Wednesday, April 30
Michael Webster Quartet—Celebrate International Jazz Day with a free concert. Wed, Apr 30, 6pm. San Jose Marriott, corner of Market and San Carlos streets. sanjosejazz.org
Brass Ensemble Concert—Baroque brass music performed by members of San Jose State University’s School of Music. Apr 30, 7:30–8:30pm. Music Building Concert Hall, SJSU campus, San Jose. events.sjsu.edu
Thursday, May 1
May Day Traditional Celebration—Deer Creek Morris, Mrs Prunely’s Pride and Kitchen Sink Molly ensembles perform Morris dances and more, accompanied by traditional May singing as they dance the sun up. Free. May 1, 5:30am–7am. Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve, 2775 Embarcadero Rd, Palo Alto.
Josh Adam Meyers—This comedian raised in the nation’s capital has toured with Bill Burr and Jelly Roll, combining killer jokes with music—and everything in the club becomes part of his show. May 1–2, 8pm; May 3–4, 7pm. Rooster T. Feathers Comedy Club, 157 W El Camino Real, Sunnyvale. 408.736.0921. roostertfeathers.com
Friday, May 2
BNM: Oldies y Cerveza—Raza Del Soul provides a beautiful evening of vinyl sounds of oldies and soul music—a relaxed evening with cool beers and delicious bites from local food trucks. Free admission; $5 to park. All ages. May 2, 4–9pm. Garden at the Flea, 1590 Berryessa Rd, San Jose. gardenattheflea.com
Over Land and Sea—Local artist Cecilia Mases’ show of oil and acrylic paintings inspired by the ever-changing sky runs through June 1. Join the artist for an opening reception on First Friday. May 2, 5–8pm. Gallery 9, 143 Main Street, Los Altos. gallery9losaltos.com
Fingerstyle Elegance—To kick off Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month while celebrating First Friday, the San Jose Museum of Art presents the multidimensional sounds of solo guitarist and music instructor Thien An Nguyens. Hailing from Vietnam, Nguyen has spent the last decade exploring the expressive possibilities of percussive fingerstyle guitar. Free. May 2, 6–9pm. San José Museum of Art, 110 S Market St, San Jose. sjmusart.org
Jotería!—For First Friday, MACLA presents a night of music and drag celebrating queer Latinx culture with Jotería, a Lotería-inspired game. La Chucha and Sally Limón will bring the drama, the glamour, and the vibes. MACLA’s current show, the 2025 Latinx Art Now! Exhibition, surveys the best of contemporary Latinx art from the Bay Area and beyond, featuring more than 30 artists. The exhibition culminates in a live art auction on May 17. Free. May 2, 7:30 and 8:30pm, MACLA’s Castellano Playhouse, 510 S First St, San Jose. 408.998.2783. maclaarte.org
Saturday, May 3
Cinco de Mayo Car Show 2025—Car owners can enter to win in 14 categories, including Best Classic Truck, Best Low Rider, Best Paint and Best in Show. Admission is free for passengers and the general public. Live music is welcome; refreshments include micheladas, aguas frescas and ice cream. May 3, 8am–4pm. SAP Center at San José,525 W Santa Clara St, San Jose. eventbrite.com
Vintage Vehicles and Family Festival—This annual event will fill Homer Avenue with classic and vintage vehicles, from chunky tractors to sleek cars. Attendees can explore car-related artifacts from the museum collection and participate in scavenger hunts. Free. May 3, 9:30am-2pm. Museum of American Heritage, 351 Homer Ave, Palo Alto. moah.org
Saratoga Rotary Art Show—The 66th annual juried Art Show will feature more than 125 artists from across the region, showcasing thousands of works in all mediums. In addition to a Kids Korner, there will be food trucks, mimosas, beer and music. Free. May 3–4, 10am–5pm. West Valley College, 14000 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga. saratogarotaryartshow.org
Silicon Valley Open Studios—More than 340 local artists will open their studios and galleries to the public during Silicon Valley Open Studios 2025, held the first three weekends in May. The gives art lovers and collectors behind-the-scenes access to established and emerging artists from South San Francisco to San Jose and coastal communities from Pacifica to Half Moon Bay. Works include painting, sculpture, jewelry, photography, woodworking, mixed media, pastels, pottery, metalwork, textile art, and more. May 3-4: Coastside and Northern Peninsula artists. May 10-11: Mid-Peninsula artists. May 17-18: South Bay artists. Studios and galleries are open 11am–5pm. For details, visit svos.org.
Performing Iranian Diasporas—Live performances, films and digital installations by internationally renowned artists explore Iranian identity and migration. Featured artists include actors Lanna Joffrey, Farshad Farahat and Christian Haines, performance artist Josh Hamzehee and Dr. Persis Karim, director of the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State. Free. May 3, 1–6pm. Hal Todd Theatre, Hugh Gillis Hall 103, San Jose State University, San Jose. events.sjsu.edu
AAPI Pride Concert—Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with an evening of music, art, and community honoring the intersection of AAPI and LGBTQ+ identities. Hosted by Kalypso and featuring music performances by Esther Young, Lucas Tecson, Drew Makes Music and Steven Cong, along with free origami instruction from Isabel. May 3, 5:30–8:30pm. SoFA Market, 387 S 1st St, San Jose. svpride.com
Gunhild Carling—This Swedish musical sensation sings jazz standards and can also juggle, tap dance and play 11 instruments, including trumpet, trombone, harmonica, oboe, harp, flute, recorder and—for her big finale—three trumpets at once. $68/$63. May 3, 7:30pm. Montalvo Arts Center, 15400 Montalvo Rd, Saratoga. my.montalvoarts.org
Dancing in the Scores—Music Director Juan Cristóbal Palacios and Mission Chamber Orchestra of San Jose give their season finale, with Moises Moleiro’s vibrant Venezuelan Joropo supplying the perfect end note for Venezuelan-born Palacios. Dan Levitan—principal harpist for Symphony San Jose and a frequent guest with professional orchestras from Mendocino to Carmel—is the solo artist in Henriette Renié’s Concerto for Harp in C Minor. The program also includes works by David Avshalomov, Bartók and Smetana. $11.25–$26.62. May 3, 7:30pm. De Anza College’s Visual and Performing Arts Center, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino. 408.236.3350. missionchamber.org
Dust Breaks—Local electronic artist Dust Breaks brings his gritty sound to X Bar, with support from Smore and Peakaux. $10. May 3, 8–11:30pm. Homestead Bowl & The X Bar, 20990 Homestead Rd, Cupertino. eventbrite.com
Sunday, May 4
San Jose Cinco de Mayo Celebration—The United Lowrider Council of San Jose teams up with the city of San Jose for a parade along King Road followed by a community festival featuring food vendors, artisans and entertainment. Free. May 4, 9am–4pm. Emma Prusch Farm Park, 647 S King Rd, San Jose. sanjose.org
Downtown Cinco De Mayo Festival—Food trucks, vendors, live entertainment and more. Free. May 4, 11am–8pm. Plaza de Cesar Chavez, 1 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose. 408.315.9120. sjcincodemayo.com
Perreo Pari Day Party—DJ Playboi presents an outdoor Cinco de Mayo party at Unzipped Gardens, with food trucks and a lineup of DJs playing Latin house, reggaeton, hiphop, cumbia, salsa, merengue and more. $15 adv/$25 door. 18+. May 4, 3–9pm. Unzipped Gardens, 350 S 1st St, San Jose. eventbrite.com
Spring Serenade—The New Millennium Chamber Orchestra joins forces with singers from Bryan Baker’s renowned Masterworks Chorale and two winners from NMCO’s Concerto Competition for Young for a concert that includes works by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sergei Prokofiev and Gustav Holst, plus American composer Paul Creston’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone. $25 (discounts for seniors and students). May 4, 4–6pm. First Presbyterian Church, 1140 Cowper St, Palo Alto. new-millenium-performing-arts.square.site
Wednesday, May 7
Fern Brady—The Scottish comedian, podcaster and writer performs in downtown San Jose. $49.22–$119.88. May 7, 8pm. San Jose Improv, 62 S Second St, San Jose. 21+. 408.280.7475. improv.com
Continuing
Cirque du Soleil’s ECHO—For its 20th Big Top show, Cirque du Soleil celebrates youth’s optimism and the value of empathy. ECHO tells its story with inspiring music, high-end stagecraft and, of course, acrobatic feats. Thru May 11, various showtimes. Under the Big Top, Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Rd, San Jose. cirquedusoleil.com
Henry V—Shakespeare returns to The Pear with an intimate production of Shakespeare’s exploration of leadership and morality, with five performers tackling 25+ roles: “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.” $10–$45. Thru May 11. Shows this week: May 1, 7:30pm; May 2–3, 8pm; May 4, 2pm. Pear Theatre, 1110 La Avenida, Mountain View. 650.254.1148. thepear.org
Jersey Boys—This Tony Award-winning musical follows the 40-year friendship between four blue-collar kids who work their way from the streets of New Jersey to pop stardom as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. $20–$63. May 1–3, 7:30pm; May 3–4. 2pm. Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto. paplayers.org
Zorro—A suitable finale for Opera San Jose’s 41st season, this opera by Bay Area composer Hector Armienta follows the adventures of a literary and screen hero: Zorro—the one man who can match swords the villainous General Octavio Rivera y Moncada. $58–$215. Final shows May 2, 7:30pm, and May 4, 2pm. California Theatre, 345 S 1st St, San Jose. 408.437.4450. operasj.org
