It’s a new year filled with great things to do in the South Bay and Peninsula. We’ve pulled together the best events, festivals, museum exhibitions and concerts of January to start your year off right. Whether you’re in San Mateo, Santa Clara, San Jose or elsewhere, there’s plenty to do.
Featured photo by Skyler Fusco (@slfusco on Instagram).
Aloha Downtown Skate
Through mid-January
The beloved Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice Rink has been replaced this winter season with roller skating. Make new memories and keep the holiday tradition of skating alive this winter season.
More info: alohafuncenter.com
IlluminOdyssey at CuriOdyssey
Dates TBD
For the rest of January, you can still play with colors and learn about light with CuriOdyssey’s seasonal exhibit IlluminOdyssey. The interactive San Mateo museum presents a maze of glowing projections and phosphorescent surfaces, where the whole family can learn about refraction, photoluminescence, color and the properties of light. Grab your lantern and bask in its glow!
More info: curiodyssey.org
Hair of the Dog Hike at Filoli
January 1
Working on your New Year’s resolution but don’t want to stop celebrating just yet? Filoli is leading a boozy hike through a trail connected to its beautiful Woodside estate. This self-guided hike includes a bit of bubbles to start, mimosas at the halfway point and a poolside bloody Mary to finish. Tickets are on sale now for four different starting times between 10 a.m. and noon.
More info: filoli.org
El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos
January 6
Celebrate Latino culture with Mariachi bands, dancing, crafts and more at the Children’s Discovery Museum in San Jose. El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos — Three Kings’ Day in English, or the Epiphany — ends the season of Christmas festivities and is widely celebrated in Spanish-speaking countries. Experience folkloric dance while enjoying a slice of King’s Cake in this vibrant event.
More info: cdm.org
49ers games
Dates TBD
The San Francisco 49ers return to Levi’s Stadium for highly anticipated home game. Watch the Niners go head-to-head with other NFL teams at their Santa Clara arena. Bring your friends and get your game face on!
More info: 49ers.com
Desi Comedy Fest
Dates TBD
Catch a night full of Desi comics (comics of Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi descent) at San Jose Improv. Branded as the largest South Asian comedy festival in America, Desi Comedy Fest features a hilarious lineup of Abhay Nadkarni, Samson Koletkar, Dhaya Lakshminarayanan and many more.
More info: improv.com
Symphony San Jose
January 27–28
Symphony San Jose’s January program in 2023 included Automation, a groundbreaking performance blends AI and classical music. A cellist battled a holographic counterpart during a striking performance of Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” a piece at the center of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Humans face a new technological frontier, and Automation seeks to cross it.
More info: symphonysanjose.org
Event Venues
Looking to see what’s happening right now in the South Bay? Our comprehensive list of venues below will help you find what you need to know what’s going on.
Looking for more things to do in the area?
Visit our What to Do in Northern California page!
