.Best of Silicon Valley—Arts & Entertainment

More Best of Silicon Valley Winners: Family & Pets | Health & Fitness | Services | Shopping | Editorial Picks

The best arts groups, dance troupes, theater companies, nightclubs, music-makers and scenesters—in other words, all the best cultural happenings in Silicon Valley, according to Metro’s readers.

Best Author Readings
Gold—Hicklebee’s, San Jose

Silver—Center for Literary Arts of San Jose, SJSU
Bronze—Kepler’s Books, Menlo Park

Best Ballet Company
Gold—New Ballet

Silver (tie)
San José Dance Theatre
Smuin Contemporary Ballet

Best Bike Ride
Gold—Los Gatos Creek Trail

Silver—Coyote Creek Trail

Best Casino or Card Room
Gold—Casino M8trix, San Jose

Silver—Bay 101, San Jose
Bronze—CV Photo Casino, San Jose

Best Comedy Night
Gold—San Jose Improv Open Mic, San Jose

Silver—Rooster T. Feathers, Sunnyvale

Best Cover Band
Gold—Lavender Fields Band

Silver—The Houserockers
Bronze—The Honey Wilders

Best Dance Company
Gold—San José Dance Theatre

Silver—West Valley Dance Company
Bronze—Smuin Contemporary Ballet

Best DJ Night
Gold—Darkwave, Woodhams Lounge, Santa Clara

Silver—Woodhams Lounge, Santa Clara

Best Festival—Central Silicon Valley
Gold—Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival

Silver—Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival

Best Festival—Peninsula
Gold—Mountain View Art & Wine Festival

Silver—Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival

Best Festival—San Jose
Gold—Italian Family Festa

Silver—Fountain Blues & Brews Festival
Bronze—Viva CalleSJ

Two people in a carnival ride
VILLAGE PEOPLE Voted the best South County festival, the Northern California Renaissance Faire celebrated its 20th year in 2024. Photo by Juan Reyes

Best Festival—South County
Gold—Northern California Renaissance Faire

Silver—Morgan Hill Mushroom Festival

Best Festival—West Valley
Gold—Campbell Oktoberfest

Silver—Boogie on the Bayou, Campbell
Bronze—Los Gatos Art & Wine Festival, Fiesta de Artes

Best Film Festival
Gold—Cinequest

Silver—Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest

Best Gallery Openings
Gold—Works/San José

Silver—Triton Museum of Art

Best Golf Course
Gold—Coyote Creek Golf Club

Silver—San Jose Municipal Golf Course

Best Hip-Hop Venue
Gold—The Branham Lounge, San Jose

Best Jazz/Blues Club
Gold—Poor House Bistro, San Jose

Silver—Mama Kin, San Jose

Best Karaoke
Gold—7 Bamboo, San Jose

Silver—Effie’s Restaurant, Campbell
Bronze—Mama Kin, San Jose

Best Latin Music Club
Gold—Alberto’s, Mountain View

Silver (tie)—Club Caribe de San Jose
Miami Beach Club, San Jose

Best LGBTQ Event
Gold—Silicon Valley Pride

Silver—Wigs, Waffles, and Wine

Best Live Music Venue—Large
Gold—Mountain Winery, Saratoga

Silver—Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga
Bronze—SAP Center, San Jose

Man wearing Indian sitting on a hillside as the sun goes down
SINGING THE BLUES Vocalist and harmonica player Aki Kumar was the top vote-getter in the Best Local Band category.

Best Local Band
Gold—Aki Kumar

Silver—The Honey Wilders
Bronze—Ghosts of Calico

Best Local Book Since January 2023
Gold—Reed Magazine, Issue 156

Best Local Instagram Account
Gold—Tony’s Lists

Best Media Personality
Gold—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News

Silver—Brodie Brazil, NBC Sports California
Bronze—Charlie Kirk, 860AM The Answer

Best Movie Theater
Gold—Pruneyard Cinemas, Campbell

Silver—Cinemark CinéArts Santana Row, San Jose
Bronze—Cinemark Century Mountain View 16

Best Museum
Gold—San Jose Museum of Art

Silver—Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, San Jose
Bronze—Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose

Best Music Festival
Gold—San Jose Jazz

Silver—Music in the Park
Bronze—Fountain Blues & Brews Festival

Best Outdoor Art Event
Gold (tie)
Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival
Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival

Bronze—Viva CalleSJ

Best Outdoor Music Venue
Gold—The Mountain Winery, Saratoga

Silver—Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View
Bronze—Frost Amphitheater, Stanford

Best Outdoor Store
Gold—Sports Basement, Campbell

Silver—Bass Pro Shops, San Jose
Bronze—Sports Basement, Sunnyvale

People boating on a lake
Vasona Lake County Park received honors for Best Park or Open Space.

Best Park or Open Space
Gold—Vasona Lake County Park

Silver—Rancho San Antonio Preserve
Bronze—John D. Morgan Park

Best Performing Arts Center
Gold—Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts

Silver—Center for the Performing Arts, San Jose
Bronze—Hammer Theatre, San Jose

Best Place to Dance
Gold—Number 1 Broadway, Los Gatos

Silver—Little Lou’s BBQ, Campbell
Bronze—Splash, San Jose

Best Place to Discover Local Musicians
Gold—Poor House Bistro, San Jose

Silver—Mama Kin Open Mic Night, San Jose
Bronze—Woodhams Lounge, Santa Clara

Best Small Museum
Gold—Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, San Jose

Silver—Institute of Contemporary Art San José
Bronze—Sunnyvale Pez Pole

Best Small Music Venue
Gold—Club Fox, Redwood City

Silver—Art Boutiki, San Jose
Bronze—Mama Kin, San Jose

Best Small Theater Company
Gold—City Lights Theater Company

Silver—San Jose Stage Company
Bronze—3Below Theaters

Best Symphony
Gold—Symphony San Jose

Silver—San José Chamber Orchestra

Best Theater Company
Gold—TheatreWorks Silicon Valley

Silver—City Lights Theater Company
Bronze—San Jose Stage Company

Best Trivia Night
Gold—Fred’s Place, Mountain View

Silver—Off the Rails Brewing Company, Sunnyvale
Bronze—Guildhouse, San Jose

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