Sunday’s Viva CalleSJ to explore some new streets in San Jose

For its final event of 2026, Viva CalleSJ is going somewhere it’s never been this Sunday. The “open streets” initiative — which closes about six miles of roadway to motor vehicles and turns them over to cyclists, walkers and skaters — will take place entirely in South San Jose.

Since its start in 2015, the routes for Viva CalleSJ have usually gone through San Jose’s more urbanized neighborhoods — downtown, Japantown, Willow Glen and the Rose Garden. But the city’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services department, which manages Viva CalleSJ, had goals to bring the event to more parts of the city. That’s why a Viva CalleSJ route earlier this year was held in East San Jose and why this one will explore the area near the Santa Teresa foothills and Almaden Lake Park.

The route will mostly run on Santa Teresa Boulevard, west from Snell Avenue, and Coleman Road. Activity hubs will be located at De Anza Park on Meridian Avenue, Cahalan Park and Martial Cottle Park. That last one has been an activity hub before, but the agricultural county park on Snell Avenue was the southern-most stop on a different route; this time it’s the most northern.

Where will Viva CalleSJ go next year? It’s tough to say. This years approved city budget reduced the program’s funding, but there’s been some talk about mini Viva Calle events that could open up smaller segments of streets in different neighborhoods.

There are details on what’s happening at each activity hub — as well as bus-reroutes and vehicle-crossing information — available at vivacallesj.org. And while the temperatures will be cooler this weekend, remember to stay hydrated no matter how you’re getting around.

PHILANTHROPIC TALENT: Palo Alto High School student Aeshaan Singhal was just 5 when he told his parents he wanted to hold a talent show at his guitar school to raise money to fight pediatric cancer. That first event raised nearly $2,000, mostly on homemade baked goods, greeting cards and Aeshaan’s artwork. Twelve years later, he’s still doing it — and the nonprofit he started, Bye Bye Kids Cancer, has provided more than $31,000 for pediatric cancer research at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford.

On Saturday, the 12th annual Bye Bye Kids Cancer talent show will take place at Santana Row in San Jose, featuring performers from ages 5 to 18. The event runs from 1 to 3 p.m. at Park Valencia and is free to the public to watch. Donations, of course, will be accepted. Get more information at www.byebyekidscancer.org.

DOUBLE ANNIVERSARY: Sept. 19 should be a special day for the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project. That day, the all-volunteer, nonprofit group will be celebrating the 35th anniversary of the opening of the Museum of Chinese American History in the replica of the Ng Shing Gung temple at San Jose’s History Park.

It also marks five years since the city of San Jose and then-Mayor, now U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo, publicly read an apology to the Chinese community in the San Jose area for their treatment at the end of the 19th century. That included the burning of the Chinatown in downtown San Jose on the site of what is now the Signia by Hilton hotel. Liccardo is expected to attend the event, along with Mayor Matt Mahan and other elected officials. The celebration starts at noon and runs to 4 p.m. There are more details at www.chcp.org.