To the delight of South Bay audiences, the San Jose Repertory Theatre is bringing back the much loved A Christmas Story this winter. They are also offering more ways for families to enjoy the play. A Christmas Story runs from November 21 – December 20, 2009, at the San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio in downtown San Jose.

The San Jose Rep is again trying to help everyone afford to see a show this season. Besides their Pay What You Will Tuesdays, their second annual Black Friday Ticket Sales Event will be Friday, November 27. You can save up to 41% on tickets for any of their remaining shows of the 09-10 Season. All Balcony tickets will be $29 each if purchased on Black Friday. They are even waiving the handling fee! Tickets are available for all their remaining shows: A Christmas Story, The Weir, Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Sonia Flew.

To take advantage of San Jose Rep’s Black Friday Event, patrons may purchase tickets by calling the box office at (408) 367-7255 or in person at the San Jose Rep Box Office at 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, CA 95113. The box office will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

And more! Pay What You Will Tuesday for A Christmas Story is November 24. Family Packs, which include two adult and two youth tickets, are available for A Christmas Story at the affordable rate of $99 and $119. New this year, are Stocking Stuffer Gift Packs for $89 and $69. Live theatre makes the perfect holiday gift – it’s good for the environment and uplifting for the human spirit. The $89 stocking includes two ticket vouchers for any show in the 09-10 Season, a box of assorted chocolates from San Jose’s own Schurra’s Confectioners, and a bottle of champagne. The $69 stocking includes two ticket vouchers for any show in the 09-10 Season. A gift of live theatre at the Rep is creative, hassle-free and green. To order San Jose Rep Stocking Stuffers, call the box office at 408-367-7255.

The Parade‘s Opening Ceremony begins on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month with a memorial ceremony at Plaza de Cesar Chavez on Market Street.

The Parade begins at noon from Delmas Street (near HP Pavilion) and travels east along Santa Clara to Market Street. The Parade then proceeds south on Market Street and ends at San Carlos Street. The reviewing stand is near Park Street.

Vice Admiral Jody A. Breckenridge, Commander United States Coast Guard Defense Forces West and Pacific Area, is this year’s Grand Marshal.

In addition, entrance fees waived on Veterans Day at public recreation lands managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with the Bureau of Land Management. Click on the service’s link for more information (other fees still apply). There are a number of public recreation lands in the Bay Area or head on over to Yosemite.

Veterans Day
Wednesday, November 11, 2009

"Luann"

Open the San Jose Mercury News Thursday morning and go straight to the comics.

Greg Evans has created a special “Luann” about “Books For Treats“.

10/29/09
San Jose Mercury New
Comics – “Luann”

Events are free; however, at some locations there will be food for purchase, some activities may have a fee, and there may be parking fees. Plan early.

Here are some places to view fireworks and/or enjoy a day of celebrations:

San Jose

The City of San Jose, Happy Hollow, History San Jose and Kelley Park will also participate in the new July 4th Fireworks celebration at Municipal Stadium and San Jose State University.

There will be free fireworks viewing in San Jose following the San Jose Giants game on the San Jose State University East Field next to Spartan Stadium or at Kelley Park. Note that no coolers are allowed on University property; in addition, tailgating will be restricted from parking lots and no alcohol allowed. Parking is $8.00 in all lots.

A map showing parking and viewing areas along with hours here (PDF).

Event Information

San Jose America Festival at Guadalupe River Park’s Discovery Meadow canceled because of budget constraints.

Santa Clara

Picnic and Fireworks Extravaganza
Central Park, 909 Kiely Boulevard

Pancake Breakfast at 8 am, followed by games and entertainment throughout the day at the Pavilion along with a carnival area, petting zoo, face painting, and swimming at the International Swim Center. Bring a picnic lunch or purchase foods at the event.

Fireworks at 9:30 pm; Pre-fireworks entertainment will be provided from 7:00 pm on the lawn area near Millikin School.

408-615-3140

Great America will have fireworks Saturdays in August.

Los Gatos

Civic Center, 110 E. Main Street

Los Gatos Celebrates the 4th of July for the whole family, all day 11:00 am – 5:30 pm. Beginning in the morning will be games and activities at the Civic Center. BBQ and cold drinks will be available for purchase at the food court all day.

The San Jose Wind Symphony will perform on the front lawn of Los Gatos High School beginning 1:30 pm.

Back over at the Civic Center there will be free cookies and a performance by the Peninsula Banjo Band, 3:30 pm.

Then at 4:45 pm, it is free bingo and lemonade!

Event Schedule (PDF)

408-354-6820

Milpitas

Independence Day Festivities
Milpitas Sports Center, 1325 E. Calaveras Boulevard

Water activities at Milpitas Sports Center Pools during the day; pool party 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

Barbecue, at the pool party 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm; nominal fee.

Concert & Fireworks at Milpitas Sports Center Football Field; 8:00 pm (gates open at 7:30 pm); bring a picnic dinner.

408-586-3228

Morgan Hill

Morgan Hill Community Park, 100 Edes Steet

Along the parade route at 9:00 am Car Cruise & Entertainment and then the Official Santa Clara County Parade at 10:00 am (with bands, horses, and floats).

During the day in downtown is the family festival with live entertainment and car show from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm.

In the evening from 6:00 pm is pre-fireworks entertainment with the fireworks scheduled for approximately 9:15 pm.

Redwood City

Activities will include arts & crafts, food, kids area, parade, and yes, fireworks.

The best way to get to the parade site is to take Caltrain to the Redwood City station. The parade is literally on the other side of the tracks.

Fireworks viewing at the Port of Redwood City have very limited access; they can be seen from downtown and anywhere west of Highway 101 where there is a clear view of the skies above the Port.

Festival – 9:00 am

Fireworks, Port of Redwood City – 9:30 pm

Maps – Parade, Festival, and Restrooms

Berkeley Marina

The 4th of July on the South Shore of the Berkeley Marina from noon to 10:00 pm, there will be music, dancers, and jugglers all for free! Adventure Playground, is open 11:00 am – 8:00 pm. Sign up for an old-fashioned sack race, create a nature sculpture with environmental artist Zach Pine, or get your face painted. Try the giant slide or splash in the water at the beach. In addition, art & craft booths, massages, free sailboat rides from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm.

Fireworks will be off the end of the Berkeley Pier at 9:30 pm.

Ride your bike over the Berkeley Bicycle Overpass and park free near Adventure Playground. Free admission, alcohol-free event, no cars after 7:00 pm.

Event Information


Other Posts

At 8:30 AM tomorrow  morning, March 28, a celebration of this American hero begins at the Mexican Heritage Plaza. The walk will be followed by a festival at the Plaza de César Chávez.

VTA will provide free service on all light rail and bus lines from 7:00 pm Wednesday, December 31 until 3:59 am Thursday, January 1, 2009. VTA will operate on a regular weekday schedule on Wednesday and Sunday/Holiday schedule on Thursday.

Caltrain will offer free rides beginning at 11:00 pm on New Year’s Eve. Caltrain is adding three post-midnight, southbound trains that will depart the San Francisco station at 1:00 am, 1:45 am, and 2:15 am. Caltrain does not allow open alcohol containers on trains after 9:00 pm.

On New Year’s Eve, SamTrans will offer free rides beginning at 11:00 pm running until 2:00 am. SamTrans will operate on a regular weekday schedule on Wednesday and a Holiday schedule on Thursday.

BART’s “New Year’s Eve Flash Pass” costs $6.00 and is good for unlimited rides on BART from 6:00 pm Wednesday, December 31, 2008 through 3:00 am Thursday, January 1, 2009. To accommodate New Year’s revelers, service will end around 3:00 a.m. on Thursday, New Year’s Day, including stand-by trains to accommodate crowds throughout the evening. BART runs a Sunday/Holiday schedule on New Year’s Day.

Back to the Fantasy…

There is a warning on the website about the effects of the popularity of this event. However, we didn’t check out the website before going, so it was all a great surprise to us. Like running downstairs on Christmas morning expecting to see that shiny new bike and instead it’s still in the box and dad has to take all day putting it together.

“Due to the popularity of Fantasy of Lights you may experience wait times of 30 minutes or more, especially on weekends. For families with small children you may want to provide in-car activities for their entertainment during the wait. We encourage you to visit Fantasy of Lights Monday through Thursday.”

Well, we went on a Sunday night, getting there at 6pm (when it opens) and we did not enter the park until 8pm. Again, if you check the directions on the site, it shows you a little Google map of the way they herd the cars into the park.

Here are some tips to make the best of your Fantasy of Lights adventure:

• If you find yourself stopped on Blossom Hill road you will be waiting approximately two hours to get into the park.
• Be sure your tank is filled, you will regret it if you have to jump out of the line after waiting FOREVER. Your children may be scarred for life if you do.
• You really should bring something to entertain your kids, don’t take that tip lightly!
• If you choose to take photos, turn off your flash. You may as well just show up during the day otherwise.

Where: Vasona Lake County Park, Los Gatos
When: Now until December 31st
Time: 6pm – 10pm nightly
Cost: $10 per car until Dec 10th, $15 Dec 11-31

Some highlights of this year’s parade (Sunday, December 7th):

• Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley will open the parade with a performance from the Nutcracker
• “The tween queen” (their words, not mine), Brianna James will be performing and making an appearance
• 2008 Grand Marshall, Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) will … stand there, smile and wave. Oh and you know, spread the magic of Disney and the holiday season and whatnot.

Other festivities begin the night before during the Inflation Celebration. “The night features giant helium balloons, dazzling floats, children’s activities, great giveaways and live entertainment.”

Overall it does sound like wonderful time to get out and do something with family or friends to get into the holiday spirit. And for fellow photographers out there, plenty of great opportunities for all styles of photography! That alone may be what pulls me out of my warm bed that early on a Sunday morning.

Here are the details:
Date: Sunday, December 7th

Parade path: Start on Santa Clara Street and Delmas Avenue, near the HP Pavilion, at 8:30 a.m. (proceeding east on Santa Clara Street)
It’ll take a right on Market Street and travel past Plaza De Cesar Chavez to end at San Carlos Street.

Check out their map for more details. [PDF]

More info on the official site: San Jose Holiday Parade

But I have to admit, I’m becoming somewhat of a humbug. It started two years ago, actually. All the stress of buying gifts for people seemed futile. The people I was buying for didn’t need anything. I didn’t want anything from them, except maybe some time to spend together over dinner or drinks. So last year I decided – no gifts. Instead, I would be giving my precious (and few) hard-earned dollars to those who needed it. Did my friends and family miss the presents? Not one bit. Especially when I told my mom, who works for the Girl Scouts, that I was donating money to her organization. And I told my pet-loving friend I’d be donating to the local SPCA. They didn’t mind one bit.

Call me Charlie Brown, but the holidays have become so focused on presents, that I’m afraid people are forgetting about those who will be the coldest, the hungriest this season.

Now more than ever we need to keep those less fortunate in mind. We’re facing an economic “recession” (a euphemism, I’m convinced), and the local foodbanks will be seeing more hungry, hopeful faces this holiday season than they’ve seen in a few decades.

As a board member of a local nonprofit, I can tell you firsthand that charities are hurting. They’ve been hurting for the last couple of winters, but this year is bad. People are scared, and are grabbing that wallet tight – for good reason. But we can’t forget that our neighbors need our help. Even if it’s $20, or 10 cans of food.

To raise awareness that charities need your help, the Silicon Valley Open Arms Coalition was created by local funders and nonprofits. The website gives several ways for people to contribute this holiday season, depending on which organization they’d like to support. Some of the nonprofits involved are First 5, Second Harvest Food Bank, Sobrato Family Foundation, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, and The Health Trust.

United Way Silicon Valley was the impetus behind the coalition formation. The organization sent a “pulse survey” to local nonprofits to see how other organizations were faring, and created the coalition when the responses showed that most are facing a significant increase in demand, and decrease in support. Facts from the survey include:

• More than 62 percent of survey respondents from Santa Clara County reported a drop in revenue from July 1 to September 30, compared to the same period last year.

• More than 58 percent of respondents reported an increase in demand for services during that same timeframe compared to last year.

• From July 1 to September 30, 52 percent of respondents from Santa Clara County experienced a decrease in donations by individuals, 40 percent saw a decrease in corporate and foundation giving, and 26 percent had a decrease in state and local government funding, compared to the same period last year.

• Of those Silicon Valley nonprofits that experienced an increase in demand for their services between July 1 and September 30, compared to the same period last year, nearly 69 percent were able to meet that demand while 31 percent were not.

• From July 1 to September 30, 2008, calls to United Way’s 2-1-1 Santa Clara County information and referral service seeking food increased 55 percent over the same period last year. Requests for housing jumped 20 percent.

• Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County has seen a 37 percent increase in clients over the last year and a 41 percent rise in the number of seniors participating in its senior nutrition program.

• Second Harvest Food Bank reports that from July to September 2008, the amount of food distributed increased 22 percent over the same period last year. The number of people served rose 17 percent while requests for food assistance jumped 55 percent.

So now is the time to help. Whether it’s $10 or $20, or some cans from your own pantry, it will help! For information about the Silicon Valley Open Arms Coalition, visit their website.

Having said all that, I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t mention the Milpitas Food Pantry. After reporting for the Milpitas Post for a year (and a couple internships before that), I’ve watched the Milpitas Food Pantry struggle for the last few holiday seasons. I was there on Thanksgiving two years ago, watching volunteers from the city bag dinners for their neighbors. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once. The people at the Milpitas Food Pantry do so much good, and need the donations to serve the city.

I would also get rocks thrown at me if I didn’t mention my own charity – TurningWheels For Kids. Like the aforementioned charities, we’re struggling to meet our goals and demands this year financially. Fortunately, we have a huge supply of willing volunteers! Thanks to everyone who signed up to volunteer at the Bike Build this year – it’s going to be great! Well, it’ll be great if we can get enough bikes … feel free to donate here.

I hate to be a curmudgeon, I hate to bear the bad news, but the holiday season is for giving – so I urge you, give to those who need it. More people need it this year than in the past few decades – now is the time. As the TWFK director, Sue Runsvold always says – If not now, when? If not you, then who?

Tuesday, November 11, is Veterans Day. There will be a memorial ceremony and a parade in downtown San Jose.

The Parade‘s Opening Ceremony begins at 11:00 am with a memorial ceremony at Plaza Cesar de Chavez.

The Parade begins at noon from Delmas Street (near HP Pavilion) and travels east along Santa Clara to Market Street. The Parade then proceeds south on Market and ends at San Carlos Street; the reviewing stand is near Park Street.

Major General William H. Wade II of the California National Guard is this year’s Grand Marshal.

The United Veterans Council of Santa Clara County organizes the parade.

From the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Website where you will find a plethora of information:

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” – officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

Since then, our main conflicts have been Word War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq.