What do you get San Jose for its 242nd birthday?
San Jose turns 242 this month, and if you were to peek at the city’s birthday wish list, no doubt you would find a desire for more housing, safer streets and probably a gift card for a spa day. After all, tussling with PG&E and planning a wedding to Google can take its toll on a city.
But it’s actually your presence — not presents — that’s being requested at History San Jose’s official birthday bash on Saturday at the Peralta Adobe and Fallon House sites at downtown’s San Pedro Square.
Keeping in line with San Jose’s history as the state’s first public settlement (founded in 1777), the festivities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. will have a decidedly 18th-century flavor.
Kids can buy tickets for activities including making corn husk dolls, dipping candles and roping a bull (the rope will be real, the bull less so). There also will be fandango music and dance and a presentation by descendants of the original Californio families and Mexican Consul General Alejandro Maria Gabriela Bologna. Tours of the Peralta Adobe and the Fallon House also are being offered.
For history buffs who know that San Jose’s real birthday is Nov. 29, History San Jose CEO Bill Schroh says the reason for the early celebration is simple: That happens to be Black Friday, and people who aren’t out of town for the holiday weekend probably will be out running up their credit card debt.
TALKING TEXTILES >> Last school year, Khristel Johnson, the former charter school director at the Santa Clara County Office of Education, led a field trip at Steindorf STEAM Magnet School in San Jose, teaching eighth graders about African American history through her passion for creating elaborate quality quilts about that subject. The students sent Johnson letters that so moved her that
she was inspired to create a quilt, titled Student Voices, that showcases their reactions.
She’s going to add that quilt to the ones she uses in her presentation to inspire future students, but before that happens the quilt will be unveiled to the community at the Cambrian School District’s board meeting tonight at 7.
Debbie Stein, the interim principal of Sartorette Elementary School and a former teacher at Steindorf, has invited the former students — now in high school — and their families to be there.
NEW VENUE, CLASSICAL MUSIC >> Ted Lorraine, artistic director of the San Jose Chamber Music Society, wants to make sure audiences know Saturday’s concert featuring pianist Jon Nakamatsu will be at San Jose State’s Concert Hall now that the Trianon Theatre is off-limits.
One issue created by the venue change this season: Some of the group’s older patrons dropped their subscriptions because of the longer walk from the nearest parking garage compared with the Trianon, where audiences parked in the city garage across the street. So they’re reaching out to a different audience by offering San Jose State students tickets for $5, the same price they pay for concerts at SJSU’s School of Music and Dance. About 20 students took advantage of the deal at the Oct. 20 opener, and Lorraine hopes for even more this weekend.
Whether you’re a student or well past your college years, you can get tickets for the 7:30 p.m. concert at sjchambermusic.org.
SURPRISE HONORS >> Opening night of the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest last night turned out to be an evening of surprises for Jerry Hiura. The co-founder of Contemporary Asian Theater Scene, Hiura — a popular and well-known dentist in San Jose’s Japantown — created the Image Hero Award that CATS has presented at the past four film festivals to people who have been cultural role models.
Well, the CATS board surprised Hiura by presenting this year’s award to him for his work as an advocate of art as well as being an artist and poet in his own right. But the surprises were over for Hiura that evening at CineArts at Santana Row. Along with CATS co-founders Steve Yamaguma and Miki Hirabayashi, Karen Park — the arts program manager for the city of San Jose — presented Hiura with a city commendation.