When to Visit - Arts and Events

A city famous as the mother of high-tech invention could easily be overlooked by outsiders regarding other attributes. This would be a near tragedy for potential visitors to San Jose as they might miss the opportunity to share the city's obsession with beautiful music. Regular celebrations include the world renowned Pacific Procession, a competition for marching musicians, new classical music, pop, jazz and choreographed dance. The award winning California Youth Symphony is based here and the picturesque Guadalupe River Park provides them with an enchanting natural stage. The San Jose Opera Company, the Symphony Choir and the Jazz Society give regular performances in the city and throughout California.

San José Dining

San Jose has a varied selection of restaurants serving an array of cuisine that includes Mexican and south-western, Californian, Mediterranean, Northern European and of course Asian, in the form of Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai. As well as a wide choice of city restaurants, San Jose is home to America's oldest wine-making family who hold eight-course Epicurean feasts at their historic winery in the Evergreen foothills, on the edge of Silicon Valley. Here guests can enjoy the vineyard's fine wines with cutting-edge cuisine, on Saturday evenings throughout the summer.

San José Tipping Advice

In San Jose, as in the rest of the United States, service personnel rely on tips to supplement their wages. For waiters, bartenders, taxi drivers or similar, 15 percent is standard. Baggage handlers at hotels and airports should be given one US dollar per bag and a hotel doorman, 50 cents to one US dollar for loading or unloading luggage or any other similar service.