A glimpse at last year’s Lunar New Year festivities at Santana Row. | Photo courtesy of Santana Row
Lunar New Year is upon us, San Jose.
Though its official dates vary across different Asian cultures, the Lunar New Year is a celebration of the start of spring and a new year on the lunisolar calendar. This year, celebrations will begin around Wednesday, Jan. 29, and run through late-February. Let’s see where you can ring in the Year of the Snake around the great 408.
Lunar New Year at CDM | Saturday, Feb. 1 | Children’s Discovery Museum | Special programming will bring together Chinese + Vietnamese traditions. Grab tickets.
Lunar New Year Celebration | Saturday, Feb. 1 | Santana Row | The festivities will include live performances from local troupes, lion dances, and even some little red envelopes.
Tet Festival & Lunar New Year | Friday, Feb. 7-Sunday, Feb. 9 | Eastridge Center | Enjoy live music, carnival rides, lion dances, games, local artists, and food vendors.
HSJ/CHCP Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration | Saturday, Feb. 22 | History Park | This free event will feature lion dances, K-pop performances, martial arts demos, arts + crafts, trolley car rides, and nonstop fun for the whole family.
Drink and Draw | 7 p.m. | The Art Boutiki | Free | Let your creativity soar while listening to vinyl — the bar will provide the supplies at this laid-back gathering.
Nashville Predators vs. San Jose Sharks | 7:30 p.m. | SAP Center at San José | $23+ | Our Sharks are never afraid of the Predators — they are the predators.
Friday, Jan. 24
A Tribute to Linda Ronstadt Featuring Shannon Rae | 7:30 p.m. | Heritage Theatre, Campbell | $64+ | This tribute show features a seven-piece band — including fiddle + pedal steel — to capture the authentic sound of the icon’s catalog beginning in 1967.
Saturday, Jan. 25
Winchester Mystery House Venue Showcase | 11 a.m. | Winchester Mystery House | Free | Planning an event in 2025? Tour the iconic venue known for its timeless charm + touch of mystery.
Community Day: Lunar New Year | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | San Jose Museum of Art | Free | Enjoy art-making activities, demos, and live performances while welcoming the Year of the Snake.
Lunar New Year: San José: Bridging Generations | Saturday, Jan. 25-Sunday, Jan. 26 | 12-8 p.m. | Grand Century Mall | Free | This festival in the heart of Little Saigon aims to bridge past + present generations through creativity, culture, and collaboration.
Florida Panthers vs. San Jose Sharks | 7 p.m. | SAP Center at San José | $50+ | Celebrate Lunar New Year with a special edition beanie giveaway at tonight’s match.
Sunday, Jan. 26
Tributo a Vicente Fernandez con El KeCheChente | 3 p.m. | San Jose Improv | $32+ | This tribute to the Mexican mariachi icon features a mix of singing, theater, and comedy — just like Chente would like it.
Monday, Jan. 27
“The Goonies” Trivia Night | 7:30-9 p.m. | Gold Club San Jose | Free | Hey, you guys — test your knowledge of the 1985 adventure flick and remember, even if you’re down in points, Goonies never say die.
Wednesday, Jan. 29
Fleurs de Villes LUNAIRE | Wednesday, Jan. 29-Sunday, Feb. 2 | 8 a.m.-6 p.m. | Westfield Valley Fair, Santa Clara | Free | Celebrate the Lunar New Year with 15+ fresh floral installations, including floral mannequins inspired by the Year of the Snake.
Find candidates who want to work right here, right now. | Gif by 6AM City
56%. That’s the percentage of full-time employees in the US who want a new job in 2025. Of this, 27% have already started searching. What’s more, the first part of the year sees the largest uptick in job postings + submitted job applications online.
If you’re hiring this year, don’t let your job posting get lost on over-saturated job sites. We created 6AM City Job Board to help you cut through the noise and find top local talent. Share your opportunity with the most connected locals, SJtoday readers.
City Council will interview five candidates for District 3’s interim position on Tuesday, Jan. 28, with the winner potentially taking on the role later that week. A special election will be held Tuesday, April 8 to fill the seat through 2026. If necessary, a runoff will follow. (The Mercury News)
Open
Academic Coffee’s new Santa Clara location is now open daily, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Find it on North Winchester Boulevard next to Agrihood, an urban farm and living community from which the cafe will eventually source its produce.
Coming Soon
Canada-based grocery chain T&T Supermarket will open its first California location this fall at Westgate Center. The San Jose store will sell a wide selection of Asian products, live seafood, meat, and ready-to-eat meals. It will also feature a BBQ counter, noodle station, dim sum, and a Chinese crepe station. (KRON)
Traffic
Safety upgrades are coming to downtown Campbell’s busy Civic Center Drive at the intersections of Second + Third streets. In an effort to curb crashes, keep pedestrians safe, and improve outdated infrastructure, the area will get higher visibility crosswalks, islands between lanes, and curb ramps. Construction should take about six months. (San Jose Spotlight)
Biz
Goodwill of Silicon Valley recently bought a 198,000-sqft office building in north San Jose near SJC that the organization plans to use as its new headquarters and job training site. Goodwill paid $17 million for the space, $10 million of which was a gift from Amazon co-founder + philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. (SiliconValley.com)
Community
San Jose Day — a celebration of our city’s arts + culture — is on Sunday, April 13 and organizers are seeking ~80 vendors. Applications are being accepted through Sunday, Feb. 16 for local creatives who want to sell their products or host activities like art workshops.
Pets
The Animal Care Center is extending its downtown Pawp-Up at 93 E. San Carlos St. through Saturday, Feb. 15. Since it opened last December, the pet adoption pop-up has helped 39 pets find forever homes. It’s open Thursday-Sunday, 12-5 p.m.
Plan Ahead
Viva Calle San Jose — the open streets program running 10 years strong — just dropped the dates for its 2025 events. Plan for non-motorized activities like walking, running, skating, and bicycling along SJ’s streets on Sunday, April 13, June 8, and Sept. 7.
Finance
Financial grace periods are few and far between these days. Oil checks, doctor appointments, Tax Day — time speeds by between them. But these credit cards allow you nearly two years to pay them off (with zero interest), allowing you flexibility in 2025.*
Health
Weight Loss by Hers is a holistic program crafted by experts in weight loss, nutrition, and psychology. Receive personalized treatment plans tailored to your goals by a medical professional, along with access to GLP-1 medications starting at $165 per month with a 12-month plan.*
Eat
Yes, healthy grocery shopping can be easy and affordable. Meet Thrive Market, where healthy living is simple. Get groceries for the whole family delivered to your door, free from 1,000+ harmful ingredients. Join to save 30% on your first order and claim a free gift worth $60.*
For richer or pour over, San Jose’s coffee shops are what keep us going in the morning.
The great 408 has no shortage of masterful baristas, aromatic roasts, and foamy lattes. Check out our guide to some of the best coffee shops in San Jose.
Specialty drinks
Spectra Coffee | This cafe begs you to go outside of the box with fun-flavored latte choices like honey lavender, banana creme, and orange blossom. Got a hankering for chocolate? Try the Dandelion Chocolate Mocha infused with oranges.
Best bites
Con Azucar Cafe | Along with delicious horchata lattes and Jamaica refreshers, this cafe specializes in conchas — offering concha ice cream sandwiches and a “Concha Gigante.” You’ll never guess how gigantic it really is.
Events and pop ups
Nirvana Soul | Along with specialty drinks and crispy waffles, this cafe hosts “Nirvana Soul After Dark,” an open mic for anyone who wants to share their poetry, spoken word, or musical talents. Seasonally, you can also find different local artists’ work displayed around the shop.
Single use face towels. Real talk: those washcloths you’ve used for years are likely harboring bacteria and roughing up your delicate moisture barrier. Go for a hygienic, gentler alternative with Sky Organics hypoallergenic face towels, made from 100% renewable plant fiber.
San Jose is continuing to find ways to help the victims of the devastating Los Angeles County wildfires. The Bay Area Host Committee and seven local pro sports organizations — including Bay FC, San Jose Earthquakes, and the San Jose Sharks — have united to collect donations to support LA-based organizations with relief efforts. Bay FC is supporting the LAFD Foundation.
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