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Halloween in Almaden 2021

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Halloween Almaden 2021Happy Halloween, Almaden!

It is the most spooktacular time of the year! Ghosts, witches, jack-o-lanterns, and of course, mountains of candies. Halloween is here, and Almaden is a funtastic place to soak in some real scares.

This year some of our more ghoulish neighbors are hosting haunted houses that are definitely worth a visit. At David Vengerov’s home in the Montevideo neighborhood, this year’s theme is “Toy Factory”. Don’t forget to peek into the attached trailer at the property. Says David on his Nextdoor post, “the distinctive features of the house will be the “dynamic” scares.” Address: 1487 Montalban Drive.

Daniel Paulazzo of the Almaden Meadows also invites neighbors and Halloween fans to his haunted maze at “Deadmond Ave.” Address: 1394 Redmond Ave.

For Jamie Lee Miller’s family, Halloween is by far their favorite celebration. Miller promises tricks and treats and invites friends and neighbors to their ghostly display having spent “countless weeks on our family home making it a sight to see and experience to have with your friends/ family and kids”. Address: 1104 Allston Way

Beth Swartz of Glenview Serenity promises a fantastic display with some pop-up scares, skeletons and more! “This year we will have candy in individual bags and pop-up scares that kids can activate themselves. Please drop by our place on Halloween – 6pm – 9pm (or until the candy runs out!)” she says. Located on Corvallis Drive between Elwood and Glenview in Almaden.

For more locations of haunted houses and a quick look at streets to hit for candies and scares, visit: https://nextdoor.com/treat_map/?is=nav_bar

Almaden Community Center and Almaden Library Updates

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Almaden Community Center and Almaden LibraryExciting updates from the Almaden Community Center and Almaden Library!

The Almaden Branch Library is now open for all in-person activities after the pandemic restrictions are lifted. Check out the new hours here.

While the Almaden Community Center is still awaiting opening for indoor in-person activities, there are a lot of sports camps and outdoor activities that you can register for. Some of the activities that are still open for July registration are:

Camp Dance:
July 19 to July 23. For kids aged 3 to 12 years. At the Almaden Community Center, Tiny Town Courtyard. This is an outdoor activity, masks are required.

Camp San Jose Strong at Vista Park: Full Day
July 6 to July 9, July 12 to July 16, July 19 to July 23. For kids aged 5 to 12 years. This is a full day camp from 8 am to 6 pm at Vista Park.

Camp San Jose Strong at Almaden: Half Day
July 6 to July 9, July 12 to July 16, July 19 to July 23, August 2 to August 6. For kids aged 3 to 5 years. This is a half day camp at the Almaden Community Center.

Beach Volleyball at Almaden Lake Park:
July 14 to August 4. For kids aged 8 to 12 years. Wednesdays from 3:45 to 4:30 pm.
July 26 to July 30. For kids aged 10 to 14 years. 9 am to 12 pm.
These are outdoor activities, masks are required.

Spots fill up fast. Register for activities here: https://apm.activecommunities.com/sanjoseparksandrec/Activity_Search

Happy summer! Stay safe, everyone.

Happy Holidays, Almaden Residents!

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Happy Holidays Almaden ResidentsMerry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Almaden residents! This holiday season is like no other, but there is a lot of cheer right here in Almaden. Driving around or walking the streets to view the beautiful neighborhood holiday lights displays have always been a favorite activity for most families. This year too, despite many constraints, some of our wonderful neighbors have outdone themselves to provide safe holiday display viewing experiences to everyone.

Lucas Guazelli, a high school senior, has been putting up his holiday sound and light show for the last six years at 1398 Medallion Drive. The show will run from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm every night. Says Lucas on his Nextdoor post, “It features 10,000 lights sequenced to music from Star Wars to Frozen 2. Tune into the music via FM radio on your car.” The frequency is displayed at the address.

Raymond Burleigh has his annual holiday lights show up this year, too, at 6367 Vegas Drive. Says Raymond on his Nextdoor post, “Lots of new lights and graphics this year, and an expanded selection of songs to play from the button box.” To hear the music, tune the radio to 88.7 FM in your car. The lights will be on through New Year’s Eve. This year Raymond is also requesting everyone who enjoys the lights to show their appreciation by supporting the American Diabetes Tour de Cure fundraiser at http://main.diabetes.org/goto/rayspage The contributions go to the American Diabetes Association.

So enjoy these and many other beautiful holiday displays from our wonderful neighbors at Almaden. For those driving through the neighborhoods, be sure to check out the holiday lights cheer map on https://nextdoor.com/cheer_map/?is=nav_bar to get the best out of your tour.

Let’s all stay safe, happy and healthy while enjoying the holidays and ringing in the new year.

Halloween 2020 in Almaden Valley

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Halloween 2020 in Almaden Valley Happy Halloween, Almaden residents! Even with a very challenging year with the pandemic, I am happy and excited to see that the celebratory spirit among our neighbors at Almaden is undaunted. Here’s how Halloween 2020 in Almaden Valley is being celebrated, with a spooky twist to the story.

Enthusiastic residents from various neighborhoods of Almaden are buzzing with ideas about how to enjoy Halloween safely, following all social distancing norms and Santa Clara County health guidelines (see country health guidelines for Halloween and Diá de los Muertos here: www.sccgov.org/cv19halloween). Simon Aslanpour, a resident of the Almaden Mockingbird neighborhood says in his Nextdoor post, “We are not going to take away the tradition of trick or treating in the neighborhood this year because of this pandemic. We will do it safely and follow the guidelines of Santa Clara county.”

Others like Michael Harding of Almaden Williams will have a “candy chute and skeleton arms for 6ft of social distance and extra Halloween fun” between 6 and 8 pm tonight. In the Glenview Serenity neighborhood, Michelle Watanabe says, “The ‘Disney House’ on Bret Harte Drive near Graystone Elementary School will be open as well. We will have one direction foot traffic, social distancing, masks and sanitized candy bags for the kids to pick up. The theme this year is Tangled so nothing scary for the little ones.” Many other residents are also offering bagged candy.

One of the most popular haunted house displays in Almaden attracting huge crowds has been the Haunted Graveyard on Little Falls Drive. Don McNally, who has been painstakingly hosting this for years, writes that he “did not want to ‘cancel’ the Halloween spirit, especially given these stressful times.” To adhere to social distancing norms, he will have an all projection/hologram display this year, “with the same intent to delight 5-year-old’s and terrify ‘kids’ over 35!”

The other street attracting huge crowds normally is Chateau Drive, which will be a bit low key this year. Janice LaVelle, writes of how she started her scary “haunted front yard” tradition 30 years ago for their own children. “The spirit soon caught quickly on Chateau, making our street the ‘BOO’ street for decades,” she writes. Micki Karrer, another resident of Chateau Drive, has been serving beverages to adult trick-or-treaters for years. This year, however, they are staying away from displays to keep everyone safe.

For those of you who intend to drive through Almaden’s neighborhoods tonight, there will still be jack-o-lantern displays and haunted yard decors to admire. Check out the Nextdoor treat map for Almaden Halloween 2020 here: https://nextdoor.com/treat_map/ for exact locations.

Almaden Valley History: Pierce Ranch Neighborhood

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Pierce Ranch The Pierce Ranch neighborhood in Almaden Valley is flanked by Camden Avenue to its north, McAbee Road to its east, and the verdant green expanse of the Almaden Quicksilver County Park to its south. It developed into a beautiful residential neighborhood in the mid 1970s.

Like much of Almaden, the Pierce Ranch neighborhood has an interesting history dating back to the 1930s. Back then, the land – about 250 acres of it – belonged to Dr. Mark Hopkins, a San Jose based physician. Hopkins, a hunting and riding enthusiast, used his country estate as a base for his hunting trips and a home for his horses.

Tony Pierce, the person after whom the neighborhood came to be named, was a young farmer and a patient of Dr. Hopkins. Pierce and his wife, Mary, saw in the land a potential for dairy farming. They acquired the land, and in 1947, began a dairy farm. They developed a commercial herd, which grew to about 600 cattle heads at the peak of the operations, added barns, homes for themselves and their dairy workers on the land.

The Pierce Ranch dairy operations flourished till 1974. By then, the demand for residential land grew in San Jose and the Pierce Ranch’s land was subdivided and sold for housing development.

For more information, listen to Joe and Teresa Pierce talk about the history of Pierce Ridge and visit http://onlineexhibits.historysanjose.org/neighborhoods/pierce/index.html

Holiday Events at Almaden Community Center

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Holiday Events at Almaden Community CenterThe holidays are just around the corner, and so are a couple of Almaden’s favorite family holiday events at Almaden Community Center – Breakfast with Santa and the North Pole Party!

Breakfast with Santa
The Breakfast with Santa event at the Almaden Community Center is an annual tradition where families can meet and take photos with Santa, enjoy a hearty holiday breakfast and participate in arts and crafts. It is being held on December 14, from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm. This event requires registration. Cost: $18.

North Pole Party
The North Pole party at the Almaden Community Center is a special holiday event for little kids (ages 4-6), being held on December 17, from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm. The little tots will find themselves in a winter wonderland with holiday treats, music and art activities. Cost: $25.

For more information about holiday events at Almaden Community Center or to register, click here or call: 408-268-1133

Run Turkey Run 2019

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Run Turkey Run 2019It’s time for Run Turkey Run 2019!

Run Turkey Run, Almaden’s popular annual turkey run event, will be held on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 28, from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm. Run Turkey Run is a family fun event that supports Bret Harte Middle School’s Booster Club.

There are two runs available for runners to choose from: the 10k, which starts at 8:30 am, and the 5K, which starts at 8:50 am. Both runs begin and end at Leland High School. Turkey Run T-shirts ($15) and registration packets are available for purchase at Bret Harte Middle School cafeteria on Wednesday, November 27, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Race day registration (November 28) and packet pickups are from 7:00 to 7:30 am at Leland High School. Come on out and run or cheer to support Bret Harte Middle School!

For more information or to sign up for Run Turkey Run 2019, click here or call Bret Harte Middle School at 408-535-6270.

Halloween in Almaden Valley

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Halloween in Almaden ValleyIt’s time again for Halloween in Almaden Valley! Carving Jack-o-lanterns, turning your yard into a graveyard, trick-or-treating with kids, enjoying a costume party – whichever way you choose to celebrate, it is time to dress in your spookiest best and hop out to stir the cauldrons. And Almaden Valley is certainly a spooky place to be on Halloween night! Here are some fun neighborhoods to stroll around during Halloween in Almaden Valley.

Neighborhoods with Haunted Houses
Many residents are hosting haunted houses with fabulous displays of the spooky, gory and the macabre. You can visit haunted houses on Calcatera Drive, Azalea Drive, Shearwater Drive, Lillian Way, Medallion Drive, Redmond Avenue, Monteval Lane, Via Del Los Grande, and last but not least, at the end of Little Falls Drive. This last one is particularly spectacular and not to be missed. Expect to find lots of people thronging the street, but it is worth braving the crowds.

Allergy-free Treats
This year several residents are passing out allergy-free treats so that all kids can enjoy Halloween. They can be found on Hampton Drive, Casual Way, Portswood Drive, Crimson Drive, Burchell Avenue, Franciscan Way, Montalban Drive and Montellano Drive. For accurate addresses, check the Almaden area treat map on Nextdoor.com.

Happy trick-or-treating, and have a great Halloween!

Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival 2019

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Almaden Valley Art and Wine Festival 2019Almaden Valley is buzzing with excitement. One of the community’s biggest events, the 43rd Annual Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival 2019 unfolds this weekend. On Sunday, September 15th, 2019, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the serenely beautiful Almaden Lake Park will be a beehive of activity, buzzing with families, performers, artists and wine enthusiasts.

Neighborhood artists will showcase their work, local vineyards will host sampling booths serving boutique wines, and patrons will be able to enjoy the pristine surroundings of Almaden Lake Park, sipping wine, listening to music or watching performances.

This year’s performers include Team M Taekwondo, Aerial Tumbling and Acrogymnastics, Almaden Spirit Athletics, Willow Glen High School Spirit Squad and Leland High School Dance team, besides the various local music bands.

There will be food trucks serving a variety of cuisines, with the new addition this year being Indian cuisine. There will also be a Kids’ Fun Zone, with a rock-climbing wall, bounce houses, arts and crafts, face painting, and a children’s stage. Performers in this arena will be Shaolin Kungfu Martial Arts, Little Gym and Leland Robotics.

The Almaden Art & Wine Festival is organized by the Almaden Valley Women’s Club, a non-profit organization in Almaden. They provide grants and aid to a wide range of organizations as well as some local schools. So, come and enjoy this beautiful fall festival with your family and friends.

At a glance:
When: Sunday, September 15, 2019, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Where: Almaden Valley Lake Park

For more details, visit: https://www.almadenwomen.org

Almaden Graffiti Night Classic Car Show-N-Shine

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Almaden Graffiti NightIf you are a classic car enthusiast, Almaden Graffiti Night is a must do. On Friday, September 6th, 2019, from 5:00pm to 8:00pm, Almaden Lake Park will host its 4th Annual Graffiti Night Classic Car Show-N-Shine with a bevy of beauties from the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

On display will be about 100 classic and custom cars of various models and makes. These include custom cars, hot-rods, antiques, low-riders and traditional cruisers. There will be music and food trucks at the venue. This family friendly event is hosted by the City of San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services.

Admission is free for visitors. So stop by with your friends and family to enjoy an evening out and admire these classic cars of yesteryear.