theSouth Bay Today
Sunny and 84 today, low of 55, the kind of Tuesday that rewards an early trail and a late ballgame. It is also National Voter Registration Day, and League of Women Voters volunteers are staffing a table in Cupertino…
South Bay Today
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
☀️ sunny · high 84°, low 55°
South Bay Today field guide for Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Sunny and 84 today, low of 55, the kind of Tuesday that rewards an early trail and a late ballgame. It is also National Voter Registration Day, and League of Women Voters volunteers are staffing a table in Cupertino all day if you have moved since you last voted. Tonight the San Jose Giants host Lake Elsinore in the California League Championship Series at Excite Ballpark, which is the easy answer for the evening.
Today's field guide
Trail, two-step, ballpark
Start on the trails at Alum Rock Park (hiking, biking, mineral springs), then get a slice of burnt almond cake at Peters' Bakery, the thing the shop is known for. At 1:30, volunteer instructor Audrey Chen teaches line dance steps for beginners and improvers at West Valley Library, and Naschmarkt in Campbell does proper Wiener schnitzel and quark spaetzle for lunch. The Giants and the Storm play at 6:30 in the California League Championship Series, and San Pedro Square Market offers a food hall's worth of dinner options on N San Pedro St.
Morning pick
Morning · San Jose · Free
Spacious park featuring hiking & biking trails, mineral springs & several picnic areas.
Breakfast nearby
Breakfast · San Jose · Under $15/person
Basic counter-serve bake shop known for its burnt almond cake, plus a variety of cookies & pastries.
Afternoon pick
1:30 PM · West Valley Library · San Jose · Free
Learn line dance steps with volunteer instructor Audrey Chen and move to the music at West Valley Library.
Lunch nearby
Lunch · Campbell · $30–60/person
Fine Viennese dining featuring traditional dishes like Wiener schnitzel, quark spaetzle & goulash.
Evening pick
6:30 PM · Excite Ballpark · San Jose
Watch the San Jose Giants take on Lake Elsinore Storm in the California League Championship Series at Excite Ballpark.
Dinner nearby
Dinner · San Jose · $15–30/person
San Jose food hall for multiple food vendors, drinks, and casual plates on N San Pedro St.
Open the live guide →
Tonight's pick
Lou Henry Hoover Carillon Performance
5:45 PM · Hoover Tower · Palo Alto
The 48 bronze bells of Hoover Tower ring out across the Stanford campus, and you can hear them from anywhere outdoors in the vicinity of the tower, so this is a stand-outside, bring-nothing kind of concert. The performance is free and open to the public.
Event details →
Also on the calendar
Listed in time order and all free; the opera preview needs advance registration, Almaden's STEaM hour hands out tickets 60 minutes before it starts, and the Rose Garden playgroup and the Vineland watercolor hour both say no registration… Open the full calendar →
10:00 AM · Adults, Older Adults, Teens · Cupertino Library · Cupertino · Free
Register to vote or pre-register as a teen with League of Women Voters volunteers at their lobby table.
12:00 PM · Young Children, ages 0-5 · Rose Garden Library · San Jose · Free
Bring your kids to play together while parents connect and share parenting experiences at this weekly playgroup.
2:00 PM · Reserve ahead · Adults, Seniors, Teens (14-18) · Art Center Auditorium · Palo Alto · Free
Hear Laura Stanfield Prichard preview Thea Musgrave's opera Mary, Queen of Scots at the Art Center Auditorium.
4:30 PM · Kids, ages 5-10, Pre-Teens, ages 10-12 · Almaden Library · San Jose · Free · Free, with limited capacity. Tickets will be distributed starting 60 minutes before the program. Free, with limited capacity. Tickets will be distributed starting 60 minutes before the program. Children younger than age 9 must be accompanied by an adult caregiver during this program.
Drop in Tuesday afternoons at Almaden Library for a new hands-on STEaM activity each week.
4:30 PM · Kids, ages 5-10, Young Children, ages 0-5 · Evergreen Library · San Jose · Free
Sing, rhyme, and move with your family in this bilingual English and Vietnamese storytime at Evergreen Library.
5:00 PM · Adults, ages 18+, Seniors, ages 65+ · Vineland Library · San Jose · Free
Paint watercolor birch trees during adult-only craft time at Vineland Branch Library.
Civic meetings today
San Jose — City Council · 1:30 PM · Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers
Sunnyvale — City Council · 7:00 PM · Online and Council Chambers, City Hall
Cupertino — City Council · 5:30 PM · Council Chamber · Closed session, not open to the public
Campbell — City Council Regular Session Meeting · 7:00 PM · City Hall Council Chamber
Milpitas — City Council Meeting · 7:00 PM · Milpitas City Hall
Around town
Two asks a local can answer (a week's worth of San Jose ideas for a visitor, and a sports bar that shows UFC), plus a Hawaii-born poke chain's first Northern California shop opening in Mountain View and a classic car and bonsai show in Mountain View to pencil in for Saturday the 19th, 10 to 2.
A visitor asks for fun activities to do in San Jose during a weeklong stay.
r/SanJose
Someone asks for recommendations on sports bars in San Jose that show UFC matches.
r/SanJose
Ry's Poke Shack, a Hawaii-born poke chain, opens its first Northern California location in Mountain View.
r/MountainView
The Good Carma Classic Car and Bonsai Show takes place in Mountain View on September 19.
r/MountainView

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