, Earth Day,…read moreFine Art in the Park, Pet Parade, Third Street Green, First Fridays, Farmers Market weekly, too many to list but not nearly enough fun. It's all good. The 25th Annual Los Altos Fall Festival took place on Saturday and Sunday, October 1-2, 2016 in downtown Los Altos. I visited both days. The Classic Car Show was a highlight. Amazing antique and vintage sportsters, sedans, and trucks. Also, Little Explorers Petting Zoo. Absolutely adorable little pig the size of a rabbit. Your usual arts and crafts booths, live entertainment, fine wines and micro-breweries, food, children's corner with games and activities, all of it present. This one is a lower key event. The antique and vintage cars on display are much fun to check out, perhaps to chat with the owners. My wife was smitten by the 1967 Porsche Slate Grey 912 (pun intended). TheSlateGrey (Der Graue Fuchs) was ordered by its original owner, George, in the summer of '67 at a cost of $4.5K, and arrived from Germany to San Francisco on the Madam Butterfly - a ship used for Porsches only. 49 years is no joke, all of it happily lived in the Bay Area, has never been restored. All the original parts and interior, paint and engine, can you imagine! The Grey Fox is as good as new and very handsome.

Our friends turned us on to this event and it was so darn cute! It will probably make our go-to…read morelist next year! One end cap seemed to be where the bulk of the handmade vendors were, which I appreciated. I'm usually not a big food or Win A Vacation tent goer, so having all the things I was there for at one end was marvelous! We loved the bow vendor Min, who had fabulous prices at $1 for the smaller non-matched bows. Super cute! Another favorite was the beautiful die cut card vendor. I purchased one for my mother and the honey one just for our living room! Topping off the awesome vendors were the handmade coasters at $5 each and Macarons A Go Go with their Yoda themed tasties, a favorite of mine when I lived back in the South Bay! This was a great way to start out or Craft Fair season! Yay Los Altos Fall Festival!

Another great yearly event. This is one of the events that starts out the spring season. It's…read moremainly for the Japanese culture,but it's also a time to raise money for local non profits. There's plenty of free parking across the street at DeAnza college. There's also a huge section for kids, plenty of jumpers and crafts. I like how they have a food truck area and a separate area for food vendors. The crowds were smaller than usual due to the weather.

I always enjoyed myself here. They always have something to do for all ages…read more Love seeing some of the interesting vendors. On the other side of the park you can see some koi fish. Going inside the building near the koi fish area they have some activities and art even a stage with a show. Outside they have a big stage with different shows. My favorite show is the Taiko Drums. The restrooms are very clean. Parking in De Anza College garage is less hectic and more space if you want to park away from people.

First time here. There is paid parking $15-20. Place was pretty busy during my visit. Quite a few…read morevendors, saw art but didnt really see where the wine stalls were.

Went for a run at Central Park this past weekend and ended up staying a while to appreciate the…read morescenery and entertainment at the Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival, which included live music, games for kids, art and merchandise booths, and beer and wine for sale. Everyone was in good spirits, a carefree and joyous atmosphere. Not to mention the good eats being offered in the Food Alley, much of it being run by high schoolers. After working up an appetite, I grabbed a funnel cake at the event, but it wasn't like your typical fair food offerings. These funnel cakes were mini-sized, covered in cocoa powdered sugar (optional), and cost only three bucks. Nothing too fancy and not the best quality, but good enough for a snack. Didn't stay long, but I had a good time soaking up the sun and enjoying the musical performances on stage even though the sound quality wasn't ideal. By the way, I don't think the on-site parking is worth the $10 fee. Skip it and park in the neighborhood for free (if you don't mind walking).

We visited the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts this past Sunday, and had a wonderful time exploring…read morethe many activities and vendors along University Avenue, a row of seemingly endless booths. Food, art, and merchandise  galore, to be viewed and/or purchased. Fascinating art displays caught my eye at every corner, so unique and simply remarkable. The Italian Street Painting Expo featured pastel paintings by chalk artists (my fave was the Sleeping Beauty piece... cuz how could I not love the rabbits in the boots!). Chopin & Chandeliers was an interactive piano with a "play me" sign just calling for musicians among the crowd to showcase their talents and entertain attendees under a shaded tent decorated with chandeliers sculpted from upcycling materials (ie. plastic bottles). The live entertainment was amazing and enjoyable, getting the crowd on its feet and in the mood for this joyous event. The rhythmic sounds of the violin and keyboard, by Tom Rigney & John R Burr, was a treat for my ears. And the late afternoon band on the Waverley Stage, The Cook 'n Fenny Combo, kept the good vibes going, heavy on the harmonica, tambourine, and guitar, performing hits like Joan Osborne's One Of Us. This was a great festival with free admission, lots to see and do, well organized, welcoming atmosphere, friendly people, and easy street parking less than a block away in the afternoon.

First time here to this upscale art festival as after all the toney, well heeled folks in this area…read morehave disposable money. I really enjoyed this festival and unlike other festivals in the Bay Area there were not as many food vendors which was fine as University Ave has a plethora of great restaurants to choose from.

It's cool to finally see a project working toward the revitalization of St. James Park. I've had…read moreplenty of off-putting visits to this park over the years. But my experience this past Sunday showed me just how great this place could be, and more importantly, how contagious the joy of music is. The mission of Levitt Pavilion SJ is to build community through music and the performing arts. The intended physical structure is not yet built, but the makeshift stage sitting at the corner of St. James and Third Street, which had been used during the past few weeks for the Levitt SJ Fall Concert Series has been more than sufficient in spreading that message. Orgone was remarkable, spirited, and absolutely talented... every single musician on stage! Sounds of the trumpet, trombone, guitar, drums, keyboard, organ, congas, and even soulful vocals filled the air and had the crowd dancing, laughing, and just feeling the rhythm and good vibes. Joined by the mayor, who shared a few words on stage, it definitely felt like a diverse community connected, inspired by the efforts of the band and organizers the entire time we were there. We got to share conversation with other attendees, had some wine in the beer garden, and enjoyed delicious treats from the food trucks on site (yummy hot and flavorful chicken potstickers, and "chocolate wasted" ice cream!). We had such a good time at this free live music event, and can't wait to see what the Levitt Pavilion SJ brings to the city.

Top notch FREE LUVE MUSIC performances and a chill vibe in the beer garden. St James Park has never…read morelooked so good!

We attended this summer concert series this past weekend at Plaza de Cesar Chavez in downtown SJ,…read morefeaturing the Beach Boys on a pleasant Sunday evening. Earlier in the afternoon, there was plenty of shade underneath the trees for picnicking on the grassy field with a view of the musical performances on stage. The line for entry at opening time (4pm) was freakishly long, wrapping around the park. But once we got through security, it didn't feel overcrowded, and the atmosphere was simply carefree and relaxing. Several merchandise vendors had tents set up, nothing too unique. But there was a nice variety of food trucks on site including Waffle Amore, Paper Platez (selling tacos, burritos, and nachos), and The Habit Burger Grill (who knew they had a food truck!?!). The veggie eggrolls from Saigon Street Food 2 were phenomenal, along with the pork belly banh mi which was too good to not finish every last bite. We also shared other snacks, like pizza from Fire & Slice and a lion king roll from MC Sushi... everything was quite satisfying. And the beer and sangria from the drink tents were pretty good too. The Rainbow Girls band opened at 5:30pm with a lovely rendition of All I Have To Do Is Dream. The DJ playing songs like Jackson 5's I Want You Back and Wipeout in between sets. And of course, the headlining Beach Boys put on a lively and entertaining show with cool graphics on the screen on stage, so much energy by the musicians, especially on the saxophone and drums. They had us dancing and smiling all night long to an awesome playlist of some of their greatest hits including Good Vibrations, God Only Knows, Kokomo, I Get Around, Don't Worry Baby, California Girls, and more. And though the VIP section was larger and fancier than I've seen at other live music events at this park, the cheaper early bird tickets for $35 were not a bad deal at all for enjoying good food, great weather, and amazing entertainment, and just having fun, fun, fun.

It's 80's night! They had a limited .number of $25 tickets. They did have $75 for the VIP area. As…read moremuch as I like ABC and Flock of Seagulls, that was too much. Did find a nice spot behind the stage where I can watch & listen for free!

I attend a lot of events at Plaza de Cesar Chavez in San Jose. Fountain Blues & Brews is my…read morefavorite! The festival expanded to two days in 2025. They always have a great lineup, featuring local blues musicians and top performers from around the country on two stages. The "brews" part of the festival consists of 40 beers on tap (wine and water are also available). The crowd is always a lot of fun, and there are some great vendors and food trucks. Come for the music, and enjoy the vibe, the beer, the food, and the crafts.

It was such a wonderful carefree environment this past Saturday, at the 40th annual Fountain Blues…read more& Brews Festival in downtown SJ. Parking was easy, with several pay garages nearby ($10 max fee), the closest a 4 minute walk from Second Street. And there were no lines for event entry/security check, as well as in and out privileges which is super convenient. Once inside, the setting was perfect, the lovely breeze and shade from the trees to keep us cool and comfortable on a hot summer day, many festivalgoers relaxing on lawn chairs or beach mats on the grass. And the gushing water fountains adding a nice touch as well as a cool mist to the inviting atmosphere. An awesome combination of soulful, jazzy, and upbeat music filling the air from two stages, with plenty of space for attendees to enjoy the entertainment (whether viewing from a distance or dancing near the stage). We loved all of the performers throughout the day, especially the first band on the main stage, Andre Thierry's Accordion Soul Music. The band played awesome renditions of Stevie wonder hits, Usher songs, and more, with various and unique instruments including the washboard, and remarkable vocals engaging the crowd. There were several food trucks and eateries available including Poor House Bistro, Fire & Slice Pizza, and Made Out of Dough (selling baked desserts). I got to try the salmon burger and cookies from Nita Bee's Specialty Bakery and the lobster quesadilla from Cousin's Maine Lobster (which I regularly get from this truck). And plenty of beer and wine, to keep us satisfied. All of the food and drinks were super tasty, with great service and no lines to wait in. There were also a couple merchandise vendors on site, and we got ourselves some cute tank tops/shirts with cool designs. Overall the event wasn't too crowded, family friendly but not infested with too many kids running around restlessly. Lots of good food and drinks, no waiting in line for anything, and extraordinary musicians creating the awesome sounds of funk, rock, and all things blues to soothe your soul.

Took my best friend here as a surprise for her birthday and, seeing that anything goes in improv, I…read morewasn't sure whether the show would be funny or not... I was so far off. Brick House was AMAZING, each actress had so much wit and fire in her that both our stomachs ached from laughter. We spoke with some audience members before the doors opened and they were equally as anxious as us. In the middle of the show, I looked around to spot them in the audience and found them cackling in a crowd of grins and hoots. I have to credit not just the cast, but also our ENTHUSIASTIC and hilarious host as well as the energetic crowd. I'll definitely drag more people with me next time, bring out those extra chairs!!! Come early and mingle with the crowd a bit. And if you have some time to spare, check out the thrift store right next to the theatre!

I came here with a small group of friends on a Friday night for a performance by the AIT players…read moreand absolutely loved it. The 'AIT players' group comprises of a mix of seasoned performers, instructors and folks who have just mastered the art at the workshops held at the theatre. The performances were spontaneous, quirky and innovative and while some of the joked didn't land as well, we felt that the performers were true to the original "improv" art form and did not try to fallback to a standard template or deviate from any suggestions provided by the audience. I had the chance to volunteer as a part of a quick skit and had a blast. It's worthy of a callout that the show comprised of close to 6 different short-skits/ games within a span of 75 minutes and that speaks volumes about the hard work put up by these folks. As a group, we had the chance to hangout with the crew after the show and talk more about their experiences which seemed to be a refreshing change from some of the other shows I've been to. Jeff Ringgold, one of the instructors of the workshop was also present at the show and an absolute delight to speak to. Other details and callouts - There's sufficient street parking along with reserved parking right behind the theatre. - While there isn't a full bar inside the theatre, they do serve beer, wine, water and non-alcoholic drinks. - The theatre is a fairly small and private space but big enough to host large groups of people. - Each show is close to 75 minutes inclusive of a 5-10 minute break.