San Jose: Christmas in the Park
Date: Through Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Time: 9:00am – midnight
Location: Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose
Christmas in the Park is a family-friendly and free seasonal holiday fantasy of holiday exhibits in downtown San Jose.
More information: www.christmasinthepark.com
Los Gatos: Fantasy of Lights
Dates: Through December 30, 2018
Times: 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Location: Vasona Lake County Park
Fantasy of Lights is a spectacular 1.5 mile Drive-thru extravaganza of Holiday Lights and Displays for the entire family. First presented in 1999, Fantasy of Lights is now in its 20th year and has become a cherished Holiday tradition. It is bigger, better and brighter than ever thanks to the transition to environmentally friendly LED lighting. Advance ticket purchase required.
Purchase tickets here: www.parkhere.org
San Jose: Downtown Ice
Date: Through Sunday, January 27, 2019
Time: Varies
Location: Circle of Palms, Fairmont Hotel and San Jose Museum of Art
Kristi Yamaguchi’s Downtown Ice is the South Bay’s largest outdoor ice-skating rink.
More information: www.downtownicesj.com
Gilroy: Veteran’s Ruck It Event
Date: Saturday, December 8, 2018
Time: 7:00 am
Location: 5925 Monterey Frontage Road, Gilroy
Bring your rucking gear to this event to test your fitness and more importantly, help a great cause. This event will benefit the Gilroy Veterans Hall Capital Improvement Campaign. Participants will ruck or walk from Gilroy to Morgan Hill and back.
Registration: www.dthpresents.net
San Jose: Star Gazing Party
Date: Saturday, December 8, 2018
Time: 5:30 pm
Location: Joseph D. Grant County Park, Mount Hamilton San Jose
Join the Halley Valley Astronomical group for a night of star gazing. You’ll have a chance to look through a variety of telescopes and ask questions about the night sky. Meet at Telescope Row.
More information: www.parkhere.org
Morgan Hill: Library New Hours Celebration
Date: Sunday, December 9, 2018
Time: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Location: Morgan Hill Library
Join friends for a special event to celebrate Morgan Hill's expanded hours! Germar The Magician will be performing a family magic show. Find yourself a good book at the Friends of the Library Book Sale. All ages are welcome. Free and open to the public.
More information: www.sccl.org
Gilroy: South Valley Symphony Holiday Hit Parade
Date: Sunday, December 9, 2018
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: Gavilan College Theater
Join the South Valley Symphony and Conductor Anthony Quartuccio for winter themes and holiday classics. Tickets are $25, kids and students are free.
More information: https://southvalleysymphony.org/
Gilroy/ Morgan Hill: Wreaths Across America Ceremony
Date: Saturday, December 15, 2018
Time: 9:00 am
Location: Gavilan Hills Memorial Park and Saint Mary Cemeteries
Honor our Veterans buried in Gavilan Hills Memorial Park and Saint Mary Cemeteries in Gilroy and Mount Hope in Morgan Hill by sponsoring wreaths to be laid at their grave site at $15 per wreath. Volunteer opportunities are also available.
Registration: www.gilroy.org
Los Gatos: Wreaths Across America Ceremony
Date: Saturday, December 15, 2018
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Los Gatos Memorial Park, 2255 Los Gatos-Almaden Rd, San Jose
Honor our Veterans buried in Los Gatos Memorial Park by sponsoring wreaths to be laid at their grave site at $15 per wreath. Volunteering opportunities are also available.
Registration: www.WAALosGatos.org
San Jose: Craft Holiday Fair
Date: Saturday and Sunday, December 15 and 16, 2018
Time: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Location: San Jose Convention Center, South Hall, 435 South Market Street, San Jose
Christmas in the Park, the San Jose Craft Holiday Fair showcases artisan goods made by local artists. San Jose Made (SJMADE) will host more than 120 craft makers, food producers, artists, designers and small businesses. No admission fee.
More information: www.sanjosemade.com
San Jose: Google Santa Run Silicon Valley
Date: Sunday, December 16, 2018
Time: 3:30 pm
Location: Santa Clara Street at Almaden Boulevard, San Jose
Join the annual Google Santa Run Silicon Valley in Downtown San Jose to benefit Christmas in the Park and Downtown Ice and Reading Partners. Participants of the 5K run/walk dress up as Santa or their favorite holiday character. A kids’ run for children from ages 2 through 7 will begin at 2:30 pm.
More information: www.santarunsv.com
San Jose: County Board of Supervisors Meeting
Date: Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Time: 9:30 am
Location: Board Chambers, 70 West Hedding St, San Jose
The public is invited to attend the regular meeting of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.
More information: www.sccgov.org
Empower Homebuyers SCC is a program of the County of
Santa Clara administered by Housing Trust Silicon Valley. It provides down
payment assistance loans to first-time homebuyers in the county and is funded
by the 2016 Measure A Affordable Housing Bond. The program is aimed at
assisting low to moderate income county residents – including employees at
nonprofit organizations, teachers, healthcare professionals, County employees
and others. More information: http://housingtrustsv.org/programs/empowerhomebuyersscc/
PARTI (Positive Alternative Recreation Teambuilding
Impact) $5,000 fundraising opportunities for high school student clubs, church
youth groups, community youth organizations and sports organizations. The PARTI
Program’s ‘MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. STOP THE VIOLENCE EVENT’ is the longest
running youth led event in Santa Clara County that promotes safety, youth
voice, and community. Organizing is underway for January 19th.
Volunteer opportunities for youth to help coordinate, plan, model, perform, and
lead. This high visibility event leads to additional youth led events in the
Bay Area and San Jose. There are 50 free spots for the youth training! (10
groups/5 youth per group) More information: https://partiprogram4u.wordpress.com/
Free Parenting Program in Gilroy. Sacred Heart Community
Service (SHCS) has partnered with the County of Santa Clara Department of
Family and Children’s Services (DFCS), to provide parent education, strengthen
nurturing parenting of young children and promote family health and wellness
starting in January, 2019. More information: (408) 278-2193 or mariag@sacredheart.org
Looking for a local nonprofit organization to support
this holiday season? There are many
worthy local nonprofits to support in our community. To help make choosing an organization easier,
here’s a link to the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits (SVCN) Annual Giving
Guide www.svcn.org/giving-guide. With a strong concentration on health and
human services, SVCN champions the work of over 200 nonprofits based in Santa
Clara County. The Giving Guide organizes
nonprofits by category and provides a link to each nonprofit website with
information on how to donate. Thanks for your generous support of children,
families, and individuals in need and for donating your charitable dollars
locally.
Volunteering at the County Animal Shelter is a wonderful
way to enrich the lives for both you and our pets. The fun includes playing
with dogs in the yard, cuddling with cats, introducing pets to their future
families, distributing toys and treats, plus so much more. More information: www.countypet.org