It’s time to usher in the Year of the Snake. Lunar New Year officially falls on Jan. 29, with events ongoing around the Peninsula now through February. Here’s how to celebrate Lunar New Year in Silicon Valley— link for full list in bio.
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Photo courtesy Filoli Historic House & Gardens
Video courtesy Hillsdale Shopping Center
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#lunarnewyear2025 #lunarnewyear #LunarNewYearCelebrations #lunarnewyearbayarea #yearofthesnake
A full calendar of holiday events awaits this season. For those who love the musical and performing arts traditions that accompany the holidays, there are multiple productions of “The Nutcracker” plus Smuin Contemporary Ballet’s Christmas Ballet, Hanukkah-themed shows by a cappella vocal band Six13 and more.
Shopping opportunities abound at markets and holiday shows featuring locally made wares and gifts, including food, decor and artwork. Tree-lighting ceremonies will light up the night, making spirits (and dark skies) bright. And find Santa Claus popping up for photo opps with families and pets. All that and more are in store for the 2024 holiday season — read our guide on how and where to celebrate at the link in bio.
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Top cover photo courtesy Chris Hardy
Bottom photo courtesy S.M.Lieu
Video by @itsmagalig
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After the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire, Butano State Park in Pescadero closed for nine months after its utilities system and nearly 80% of its trails burned. It reopened in spring 2021 while crews continued to fix up the park.
Years later, nearly all trails are accessible to the public, including the popular Little Butano Creek Trail, which reopened this fall. Crews had to work by hand for about a year to rebuild bridges, culverts, drainage walls and other types of infrastructure.
Big Basin Redwoods State Park is undergoing a similar trail rebuild and more changes are in the works. The blaze burned down every historic building in the old growth, which served as the epicenter for visitors. State Parks plans on building a new visitor center at the Saddle Mountain entrance to the park and establishing a shuttle system to bring visitors in.
Read more about how the fires impacted the parks and what changes are planned — link in bio.
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Video and photo by @itsmagalig
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On a recent evening, audience members cheered as Taylor Swift's "You Need to Calm Down" throbbed from the speakers, flashes of color and light appearing in perfect sync with the beat. No, it wasn't The Eras Tour, it was a Swift-themed laser show at De Anza College's Fujitsu Planetarium.
The Cupertino planetarium offers laser shows on most Saturday evenings during the school year. Each is focused on a particular musician or theme. Other shows have included the music of No Doubt, Michael Jackson, David Bowie and Pink Floyd.
Fujitsu Planetarium's public schedule also boasts a variety of astronomy programs, including "One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure," geared toward preschool-aged stargazers; "Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity" (suitable for ages 8 and up); and cosmic journeys to the outer reaches of the solar system.
Read the full story — link in bio.
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Video and photos by @itsmagalig
Story by @karlajkane
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Even as the shorter days and autumn chill set in, there are still plenty of reasons to get out and explore the Peninsula. Here’s a rundown of things happening in the next few weeks!
Make sure to sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on all the fun events happening on the Peninsula— link in bio.
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Cover photo by Leah Worthington
Video by @ahochken
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Every fall, families gather to remember friends and loved ones who have died in a two-day celebration known as Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. The Mexican holiday is traditionally celebrated Nov. 1-2, with people creating ofrendas (altars) decorated with sugar skulls (calaveras), photos and foods that their loved one enjoyed and mementos associated with the person who died.
On the Peninsula, there are Dia de los Muertos events where attendees can take part in community altars, make traditional crafts and enjoy food and live performances. Find our guide to Dia de los Muertos at the link in bio.
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Cover photo by @itsmagalig
Video by @ahochken
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There’s no shortage of ways to mark Halloween on the Peninsula, including lots of events in the lead-up to Oct. 31. From “Nightfall at Filoli” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” to live music, parties and a trove of trick-of-treating opportunities for kids, here’s how to celebrate Halloween with traditions new and old. See our full guide with 100 events — link in bio.
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Cover photo by Natalia Nazarova
Video by @ahochken
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We all know about the night of costumes and candy at the end of the month, but October on the Peninsula is full of fun fall events happening all month long. See our full events list — link in bio.
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Cover from Embarcadero Media file photos
Video by @ahochken
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Interested in pottery but not sure where to catch a class or become a member? We've rounded up several spots on the Peninsula, where people of all ages and abilities can get their hands dirty and mold or throw.
Check out our full list and learn more about each location — link in our bio.
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Video and photos by @itsmagalig
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Surfing dogs from around the world made their way to Pacifica’s Linda Mar Beach on August 3 to compete in the World Dog Surfing Championships. The competition included multiple different surfing heats, as well as a pet wellness fair, pet adoptions and a dog costume contest.
Thousands of fans and spectators, including dogs, headed to the beach for a chance to see the four-legged surfers.
Check out this month’s events roundup to find more fun things to do on the Peninsula — link in bio.
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Video and reel by @ahochken
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Edwina Ferro's garage studio has cabinets and shelves filled to the brim with vintage salvaged fabrics she finds at estate sales and thrift stores, which she uses to expertly create her handmade bags.
"I have a fun archive of finds organized by weight and pattern. In my studio it's pretty organized. I think if someone came in they'd be like, 'What's going on here?' but I know exactly where everything is," she said. "Sometimes I find a piece of material but I don't end up creating something out of it until, like, a year later."
In addition to her creations being one of a kind, she also specializes in "pristine quality precision" craftsmanship that she sees as being in contrast to most mass-produced goods. In keeping with her sustainable ethos, her work is meant to stand the test of time and be well-loved.
Ferro was born and raised in San Mateo, where she's still based, and she traces her lifelong interest in textiles, art and reclaimed materials to the influence of her mother and other loved ones.
Read the story — link in our bio.
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Story by Karla Kane
Video and photos by @itsmagalig
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Can’t make the Stern Grove Festival? We’ve got you covered. Check out these free summertime concert series happening on the Peninsula:
🌳 Sit back and relax at Music in the Park (through Aug. 21)
😎 Grab your lawn chairs and blankets for the Summertime Concert Series (through Aug. 14)
💃 Dance to everything from salsa to country at the Central Park Music Series (through Aug. 8)
🎸 Jam out on the water at the Summer Concerts on the Lagoon (through Aug. 16)
🎶 Head downtown for Concerts on the Plaza (through Sept. 27)
⛵ Boogie by the port at Rock the Dock (through Nov. 23)
Learn more about each concert series and other July events — link in our bio.
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Cover photo courtesy Joel Wade Photography
Video by @ahochken
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