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Eventful Opening Weekend

Tech's neighbors welcome museum By Elman Washington It's not every day that a city gets a brand-new museum, and particularly one so apropos to its environs as The Tech. So, in celebration of downtown's newest addition, community groups, the San Jose Downtown Association, and local museums and merchants have organized activities that show, much like the blend of art and technology that defines The Tech itself, that the "Capital of Silicon Valley" is as culturally vibrant as it is technologically advanced. All day Sat., Oct. 31, and Sun., Nov. 1, visitors taking a break from taking it all in at The Tech will find no shortage of diversions with something to appeal to everyone. Do-it-yourselfers inspired by exhibits at The Tech need only take a quick trip to the Plaza de Cesar Chavez across the street from the museum to enjoy hands-on, technology-related activities. The park also will also host performances by local arts groups. The historically minded can learn about life long, long before the World Wide Web in "Walk Through Time," a stroll through five billion years of evolution that begins at the nearby Children's Discovery Museum and ends, appropriately enough, at The Tech. Just the ticket for museum-goers is half-price admission to the Children's Discovery Museum and the San Jose Museum of Art when you show your tickets from The Tech. Those who are ecologically inclined can take a van tour of the neighboring Guadalupe River Park to explore the often-unseen downtown ecosystem. Shopaholics can splurge guilt-free with promotions offered by downtown merchants in a program organized by the San Jose Downtown Association. And all afternoon on Saturday, starting at 12:30pm, theater-lovers can check out a Día de Los Muertos performances by Los Lupeños de San Jose at the Montgomery Theater, next door to The Tech. Children's Discovery Museum, 180 Woz Way (located in Guadalupe River Park), San Jose (408/298-5437) San Jose Museum of Art, 110 S. Market St., San Jose (408/271-6840) Montgomery Theater, Market and San Carlos streets, San Jose [ The Tech | Metroactive Central ]