The warning was there for anyone who examined Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint to win the culture wars: There would be trouble ahead for the arts community in a Trump 2.0 administration.
Much has already come to pass: the shuttering of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the termination of the National Endowment of the Arts grants and an intensifying campaign (stymied for now) to rename and gain control of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
In May, Bay Area News Group reported that of the more than 80 Bay Area arts nonprofits that received grants from the Biden administration, nearly 30 confirmed they had lost all or a portion of the grants, including San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose Taiko, Opera San Jose and the artist collective Local Color.
Despite all this, Silicon Valley arts groups continue to stick to their mission statements, bringing thoughtful, challenging and—yes—entertaining works of music, theater, visual art and literature to their supporters.
But just in case it isn’t already obvious, these groups need those supporters more than ever before. Not only has government spending dwindled; large corporations, faced with the uncertain effects of tariffs and the economic disruption of the AI revolution, are more cautious with their cash. (One acknowledged casualty is Día San José, which has cancelled its annual October event for 2025, citing an inability to secure corporate funding.)
So that leaves the job of supporting the arts squarely in the hands of those who can’t imagine a world without theater, music, dance and the visual arts. Valley residents are lucky enough to be able to see three plays by Lauren Gunderson, including 2018’s Ada and the Engine (produced by Pear Theatre) and the brand-new Little Women (TheatreWorks, which is doing two of the playwright’s works). City Lights looks on the lighter side of Bram Stoker’s protagonist with Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors. Stanford Live is adding something new: a series of three productions cherry-picked from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. And if edgy doesn’t suit the mood, community theater groups are offering up some comfort-food favorites, like Gypsy (Palo Alto Players) and The Sound of Music (South Bay Musical Theatre).
And support means attendance: marking the calendar, getting the tickets and making the trek across town to witness the act of creation. We hope valleyites will use this guide (it’s triple the size online at metrosiliconvalley.com) to find events and be there in the audience, lending their support to the arts. In times like these, it’s as much an act of defiance as any protest.
Festivals
Palo Alto Festival of the Arts
Aug 23-24, 10am-6pm | University Avenue, Downtown Palo Alto | paloaltochamber.com
More than 250 fine artists and artisans will put their best work forward at this annual festival held on University Avenue. Even the sidewalks become a canvas during the festival, with Italian street painting on Tasso Street.
Kings Mountain Art Fair
Aug 30-31 & Sept 1, 8am-5pm | 13889 Skyline Blvd, Woodside | kingsmountainartfair.org
Launched in 1963 to raise funds for fire protection in the woodsy Kings Mountain community, the fair continues to support the Kings Mountain Volunteer Fire Brigade. A zero-waste festival, the juried fair draws and 400 local volunteers, who help make this art fair a standout cultural event. In addition to the artwork, there will be food (including Grandma Jenny’s giant cookies), beer and wine, and children’s activities. Admission is free, and a shuttle service operates for drivers parking along Skyline Boulevard. Artist’s work can be previewed online before, during and after the fair.
Silicon Valley Pride Festival
Aug 30-31 | Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park, Downtown San Jose | svpride.com
Silicon Valley Pride marks a big anniversary with a two-day festival titled “Unstoppable: 50 Years of Love, Legacy & Liberation.” Snow Tha Product, a San Jose native and Latin Grammy-nominated rapper, will headline the Saturday night show.
Mountain View Art and Wine Festival
Sep 6, 11am-7pm; Sep 7, 10am-6pm | Downtown Mountain View | mvartwine.com
Art is the heart of the event—a regional draw, with more than 350 artists and craft-makers selling their goods on Castro Street, between El Camino Real and Evelyn Avenue . Admission is free, and includes live music, kids’ activities, food and free-flowing wine.
Alebrije Glass Blowing
Sept 8, 7pm | Bay Area Glass Institute, 635 Phelan Ave, San Jose | bagi.org
In a workshop presented by BAGI and San Jose Jazz, artist Carolina Argote, creator of hand-carved alebrijes—Mexican folk art figures—collaborates with Bay Area Glass Institute’s team of glassblowers to create her designs in molten glass.
Middle Eastern & Greek Food Festival
Sept 12-14 | 195 N Main St, Milpitas | sjorthodox.org/festival
Saint James Orthodox Church hosts the Middle Eastern and Greek Food Festival, with authentic cuisine, a traditional Greek band, and dance performances by church youth groups.
Chile, Mole, Pozole Festival
Sep 13, 12:30-5pm | Mexican Heritage Plaza, 1700 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose | schoolofartsandculture.org
On top of the headlining Mexican culinary stars, the eighth annual Chile, Mole, Pozole Festival also offers ritual Aztec dance from Calpulli Ocelocihuatl, music from Banda La Única and Mariachi Azteca, and folklórico dance by Los Lupeños de San José, and lucha libre drama from Pro Wrestling Revolution. Plus, there will be a market with local makers selling handcrafted goods.
Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival
Sep 13, 10am-6pm; Sep 14, 10am-5pm | Central Park, Santa Clara | santaclaraca.gov
Artists, crafts makers, food vendors and local nonprofit groups flock to Central Park for this community event, along with live entertainment from local bands. Bululú, The Peelers and Pride & Joy play on Saturday, followed by TBT Jazz Trio, East Side Funk, Aja Vu and Pop Rocks on Sunday.
SALA 2025
Sept 13-14, 11am-7pm | Menlo College, 1000 El Camino Real, Atherton | salafestival.org
The South Asian Literature and Art Festival, presented by Art Forum SF, brings together globally celebrated names from South Asia and the diaspora. For two days, these luminaries in the fields of literature, filmmaking, the arts, science and more will engage in conversations around this year’s theme: Thoughts without Borders. Prominent panelists will include Nobel Laureate and economist Abhijit Banerjee, modern mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik, Bollywood filmmakers Kiran Rao and Kabir Khan, and Michelin restaurateur Ajay Walia.
CityDance
Sept 18, 6-9pm | Circle of Palms, San Jose Museum of Art, 110 S Market St, San Jose | facebook.com/citydancesj
This dance event features professional lessons, live bands and DJs. All skill levels are welcome. Free (includes museum admission).
Oktoberfest Downtown Redwood City
Sept 19-28 | Courthouse Square, Redwood City | redwoodcity.org
Every day except Mon, Sept 22, Courthouse Square will become a magnet for lederhosen-wearing, beer-guzzling crowds, drawn by seasonal contests (stein-holding, yodeling, dancing), lively music, and lots and lots of brats and brews. Tickets: $10-$35 (includes a commemorative stein); food and extra drink tickets are sold separately.
Music in the Park: Blue Öyster Cult
Sept 19, 5pm | Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose | CalTix.com
This half-century-young heavy metal pioneer has regained relevance as the inspiration behind Saturday Night Live’s legendary “More Cowbell” sketch, featuring Christopher Walken and Will Ferrell. The Long Island band is one of very few hard rock/heavy metal bands to earn both genuine mainstream critical acclaim as well as commercial success, epitomized by “Don’t Fear the Reaper.”
Bay Area Parent Kids Day in the Park
Sept 20, 11am-4pm | Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose | CalTix.com
The second year of this event at Plaza de Cesar Chavez will feature top-name entertainment, including inflatables, entertainers, interactive play and food vendors. But the real highlight will be live music by Lisa Loeb and the Hollow Trees. Their new album, That’s What It’s All About, is a heartfelt tribute to timeless tunes and family traditions.
Music in the Park: LaRussell and Kung Fu Vampire
Sept 21, 4-11pm | Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose | CalTix.com
Rising star LaRussell makes his Music in the Park debut. Born and raised in the northern part of Vallejo, a city with a rich vein of hip-hop talent, LaRussell began to rap at the age of eight. He is also the founder of Good Compenny, an organization that helps promote rising Bay Area artists. Just added to the bill is goth rapper Kung Fu Vampire, a San Jose native who has been rapping since he was 14 is known for his live performances. The booking marks the Vampire’s return to the Bay after two years and more than 150 national shows on the road.
Great Glass Pumpkin Patch
Sept 27-28, 10am-5pm | Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Rd, Palo Alto | greatglasspumpkinpatch.org
Pumpkins come in all colors at this festive annual event sponsored by the Bay Area Glass Institute and the Palo Alto Art Center, where thousands of hand-crafted glass gourds are available for purchase, handcrafted by more than 25 artists, from teeny-tiny to gargantuan, in myriad colors and shapes.
Illo Mart
Sept 27-28, 11am-6pm | South Hall, 435 S Market St, San Jose | sanjosemade.com
This free event sponsored by SJ Made promises to bring together 350+ illustrators all in one place, showing their work.
Glass Pumpkin Patch
Oct 3, 3-9pm; Oct 4, 10am-9pm; Oct 5, 10am-5pm | Santana Row, San Jose | bagi.org
This event sponsored by Bay Area Glass Institute offers a chance for art lovers to purchase decorative pumpkins in time for Halloween.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2025
Oct 3-5 | Golden Gate Park, San Francisco | hardlystrictlybluegrass.com
Though it’s clearly not in Silicon Valley, this San Francisco show is notable for offering three days jampacked with music of many varieties, with only one thing in common: every show is absolutely free. Trampled by Turtles, Courtney Barnett and The War and Treaty? Yes! Emmylou Harris, Margo Price and Rosanne Cash? You bet. And much more.
Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Film Festival
Oct 17-26 | AMC Sunnyvale and online | svapfilmfest.org
Asian American cinema takes center screen for three days of live screenings at AMC Sunnyvale plus an additional seven days of online events. Feature films, documentaries and shorts are screened at this festival that seeks to celebrate culture, creativity and connection.
Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival
Oct 18-19, 9am-5pm | Main Street, Half Moon Bay | hmbpumpkinfest.com
Aside from gargantuan gourds, there’s plenty more to do at Half Moon Bay’s best-known event. Fine arts & crafts booths, live entertainment, a parade, the Pumpkin Run, pancake breakfasts, pie-eating contests and plenty more comestibles are in store.
Avenida de Altares
Nov 1 | Mexican Heritage Plaza, San Jose | schoolofartsandculture.org
Every year, the School of Arts and Culture organizes Avenida de Altares (Avenue of the Altars), a free event celebrating Dia de Los Muertos. In addition to the altar walk from the intersection of Alum Rock Avenue and King Road to the Mexican Heritage Plaza, there will be various activities, including face painting and artist booths.
SJ Made Holiday Fair
Nov 28-29, 11am-6pm | Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara | sanjosemade.com
The largest winter holiday craft fair in the South Bay Area is back, featuring more than 350 amazing makers, artists, designers, curators, workshop guides, food producers and creative small businesses.
Theater
National Theatre Live
Aug 21-Sept 11 | Hammer Theatre Center, 101 Paseo De San Antonio, San Jose | hammertheatre.com
Can’t make it to London for an evening at the National Theatre? The Hammer screens the following productions: Fleabag, written and performed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, screens Aug 23. Present Laughter—Noël Coward’s comedy, featuring Andrew Scott—screens Aug 21 and Sept 12. Scott also stars as multiple characters in Vanya, Simon Stephens’ new version of Chekhov’s play, which screens Aug 22, Aug 24 and Sept 11.
Gypsy
Sept 5-21 | Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto | paplayers.org
Palo Alto Players Artistic Director Patrick Klein is “beyond excited” that the company is opening its season with Gypsy, which he calls “one of the most iconic and emotionally powerful American musicals of all time.” Directed by Janie Scott, the production features 29 Bay Area actors, one pup, and the unforgettable score by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim.
Cabaret
Sept 5-28 | 97 Hillview Ave, Los Altos | losaltosstage.org
Los Altos Stage Company enters the divinely decadent Kit Kat Klub, reprising Kander and Ebb’s indelible musical numbers while exploring the play’s darker side: the spectacle of a cosmopolitan society undone away by virulent demagoguery.
Little Shop of Horrors
Sept 6-28 | Sunnyvale Community Theatre, 550 E Remington Dr, Sunnyvale | sunnyvaleplayers.org
When floral assistant Seymour Krelborn stumbles across a new breed of plant, he has no idea that it will grow into a foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore in this musical adaptation of the Roger Corman horror flick.
Sultana Daku
Sept 6-28 | Cubberley Theatre, 4120 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto | naatak.org
Naatak, a South Asian theater company, opens its 30th season with a tale written for the occasion: an adaptation of the 2009 novel The Confession of Sultana Daku, recounting the exploits of Sultana Daku and set in 1920s India. The play, which has never been performed before, will feature live music, dance and humor.
Little Women
Sept 24-Oct 12 | Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St, Mountain View | theatreworks.org
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley kicks off Season 55 with the world premiere of Lauren Gunderson’s take on Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. The Bay Area native’s adaptation brings the March sisters—Meg, Beth, Amy and Jo—to the stage in a new production in which author Alcott joins her characters to tell the tale of growing up in 19th-century New England.
Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors
Sept 25-Oct 19 | City Lights Theater, 529 S 2nd St, San Jose | cltc.org
Playing Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire story for both laughs and suspense, City Lights presents a gender-bending production with plenty of wordplay and six actors playing more than a dozen roles, including famed female vampire hunter Doctor Jean Van Helsing and a dangerous yet hot Count Dracula.
The Sound of Music
Sept 27-Oct 18 | Saratoga Civic Theater, 13777 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga | southbaymt.com
South Bay Musical Theatre presents the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Artistic Director Walter M. Mayes, who also directs this production, says, “It reminds us that even when the world is filled with uncertainty, we can still choose love, light and family.”
The Art of Murder
Oct 3-19 | The Pear Theatre, 1110 La Avenida, Suite A, Mountain View | thepear.org
In this play by Joe DiPietro, acclaimed artist Jack Brooks has invited his art dealer, Vincent, to his secluded home for what seems to be a business discussion—but which unfolds quite differently as revelations of ambition and revenge shatter the mask of civility and artistic integrity.
Dos maridos pa’ Enriqueta
Oct 4, 7:30pm & Oct 5, 2pm | SecondStage, Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St, Mountain View | mvcpa.com
Teatro Nahual reimagines The Wise Women (1672), a satirical comedy by Molière, under the title Two Husbands for Enriqueta (Dos maridos pa’ Enriqueta). Molière’s critique of intellectual pedantry and societal hypocrisy has been moved from 17th-century France to late 19th-century Mexico City. Performed in Spanish.
Silicon Valley Twelfth Night
Oct 17, 7:30pm; Oct 18, 3 & 7:30pm | Mainstage, Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St, Mountain View | mvcpa.com
Set in a future where artificial intelligence thrives, Silicon Valley Twelfth Night weaves modern narrative threads into Shakespeare’s classic comedy. The story unfolds in Silicon Valley, where AI replaces not only human labor but also human emotions.
Crazy Quilt Club
Oct 24-Nov 8 | Hall Pavilion at Triton Museum, 1750 Don Ave, Santa Clara | scplayers.org
Santa Clara Players play this murder mystery for laughs. Veronica Blather is a sweet little old lady who spends most of her time knitting and solving murders; clues drop as fast as corpses and the dialogue keeps the audience in stitches.
Dracula
Oct 25-Nov 9 | Sunnyvale Community Theatre, 550 E Remington Dr, Sunnyvale | sunnyvaleplayers.org
This new adaptation brings the suspense and seduction of Bram Stoker’s classic novel to the stage, with a theatrical picture of Stoker’s famous vampire that’s rich with both humor and horror.
A Driving Beat
Oct 29-Nov 23 | SecondStage, Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St, Mountain View | theatreworks.org
TheatreWorks presents a world-premiere play by Jordan Ramirez Puckett, a Bay Area writer now living in New York City. Directed by Jeffrey Lo, it tells the story of a road trip shared by a white mother and her adopted brown son.
Humans 2.0
Nov 1, 7:30; Nov 2, 2:30pm | Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University | live.stanford.edu
Ten bodies appear in a flash of light, moving in harmony. Created by visionary Yaron Lifschitz, it’s part of Australian performing troupe Circa’s current show, Humans 2.0, which addresses the challenge of being homo sapiens.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical
Nov 5-9 | Montgomery Theater, 271 S Market St, San Jose | cmtsj.org
Children’s Musical Theater San Jose’s Junior Talents presents the musical adaptation of Jeff Kinney’s Diary, starring local performers, ages 7-10.
Annie
Nov 7-23 | Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto | paplayers.org
“It’s A Hard Knock Life” at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage, but little Annie keeps her spirits up, hoping for a better “Tomorrow.” The Palo Alto Players bring the Broadway classic to life for a three-week run.
Burnout Paradise
Nov 12-15, 7pm | The Studio, Stanford University | live.stanford.edu
For the first time, Stanford Live will present three acts from the cutting-edge Edinburgh Festival Fringe. First up is the Australian theater collective Pony Cam, presenting Burnout Paradise, which Timeout called “One of the most frenetically uproarious shows you will ever experience.”
Fiddler on the Roof
Nov 14-23 | Montgomery Theater, 271 S Market St, San Jose | cmtsj.org
Children’s Musical Theater San Jose’s Rising Stars present the story of Tevye and his five daughters, and the traditions of the village of Anatevka, featuring local performers ages 11-15.
A Twig in the Thief’s Beard
Nov 14-23 | Cubberley Theatre, 4120 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto | naatak.org
This South Asian company adapts Nikolai Gogol’s The Government Inspector—first published in 1836 and staged in countless adaptations and styles. Here, corrupt local officials in a Gujarati town are abuzz because Inspector Sahib is on his way to check on them.
Over the River and Through the Woods
Nov 20-Dec 21 | City Lights Theater, 529 S 2nd St, San Jose | cltc.org
Joe DiPietro’s play is centered on single, Italian-American New Jerseyite Nick, who still sees both sets of his grandparents every Sunday for dinner. When they catch wind of his dream job offer in Seattle, a series of schemes ensue to keep Nick at home.
Ada and the Engine
Nov 21-Dec 7 | The Pear Theatre, 1110 La Avenida, Suite A, Mountain View | thepear.org
Playwright Lauren Gunderson turns her talents to the story of Ada Lovelace, daughter of Lord Byron, who finds beauty in numbers instead of words. Her connection with inventor Charles Babbage led her to be considered the world’s first computer programmer. The Pear’s production is directed by Miller Liberatore.
Classical and Opera
Invitation to the Dance
Sept 6, 7:30pm | Hammer Theatre, 101 Paseo De San Antonio, San Jose | cambriansymphony.org
Cambrian Symphony kicks off its 2025–26 season with a musical journey across continents. The program features Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake suite, José Pablo Moncayo’s Huapango, with folk rhythms from Veracruz, Arturo Márquez’s Danzón No. 2 and Three Latin American Dances by Gabriela Lena Frank, a San Francisco native.
Brass Masterclass
Sept 6, 6:30pm | First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto | gsyomusic.org
Brass Over Bridges, a brass quintet, will perform and lead a masterclass with Golden State Youth Orchestra brass musicians. Following the free performances, there will be a short Q&A session.
Baroque Concert
Sept 13, 7:30pm | First Lutheran Church, 600 Homer Ave, Palo Alto | paphil.org
Palo Alto Philharmonic kicks off its nine-concert 2025-2026 season with an evening of select soloists and small ensembles performing an array of music from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
Così Fan Tutte
Sept 14-28 | California Theatre, 345 S 1st St, San Jose | operasj.org
Opera San José starts its season with a light touch: Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte, which the company describes as an 18th-century reality show—Temptation Island meets powdered wigs—with two young couples entangled in a scheming philosopher’s loyalty test.
MACLA Presents: Inebria me
Sept 25-27 | MACLA, 510 S 1st St San Jose | maclaarte.org
Movimiento de Arte y Cultural Latino Americana presents an experimental opera by Los Angeles-based composer, musician and performance artist San Cha. The work, Inebria me, blends ranchera, cumbia, mariachi, punk, classic and electro music.
Virtuosi!
Sept 27, 7:30pm | Cañada College Main Theater, 4200 Farm Hill Blvd, Redwood City | redwoodsymphony.org
Redwood Symphony begins its fifth decade by celebrating the 100th birthday of composer Kirke Mechem with a performance of The Jayhawk overture. The orchestra also performs Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra and Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto, with Daniel Glover as soloist. The evening begins with a 6:45pm pre-concert talk.
Aristo Sham
Sept 28, 2:30pm | Visual and Performing Arts Center, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino | steinwaysociety.com
He has played for the king of England and the queen of Belgium, and collaborated with the London Symphony and the Hong Kong Philharmonic. Now the Steinway Society presents the 2025 Cliburn Gold Medalist in concert, with options to attend in person or listen online.
Masquerade
Oct 4, 7:30pm & Oct 5, 2:30pm | California Theatre, 345 S 1st St, San Jose | symphonysanjose.org
Symphony San Jose kicks off its 2025-26 season: seven pairs of concerts, plus two holiday shows. The first program, conducted by Nathan Aspinall, features Anna Clyne’s Masquerade; Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, with pianist Jon Nakamatsu in the spotlight; and Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. Guests at the opening-night show can upgrade and attend Masquerade Fantastique prior to the concert, with a pre-concert reception, refreshments in the Baton Society Lounge during intermission, and a dessert reception after the show.
Peninsula Symphony Season Opener
Oct 4, 7:30pm | Heritage Theatre, Campbell
Oct 5, 2:30pm | Performing Arts Center, San Mateo | peninsulasymphony.org
Peninsula Symphony opens its 77th season with guest conductor Lara Webber and guest soloist Demarre McGill, who will perform Charles Tomlinson Griffes’s Poem and Jacques Ibert’s Flute Concerto. The program also includes works by Carlos Simon, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky.
Michelle Cann
Oct 8, 7:30pm | Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University | live.stanford.edu
A Grammy winner for her recordings of Florence Price compositions, pianist Michelle Cann will perform Price’s Sonata in E minor as well as works by Ravel, Mendelssohn, Margaret Bonds and John Sylvanus Thompson.
Brahms First Symphony
Oct 18, 7:30pm | Cubberley Theatre, 4120 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto | paphil.org
In addition to Brahms’ opus—which took the composer 21 years to finish—Palo Alto Philharmonic will perform Augusta Read Thomas’ Of Paradise and Light and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Suite for Viola and Small Orchestra, with violist Jenny Douglass.
Dances and Dreams
Oct 18, 7:30pm | Visual and Performing Arts Center, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino | steinwaysociety.com
Concert pianist Pavel Kolesnikov returns to the Steinway Society stage to perform a program of works by Chopin, Rameau and Duphly.
Fury and Heartbreak
Oct 19, 2:30pm | MainStage, Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St, Mountain View | mvcpa.com
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale welcome soprano Maya Kherani, who will sing cantatas by Handel and Marcello, accompanied by furious and tender music for strings. The program, which also includes works by Galuppi, Durante and Vivaldi, will be conducted by Václav Luks.
The Many Colors of Her
Oct 19, 7pm | St. Francis Episcopal Church, 1205 Pine Ave, San Jose | sjco.org
A premiere by San Jose Chamber Orchestra’s very own Emily Onderdonk, conducted by Barbara Day Turner.
Santiago Cañón Valencia
Oct 22, 7:30pm | Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University | live.stanford.edu
Colombian cellist Santiago Cañón-Valencia makes his Bay Area debut, performing French sonatas and unusual transcriptions, capped by Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne, from the ballet Pulcinella.
Symphonic Spooktacular
Oct 25, 7:30pm; Oct 26, 2:30pm | California Theatre, 345 S 1st St, San Jose | symphonysanjose.org
Peter Jaffe conducts Symphony San Jose’s annual Halloween “spooktacle.” Titled Bewitching Broadway, the program includes selections from Stephen Schwartz’s Wicked, Frank Wildhorn’s Jekyll & Hyde, Kurt Weill’s Threepenny Opera, Alan Menken’s Little Shop of Horrors and Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods and Sweeney Todd.
From Formosa to Vienna
Oct 25, 7:30pm | De Anza Visual & Performing Arts Center, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino | novavista.org
Nova Vista Symphony presents the Bay Area premiere of Tyzen Hsiao’s Violin Concerto in D, with an assist from soloist Richard Lin. Also on the program: Mozart’s Overture to Marriage of Figaro and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1.
Hayato Sumino
Oct 26, 2:30pm | Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University | live.stanford.edu
A pianist who got his start on YouTube, Hayato Sumino has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and toured worldwide. For this recital he’ll tackle Chopin, Debussy, Gershwin, Hans Zimmer and his own work, plus a finale: playing Ravel’s Boléro on two pianos at the same time.
Scary Music!
Oct 26, 3pm | Cañada College Main Theater, 4200 Farm Hill Blvd, Redwood City | redwoodsymphony.org
Tunes by Danny Elfman and John Williams plus Stephen Schwartz’s Suite from Wicked and Paul Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice will please kids and adults. The concert begins with a tour of the orchestra and concludes with a group conducting lesson.
Fall Chamber Concert
Nov 8, 7:30pm | First Lutheran Church, 600 Homer Ave, Palo Alto | paphil.org
Palo Alto Philharmonic musicians spend the evening with their friends in wind, string and brass ensembles.
Vienna Boys Choir
Nov 12, 7:30pm | Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University | live.stanford.edu
The famed vocal group has toured the globe for six centuries, presenting a repertoire that includes everything from medieval to contemporary to experimental music. The focus this evening: Johann Strauss Waltzes and Polkas.
Romantic Reveries
Nov 15, 7:30pm | Visual and Performing Arts Center, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino | steinwaysociety.com
In his debut with the Bay Area’s Steinway Society, pianist Eric Lu performs works by Schumann, Schubert and Chopin.
Persian Delights
Nov 16, 7pm | St. Francis Episcopal Church, 1205 Pine Ave, San Jose | sjco.org
Under the baton of Barbara Day Turner, San Jose Chamber Orchestra presents an evening of “Persian delights” featuring composer/pianist Faranak Shahroozi.
Madama Butterfly
Nov 16-30 | California Theatre, 345 S First St, San Jose | operasj.org
Puccini’s opera classic reveals the story of young Japanese woman Cio-Cio-San, who sacrifices everything for a faithless American naval officer. César Delgado plays the officer; Emily Michiko Jensen is Cio-Cio-San.
40th Anniversary with Mason Bates
Nov 22, 7:30pm | Cañada College Main Theater, 4200 Farm Hill Blvd, Redwood City | redwoodsymphony.org
Redwood Symphony founding music director Eric Kujawsky leads a program of his personal favorites to mark four decades of music. The program opens with Emmanuel Chabrier’s España, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto and one of Kujawsky’s favorite pieces, Alternative Energy by Mason Bates, who will appear as a guest soloist. The evening begins with a 6:45pm pre-concert talk.
Celebrating Cecilia
Nov 22, 7:30pm | Campbell United Methodist Church, 1675 Winchester Blvd, Campbell
Nov 23, 4:30pm | First Congregational Church of Palo Alto, 1985 Louis Rd, Palo Alto | baychoralguild.org
Bay Choral Guild opens its 47th season with a program honoring the patron saint of musicians with works including Britten’s Hymn for St. Cecilia, Handel’s Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day, and Jacob de Haan’s Missa Santa Cecilia.
Peninsula Symphony Stanford Concerts
Nov 22, 7:30pm & Nov 23, 2:30pm | Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University | peninsulasymphony.org
Mitchell Sardou Klein leads the Peninsula Symphony through its annual collaboration with the Stanford Symphonic Chorus, under the direction of Stephen M. Sano. Two contemporary works by Dan Forrest and Jessie Montgomery complement Richard Strauss’ tone poem Death and Transfiguration.
Holiday Spectacular
Dec 6, 2:30 & 7:30pm; Dec 7, 2:30pm | California Theatre, 345 S 1st St, San Jose | symphonysanjose.org
Conductor Elena Sharkova takes Symphony San Jose through a program of seasonal music numbers that will include performers from Symphony San Jose Chorale, Cantabile Youth Singers and New Ballet.
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale
Dec 7, 2:30pm | Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University | live.stanford.edu
The orchestra and chorale pair 18th-century classics by Vivaldi and Corelli with a world premiere by British composer Roderick Williams and a U.S. premiere by Caroline Shaw.
A Chanticleer Christmas
Dec 11, 7pm | Memorial Church, Stanford University | live.stanford.edu
The San Francisco men’s vocal ensemble takes advantage of the church’s sublime acoustics with a new Christmas program each year.
Holiday Concert
Dec 13, 7:30pm | Church of the Ascension, 12033 Miller Ave, Saratoga | novavista.org
Nova Vista Symphony presents holiday favorites plus a Sound of Music medley, Humperdinck’s Overture to Hansel and Gretel and Prokofiev’s Lieutenant Kijé Suite.
Stravinsky Pulcinella
Dec 13, 7:30pm | Cubberley Theatre, 4120 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto | paphil.org
Palo Alto Philharmonic’s fourth concert of the season features contemporary composer Reena Esmail’s Avartan, Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, featuring soloist Geoffrey Burr, and the suite from Stravinsky’s Pulcinella ballet. The pre-concert talk begins at 7pm.
Winter’s Gifts
Dec 21, 7:30pm | Mission Santa Clara, Santa Clara University | sjco.org
San Jose Chamber Orchestra and the Choral Project join forces for the annual Winter’s Gifts holiday concert, under the direction of conductors Daniel Hughes and Barbara Day Turner.
Dance
Extremely Close
Sept 12, 7:30pm; Sept 13, 2 & 7:30pm; Sept 14, 2pm | MainStage, Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St, Mountain View | mvcpa.com
Smuin Contemporary Ballet presents three company premieres by award-winning choreographers: Extremely Close, by Alejandro Cerrudo; Partita, by Justin Peck; and A Long Night, by Amy Seiwert.
A Taste of Ireland
Sept 25 | Fox Theatre, 2215 Broadway, Redwood City | ATasteofIrelandShow.com
The “Irish music and dance sensation” comes to California on its 2025 world tour, featuring a cast of acclaimed Irish dancers and musicians, with a vocalist there to sing reimagined classics such as “Danny Boy” and “Wild Rover.”
Spellbound
Oct 10-11, 8pm | California Theatre, 345 S First St, San Jose | sjDANCEco
sjDANCEco joins forces with the San José Chamber Orchestra to present its 23rd season, celebrating new works by company choreographers Maria Basile and Nhan Ho, guest choreographers Hsiang-Hsiu Lin, Fred Mathews, and Colin Connor. “Spellbound invites you on an unforgettable inner journey—one that will leave you captivated, fulfilled, and deeply moved,” says Maria Basile, artistic director.
Halloween Gala & Dance Party
Oct 25, 7-10pm | Hammer Theatre Center, 101 Paseo De San Antonio, San Jose | newballet.com
A family-friendly rooftop party with costume contest, a sneak peek at the season’s highlights—featuring live performance excerpts by company dancers—and the opportunity to support New Ballet—it’s all part of the company’s most important fundraiser of the year.
Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet
Nov 9, 3pm | Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd., San Jose | sanjosetheaters.org
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, with the first Nutcracker arriving on the scene. Talmi Entertainment, now on its 33rd tour, brings its version of this seasonal treat to more than 100 cities every year.
The Great Gatsby
Nov 22, 7pm | Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd, San Jose | sanjosetheaters.org
Choreographer Ilya Zhivoy and composer Anna Drubich focus on the central love story in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, producing a ballet with a score that echoes the sounds of the Jazz Age. World Ballet Company is touring the production nationwide.
Swan Lake
Dec 4, 7pm | Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd, San Jose | sanjosetheaters.org
Classical Arts Entertainment presents a touring production of Tchaikovsky’s ballet with professional dancers from around the world.
Dökk by fuse*
Dec 5, 7:30pm | Memorial Auditorium, 551 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford | live.stanford.edu
Presented by Stanford Live, Dökk is a journey through the subconscious mind, as it constantly seeks a balance between light and darkness. Experience a live media performance that deeply connects a performer with an incredible digital landscape.
The Christmas Ballet
Dec 11-13, 7:30pm & Dec 13-14, 2pm | MainStage, Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St, Mountain View | mvcpa.com
Smuin Contemporary Ballet brings back its seasonal ballet, which, as always, features new additions to keep it evergreen.
The Original San Jose Nutcracker
Dec 12-14 | Center for Performing Arts, San Jose | sjdt.org
San Jose Dance Theatre is back for the holidays, with six full-length productions of The Original San Jose Nutcracker and one presentation of Once Upon a Nutcracker at 10:30am on Dec 12.
The San Jose Nutcracker
Dec 13-23 | California Theatre, 345 S. First St, San Jose | newballet.com
Presented with Symphony San Jose in the California Theatre, this joyful holiday production transports the familiar story to turn-of-the-century San Jose. An added bonus: Symphony San Jose will accompany all performances.
My Very First Nutcracker
Dec 14, 15 & 22, 11am | California Theatre, 345 S 1st St, San Jose | newballet.com
A one-act presentation aimed at families with young children, this shortened ballet centers on the festive party scene. Performed with live accompaniment by Symphony San Jose, conducted by Thomas Shoebotham.
Museum and Gallery Shows
Stand Up! Closing Party
Aug 23, 4-6pm | Works/San Jose, 38 S 2nd St, San Jose | workssanjose.org
WORKS/San Jose’s member exhibition ends with a party and the annual member meeting, with brief “state of Works” remarks at 5pm.
Expanding the Field and Echoes in Color
Aug 30, 2025-Jan 11, 2026 | Triton Museum, 1505 Warburton Ave, Santa Clara | tritonmuseum.org
Triton Museum of Art presents two shows related to print media, opening simultaneously. Expanding the Field; New Ideas in and Beyond Print will feature work by the California Society of Printmakers in an exhibition juried by internationally recognized Canadian multidisciplinary artist Monique Martin. For this exhibition, artists were invited to submit work that incorporates any form of hand-pulled printmaking. Echoes in Color showcases work by Qiuwen Li, a Bay Area-based artist from China whose work focuses on reimagining language through color and typography. Li’s work opens up a dialogue about pouring meaning into different forms of communication and expression through creative ways of understanding language.
Half Dome and Elsewhere
Sept 2-28 | Gallery 9, 143 Main St, Los Altos | gallery9losaltos.com
A solo exhibit of mixed-media paintings by Menlo Park artist Daniel Meehan, inspired by Yosemite’s Half Dome and other geological formations. Opening reception: Sept 5, 5-8pm.
Below the Surface
Sept 3-28 | Whitney Modern Art Gallery, 24 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos
Subtitled “life philosophy made visible,” Sieglinde Van Damme’s exhibit is not a traditional art show; it is designed as an immersive, reflective experience. Visitors will encounter a philosophy wall, a mirror installation, and sealed collector letters accompanying each of the 30+ paintings. Opening reception: Sept 7, 2-4pm (RSVP at bit.ly/Sep7opening.)
Climate Interrelations Imaginative
Sept 5-Oct 18 | Works/San Jose, 38 S 2nd St, San Jose | workssanjose.org
Curator Valentino Loyola brings together a mix of “data-based artistic explorations.” Opening reception Sept 5, 5-9pm.
In Search of Our Mother’s Garden
Sept 5-Oct 3 | Art Ark Gallery, 1035 S 6th St, San Jose | artarkgallery.com
Artist Hargun Mahal Mann explores themes of womanhood, sisterhood, migration and the meaning of home. Opening reception during First Friday Artwalk: Sept 5, 5-9pm, with an artist talk at 6pm.
Climate Interrelations Imaginative
Sept 5, 5-9pm | Works/San Jose, 38 S 2nd St, San Jose | workssanjose.org
The new exhibit at Works kicks off with an opening reception during the First Friday art walk. The show runs through Oct 18.
60th Anniversary Community Day
Sept 7, 11am-6pm | NUMU, 106 E Main St, Los Gatos | numulosgatos.org
Celebrate the 60th anniversary of New Museum Los Gatos with a free community day of art activities, tours, costume contests, live music by Hootenanny and more. Guests are encouraged to dress in ’60s garb. Free admission to NUMU’s current shows, which include Snapshots of Pride: Photographer Ted Sahl’s Chronicle of the South Bay LGBTQ+ Community, and Greater Bay Area Open, presented by the Los Gatos Art Association.
Pushing Boundaries: Ceramic Artists and Identity
Sept 13-Dec 7 | 1313 Newell Rd, Palo Alto | paloalto.gov
The new show presents work by contemporary California-based artists who engage with clay as a medium to explore themes of identity and materiality. Some artists work primarily with clay; others incorporate it as a symbolic reference. Opening reception Sept 19, 6-8pm, featuring art activities, a cash bar and performances from Mosaic America.
Edmonia Lewis: Indelible Impressions
Sept 17, 2025-Jan 4, 2026 | 328 Lomita Dr, Stanford | museum.stanford.edu
Three marble sculptures carved by 19th century American sculptor Edmonia Lewis (1844-1907) will be on display in a museum for the first time in three decades.
Shahzia Sikander: Collective Behavior
Sept 17, 2025-Jan 25, 2026 | 328 Lomita Dr, Stanford | museum.stanford.edu
A career-spanning exhibition of New York-based artist Shahzia Sikander (born 1969, Lahore, Pakistan), who has been reframing South Asian visual histories through a contemporary feminist perspective for more than three decades.
Data Trust
Sept 19, 2025-Mar 22, 2025 | ICA San José, 560 S 1st St, San Jose | icasanjose.org
Artificial intelligence is everywhere, seemingly, and the Institute of Contemporary Art San Jose tackles it head on with a new exhibit by Stephanie Dinkins that is part of the Hewlett 50 Arts Commissions, which support the creation of 50 new works in partnership with Bay Area nonprofit organizations. Data Trust presents a participatory, AI-based, immersive experience that looks at the human experience—land, memory, storytelling and our shared futures—and how it intersects with emergent technologies.
Jessica Monette: Root Me in the Soil
Sept 23, 2025-June 13, 2026 | de Saisset Museum, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara | scu.edu/desaisset
Jessica Monette’s installation, the second Project Room exhibition at the de Saisset, will explore familial memory, presence and absence, and place. Reception scheduled for the evening of Oct 2.
Monica Rodriguez: Californiana
Sept 23-Dec 19 | de Saisset Museum, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara | scu.edu/desaisset
Installation artist Monica Rodriquez has been examining the colonization of present-day California (1542-1846), and her current project at de Saisset explores the period of missionization, in which Native Californians were forced to live and work as agricultural and utilitarian workers within mission complexes. The exhibit is site-specific, given that the de Saisset Museum stands on the ancestral lands of the Ohlone people and is on the site of the former Mission Santa Clara de Asís, established by Franciscan padres in 1777. The installation includes twenty-one bells, to represent the mission era, repurposed as pots to sprout native plants. In addition, the exhibit includes artifacts from the university’s archives aimed at re-examining the collection’s content.
Quilt National 2025
Sept 29, 2025-Jan 2, 2026 | 520 S 1st St, San Jose | sj-mqt.org
The San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles features selections from Quilt National, a juried biennial exhibition of contemporary quilt art, first held in 1979.
Maria Pazos
Sept 30-Nov 2 | Gallery 9, 143 Main St, Los Altos | gallery9losaltos.com
Solo exhibit of paintings. Opening reception: Oct 3, 5-8pm.
Heart’s Delight: Stories of San Jose
Oct 3-Dec 13 | Chopsticks Alley Art, 38 S. 2nd St, San Jose | chopsticksalleyart.org
A celebration of heritage, community, and connection, the exhibition opens with a free reception during First Friday Artwalk on Oct 3, 5-9pm. The work represents three projects: Collective Journeys, which shows work that artists created using sơn mài, an ancient Vietnamese lacquer painting technique; San José Marquee, with local artists transforming digital billboards; and In the Spirit of San José, works created by participants of all ages, inspired by the spirit of those who live and work in the city.
Cunning Folk: Witchcraft, Magic, and Occult Knowledge
Oct 15, 2025-February 22, 2026 | 328 Lomita Dr, Stanford | museum.stanford.edu
A curated collection of work that considers magical practice, practitioners and their persecution in early modern European artwork and material culture (c.1500-1750).
Code:ART 2025
Oct 16-18 6-10pm | Multiple locations | paloalto.gov
Code:ART is a free, interactive media art festival that transforms downtown Palo Alto into a hub of light, sound and imagination. Presented by the City of Palo Alto Public Art Program, the festival launches with five site-specific installations: a centerpiece at Lytton Plaza; four hands-on art experiences where visitors can meet the artists; and projection artworks by Jeff Dobrow, Yann Nguema and Alessio Cassaro on the Palo Alto City Hall façade. The City Hall projections will be on view nightly through Oct 25.
Encounters: The Photography of r.r. jones
Oct 17, 2025-Feb 15, 2026, NUMU, 106 E Main St, Los Gatos | numulosgatos.org
The fine arts photographer captures images that include portraits from spiritual journeys to Bali, Southeast Asia, and Mexico, where he encountered and connected with spiritual leaders and everyday people.
ektor garcia: loose ends
Oct 17, 2025-June 7, 2026 | 110 S Market St, San Jose | sjmusart.org
Occupying the Davies Gallery at San Jose Museum of Art, ektor garcia’s installation will mix existing and new sculptures into a new installation. The exhibition marks the artist’s homecoming to the Bay Area. The opening celebration takes place Oct 17; members are invited at 6pm; the general public can join from 7 to 9pm. Admission to the museum is free on First Fridays.
Stitches & Wiggles
Oct 24, 2025-Mar 8, 2026 | NUMU, 106 E Main St, Los Gatos | numulosgatos.org
Work by Jody Alexander and Thomas Campbell invites us to participate in an object-based dialogue, gathering materials to reuse, repurpose, repair, mend, patch, or stitch together to make compelling artworks that use the language of our time.
Edge of Softness
Nov 1, Dec 7 | Works/San Jose, 38 S 2nd St, San Jose | workssanjose.org
Community curators Cynthia Yadira Gonzalez and Alyssarhaye Graciano select works that evince “seriously cutting edge cushiness.” Opening reception Nov 1, 5-9pm.
Joyce Savre
Nov 4-30 | Gallery 9, 143 Main St, Los Altos | gallery9losaltos.com
Solo exhibit of paintings. Opening reception: Nov 7, 5-8pm.
Peace, Love + Art Benefit Auction Bash
Nov 15, 6-10pm | La Rinconada Country Club, 14595 Clearview Dr, Los Gatos | numulosgatos.org
The evening features a live art auction, dinner, an awards celebration, dancing and fun. The theme is groovy ’60s as NUMU celebrates its 60th anniversary. Tickets: $250.
Free Concerts
Roots Reggae Bash
Aug 24, 3:30-7pm | St James Park, San Jose | levittsanjose.org
Co-presented by Cukui and Levitt San Jose, this free concert features Groundation and Kruel Summer.
Music on the Square
Aug 22 & 29, 6-8pm | Courtyard Square, 2200 Broadway, Redwood City. redwoodcity.org
Ticket to Ride plays Aug 22 and Pride & Joy takes the stage Aug 29. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket. Free.
Campbell Summer Concert Series
Aug 22 & 28, 6:30-8pm | Orchard City Green, Civic Center Drive and N. Central Avenue, Campbell | campbellca.gov
Maneck plays Aug 22, and the Houserockers follow on Aug 28. Free. There are several parking garages within walking distance of the Orchard City Green, including the 2nd Street Parking Garage.
Music in the Square Summer Series
Aug 22 & 29, 6-8pm | 4055 Evergreen Village Square, San Jose | instagram.com/evergreenvillagesquare
Latin-flavored band Saborsito plays Aug 21, and Cadillac Jack picks up the beat on Aug 29. Free.
Pub in the Park
Sept 2, 11am-4pm | Red Morton Park, 1120 Roosevelt Ave, Redwood City | redwoodcity.org
Savannah Blu performs. Free.
The Haberdasher Shows
Sep 4, 6-10pm. Haberdasher, 43 W San Salvador St, San Jose. haberdashersj.com
A music residency, pop-up photo exhibits and drink specials on the first Thursday of the month. 21 and over. Free.
Bululu
Sept 6, 3:30-7:30pm | St. James Park, N 2nd St &, E St James St, San Jose | maclaarte.org/events
MACLA teams up with Levitt Pavilion San Jose to present an afternoon of music performed by Bululú with Flaco El Jandro y Sus Perros Callejeros and El Pecado de Juana.
Comedy
Jimmy O. Yang: Big & Tall Tour | Sept 13, 8 & 10pm | San Jose Civic, 135 W San Carlos St, San Jose
John Cleese | Sept 14, 7:30pm | San Jose Civic, 135 W San Carlos St, San Jose
Sarang Sathaye Live | Sept 19, 7:30pm | Montgomery Theater, 271 S Market St, San Jose
Kevin Hart: Acting My Age | Oct 3, 8pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Sandra Bernhard: Shapes & Forms | Oct 4, 7 & 9pm | Memorial Auditorium, Stanford University
John Mulaney: Mr. Whatever | Oct 10, 8pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
George Lopez | Oct 25, 8pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Hairy Situation: A New Comedy Show by ALOK | Oct 25, 7:30pm | Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University
Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue | Oct 30, 7pm | Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd, San Jose
An Evening With David Sedaris | Nov 8, 8pm | Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd, San Jose
Nurse Blake—But Did You Die? Comedy Tour | Nov 10, 8pm | Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd, San Jose
Fortune Feimster: Takin’ Care of Biscuits Tour | Nov 22, 7pm | San Jose Civic, 135 West San Carlos St, San Jose
Iliza Shlesinger | Dec 12, 7pm | San Jose Civic, 135 W San Carlos St, San Jose
Naomi Ekperigin | Dec 13, 7 & 9pm | The Studio, Stanford University
Hasan Minhaj and Ronny Chieng | Dec 18, 7 & 9:30pm | San Jose Civic, 135 W San Carlos St, San Jose
Literature
Trans Narratives of America
Sept 9, 6pm | Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park | keplers.org
Authors Carolina De Robertis (So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color) and Nico Lang (American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era) talk about how to preserve and honor the lives and voices of trans people. Moderated by Britta Stromeyer.
Randi Weingarten
Oct 3, 7pm | Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park | keplers.org
Randi Weingarten, author of Why Fascists Fear Teachers, explains what teachers do and why those who are afraid of freedom and opportunity try to stop them—and why all Americans should care about attacks on schools and teachers.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee
Oct 8, 7pm | Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park | keplers.org
In conversation with author Thomas L. Friedman, Sir Tim Berners-Lee—the inventor who distributed his creation, the World Wide Web, for no commercial reward—explores the web’s promise and how it can be redeemed for the future.
Daria Mochly-Rosen and Emanuel Rosen
Oct 17, 6pm | Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park | keplers.org
Life Machines, a groundbreaking book by a Stanford University School of Medicine scientist and her husband, a bestselling author, provides a comprehensive yet easy-to-understand look at mitochondria and their role in human health. The Rosens outline lifestyle changes that will benefit these crucial parts of the human body.
Festival of Justice & Strength
Aug 26, 28 & 30; Sept 6 | Feldman’s Books, 1075 Curtis St, Menlo Park | eventbrite.com
A 4-part symposium celebrates justice and strength in our modern lives. Each evening will bring together voices from literature, music, and poetry. Aug 26, 6-9pm: Film night and discussion of I Am Not Your Negro, the documentary on the life and legacy of James Baldwin; Aug 28, 6-10pm: Live music by Ohmali and a community dance party; Aug 30, 6-8pm: West African highlife music with Soji Odukogbe and his band and Luisah “Yeye” Tish sharing reflections on justice and strength; and Sept 6, 6-8pm—Antonio López, Poet Laureate of San Mateo County, will present alongside local poets Brian Shepperd, Dwight Jones, and Trey Baker, joined by beloved local classical guitarist Abshir Miller, a longtime friend of the shop. Together, they will explore the theme of justice through verse and music, offering powerful and diverse perspectives on our shared humanity.
Pop, Rock, Jazz & More
Air Supply | Aug 22, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Dave Matthews Band | Aug 23, 7:30pm | Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View
Gipsy Kings Featuring Nicolas Reyes | Aug 24, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Jesse & Joy—El Despecho Tour | Aug 24, 8pm | San Jose Civic, 135 W San Carlos St, San Jose
Tribal Seeds & The Movement | Aug 27, 7pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
ZZ Top | Aug 28, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Burton Cummings of the Guess Who | Aug 29, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
The Offspring, Jimmy Eat World, New Found Glory | Aug 30, 7pm | Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View
Lost ’80s Live | Aug 30, 6pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox | Sep 3, 7:30pm. Mountain Winery, Saratoga.
Tennis | Sept 4, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Ana Gabriel | Sept 4, 8pm | SAP Center, San Jose
Josh Tatofi | Sept 4, 6pm | Center for the Performing Arts, San Jose
An Evening With Chicago | Sept 6-7, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Tomorrow X Together World Tour | Sept 9, 7:30pm | SAP Center, San Jose
Jackson Browne | Sept 9-10, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Molotov | Sept 11, 8pm | Civic Auditorium, San Jose
Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts—Love Earth | Sept 12, 7:30pm | Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View
Palomazo Norteño | Sept 12, 8pm | SAP Center, San Jose
David Lee Roth | Sept 12, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Three Dog Night & Little River Band | Sept 13, 7pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Linkin Park: From Zero World Tour | Sept 15, 8pm | SAP Center, San Jose
38 Special | Sept 16, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Marisela | Sept 18, 8:30pm | Civic Auditorium, San Jose
Hermanos Gutiérrez | Sept 19, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA | Sept 20, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Los Tucanes | Sept 20, 8pm | SAP Center, San Jose
Natalia Lafourcade | Sept 20-21, 8pm | Civic Auditorium, San Jose
Band of Horses + Iron & Wine | Sept 22, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
KANGDANIEL—Act: New Episode | Sept 22, 7pm | Montgomery Theater, 271 S Market St, San Jose
UB40, English Beat | Sept 24, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Eladio Carrión | Sept 24, 8pm | San Jose Civic, 135 W San Carlos St, San Jose
Clave Especial | Sept 25, 8pm | San Jose Civic, 135 W San Carlos St, San Jose
Midland | Sept 25, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Marcos Varela Trio ft Liberty Elman and Mark Ferber | Sept 26, 8pm | SJZ Break Room, San Jose
Common Kings | Sept 26-27, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Jorge Luis Pacheco | Sept 27, 7pm | SJZ Break Room, 310 S 1st St, San Jose
Kali Uchis | Sept 27, 8pm | SAP Center, San Jose
Loud Luxury—Five Star Dive Bar Tour | Sept 27, 7pm | San Jose Civic, 135 W San Carlos St, San Jose
Thomas Rhett: Better In Boots Tour | Sept 27, 7:30pm | Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View
America | Sep 28, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Alicia Villarreal—Donde Todo Empezó 2.0 | Sept 28, 8pm | San Jose Civic, 135 W San Carlos St, San Jose
Lucía | Oct 3, 7pm | The Studio, Stanford University
Óscar Maydon—Rico o Muerto Tour | Oct 3, 8pm | San Jose Civic, 135 W San Carlos St, San Jose
Paul Cornish | Oct 3, 9pm | SJZ Break Room, 310 S 1st St, San Jose
Anthony Fung | Oct 4, 8pm | SJZ Break Room, 310 S 1st St, San Jose
STAYC—2025 Tour | Oct 5, 8pm | San Jose Civic, 135 W San Carlos St, San Jose
Rosanne Cash with John Leventhal | Oct 5, 4pm | Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University
Marshall Tucker Band with Jackie Green | Oct 9, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Luis R. Conriquez | Oct 10, 8pm | SAP Center, San Jose
Ashni & Ambrose Getz | Oct 10, 8pm | SJZ Break Room, 310 S 1st St, San Jose
Legendary Wailers w/Julian Junior Marvin | Oct 11 | Heritage Theatre, Campbell
Los Ángeles Azules | Oct 11, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
SLUGish Ensemble | Oct 11, 8pm | SJZ Break Room, 310 S 1st St, San Jose
Artemis: ARBORESQUE | Oct 12, 4pm | Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University
Ziggy Marley & Burning Spear: Do the Reggae Tour | Oct 17, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Becca Stevens | Oct 17, 8pm | SJZ Break Room, 310 S 1st St, San Jose
Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters, Fran Moran & The Nervous Wrecks | Oct 18, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Dmitri Matheny Group | Oct 18, 8pm | SJZ Break Room, 310 S 1st St, San Jose
Daryl Hall with special guest Glen Tilbrook | Oct 22, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Garbage, Starcrawler | Oct 23, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Katalyst | Oct 24, 8pm | SJZ Break Room, 310 S 1st St, San Jose
Boz Scaggs | Oct 28, 7:30pm | Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Leonid & Friends—A Tribute to the Music of Chicago: 2025 or 6 to 4 Tour | Oct 29, 7:30pm | California Theatre, 345 S 1st St, San Jose
Veotis | Nov 1, 8pm | SJZ Break Room, 310 S 1st St, San Jose
Mariza | Nov 5, 7:30pm | Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University
Christian Nodal | Nov 9, 8pm | SAP Center, San Jose
An Evening with Judy Collins and special guest Tom Rush | Nov 13, 7:30pm | Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd, San Jose
Alex Hahn | Nov 15, 8pm | SJZ Break Room, 310 S 1st St, San Jose
Brandon Lake with Franni Cash | Nov 16, 8pm | SAP Center, San Jose
Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience | Nov 19, 7:30pm | Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University
Bryan Adams with Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo | Nov 19, 8pm | SAP Center, San Jose
Ramon Ayala | Nov 21, 8:30pm | SAP Center, San Jose
Kristen Strom Quartet | Nov. 21, 8pm | SJZ Break Room, 310 S 1st St, San Jose
Stella Heath | Nov. 22, 8pm | SJZ Break Room, 310 S 1st St, San Jose
FLOW: Naruto The Rock World Tour | Dec 5, 9pm | San Jose Civic, 135 W San Carlos St, San Jose
Mana: Vivir Sin Aire Tour | Dec 5-6, 7pm | SAP Center, San Jose
Ben Jones and Laurence Hobgood | Dec. 6, 8pm | SJZ Break Room, 310 S 1st St, San Jose
Pink Martini’s Holiday Spectacular | Dec 10, 7:30pm | Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University
Jazz Mafia: Holiday Heist | Dec 14, 4 & 7pm | The Studio, Stanford University
