Something for everyone? That describes last weekend in downtown San Jose. Not only was it the 50th anniversary of Silicon Valley Pride, celebrated with all the glitter, glitz and rainbow-tinged hoopla that milestone deserved; it was also San Jose Lowrider Day.
And the weekend marked the birth of two new music festivals. Little Italy bounced to the beat of blues and roots music at the Big Easy Block Party & Beer Fest on Saturday, and Discovery Meadow was filled with DJ-driven sounds both Saturday and Sunday. There won’t be such a packed weekend until later in September, when Kids Day in the Park (Sept 20) and Music in the Park (Sept 19 and 21) will draw crowds to Plaza de Cesar Chavez.
But this weekend, downtown San Jose will again be a big draw. On Sept 7, the final concert at St. James Park will feature headliner Bululú (see page 17), with entertainment beginning at 3:30pm. The same day, over at Plaza de Cesar Chavez, Alebrijes en San José: Ritmos Y Colores runs from 5 to 10pm. Sponsored by San Jose Jazz, this event is a celebration of Mexican folk art, music and community. Multi-instrumentalist Philthy Dronez kicks off the event, followed by a procession featuring Calpulli Ocelocihuatl, Blvd Bombs Car Club, Mariachi Alma Bohemia de Angel Mendez, Grupo Folklorico Los Lupeños, and the SJZ High School All Stars Float at 6:15. An aerial drone show and a fashion showcase are bookmarked by music from El Conjunto Nueva Ola (7pm) and headliners Las Cafeteras. For details, visit alebrijes.sanjosejazz.org.
Thu, Sept 4
Saratoga Nights—Live music, wine and beer tents, and a welcoming atmosphere under the stars on the first Thursday of every month through October. Free. Sept 4, 5-8pm, Saratoga Village, Big Basin Way, Saratoga. saratoga.ca.us
Josh Tatofi—This Hawaiian singer-songwriter, known for his soulful voice, draws on traditional Hawaiian sounds and contemporary island reggae. $59.75-$111.50. Sept 4, 6pm. Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd, San Jose. sanjosetheaters.org
The Haberdasher Shows—A music residency, pop-up photo exhibits and drink specials on the first Thursday of the month. 21 and over. Free. Sep 4, 6-10pm. Haberdasher, 43 W San Salvador St, San Jose. haberdashersj.com
Ana Gabriel—A top-selling Mexican singer-songwriter for decades, Ana Gabriel is on the road with her Claro de Luna tour. $70-$269. Sept 4, 8pm. SAP Center, 525 W Santa Clara St, San Jose. sapcenter.com
Fri, Sept 5
Ancestral Resonance—A pop-up presentation featuring work by Ahn Lee, Charlene Tan, Kristiana Chan 莊礼恩 and Nancy Nguyen, Ancestral Resonance examines ancestry as a site of creative inquiry, where artists trace history through unconventional methods and critical insight. Opens Sept 5; reception 5–8pm. Ahh Lee gives an artist talk Sept 6 at 3pm. On view through Oct 11. Morgann Trumbull Projects, 445 S 1st St, San Jose. morganntrumbull.com
Half Dome and Elsewhere—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. Through Sept 28. Gallery 9, 143 Main St, Los Altos. gallery9losaltos.com
Climate Interrelations Imaginative—Curator Valentino Loyola brings together a mix of “data-based artistic explorations.” Opening reception Sept 5, 5-9pm during the First Friday art walk. Through Oct 18. Works/San Jose, 38 S 2nd St, San Jose. workssanjose.org
In Search of Our Mother’s Garden—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. Sept 5-Oct 3. Art Ark Gallery, 1035 S 6th St, San Jose. artarkgallery.com
First Friday at SJMA—Join in an evening of CircleSinging with VOICES, led by David Worm. Sometimes called vocal jamming or vocal orchestra, CircleSinging is a form of community singing that emphasizes improvisation and collaboration. Free. Sept 5, 6-9pm; music starts at 7pm. San Jose Museum of Art, 110 S Market St, San Jose. sjmusart.org
Homegirls of Soul—Led by DJ Soulera, the Homegirls play at MACLA’s First Friday event. Sept 5, 6-9pm. MACLA Castellano Playhouse, 510 S 1st St, San Jose. 408.998.2783. maclaarte.org
Live on Main—Bring a lawn chair or blanket, grab a meal from a local eatery and catch a concert by the Groove Doctors. Free. Sept 5, 6:30-8:30pm. Town Square, 19419 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino.
Gypsy—Directed by Janie Scott, this production by the Palo Alto Players features 29 Bay Area actors, one pup, and the unforgettable score by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim. $20-$60. Opens Sept 5, 7:30pm; runs through Sept 21. Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. paplayers.org
Tyga—A rapper and songwriter from Compton, Tyga came to fame in 2012 with the hits “Rack City” and “Faded.” This year, he dropped NSFW, his first solo album since 2019, with guests like Lil Wayne, Big Sean, and Cher. $39.78. Sept 5, 10pm. Pure Night Club, 146 S Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale. purenightclub408.com
Sat, Sept 6
World Shorebirds Day Bird Walk—Join a beginner- and family-friendly bird outing and get an introduction to shorebirds and a few identification tips. Wear comfortable clothing, sun protection, and comfortable walking shoes; some binoculars will be available to borrow. Free. Sept 6, 10-11:30am. Alviso Unit, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 1751 Grand Blvd, San Jose. Email wa***************@*****ws.org or see eventbrite.com.
Mountain View Art and Wine Festival—Art is the heart of the event—a regional draw, with more than 350 artists and craft-makers selling their goods, plus live music, kids’ activities, food and wine. Free. Sept 6, 11am-7pm; Sep 7, 10am-6pm. Downtown Mountain View, Castro Street, between El Camino Real and Evelyn Avenue. mvartwine.com
Kristi Yamaguchi’s Family Literacy Festival—A collaboration between Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream, Children’s Discovery Museum and the San José Public Library Foundation, the festival promotes the importance of reading. Entertainment will include Andy Z, Ricky Roo & Friends Puppet Show, celebrity and author storytellers, and appearances by local San Jose sports mascots. This will also be the first day the museum previews a new traveling exhibit based on a beloved literary character, Curious George. $15 children, $20 adults. Sept 6, 9:30am-4:30pm. Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, 180 Woz Way, San Jose. sjplf.org
Brass Masterclass—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. Sept 6, 6:30pm. First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto. gsyomusic.org
All About Eve 75th Anniversary—3Below Theaters continues its series celebrating milestone anniversaries of groundbreaking movies, offering the opportunity to experience them again on the big screen. All About Eve stars Bette Davis at her most magnificently acerbic as temperamental Broadway star Margo Channing. $15. Sept 6, 7:30pm & Sept 7, 4:30pm. 3Below Theaters and Lounge, 288 S 2nd St, San Jose. 3belowtheaters.com
Invitation to the Dance—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. Free. Sept 6, 7:30pm. Hammer Theatre, 101 Paseo De San Antonio, San Jose. cambriansymphony.org
Sultana Daku—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. $25-$65. Sept 6, 5pm. Continues through Sept 28. Cubberley Theatre, 4120 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto. naatak.org
Jeffrey A. Meyer—The singer-songwriter and his band, also known as J.A.M., return to the Cedar Room with a rocking playlist of original music that freely mixes funk, rock, and folk. No cover. Sept 6, 8-11pm. Cedar Room, 1875 S Bascom Ave, Suite 100, Campbell. cedarroomlive.com
Sun, Sept 7
Japantown Farmer’s Market—Find fresh produce, artisanal food products and handmade crafts. Free. Every Sunday through Oct 26, 8am-noon. Gordon Biersch Brewery, 357 E Taylor St, San Jose. jtownfarm.org
Shady Oaks Park BioBlitz—Community members join scientists and teachers to find and identify as many animal and plant species as possible along Coyote Creek. All you need to participate is a smart phone with the iNaturalist app. Free. Sept 7, 9-11:30am. Coyote Road and Broderick Drive, San Jose. facebook.com
60th Anniversary Community Day—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. Sept 7, 11am-6pm. NUMU, 106 E Main St, Los Gatos. numulosgatos.org
Below the Surface—Subtitled “life philosophy made visible,” Sieglinde Van Damme’s exhibit includes a philosophy wall, a mirror installation, and sealed collector letters accompanying each of the 30+ paintings. Opening reception: Sept 7, 2-4pm. Through Sept 28. Whitney Modern Art Gallery, 24 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos. RSVP at bit.ly/Sep7opening.
Viva CalleSJ—Celebrate 10 years of Villa CalleSJ with food, entertainment, family activities and car-free streets. To participate, bike, skate, walk or roll through Willow Glen, the Rose Garden, San Carlos Street, Little Italy, Japantown and Watson Park. Free. Sept 7, 10am-3pm. See website for map route. vivacallesj.org
Mon, Sept 8
Alebrije Glass Blowing—Artist Carolina Argote, creator of hand-carved alebrijes—Mexican folk art figures—collaborates with Bay Area Glass Institute’s team of glassblowers to reproduce her designs in molten glass. Free. Sept 8, 7pm. Bay Area Glass Institute, 635 Phelan Ave, San Jose. bagi.org
Tue, Sept 9
Tomorrow X Together World Tour—The South Korean boy group makes a stop in the South Bay. $82-$346. Sept 9, 7:30pm. SAP Center, 525 W Santa Clara St, San Jose. sapcenter.com
Jackson Browne—The quintessential California singer-songwriter-activist will go tell it on the mountain for two nights. $124-$942. Sept 9-10, 7:30pm. Mountain Winery, 14831 Pierce Rd, Saratoga. mountainwinery.com
