What are blue zones?

• Making movement a part of your day
• Having a sense of purpose
• Prioritizing stress relief
• Eating until you’re about 80% full
• Largely plant-based diet
• Drinking alcohol in moderation
• Connecting with community

Is San Jose close to being one?

• Community connection? The great 408 has some of the most vibrant events + community organizations in the Bay Area. Check.
• Plant-based diet? We’ve got a vast amount of options. Check.
• Sense of purpose? Well, we’re consistently ranked the second happiest city in the country, (behind Fremont), with low rates of depression, separation, and divorce. Check.

• Polar Play Days | Through Monday, Jan. 15, 2024 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | The Tech Interactive, 201 S. Market St., San Jose | $28-$34 | These STEM workshops include building ice hotels, creating snowmen with mushroom bricks, and catching special features in the IMAX Dome Theater.
• Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas! the Musical” | Through Sunday, Dec. 3 | Times vary | San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, 255 S. Almaden Blvd., San Jose | $39-$89 | Enjoy the final performances of this classic holiday tale of the Grinch learning the true meaning of Christmas.
• Femme Fatality Drag Battle | Wednesday, Nov. 29 | 10 p.m. | Splash Video Dance Bar, 65 Post St., San Jose | Free | The queens go head to head to figure out who will face their special guest lip-syncer.

• Enchant Christmas | Through Sunday, Dec. 31 | 5:30-10:30 p.m. | PayPal Park, 1123 Coleman Ave., San Jose | $25-$33 | The larger-than-life light maze experience returns to PayPal Park with photo ops, a holiday gift village, an ice skating trail, and more.
• Jenny Zigrino | Thursday, Nov. 30, Friday, Dec. 1 | 8 p.m. | Rooster T. Feathers Comedy Club, 157 W. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale | $25 | You may know this comedian from her feature on the Late Late Show with James Corden, or from the 2021 film “Too Late.”
• Ken Ludwig’s “The Game’s Afoot; or Holmes for the Holidays” | Thursday, Nov. 30, Friday, Dec. 1 | 8-10 p.m. | City Lights Theater Company, 529 S. Second St., San Jose | $28-$67 | Blending both comedy and intrigue, this mystery is a wildly hilarious holiday adventure.

• Move over, Las Vegas A’s, there’s a new baseball team coming to Oakland — the Oakland Ballers. A group of officials + community members have raised $2 million in investor funding to create the team. If successful, it would join the Pioneer Baseball League in 2024. (NBC Bay Area)

• Kaiser is expanding their foothold in San Jose. The health care giant purchased a vacant lot at 1601 Technology Dr. for $43.5 million. While the plot of land was originally zoned for office space, Kaiser has not released details for the site, and the timeline for construction is unknown. (The Mercury News)

• The Carol of Lights winter festival in Downtown Campbell kicks off Saturday, Dec. 2, 4-7 p.m., and will feature Santa visits, a petting zoo, bounce houses, performances + food. While organizers say this year’s festivities will not include artificial snow, they’re encouraging visitors to wear ugly sweaters.

• Fox Tale Fermentation Project is putting out a call for artists to display work in its Fox Tale Gallery series next year. Artists and groups are welcome to display their art for month-long showcases throughout 2024, with opportunities to host events + sell merch. Artists can email Fox Tale for information.

• The San Jose Fire Department is hosting its annual holiday toy drive, in partnership with Los Bomberos of Northern California. Through Jan. 7, 2024, you can donate new, unwrapped toys at all San Jose fire stations, Premier One Credit Unions, and several other locations throughout the South Bay.

• The popular Duke of Edinburgh pub in Cupertino could be closing soon. The developer who owns the land released plans that include a five-story boutique hotel on the site where The Duke sits. However, these plans have been put on hold since the pandemic. The timeline for closure remains uncertain. (San José Spotlight)

• Gas prices are on a downward trend in San Jose, dropping a full dollar in a month — from averaging $5.84 in October to $4.79 this week. The West Coast is currently using 3.1% less petroleum supply than average, which is part of why costs are trending down. (Gas Buddy)

• We aren’t given many 21-month grace periods. Oil checks, doctor appointments, Tax Day... time speeds by between them. But The Ascent found a credit card offering 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 21 months — among the longest we’ve seen to avoid interest charges. Learn more.*

• Which ugly Christmas sweater would you choose? We’re liking: the Santa hat-topped wine glass or the “Home Alone” print featuring Catherine O’Hara.*