As the leaves begin to turn and neighborhoods across Santa Clara County welcome a much-needed October breeze, I am honored to be rolling out a picnic blanket for our entire community!
I hope you, your friends, families and neighbors from across the 15th Senate District will stop by my Fourth Annual Picnic by the Lake: Multicultural Festival and Resource Fair at Hellyer County Park on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 10am-3pm.
Every year, I’m awestruck by how this park, nestled along Coyote Creek, is transformed into a happening junction of music, food, performances, pumpkins and civic connection. Doing annual multicultural festivals since my time on the San Jose City Council and the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors has grown into one of my favorite traditions of the fall season.
This year, we’ll have nearly 100 resource booths joining us, so residents can engage in community, ask questions and walk away connected to essential services. We will also be joined by a dozen multicultural performances, echoing across the park and celebrating the many cultures that constitute our district.
For the kids, we’ll have inflatables, face painting, bubbles and a rock climbing wall for the more adventurous! We’ll also have free flu shots on-site for anyone looking to get ahead of the season, and when hunger strikes, our incredible CAL FIRE Local 2881 Firefighters will be serving free beef and veggie burgers while supplies last.
Families will also head home with a free pumpkin from our pumpkin patch, also while supplies last.
In especially exciting news, our raffle table this year is one you won’t want to miss. Alongside a great lineup of prizes, one lucky winner will walk away with a signed Christian McCaffrey San Francisco 49ers helmet!
We are grateful to be joined by incredible partners who make this event possible every year, including the County of Santa Clara Parks and Recreation Department and the San Jose Japantown Lions Club and Foundation.
As the afternoon inevitably winds down and the last burgers come off the grill, what stays with me is not something I can put on a page. Rather, I am gratified by the sight of an autumn park, full of neighbors who spent their Saturday learning from one another, cheering on local performers and reconnecting with the community around them. I hope you’ll join me!
For more information about the event, please reach out to my District Representative, Zach Contini, at Za*************@****ca.gov, or call our office at 408.723.4154. You can also check out our website at sd15.senate.ca.gov/events for any updates.
Sen. Dave Cortese represents California Senate District 15, which includes southern Santa Clara County.
