The 'Guide Me Home to San Jose' Blog

It is said that on St. Patrick’s Day, everyone is Irish. Well, during the Italian Family Festa in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood, everyone is more than just a bit Italian! Sponsored by the Willow Glen Business Association and the Italian American Heritage Foundation, last year’s event drew about 25,000 people to our neighborhood’s “Main Street” - Lincoln Avenue.

Lincoln Avenue, between Minnesota and Willow, is the heart of the Willow Glen business district and for the two days of the Festa it is transformed into a slice of Italy. Whether your tastes run to food-spaghetti, calamari, cannoli and many other fabulous treats, wine, music or just people-watching, you will find something to make your time memorable. What is usually a busy thoroughfare becomes an Italian village, complete with bocce games.

There is a saying “La dolce far niente” that in Italian means, more or less, “the sweetness of doing nothing.” If that’s your idea of a perfect summer in the city pursuit, make your way to the San Jose neighborhood of Willow Glen August 29th and 30th. The Festa is Saturday, 11am to 9pm and Sunday, 11am to 6pm. Altera Real Estate is a sponsor and you will find our agents throughout the event, dishing spaghetti, helping set up bocce games, and just helping everyone have a wonderful time.

Ciao! and hope to see you there. The proceeds from this event benefit the IAHF Scholarship program and events at the IAHF Cultural Center.

Posted By: Colleen Badagliacco

Nearly every community in the lush Santa Clara Valley can trace its heritage - literally roots - back to the days when we were called “The Valley of Hearts Delight.” Sunnyvale was known for its cherries, and has a park with cherry trees in the middle of town to remind us of that; San Jose was home to prunes, apricots, and other fruit trees, and has acres of tract homes with legacy fruit trees in their yards! Gilroy, in the mostly flat, warmer, south end of the valley area (Gilroy is about 30 miles south of San Jose), while having its share of other crops, has become known worldwide as the self-described garlic capital of the world. No matter that more garlic now grows in China, Gilroy’s Garlic Festival (GilroyGarlicFestival.com) is the premier event for those loving all things garlic.

Garlic ice cream? Yes, even garlic ice cream. This year’s winning recipe was - believe it or not - for garlic cookies, Spicy Garlic Butter cookies to be exact. About 4,000 volunteers have over the years grown the dream of Rudy Melone and Don Christopher into a multi-day event which this year drew over 108,000 people to sample garlic’s many culinary uses. Many local charities and non-profits benefit from this foodie extravaganza including the American Red Cross, Hospice of Hollister, and Gilroy Gators Swim Club. In 2008 the Garlic Festival raised about $1.72 million for more than 150 local charities and non-profits.

Interested in Gilroy or the Garlic Festival? Go to the website for the city of Gilroy, CityofGilroy.org, and GilroyGarlicFestival.com for more facts, figures, and information. Go to our website, AlteraSV.com, for more property and local community information.

Photos of the Garlic Festival included in this post by Bill Strange, Official Festival Photographer.

Posted By: Colleen Badagliacco