You never know what you might see at Viva CalleSJ, San Jose’s “open streets” event that closes miles of roads to motor vehicles and gives free rein to cyclists, skateboarders, strollers and some unexpected forms of transportation.

“There was a penny farthing,” said Brian Clampitt, the parks manager in charge of events for San Jose’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services department. If you’re not up on vintage bikes, a penny farthing is the one with a huge wheel in front and a small back wheel.

Clampitt has also witnessed a guy riding a bike in a perpetual wheelie because he had no front wheel, a “snake” of recombinant bikes attached to each other and even a horse and its rider dancing in front of Five Wounds Portuguese National Church on Santa Clara Street.

“It’s a picture you could never get any other day of the year,” he said.

Who knows what else people will see Sunday when Viva CalleSJ returns to wrap up its 10th year with “Las Calles,” which will close nearly 10 miles of streets from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. by combining several of the popular routes from the past decade. There will be activity hubs — with food trucks, live entertainment and free minor bike repair stations — at the Municipal Rose Garden, Watson Park and in Willow Glen at Lincoln and Minnesota. The Youth Empowerment Alliance hub will return to West San Carlos Street near Bascom Avenue, with a rock-climbing wall and an interactive collage.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong will be among the speakers during a brief ceremony that starts at noon at the Willow Glen activity hub. The ceremony will also pay tribute to Ed Solis, who was Viva Calle’s biggest champion at City Hall until he retired after 23 years with the city in 2023. You can get the full lineup of events and food trucks at vivacallesj.org. and you can watch a 24-minute video retrospective of Viva CalleSJ’s first decade on its YouTube channel, youtube.com/@VivaCalleSJ.

Viva Calle regularly draws more than 120,000 participants, but Clampitt said he hopes Sunday’s route and the 10th annual celebration brings out as many as 150,000 to 175,000 people. And while Viva Calle has faced budget issues in years past, Clampitt is optimistic the popular event can continue to grow in both frequency and reach — eventually involving every council district and maybe even neighboring communities like Campbell and Santa Clara.

“It’s an amazing accomplishment to reach 10 years,” Clampitt said. “The love residents in this area — not just San Jose, but in the Bay Area — have for Viva Calle is remarkable.”

TUNEFUL DAYS AHEAD: The Levitt Pavilion Summer Series wraps up at St. James Park with the Latin band Bululú on Saturday instead of its regular Sunday schedule because of Viva CalleSJ.

Related Articles

Suzanne St. John Crane, who is Friends of Levitt Pavilion San Jose’s director of strategy, says attendance at the shows has about doubled this year and — most important — the three-way agreement between the city of San Jose, the Levitt Foundation and the Friends of Levitt Pavilion San Jose has been signed after eight years of work. That means $15 million of St. James Park impact fees will go toward construction of the downtown concert stage, along with a concessions stand and 11 bathrooms.

The Levitt Foundation has announced a $500,000 gift toward the building, too, and will provide $250,000 a year in operating funds through 2041. The goal is to get to 30 free concerts by 2028, growing to 40-50 the following year.

Sunday’s show, which is co-presented by MACLA, starts at 3:30 p.m. and includes opening acts El Pecado de Juana and Flaco El Jano y Sus Perros Callejeros. Bring a camp chair or a blanket to sit on and you can say you were there back when it all started.

ART AND ABOUT: It should be a fantastic weekend to enjoy some creativity in the Santa Clara Valley. This week sees the return of the monthly South First Fridays art walk in and around downtown San Jose’s arty South First Area (SoFA). You can check out the full lineup of exhibitions and special opening receptions at www.southfirstfridays.com.

Then there’s the Mountain View Art and Wine Festival, showcasing the work of more than 400 artists, as well as live music and lots of good food options, on Castro Street both Saturday and Sunday. More details are at mvartwine.com.

And finally on Sunday, the New Museum Los Gatos will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a Community Day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. It’s a great chance to check out “Breaking Through,” this year’s Greater Bay Area Open exhibition, as well as all the rest of the museum’s offerings. More information is just a click away at www.numulosgatos.org.

Now, if you’re saying to yourself that NUMU doesn’t seem that old, give yourself a gold star. It’s the 60th anniversary of the Los Gatos Museum Association, while the former Museums of Los Gatos transformed into the New Museum just a decade ago. No matter which age you prefer, it’s a milestone worth celebrating.