Dog surfing and heavy metal mariachi: 16 offbeat events to spice up your summer on the Peninsula
It’s The Six Fifty’s weekend guide for the SF Peninsula and Silicon Valley; August 3–5
Boy oh boy—summer has gone fast. Hopefully you’ve taken advantage of all the activities that come with the warm weather. If not, here’s a lengthy list of summertime events on the Peninsula to get you going this weekend.
Dog days
Calling all dog lovers: the 3rd Annual World Dog Surfing Championships is coming to Pacifica this Saturday! Along with the classic dog surfing competition, the event will also be featuring a ball fetch competition, a dog beach fashion contest, dog adoptions and a Surf Dog Village with partner tents and activities. If you have a pooch, bring them along. If not, grab a camera, because this is one sight you’ll definitely want to Instagram.
Festival season
The Santa Clara County Fair is back in the Bay for another yearly celebration of the Silicon Valley community. From wiener dog races to home brew competitions to carnival rides, they’ve planned out a banging lineup of events that you won’t want to miss—namely, Metalachi, the world’s first and only (as far as we can tell) Heavy Metal Mariachi band.
Don your armor or slip into princess finery and head over to the San Jose Renaissance Faire and Fantasy Fest. For two days, you’ll be able to watch jousting matches, browse the crafts of merchants and enjoy the music and performances that will bring Shakespeare’s England to life.
For you food fanatics out there, the biggest Ukrainian picnic in the Bay Area is taking place this weekend. In celebration of the 27th year anniversary of the Ukrainian independence, a picnic festival will be held at Los Altos. Soak in the culture while getting your fill of delicious traditional dishes like Kovbasa, BBQ Chicken, Varenyky and Kasha.
Keep the kids busy
Those of you out there with younger kids will want to take a look at Messy Play in Los Gatos. This hands-on sensory experience engages children aged 12 months to seven years old with a variety of textures and materials to develop cognitive skills with a unique approach.
Do you have an aspiring athlete in your family? Sign them up for this youth triathlon where they can earn series race points for Top 3 places in their age group.
Or head over with the entire family to the Computer History Museum for the General Magic film screening. The feature documentary about “how great vision and epic failure changed the world” was voted one of the top ten films of this year’s Tribeca Film Fest by Time Out Magazine.
Adults only (21+)
This Saturday night is slated to be an exciting one with Grammy Award-winning artist Lil Jon DJing at Sunnyvale’s Pure Nightclub. With his groundbreaking collaborations with artists like Usher, Ciara and Miley Cyrus, it’ll be interesting to see what he has in store this weekend.
Happening at the same time will be Bollywood Thalaiva Night at San Jose’s Studio 8. They will be playing the best of South Indian music and Bollywood tunes at their monthly party, so be prepared to dance the night away.
Jam out
Don’t miss out on Foreverland’s Michael Jackson Tribute on Friday, where die-hard fans will relive unforgettable MJ moments and younger crowds will discover the amazing music that remains timeless.
Another tribute performance this weekend is ZEBOP!, a Santana tribute band. They’ll be playing their 13th anniversary show with special guest Los Diablos de Amor.
Last but not least is the Andrea Motis Quintet with Wycliffe Gordon at Stanford University. With hot trumpet, sweet vocals and blazing trombone, this one is for you jazz fans out there.
Get moving
Get your fill of the fresh summer air and go on the Kelley Park Sunset Walk. In honor of National Ranger Day, enjoy guided tours along Coyote Creek, view special animals from Happy Hollow Park and Zoo, and see the stars up close with the San Jose Astronomical Association.
Another super fun way to get active is to attend the Danza Folclórica-Veracruz workshop. In addition to learning indigenous dances from Veracruz, Mexico, you’ll also be guided in creating your own performance costume.
Both beginner and experienced practitioners are welcome at YoLaShare for their free community event. Bring your curiosity and leave your expectations at the door as they combine traditional asana concepts with innovative “off-the-mat” theories.
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