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31: New Year's Events for Kids
Venue: Listed below
Time: Day Time (details listed below)
Cost: (event specific)- Children's Discovery Museum, San Jose
Cost - $10 per kid
Balloon Drops at noon, 1 PM & 2 PM (4 PM museum closes)
Other activities include crafts, water area, etc. - Chabot Space Center, Oakland
Cost - $4 + admission fee
Balloon Drops at 11 AM, 1 PM & 4 PM
Plus other fun activities. - Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos
Cost - Normal Admission fee
Balloon Drops + other fun activities. - Winter Wonderland, San Jose
Cost - Free (you need to pay for individual rides)
On Park Ave between Market & Almaden. - Embarcadaro Fireworks, San Francisco
Cost - Free
Fireworks at midnight.
- Children's Discovery Museum, San Jose
21 - 31: FREE - Holiday Lighting:
Where: Small tour in South Bay Area (Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Santa Clara, Campbell, San Jose, etc.)
When: Now thru' Dec 31 or till people dan't take off their holiday decorative lights.
Cost: FREE (or should I say your car gas price)
So, if you are planning to take your kids and big kids to Xmas-in the park (SJ) or spend $12 per car (or so) for the Holiday lights in Vasona park, think again. Here is a better, I believe more interesting and fun way of enjoying the holiday lighting and experience more variety.
My attempt here is to provide a single spot information about some of the best places to view the holiday lightings this year in south-bay (this is my second year of providing such information - so far most of my friends have appreciated this and have been contributing to this list - like the Cupertino lights from my Saggi friend) - you might get similar information at other places on the web, etc. - but I have seen - those are not comprehensive enough as mine - you check for yourself.
In my listings:
* I have rated them too
* Providing a sequence to view to economise your car's fuel consumption.
* AND confirmed the quality and entertainment level of each listing myself.
So that, if I wasted my time on checking some listing from mercury news or other web-site - better you don't have to waste the time watching some fluke listing.
* Lastly, this information is building up every year now.
(NOTE: TO SEE THE SAMPLE OF ACTUAL LIGHTING AT EACH LOCATION MENTIONED BELOW - CHECKOUT MY OTHER POST ON THIS BLOG ITSELF TITLED: "Recent Kids Activities - 2009 December")
So, go with the following sequence (this sequence is assumming start & end points of 555 Los Padres Ave - pls. get in the sequence depending upon your start point):
Rating Key:
☺ = 0 star
☻ = 1 star
☻.☻ = 0.5 star
Any house WITH synchronized lights - rating starts from 3.0
Any house withOUT synchronized lights - rating starts from 1.0Los Padres Ave & Saratoga (Santa Clara): Rating: ☻☻☻☻☻ (Based on previous years)
(NOTE: Somehow this house is very very minimally decorated this year)
Next to Alvarez park on Los Padres & Rosita Ave. this household has perhaps won the maximum number of prizes for the best decorated house in Santa Clara every year (except one) since I think 1995.Scott & Saratoga (Santa Clara): Rating: ☺☺☺☻☻
Near Scott & Saratoga intersection, on New Hall St., there are couple of houses worth seeing - the best being near NewHall & Monroe crossing with a 10ft Santa riding a bicycle and many other huge animations.Willow Glen: Rating: ☺☺☻☻☻.☻
No particular address - the whole neighborhood is full of streets lined with amply lit houses on both sides - which makes this neighborhood perhaps the No.#1 neighborhood in south bay from Holiday lighting view-point.Ellis Ave(Willow Glen): Rating: ☺☺☺☻☻.☻
Worth seeing Willow Glen Display at 1000 Ellis ave., san jose, ca.
Quite many lights - but the main thing standing out here are:
- A Merry-go-Round
- A Santa Chariot
- Plus other animationsGlacier Dr.(S. San Jose): Rating: ☻☻☻☻☻ THE BEST
A MUST MUST SEE Display at 1401 Glacier Dr., san jose, ca.
This is perhaps one of the best lights/decors to see - so I give this 5 star. This has the maximum lights (infact ALL lights) that are synchronized to the music - and the way its synchronized - amazing !! You got to see to believe it.Cirone Wy.(S. San Jose): Rating: NOT RATED THIS YEAR
(PLS. NOTE - I HAVE NOT CONFIRMED THIS LOCATION THIS YEAR - LAST YEAR THIS WAS VERY GOOD).
Worth seeing Display at 2056 Cirone Wy, san jose, ca.Lawrence & Saratoga (San Jose): Rating: NOT RATED THIS YEAR
(PLS. NOTE - I HAVE NOT CONFIRMED THIS LOCATION THIS YEAR - LAST YEAR THIS WAS VERY GOOD).
Near Lawrence & Saratoga Ave. intersection, at 4983 Montreal Dr., this is another of those places with holiday lighting synchronized to FM radio - in this case 92.1FM. But please note that this place is lighted for viewing only from 5PM to 9PM.Saratoga & Payne (San Jose): Rating: ☺☺☻☻☻
On 1370 Vallejo Dr., this location and the surrounding locations together provide a must see experience with the unique lighted gate across the road on Lamore Dr. (just next to this location). This also has perhaps one of the biggest natural tree nicely decorated with lights (though I could not get the picture of that tree).Lawrence & Saratoga (Campbell): Rating: ☺☺☻☻☻.☻
Near Lawrence & Saratoga intersection, at 750 Harriet Ave., this is one of the best location to see holiday lights synchronized to FM radio music - here tune to 107.9 FM. Plus, this place has a unique lighted "baby elephant" - Hey Saggi friend - your favorite! - atleast I saw this for the first time last year - I have seen many lighted snowmans, reindeers, and name what - but a baby elephant ONLY HERE - Aakarsh got very excited on seeing this.Lawrence & Prospect (Saratoga): Rating: NOT RATED THIS YEAR
(PLS. NOTE - I HAVE NOT CONFIRMED THIS LOCATION THIS YEAR - LAST YEAR THIS WAS VERY GOOD).
On 18960 Greenbrook Ct., this might not be the house with maximum lights, but a sure delight for the little ones fan of the Disney characters and Alvin the chipmunk. And, if you are lucky, you might be greeted by the "real" cat running around the lights some times.Oak Meadow (Cupertino): Rating: ☺☺☻☻☻
On 7733 oak meadow ct., cupertino (thanks Saggi friend for providing this location), this location also features the lights synchronized to the X-mas music being continuously aired on radio on 104.1FM. Only issue at this location is that the music synchronization is not continuous - there are periods of still lighting (few minutes) in between synchronized dancing lights.Bernardo & Washington Ave (Sunnyvale): Rating: ☺☻☻☻☻
On 1179 corral ave, sunnyvale, this location also features the lights synchronized to the X-mas music - something different on this location - the huge mickey mouse ears of synchronized lighting AND the lights also synchronized to a story-telling session - must see one.Hollenbeck & Fremont Ave : Two Locations (Sunnyvale): Rating: ☺☻☻☻☻
On 709 & 757 sheraton dr., sunnyvale, these locations also feature the lights synchronized to the X-mas music - something different on these locations - One has a very nice "Peace on Earth" theme and the other is a BIG BIG DELIGHT FOR KIDS - They have POOH, MICKEY, GRINCH, SANTA, POODLE, ETC., ETC., ETC. - make sure you have a huge memory stick for pictures here - must see one.Remington & Sunnyvale Saratoga: Two Locations (Sunnyvale): Rating: ☺☻☻☻☻
On 1164 & 1168 Tangerine way, sunnyvale, these locations feature perhaps maximum lights synchronized to the X-mas music (second only to the glacier ave.) - something different on these locations - They synchronize music to non-Xmas tunes also - like "We will Rock you", "James Bond title music", "Oh Mickey" (from Bring it on), etc.; Also, they have a snow machine which is a delight for kids and adults alike - and the surprise big light balls under the tree which light up from nowhere - a must see one.Lawrence Expwy & Reed Ave(Sunnyvale): Rating: ☺☺☻☻☻.☻
On 974 Bluebonnet dr, sunnyvale, only reason I will give this an extra 0.5 marks (3.0 for synchronized lights) is because of the nice long candle lights fencing the grass and the 2 nigboring houses also synchronizing their lights to this house's music.Other Sunnyvale Locations Yet to be Rated on Dec. 25 (Sunnyvale): Rating: ☺☻☻☻☻ (based on Last Year or Friend's referrals)
In the order for viewing tour:- 666 Lakefair dr., sunnyvale, ca
- 2976 Taper ave, santa clara, ca
(this one had a chopper and many other animations last year & won the prize too) - N. Winchester & University ave, santa clara, ca
El Camino & Lincoln (Santa Clara): Rating: ☺☺☻☻☻
On 1451 Lincoln st., santa clara, there are no synchronized lights here, but lots of lights, a nativity scene, balloon airchip, animated letter box, etc. make this house standout from others - no wonder it got the prize last 2 years - but surprisingly not this year (there was no prize for 2009 displayed on the premises).Los Padres Ave & Homestead (Santa Clara): Rating: ☺☺☺☻☻
Not too many lights here, but the reason I liked this place is because perhaps this is the "Most Secular" holiday lighting place - "Check out yourself or on my other post on this blog titled "Recent Kids Activities - 2009 December".Los Padres Ave & Benton (Santa Clara): Rating: ☺☺☻☻☻
On the corner of Arlene & Madeline Ave, this is kind of hidden house but still a delight to see with its own uniquities to enthrall your kids (& adults alike). Of the unique things, the most fascinating ones he has is a "1/2 foot Santa" which used to climb up and down a 3 foot ladder attached next to a nice 4 foot Santa House (& this climbing dosn't seem to be working this year), a nativity scene with snow flakes effect on the back drop wall, and lots of "lollipop lights" growing from the grass.Homestead & SanThomas (Santa Clara): Rating: ☺☺☺☻☻.☻
Opposite to Santa Clara Central Library, on Layton Court drive, this is a collection of many houses (but worth watching are 3 houses) which give the whole street the looks of the holiday celebrations.Homestead & Kiely (Santa Clara): Rating: ☺☻☻☻☻.☻
Near Safeway, on 704 Valley Way, this is perhaps one of THE BEST synchronized lights I have seen this year - and no wonder it has won the award this year - it has lots of different channels AND dazzling at a high speed.Sloat Ave & Pruneridge (Santa Clara): Rating: ☺☺☻☻☻.☻
On 345 Sloat Ct., this shall be the second to the last stop. With almost the maximum lights (>20,000) (than the last stop mentioned next), this location also features the lights synchronized to the X-mas music being continuously aired on radio on 104.1FM. Watch it atleast from the end of one song, through the next full song and till the start of next song to experience the synhronization fully.
19: Lowe's Build & Grow Clinic: Pet-Treat-Keeper
Venue: Participating Lowe's locations
Time: 10 AM - 11 AM
Cost: Free)
https://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/default.asp
On this date, kids make Pet-Treat-Keeper.13: FREE - Tech Museum Entrance:
Where: Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose
When: Dec 13
Cost: FREE.
Second Sunday of Every Month - free entrance for all ages - in December, the date is Dec 13 (I guess :-).12: Lowe's Build & Grow Clinic: Christmas Ornaments
Venue: Participating Lowe's locations
Time: 10 AM - 11 AM
Cost: Free)
https://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/default.asp
On this date, kids make Christman Ornaments.06: Annual Christmas Parade:
Where: Downtown, San Jose
When: Dec 06, 8:30 AM to 11 AM
Cost: FREE.
This holiday season brings a parade straight from Toyland; a playful escape full of building blocks, toy soldiers, teddy bears and dolls as the San Jose Holiday Parade celebrates its 28th year with Adventures in Toyland!05: Lowe's Build & Grow Clinic: Ginger Bread House
Venue: Participating Lowe's locations
Time: 10 AM - 11 AM
Cost: Free)
https://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/default.asp
On this date, kids make the Ginger Bread House.
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