Rain forecast for the rest of this week will likely dampen some of the holiday spirit at downtown San Jose’s Christmas in the Park display (though some people may enjoy getting out the rain jacket and umbrella and checking out the displays with fewer people around).
But fear not, Christmas in the Park General Manager Debbie Degutis says: That just makes it a good opportunity to check out the Drive-Thru Light Show at History Park from the dry confines of your car.
There’s another benefit, too: Buying a ticket for the drive-thru — whether for this weekend or another date this month — supports the nonprofit behind San Jose’s beloved holiday tradition and helps keep the long-running event at Plaza de Cesar Chavez free.
“The way I think of it is that you make a donation to Christmas in the Park and you get to have this drive-thru experience,” Degutis said. Tickets are $25 per car and available at www.christmasinthepark.com.
You may have heard that the nonprofit behind Christmas in the Park is having financial difficulties, facing a $100,000 shortfall in corporate sponsorship that could impact the event in 2025. While nobody’s talking about cancellation yet, the funding gap would likely mean fewer displays can be repaired or restored — and when you’re dealing with animatronic elves and animals that are up to four decades old, there’s always a lot to fix throughout the year.
If Degutis had a wish list, it would probably be topped by having more Silicon Valley companies support the event the way Amazon, Kaiser Permamente, PG&E and Jay Paul Company — just a fraction of the nearly 40 sponsors this year — do. And the other wish? That more families would enjoy the Drive-Thru Light Show this year — whether it’s raining or not.
CHERRY JUBILEE: C.J. Olson’s fruit stand in Sunnyvale closed back in 2018, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get cherries or apricots from the Valley of Heart’s Delight stalwart — and you can even get cherries for the holiday season this month.
Deborah Olson just got back from Chile where she was checking out the cherry crop — remember in the Southern Hemisphere, they’re heading toward summer — and she reports that growing conditions have been ideal with cool mornings and warm days that allow the cherries to grow big and sweet.
So if you want to add a little cherry red to your holiday table, head over to cjolsoncherries.com.
HOLIDAY TRADITION: The School of Arts and Culture at San Jose’s Mexican Heritage Plaza will be filled with celebration Saturday night for the annual Fiesta Navideña, an evening of food and entertainment. The evening begins at 5 p.m. with a traditional posadas — a re-enactment of Joseph and Mary’s search for shelter before the birth of Jesus — presented by Teatro Vision.
That will be followed by live entertainment including Latin fusion band Grupo Bella and Los Lupeños de San Jose folklorico dance troupe. There’ll also be vendors, arts and crafts and food and drink on hand. It’s free to attend, but registration is appreciated at fiestanavidena.eventbrite.com.
RINGING TRIBUTE: The Scotts Valley Fire Department has presented the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center’s nationally renowned Burn Center with a bell for patients to ring as they left the unit. The Scott’s Valley department made the gift through the San Jose Firefighters Burn Foundation in recognition of VMC’s care for firefighters and burn survivors from Scotts Valley and throughout the region.