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An Almaden Valley Halloween: In Search of the Perfect Scare

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Almaden Valley HalloweenAn Almaden Valley Halloween … Are pumpkin patches or trick or treating down the block during Halloween too tame for you? If you have a taste for the gothic, maybe a trip to a haunted house in search of ghosts is just the thing for you.

In the South Bay, near Almaden Valley, the most legendary and elaborate haunted house attraction is, without a doubt, the Winchester Mystery House. Up until Halloween night, visitors can enjoy Candlelight tours through 110 rooms of the massive estate. Tickets are available online or at the door. http://winchestermysteryhouse.com/

A bit closer to home, there are a number of other chilling attractions certain to give you a scare, but you may want to check out their websites before taking small children:

⇒ The Bernal Scream: Westfield Oakridge mall http://www.thebernalscream.com/

⇒ Dead Time Dreams Haunted Attractions: 2501 Tully Rd. at East Capitol Expressway http://www.deadtimedreams.com/

⇒ Rebel Yell: 1577 Rebel Way, San Jose http://www.rebelyell.info/rebelyell.html

⇒ World’s Largest Haunted House: County Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Rd., San Jose http://www.worldslargesthauntedhouse.com/

When you’ve had your fill of haunted houses and are ready to look for the real thing, give me a call!

Happy haunting!

Leland Dandiya Raas Night

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Leland Dandiya RaasLeland Dandiya Raas Night – Celebrate an Evening of Ethnic Music and Dance!

Skirts swirling, sticks clashing, Almaden Valley’s Indian community is getting ready to swing and groove to the beats of ethnic Indian folk music. On Saturday, October 22, 2016, neighborhood families, all decked out in richly patterned and colorful, traditional Indian attire, will gather in hundreds at Leland High School, for the community’s biggest festive event of the year, the annual Leland Dandiya Raas night.

Dandiya Raas, literally meaning “dances with sticks” is a traditional dance performed during the Navaratri (nine nights) festival. Almaden’s Leland Dandiya Raas Night, an annual event for almost a decade, is organized by the Leland Parent’s Club. All proceeds from this event go towards supporting Leland High School’s academic enrichment programs, capital improvements and supplies.

Over the years, the Leland Dandiya has evolved as one of the biggest fund-raising events for the school. To this end, it also draws Almaden families from other communities who mingle with friends and dance to live music and drum beats. I am proud to be a sponsor of this wonderful event.

So, come out in your ethnic best for an evening of music, dance color and gaiety at Leland High School, 6677, Camden Avenue, San Jose, CA 95120, on Saturday, October 22, 2016, 7 pm to 11 pm. Food is available for purchase at the venue, and tickets ($20 each) are sold at the gate.

A Night Out in Almaden Sponsored by Super Lions Club

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Night out in AlmadenWould you like to enjoy a night out in Almaden filled with good food, music, dancing and fun-filled casino gaming? Then join your friends and neighbors at the Almaden Community Center this weekend!

The Almaden Super Lions Club, a San Jose chapter of the Lions Club International, is hosting the evening to raise funds for charity. All proceeds will go to the aid of the Almaden Lions Charitable Foundation assisting the visually impaired, veterans and other groups in need of assistance. The chapter also organizes the I CARE Classic Bike Tour, another highly successful annual fund-raising event.

The highlight of the evening will be dancing to the strains of the 10th Avenue Band. So mark your calendar for the event on Saturday, October 1, 2016, 6:30 to 9:30 pm, at the Almaden Community Center, 6455 Camden Ave., San Jose 95120. Tickets cost $50. For more information, go to http://www.almadenlions.org/a-night-out-in-almaden.

Pay It Forward Tutoring at Leland High in Almaden Valley

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Pay It ForwardWhat does the term ‘pay it forward’ mean? It means if you have benefitted from a philanthropic act, you repay by helping another person in need instead of the one who was originally kind to you. In other words, instead of paying back, you pay it forward. In Almaden, a group of altruistic high schoolers are doing just that with ‘Pay It Forward Tutoring’.

The Pay It Forward team comprises a group of highly motivated students from Leland High who “understand the value and impact of education in their lives and in the community”. And their way of giving back to the community is by tutoring elementary and middle school children throughout the year in various subjects.

The program benefits Reading Partners, a non-profit organization that, in turn, works nationally to offer in-school, one-on-one tutoring to needy students as well as helps them develop literacy skills.

For their tutoring service, the Pay It Forward team accepts donations made out directly to Reading Partners. The team estimates that this year the donations received will help sustain individual tutoring for more than 1,300 students in the Bay Area alone. To this end, they expect to raise $10,000. So, if you have a child at home in need of tutoring, don’t wait. Reach out to http://www.payitforwardtutoringsj.org and help pay it forward!

New Almaden Day Jump-In Parade 2016

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New Almaden DayMark your calendars for this year’s New Almaden Day Jump-In Parade! The event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 10th in celebration of the 36th Annual New Almaden Day. The parade will begin at the New Almaden Community House on Bertram Road at 11am. The route will continue along Bertram Road and through the intersection of Almaden Road. Arrive early and get a parking spot at the Hacienda entrance to Almaden Quicksilver County Park, because the streets will be busy and parking will be tough. The parade will feature convertibles, antique cars, floats, equestrians and more. After the parade, awards will be presented for the “Best of Show” and a barbecue will start right after. There will also be live music, kids games, a raffle, a cake walk, and a bake sale. Come join New Almaden and Almaden residents in this fun Almaden Valley community event. For more information contact Kitty Monahan at 1-408-268-6541.

Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival 2016

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Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival 2016It’s that time of year again in the Almaden Valley! The 40th Annual Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival 2016 will be held on Sunday, September 11, at Almaden Lake Park from 10am to 6pm. This year the community celebrates a milestone of four full decades of sponsoring the festival, which hosts over 90 vendor booths including a number of local artists and craftspersons selling their paintings, jewelry, sculptures, and much more.

The food at the festival will be local and diverse, including Indian specialties from Mayuri, pizza from Oak & Rye, Mexican cuisine from Carmen’s Taqueria, and Asian fusion from Cross Hatch Eatery. There will also be Gourmet Food Trucks offering even more variety, and of course you’ll find dessert favorites such as shave ice and kettle corn. The popular Premium Wine Tent will be offering selections from Rombauer Vineyard in Napa and Leal Vineyards in Hollister, along with selections from other local wineries. Not the wine connoisseur? Grab a beer from a beer truck and relax at the Beer Garden! Festival glasses with the Art and Wine Festival logo will be sold at local merchant booths.

The Kid’s Fun Zone will have a rock climbing wall, carnival games, and jump houses. The Fun Zone stage will feature performances by local school bands, dance groups, cheerleading squads, and professional entertainers. There will also be a Main Stage with performances by Joanne LeBlanc, Fog City Band, Big Mike and the HartBeats, Leland High School Cheer & Dance, and many more. The Main Stage and Kid’s Fun Zone entertainment schedules are available online at www.almadenwine.org/events. To top it all off, there will be a silent auction with items such as signed sports and entertainment collectibles, limited edition art, fabulous designer jewelry, and tickets to local attractions.

The Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival is sponsored by the Almaden Valley Women’s Club, which raises funds for the festival every year. The festival is also made possible through the support of local sponsors as well as the City of San Jose. All proceeds from the festival are donated to non-profit organizations and local schools. As always, admission and parking are free, and a free shuttle service is available. Come join the Almaden Valley community in celebrating the 40th anniversary of this popular annual event!

Almaden Community Center Activity Guide – Fall 2016 – UPDATED 2022

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Almaden Community Center Activity Guide[CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS TO MORE RECENT ALMADEN COMMUNITY CENTER ACTIVITY GUIDE.]

Check out the Almaden Community Center Activity Guide for Fall 2016! The guide contains classes and programs for children of all ages from dance and music to health and fitness and specialty camps. There are also a variety of new classes including 3D Cartoon Drawing, Fundamentals of Drawing, Intro to Pastels, Preschool Artist, Little Medical School, and many more. The Almaden Community Center even offers a recreation preschool and KinderCare to prepare children for elementary school.

Make note of some important dates mentioned in the guide, such as the 9th Annual Harvest Festival happening on Saturday, October 22, from 11am to 4pm. The Harvest Festival is an opportunity for residents to enjoy local art, eat good food, and pick pumpkins out of a pumpkin patch just in time for Halloween. The guide also highlights Breakfast with Santa on December 10 from 9:30am to 12pm. Additionally, there are Free Movie Fridays in the Community Room on September 30, October 28, and November 18.

There’s something for all ages in the Almaden Community Center Activity Guide. Fall registration has already begun. Register directly at the Almaden Community Center (6445 Camden Ave., SJ 408.268.1133) or online at www.sjregistration.com.

Emerge 5K Run at Almaden Lake

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5k run Almaden LakeThis Saturday, August 6, take part in the “Emerge 5K Country Redneck Run” at Almaden Lake. The run is for adults and children alike, with a special starting time for the more serious timed runners. Registration opens at 8:30am. Country line dancing warm-ups begin at 9am and the race starts at 9:30am. The event will conclude with a closing ceremony, featuring a prize for best costume as well as running awards. Emerge 5K is presented by Journey for Jessica in partnership with The International Brain Research Foundation. For more information, visit emergejfj.com.

Almaden Valley Community Events in July

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Almaden Valley communityJoin the Almaden Valley community this July in attending Music in the Park on Thursday nights 6:30-8:30 PM at Greystone Park (Mt. Carmel @ Camden Ave.). This past week Old School Rock & Roll headlined. The upcoming acts for the month include The Houserockers, Free Fahlen, and Sage, each performing their own respective genres of music each upcoming Thursday this month. This event is open to all Almaden Valley residents and is a great way to relax and listen to music with the Almaden Valley community.

This past weekend the New Almaden community hosted one of its weekly Saturday events “What’s In a Ranger’s Truck?” At the Almaden Quicksilver County Park, all attendees were welcome to view the inside of a Park Ranger’s truck and learn about the various tools used by rangers on the job, whether used for helping aid others in an emergency or for search and rescue purposes.

4th of July in Almaden Valley! – UPDATED 2022

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Happy 4th of July in Almaden Valley! Here are some family-fun events going on in the Almaden Valley community this weekend… [CLICK HERE FOR MORE RECENT POSTS ABOUT 4TH OF JULY IN ALMADEN VALLEY]

Almaden Lake Park4th of July in Almaden Valley 1

Spend 4th of July at Almaden Lake Park’s 3rd annual Family Fun Festival and Firework Show! Performing for the Almaden Valley community on this Independence Day will be The Snarky Cats Band, School of Rock, Pete the Magician and Lyric Theater. All food at the lake will be available from local Almaden Valley eateries. Attendees are invited to support our troops abroad by writing a letter to a soldier in Afghanistan. The festival will be held from 3:00 pm to 9:30 pm (when fireworks are over). This family-friendly event is open to all Almaden Valley residents and is a great way to celebrate the upcoming holiday. For more information, click here. [EVENT IS CLOSED]

Montevideo Neighborhood4th of July in Almaden Valley 2

The Montevideo neighborhood of Almaden Valley is having its own Independence Day festivities featuring a race, a parade, and a pool and BBQ party. Children are encouraged to dress up as their favorite comic book heroes to fit the theme: Favorite Toys and Comics. The four-mile race begins at 8 am starting at Coleman Road and proceeding through the neighborhood. The parade begins at 11 am where there will be festive floats and residents with decorated bikes, strollers and wagons. The pool and barbecue party takes place from 12 pm to 5 pm. For more information, click here. [EVENT IS CLOSED]

As always, if you need any help with your Almaden Valley real estate needs, let us know.