Campbell’s Carol of Lights aglow this weekend
Downtown Campbell is getting ready for the Carol of Lights, the big holiday celebration that marks its 30th anniversary Saturday.
The free, family-friendly event includes bounce houses, a petting zoo, face-painting and a play area packed with snow (which should melt a little more slowly in the evening). There’ll be entertainment, with choirs, dancers and gymnasts taking the stage. And it wouldn’t be Carol of Lights without a visit from Santa, so you can bet on seeing St. Nick make his annual appearance.
This year’s festivities are back to being an evening event, running from 5 to 8 p.m., which makes a lot of sense. An event called the “Carol of Lights” seems to lose a little of its illuminated charm in the daytime.
And if you’re among the crowds having fun out there, you might want to take a moment to think about all the volunteers who keep the event going. The late Sally Howe, who was publisher of the Campbell Express, really saved the Carol of Lights from going away several years ago, and a hardy group of civic leaders and business sponsors has kept it going ever since. Like many community events, it’s always on the bubble when it comes to funding. If it’s something you enjoy, consider making a donation this year to keep it alive for years to come at www.caroloflights.org, where you can also check out the schedule of entertainment.
HISTORIC HOLIDAYS: The holiday season always brings out a little nostalgia, and there are some wonderful places in the South Bay to indulge that feeling. The 15 rooms of the historic Ainsley House in Campbell have been decorated this year with the theme “Christmas Around the World.” The house is open for tours, as well as its popular Holiday Teas this week and next week and the Holiday Open House on Dec. 17 and 20. Go to http://campbellmuseums. org/holidaysattheainsleyhouse for details.
History Park in San Jose also has its historic homes decorated for the holidays, and there’s a pair of events coming up that will showcase them. The first is the Children’s Holiday Festival on Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring carolers and a visit from Santa. And on Dec. 12, players of the Shady Shakespeare Theatre Company will be all dressed up to serve a traditional tea by Satori Tea (along with sparkling wine provided by Guglielmo Winery) at the Heritage Holiday Champagne Tea. Prices and reservation details for both events are online at http://historysanjose.org/wp/events.
And, of course, there’s always the Winchester Mystery House, which is decorated for a Victorian Christmas. The mansion grounds have snow (artificial, but still), carolers and special evening tours on selected days in December. Check it out at www.winchestermysteryhouse.com.
BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE:
Sean Cottle, who works at downtown San Jose law firm Hoge Fenton, noticed last week that one of the neon signs on the roof of the classic downtown hotel read “Hot De Anza.”
Sure, it could just be an electrical issue that needs to be fixed; I prefer to think it’s clever marketing. With the temperatures we’ve had lately, cozying up in the warmth of the Hedley Club Lounge sounds like a pretty good idea.