Silicon Valley Wanderings

By Robert Haugh

The City Council is on break, but there’s still lots of fun in Santa Clara. Fortunately (for me), nothing will keep us up to 2 a.m. on Tuesday nights.

Here are just a few events around the Mission City in the coming weeks:

Saturday, July 29 to Sunday, July 30

California Extreme 2017

Hyatt Regency Santa Clara, Saturday 11 am to 2 am, Sunday:  11 am to 9 pm

5101 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara, California 95054

http://www.caextreme.org/ticket_information

California Extreme is the “Classic Arcade Games Show.” It’s an annual celebration of coin-operated pinball machines, video games and other novelties once found in arcades. All games on display are set for free play, so leave your quarters in your car’s ashtray. Over 100 games on-site to play.

Sunday, July 30

Concerts in the Park – The LyraTones

Central Park, 909 Kiely Blvd., 2:30 to 4 p.m.

The LyraTones are an exciting 17-piece ballroom dance orchestra that specializes in reproducing the sounds of the great dance bands. Their extensive play list  includes famous arrangements of the Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Count Basie, Harry James and Ted Heath orchestras —plus a wide variety of Latin ballroom styles including Rhumbas, Cha Chas, Tangos, Sambas, Waltzes and more.

The Concerts-in-the-Park series is co-sponsored by the City of Santa Clara Cultural Commission and the Parks and Recreation Department.

Sunday, July 30

July Town Hall with Rep. Ro Khanna

4 to 5:30 p.m., Sunnyvale Community Center, 550 E. Remington Drive, Sunnyvale 94087

Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17) will discuss recent developments and current legislative activities in Congress and take questions.

The Sunnyvale Community Center’s Orchard Pavilion seats approximately 300 people. So, attendees will be accommodated on a first-come, first-serve basis. A lot of people are concerned about the status of Obamacare. This event could be crowded.

Friday, August 4

Street Dance at Franklin Square

7 to 9:30 p.m.

The Street Dance at Franklin Square will feature a performance by The Houserockers,a 10-piece Rock & Soul band from Los Gatos. With a wailing 5-piece horn section and a rock-solid rhythm section of two guitars, bass, drums and keys, they play timeless classics.

They were recently named “Best Cover Band in the Bay Area” as winners of the KFOX Radio Last Band Standing contest. The Houserockers are known for their eclectic, high-energy play lists that features the music of The Rolling Stones, Earth Wind and Fire, Tower of Power, Stevie Wonder, Springsteen, Van Morrison and much more.