Ongoing – Farmers Market Every Saturday morning The Downtown Santa Clara Farmers Market continues its popular year-round engagement every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jackson Street between Benton and Homestead. Each season brings in new crops of fruits and vegetables. Check out colorful bouquets of cut flowers for your home, or plants for your patio and garden. Call 408-241-1281 for more information.
Ongoing – Zumba and U-Jam Classes at Rhythm Attic
Zumba classes starting October 1 Mondays 5:45 p.m., Tuesdays 6:45 p.m., Thursdays 6:45 p.m., Fridays 7 p.m., Saturdays 9:30 a.m. U-Jam classes Wednesdays 5:45 p.m. First class is free, no experience needed. Classes are held at The Rhythm Attic, 1515 Walsh Avenue, Santa Clara. For more information, e-mail therhythmattic@yahoo.com.
Ongoing – Square Dance Class At Resurrection Lutheran Church
Classes starting September 14 7 to 9:30 p.m. Lessons held every Friday at Resurrection Lutheran Church, 2495 Cabrillo Ave, Santa Clara, 95051. Call Bob Steele at 408-248-5743 for more information.
December 1 – Breakfast With Santa
Santa is making a special visit to Santa Clara this year to have breakfast with all the boys and girls who sign up with at least one adult per family; pre-registration is required. A tasty breakfast of pancakes, sausage, milk, juice and coffee will be prepared by the Santa Clara High School Booster Club and children can have their photo taken with Santa and create unique holiday crafts. The event is 9 to 11 a.m. at the Santa Clara Senior Center. Space is limited, so pre-registration is required. Look for information in the Fall Recreation Activities Guide or call 1-408-614-3140. Cost is $14 for residents of Santa Clara and $18 for non-residents. Babies under one year of age are free.
December 1 – Holiday Train
Caltrain’s festively decorated Holiday Train will return to the Santa Clara Depot, carrying Santa and Mrs. Claus, the Salvation Army band, and carolers to lead the community in singing Christmas music. Also on board will be members of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve collecting new toys for its annual Toys for Tots drive. The train’s arrival time will be announced later this fall. That same evening, the South Bay Historical Railroad Society will open the depot for visitors. Two model train displays will be operating and refreshments served. The Holiday Train is sponsored by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. For details, check the website holiday-train.org.
December 7 – Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony
Start the holiday season out right with Santa’s first official holiday appearance in town at the City’s annual “Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony” on Friday, Dec. 7, 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Civic Center, corner of Civic Center Drive and Lincoln Avenue.
The family event includes live music, holiday safety displays and refreshments.
Please remember to bring a canned food item for those in need. Call 408-615-3170 for further information.
December 7 – Christmas With the Chorale
The Santa Clara Chorale presents its annual holiday concert at Mission Santa Clara at Santa Clara University at 8:00 p.m. This year’s program includes “Messe de Minuit pour Noel” by 17th century French composer Marc-Antonio Charpentier and the “Magnificat” by the 18th century composer Carl Philip Emanuel Bach. Chorale will be accompanied by the Jubilate Baroque Orchestra. Program includes traditional carols by singers and audience.
December 7-8 – Historic Home Tour
Tickets for the 34th annual Santa Clara Historic Home Tour will go on sale beginning in October. This year’s tour will be held Friday, Dec. 7, 6 to 10 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 8, 12 noon to 5 p.m.
Among the private homes on this year’s tour is a California Craftsman bungalow designed by the architectural firm of Wolfe & McKenzie and built about 1912, and a circa 1901 Colonial style home containing a hipped roof. The public building on the tour will be the lovely St. Clare Parish Rectory that includes a chapel, reception area and library.
The Board of the Harris-Lass House Museum co-sponsors the tour with the Old Quad Residents Association. Proceeds benefit historic preservation projects and other nonprofit groups in Santa Clara. The nonprofit Santa Clara Arts & Historical Consortium will hold an opportunity drawing at the St. Clare Rectory during the tour as a fundraiser for their organization.
Tickets are $25 if ordered by mail or on the tour’s website by Oct. 31. Mail order forms will be available during October at the Central Park and Mission Libraries. Tickets also may be ordered by sending a legal-size self addressed stamped envelope to: Historic Home Tour 2012, c/o Harris-Lass House Museum, P.O. Box 3311, Santa Clara, CA 95055-3311.
Beginning Nov. 1, ticket prices are $30 general admission, $25 seniors (60+) or children (6-12) and may be purchased at City Lights Espresso, 1171 Homestead Rd. No children under the age of 6 will be admitted. If still available on the days of the tour, all tickets will be $35 at the door of the St. Clare Rectory, 725 Washington St.
For more information, call the Harris-Lass House Museum message line at 1-408-249-7905, view the Home Tour website at sc-hometour.com, or email hometour@harrislass.org.
December 8 – Holiday Craft Fair
Come to this fun event from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Central Park Library to find all types of handcrafted items, holiday jewelry, cards and other great gifts. This second annual event will be held in the Redwood and Cedar Rooms. Vendor cost is $25 per table and applications are available at the Santa Clara City Library Foundation and Friends office on the second floor of the Library, 2635 Homestead Rd. Items should be primarily handmade; no food sales will be allowed. Spaces are limited and will be juried. Proceeds benefit Library programs. For information, call 1-408-615-2988.
December 8-9 – “Adore Him” at the North Valley Baptist Church
Celebrate the Season! Experience a fabulous evening of Christmas music! Enjoy the beautiful Christmas Spectacular, “Adore Him” to be presented by a wide variety of choirs, ensembles and orchestral groups at the North Valley Baptist Church, Saturday, December 8 at 7 p.m., and Sunday December 9 at 6:30 p.m., at North Valley Baptist Church, 3530 De La Cruz Boulevard.
Hundreds of singers and instrumentalists will come together to create a unique experience in the setting of a winter wonderland. You will hear a full orchestra along with the North Valley Baptist Church adult choir, a college choir, a children’s choir, various ensembles, and a combined choir of over 400 voices for the grand finale!
Visit www.nvbc.org or call 408-988-8881 for more information.
December 8-9 – The Nutcracker Ballet
Artistic Director Josefa Villanueva-Reyes presents Santa Clara Ballet’s 39th Annual, full-length ballet production of The Nutcracker. All performances will be held at the Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Parkway (Curtain time 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday).
Open Auditions for Dancers of all levels and ages for this production will be held Sunday, Sept. 9, starting at 12 noon, at the Santa Clara Ballet School, 3086 El Camino Real. The company engages professional guest artists in lead roles, while providing opportunities for semi-pre-professional dancers, children and adults to perform in a professional environment. The Company welcomes community volunteers to assist in the production.
For more information on the Santa Clara Ballet’s Nutcracker and the Santa Clara Ballet School, contact info@santaclaraballet.com, call 1-408-247-9178 or visit santaclaraballet.com.
December 21 – An Evening with Santa
Santa will take a break from his busy holiday preparations to visit with Santa Clara families at the Community Recreation Center. This event features activities geared to children ages 3-7, but all ages are welcome to attend. Children will enjoy holiday stories told by Santa Clara Library staff, holiday songs, photos with Santa, crafts and delicious refreshments. Pre-registration is required. Cost is $6 per child (babies under one free) and $2 per parent for residents of Santa Clara. Non-residents pay $8 per child and $3 per parent. Call 1-408-615-3740.
January 11-13 – South Bay Home and Garden Show at Santa Clara Convention Center
If you are an attendee, you should come to expect the highest number of exceptional quality vendors at every one of our shows. Whether you are looking to find the perfect contractor for your next remodeling project, collect ideas for your home, try some of the newest, most innovative foods and products and so much more… our home shows offer something for everyone! For more information, visit http://www.worldclassshows.com/index.html
January 17 – The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life – Amy Tan
What inspires a person to create? Taking cues from her life and reflecting on the nature of creativity, best-selling novelist Amy Tan explores the events that made her a writer. Event will be held in the Louis B. Mayer Theatre at Santa Clara University. Time: 7:30 p.m. General admission tix: $25. 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara. For more information, call (408) 554-4000 or visit http://www.scu.edu/visitors/speakerseries/2013/index.cfm
January 26 – Sports, Health & Wellness Expo at Santa Clara Convention Center
Meet with Sports, health and wellness exhibitors. There will be valuable presentations throughout the day! 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.sportswellnessexpo.com/
February 17 through March 16 – Santa Clara Players Present “Harvey”
When Elwood P. Dowd starts to introduce his imaginary friend, Harvey, a six-and-a-half-foot rabbit, to guests at a society party, his sister, Veta, has seen as much of his eccentric behavior as she can tolerate. She decides to have him committed to a sanitarium to spare her daughter, Myrtle Mae, and their family from future embarrassment. Problems arise, however, when Veta herself is mistakenly assumed to be on the verge of lunacy when she explains to doctors that years of living with Elwood’s hallucination have caused her to see Harvey also! The doctors commit Veta instead of Elwood, but when the truth comes out, the search is on for Elwood and his invisible companion. Shows on Feb. 22 & 24; March 7-10, & March 14-16. Sunday shows at 2:30 p.m. All other shows at 8 p.m. For information and/or reservations, call (408)248-7993 or visit http://www.scplayers.org/
March 15 to 24 – “Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man” – Mission City Center for Performing Arts
Book, Music and Lyrics by: Meredith Wilson. March 15, 16, 22 & 23, 2013 at 7 p.m. March 17 & 24, 2013 at 2 p.m. Mission City Center for Performing Arts, 3250 Monroe St. Santa Clara. Tix: $8 Adults, $5 Children. More information, visit http://santaclaraca.gov/index.aspx?page=239
April 9 – “The End of Overeating” – Dr. David Kessler
The Gerald and Sally DeNardo Lectureship presents “The End of Overeating.” On a given day, it’s a question that we ask ourselves more than any other, and how we answer affects everything from our lifespan to our mood. What should I eat? For many Americans, a growing number of health problems can be traced back to obesity and being overweight. Dr. David Kessler has long been an advocate for public health, and in The End of Overeating he uncovers the origins of the obesity epidemic and explains how we can take control of our eating. Events will be held in the Louis B. Mayer Theatre at Santa Clara University. Time: 7:30 p.m. General admission tix: $25. 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara. For more information, call (408) 554-4000 or visit http://www.scu.edu/visitors/speakerseries/2013/index.cfm
May 4 – Santa Clara Chorale Season Finale – “G.F. Handel’s Messiah”
Join the Chorale, soloists, and Jubilate Baroque Orchestra for this reflection on the birth, passion, and resurrection of Christ as told by G. F. Handel. Performance at 8 p.m. at Mission Santa Clara at Santa Clara University. From overture to final “Amen” chorus including the renowned “Hallelujah” Handel’s music will move and delight.
May 14 through June 8 – “Spreading It Around” – Santa Clara Players
This light-hearted comedy finds Angela Drayton, a wealthy widow living in a retirement community in Florida. When she grows tired of footing the bills and handling out money to her unappreciative children, she and some of the other residents start the “S.I.N. (Spending It Now) Foundation”, an organization which gives to those really in need. Fearing they will lose their inheritance, her greedy son, and his shopaholic wife show up to try to have her committed for incompetence. Turning the tables, Angela shows them just how competent she is, and then shows them the door. Shows on May 17,19, 24-26, 30-31; June 1-2, & June 6-8. Sunday shows are at 2:30 pm. All other shows at 8 p.m. Shows at the Triton Museum – Hall Pavilion 1511 Warburton Avenue. For information and/or reservations, call (408) 248-7993 or visit http://www.scplayers.org/.
May 30 through June 2 – 46th Annual Santa Clara International Swim Meet
USA Swimming Grand Prix meet comes to Santa Clara as the 46th Santa Clara International Swim Meet. Meet features many of the world’s top swimmers. Heats begin at 9:00 a.m. with Finals each evening at 5:00 p.m. George F. Haines International Swim Center at Central Park located at Homestead and Kiely Blvd.
June 2 – Santa Clara Chorale – “Encore Concert”
The Chorale reprises its “greatest hits” of the seaon at the beautiful St. Mark’s Episcopal Church at 1957 Pruneridge Avenue in Santa Clara at 2:00 p.m. The concert is FREE. For more information, visit http://www.scc.org/
June 14 through 16 – “Disney’s Winnie the Pooh Kids” – Community Recreation Center
Based on the stories of A.A. Milne and the 2011 Disney Animated feature film. Music and Lyrics by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman and Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. Time: 2:00 p.m. Mary Louise Mello Auditorium, Community Recreation Center 969 Kiely Blvd. Tix: $8 Adults, $5 Children. For more information, call (408) 615-3140 or visit http://santaclaraca.gov/index.aspx?page=239
July 23 through 25 – “Disney’s The Little Mermaid JR” – Mission City Center for Performing Arts
Based on the Hans Christian Andersen Story and the Disney Film produced by Howard Ashman & John Musker and written & directed by John Musker and Ron Clements Music by Alan Menken. Book by Doug Wright. Time: 7:00 p.m. Mission City Center for Performing Arts, 3250 Monroe St. Santa Clara. Tix: $8 Adults, $5 Children.’ For more information, call (408) 615-3140 or visit http://santaclaraca.gov/index.aspx?page=239
