The annual San Jose tradition is back, with more warm and fuzzy fun than any family could hope to catch in a single night. Fortunately, you can come back any time you want through Jan. 5. Grab a hot cocoa, cotton candy or roasted chestnuts and check out the hundreds of bedecked trees and holiday-themed dioramas. The bulk of the attractions are free, though there are some ticketed events and rides. On Dec. 7 and Dec. 14, attendees are encouraged to bring their dogs and on Dec. 31, guests can ring in the New Year.

Christmas in the Park
Ongoing, Free
Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose

San Jose’s seasonal Viva Parks series is back at it—activating Plaza de César Chávez with local bands, food trucks and family-friendly activities. Friday’s 5pm concert features Texas-born songstress Steely Nash and her band, the Cuts. Nash toes the line between country and pop with her soulful, sassy delivery and danceable beats. On Sunday, local alternative band Life Size Models takes to the park for a brunch-hour show starting at 11am. LSM mix earnest, heartfelt lyricism, driving guitar riffs and high-energy drumming, drawing inspiration from groups such as Arctic Monkeys and The Cure.

Viva Parks
Fri & Sun, Free
Plaza de César Chávez, San Jose

While the Baby Boomers and Gen X-ers have been busy worrying about the work ethic of Millennials, Gen-Z has been quietly blossoming into a cultural force all its own. L.A. bedroom pop sensation Cuco mixes loungy, bossa nova guitars, lo-fi drum clippings and the inside jokes of a generation raised on the internet into a lazy, hazy brew. At this week’s Music in the Park he’s joined by Bay Area musician Marinero, who crafts gauzy, laid-back indie rock, inflected with Spanish and island flourishes. “Flor de Jamaica” sways lightly like a palm tree blown by a mild tropical breeze.

Cuco
Thu, 5:30pm, $10+
Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose

Conceived at San Jose State in 1981 and still going strong, the Fountain Blues and Brews Festival aims to preserve and proliferate the gospel of America’s original artform, all while throwing a kickass party downtown. From its humble beginnings on campus to its present residence at Plaza de Cesar Chavez, the festival has hosted such legends of the genre as John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Bo Diddley and Buddy Guy. This year’s edition is headlined by harmonica god Charlie Musselwhite, and with plenty of local beer on tap, it’s sure to distract you from whatever’s giving you the blues this week.

Fountain Blues
Sat, noon, $20+
Plaza de César Chávez, San Jose

In 1965, William “Poogie” Hart, singer and songwriter for Philadelphia R&B and soul group The Delfonics, turned a barbershop connection into a record deal. Hart, along with his brother Wilbert and Randy Cain, would go on to score hits like “La-La (Means I Love You)”—which was inspired by Poogie’s baby boy, who would warble the nonsense words “la-la”—as well as the Grammy-winning “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” and “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide from Love),” which took on a new life when the Fugees repurposed the hook for their infectious 1996 hit, “Ready or Not.” The Delfonics kick off Music in the Park this Friday.

The Delfonics
Fri, 5:30pm, $15+
Plaza de César Chávez, San Jose

Unity. Diversity. Strength. These are the ideals that this year’s Silicon Valley Pride parade and festival aims to highlight in the local LGBTQ+ community. Celebrating its 43rd anniversary, the weekend begins with a Trans and Friends Rally—focused on those who identify as transgender and gender non-binary. Later, the nighttime festival will feature four fantasy-themed realms: Under the Sea, Enchanted Forest, Good vs. Evil and Space Odyssey. On Sunday, there will be a parade moving from Market Street to Julian Street and ending with a lively celebration featuring dancing, local artists and live bands.

Silicon Valley Pride
Sat, 4:30pm, $10
Plaza de César Chávez, San Jose

Founded in San Francisco by Arcelio Garcia and Jorge Santana (brother to Carlos), Malo has been churning out groovy, Latin-inflected Chicano rock since the early ’70s. They’ve seen many members come and go over the years—Garcia is now the only remaining original member—but they’re still going strong as they near the half-century mark. Their biggest hit in the U.S., 1972’s “Suavecito,” has been called “the Chicano national anthem.” They scored several more hits in Central and South America, including “Chevere,” “Nena,” “Pana,” “Cafe” and “Oye Mama.”

Malo
Fri, 5:30pm, $15+
Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose

Any casual music fan knows at least one reggae artist: Bob Marley. While it’s true that Marley and his group the Wailers were making ska and rocksteady music—two Jamaican styles that predate reggae—as early as 1963, the Maytals were the first to use the term “reggae,” and can thus lay legitimate claim to being the “first” reggae group.

Led by singer, guitarist and songwriter Frederick “Toots” Hibbert, the Maytals (or Toots & the Maytals, as they would come to be known) released the single “Do the Reggay” in 1968. A hit in Jamaica, that single helped reggae’s popularity begin to spread beyond the Caribbean island nation. In 1969 the group scored more Jamaican hits with the singles “54-46 (That’s My Number),” “Pressure Drop” and “Sweet and Dandy.”

In 1970 Toots & the Maytals broke out internationally with “Monkey Man.” That and the three previously mentioned singles were included on the group’s now-classic 1969 LP Sweet and Dandy, reissued in the U.S. (in modified form) in 1972 as Monkey Man. Two Maytals songs were featured on the soundtrack of the influential 1972 film The Harder They Come, and a deal with Chris Blackwell’s Island Records helped make Funky Kingston (1973) and 1975’s Reggae Got Soul international hits. The Who asked Toots & the Maytals to be their opening act on the British group’s 1975-76 tour of North America, helping to further expand the Jamaican group’s audience.

In the new wave era of the late 1970s and early ’80s, renewed interest in ska led to revived popularity of some of the Maytals’ earlier, pre-reggae recordings. Both the Specials and the Clash covered songs from the Maytals’ reggae years.

Toots & the Maytals split in 1981, after the release of their Knockout LP, but Hibbert reformed the group with a new lineup a decade later. The band played two high-profile, well-received sets at the 2017 Coachella Festival; later that year the group headlined the world-music WOMAD Festival.

Toots & the Maytals have released more than 30 albums—studio, live and compilation—and in late June the group was once again in the studio, working on a follow-up to 2012’s Reggae Got Soul: Unplugged on Strawberry Hill. They headline Music in the Park this week.

Toots & the Maytals
July 12, 5:30 p.m. $15-350
Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose

Take a break from the daily grind before the weekend has officially begun. This 5-to-9pm weekday party is designed to send you into your last 9-to-5 shift a little tired but a lot more energized. Drop by the beer garden and food trucks or try your luck at lawn games, all while enjoying the free live music. This Thursday, local indie act Noah Kibreab of Noah and the Arkiteks is set to deliver a funky, soulful set of acoustic guitar tunes. Locals may recognize Kibreab from one of the many times he’s sung the national anthem for the Sharks. (WR)

Sunset Thursday
Thu, 5pm, Free
Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose

From John Lee Hooker’s Redwood City home to Aki Kumar’s rotating Silicon Valley residencies, the South Bay has a long and proud tradition of championing the blues. The Fountain Blues & Brews Festival has been an integral part of that tradition nearly 40 years. This year’s lineup includes the Fabulous Thunderbirds, who not only helped popularize the roadhouse Texas blues sound in the mid-’80s, but also opened for musical legends like the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. The electrifying Nikki Hill (pictured) is another highlight on this year’s bill—not to mention all the great Southern-style comfort food and refreshing beer.

Fountain Blues
Sat, 12pm, $25+
Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park, San Jose