AccessAlmaden - What’s Happening in Almaden Valley

Happy Holidays, Almaden Residents!

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.

Holiday Events at Almaden Community Center

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

Halloween in Almaden Valley

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!

San Jose Water Lantern Festival October 2019

Water Lantern Festival October 2019San Jose Water Lantern Festival October 2019 – It’s a visual splendor that evokes hope, love, peace, and dreams. The San Jose Water Lantern Festival is being held again in Almaden Valley, for the second time this year. Following the huge success of the spring event, this beautiful festival of floating lanterns is back for the fall season this weekend on Saturday, October 5, 2019.

Event at a glance:
Venue: The Almaden Lake Park
Date: Saturday, October 5, 2019.
Time: 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

Enjoy the Water Lantern Festival with your family and friends, or come and make a date night of it. The event begins at 4:00 pm, when you can enter the venue. There will be music and food trucks, and you can decorate your lanterns provided at the entrance with special messages and prayers. The lanterns will be launched at dusk around 7:30 pm.

Tickets are available for purchase online right now, and they include the festival entry pass, a floatable lantern, a marker and a commemorative bag. The price of tickets also includes the cost of retrieving the lanterns from water and clean-up of the lake the following day. Special pricing on tickets is available for kids and couples. Kids under seven can enter for free.

For more information, visit: https://www.waterlanternfestival.com/sanjose.php. This beautiful spectacle is a memory-maker. Don’t miss!

Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival 2019

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

4th of July 2019 at Almaden Lake Park

4th of July 2019

If you are in the South Bay this 4th of July 2019, head over to Almaden Lake Park for a dazzling display of fireworks. The 6th Annual Family Fun Festival and Fireworks show at Almaden Lake Park continues to grow in fervor, with a host of family friendly activities culminating in a fabulous fireworks show reflected over the beautiful lake.

The event starts at 3:00 pm when the gates to the park open, and ends around 9:30 pm. The fireworks display is slated to begin right after sundown. Besides the fireworks, this event also celebrates veterans and the US armed forces. There are food trucks, bands playing live music, and a table for writing letters to soldiers, which is a great favorite with the kids.

Almaden Lake Park is undoubtedly the best place to be to celebrate Independence Day and to watch fireworks. Please remember, for safety reasons, the use of fireworks at a personal level in the city of San Jose is otherwise banned.

San Jose Water Lantern Festival

Water Lantern FestivalBook your spots today for the San Jose Water Lantern Festival! Don’t miss this mesmerizing visual experience, which will stay with you for a lifetime.

At: The Almaden Lake Park
On: Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28, 2019
Time: 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Decorate your lanterns with messages of hopes and dreams, set them afloat, and watch them light up the waters of the beautiful Almaden Lake Park. The Water Lantern Festival, being held this weekend at the Almaden Lake Park, will be a dazzling spectacle that you can enjoy with your entire family.

The festivities begin at 5:00 pm, when you can enter the venue (from the Winfield Blvd. entrance) and enjoy music and snacks from food trucks. During this time, you can also decorate your lanterns (provided at the entrance) prior to setting them afloat. The lantern launch is slated to begin at 8:00.

Tickets include the festival entry pass, a floatable lantern, and a commemorative bag. Remember to carry a folding chair, bug spray, camera and some cash for the food vendors.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit: https://www.waterlanternfestival.com/sanjose.php

Almaden Halloween Haunts

Pumpkin patches, haunted houses, costume parties and great neighborhoods for trick-or-treating. It’s Halloween, and Almaden Valley is abuzz with festive spirit. Here’s what is haunting the neighborhoods this week.

Castillero’s Cobra Crypt: This year, Almaden’s Castillero Middle School’s Drama Department has started a new Halloween tradition. It’s hosting the “Cobra Crypt”, a week-long Halloween fest that includes a pumpkin patch, haunted house, carnival, games and a variety of activities. The fest is every day from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm till October 31st. Tickets are $5. This is Castillero Drama’s biggest fundraiser, and by all neighborhood accounts, not to be missed.

Halloween Britannia Arms AlmadenThe Simpson’s Halloween at the Britannia Arms: On October 30th, at 7:30 pm at the Britannia Arms, you can enjoy a Simpson’s themed Halloween event. There will be a costume contest, Simpson’s trivia, special food and drinks, and more.

Neighborhood trick-or-treats: Almaden Valley boasts some of the best trick or treating neighborhoods in San Jose. Attractive areas include Chateau Drive and the Country Club neighborhood, the Pierce Ranch neighborhood, and the Graystone neighborhood, among others. The biggest attraction might be at Little Falls Drive in the Country Club neighborhood, which draws huge crowds for the spooky haunted house display at the end of the street. Venturing there is well worth it, and give yourselves ample time to park and stroll through the streets.

Happy Halloween!

Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival 2018

Almaden Art and Wine Festival 2018Almaden Valley’s most exciting annual event is here: The 42nd Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival is being held at Almaden Lake Park this Sunday, Sept. 16, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

The setting itself is incredibly beautiful with dazzling white tents against the backdrop of Almaden Lake, bright yellow sunflowers, people in colorful attire strolling and sipping wine, musicians playing and artists showcasing their work.

The festival is organized by the Almaden Valley Women’s Club (AVWC) and provides a platform to local artists to display and sell their work and to local musicians with an audience to showcase their talent. It also gives family run and specialty wineries an opportunity to introduce their products through wine-tasting.

The Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival is an important local fund-raiser. The proceeds from the festival go towards supporting a host of local non-profits serving the areas of education, teens and women.

At the festival, there is entertainment for all ages. Kids have a 25 ft. rock wall and rappelling area, slides, bounce houses and a special stage for kid’s entertainment. Adults have a variety of local bands and performers on the main stage.

It’s an event not to be missed, so stroll in, sip some wine and prepare to be entertained.

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

4th of July 2018 in Almaden Valley – Fireworks, Parade and More!

4th of July 2018 in Almaden Valley4th of July in Almaden Valley is traditionally an exciting day of festivities and fun-filled family events. This year promises no less!

Montevideo Neighborhood Parade and ‘4 on the 4th’ Run/Walk

The Montevideo neighborhood celebrates the 50th year of its annual Independence Day Parade. This is certainly one of the most festive neighborhood celebrations in the South Bay. Events begin in the morning with the ‘4 on the 4th’ Run/Walk through the neighborhood, and then the unique parade with colorful floats.

The parade begins and ends at the Montevideo Improvement Association (MIA) Clubhouse, looping through Camden Avenue, Puerto Vallarta Drive, Vera Cruz Drive, Monteverde Drive and Montellano Drive. Both the parade and the run/walk are open to all.

For more details, visit: https://montevideoneighborhood.wordpress.com/fourth-of-july/

Annual Family Fun Festival and Fireworks Show at Almaden Lake Park

The spectacular display of fireworks at the annual Family Fun Festival and Fireworks Show at Almaden Lake Park on the 4th of July is a must watch! Festivities begin at 3:00 pm with various activities for families. There will be a fireworks safety demo and a booth to write thank-you letters to soldiers. There will also be food trucks and booths by various local organizations including the Kiwanis Club of Almaden Valley, which will be serving all-American hot dogs, the entire proceeds of which will go back into charitable activities serving the community.

The fireworks show kicks off at about 9:00 pm. The event is free to all, so bring your family and friends. Please note that alcohol, pets, barbecues and personal fireworks are not allowed.

The Almaden Lake Park 4th of July celebration is the destination to enjoy a stunning and safe fireworks display. Don’t miss it!

For more information, visit: http://www.sjd10.com/4th-of-july-annual-event-.html

Skip to content