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A presentation at Great Mall Saturday will showcase the kids' show "Julius Jr."
A presentation at Great Mall Saturday will showcase the kids’ show “Julius Jr.”
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THIS WEEKEND

Outback fundraiser

The Milpitas Rotary Club is having an Outback Steakhouse lunch fundraiser on Friday, Sept. 12, Saturday, Sept.13, Sunday, Sept. 14, Monday, Sept.15, and Tuesday, Sept. 16 for only $15 per person. Choose from three appetizers, five entrees, and five sides for your lunch plate. Contact Milpitas Rotarians Jose Leon at (408) 799-6610 or Kelly Yip at (408) 482-1755 for information and tickets.

‘Julius Jr.’ at Great Mall

Simon, a leader in retail real estate, is teaming up with the hit preschool series “Julius Jr.” to host an interactive experience for members of its Simon Kidgits Club at Great Mall on Saturday, Sept. 13 beginning at 11 a.m. in Neighborhood 2.

The television series, which airs on Nick Jr., follows Julius Jr. and his playful friends who use equal doses of imagination and inventive spirit to help each other overcome challenges big and small — teaching kids that the best inventions are the ones that help your friends.

Kids and families are invited to step into the box and out of this world for a day of Julius Jr. themed activities at Great Mall. Kids can get creative while making character masks to wear for a Julius Jr. and friends photo opportunity. Guests will also have the chance to dance and sing along in the viewing area with screenings of an upcoming episode and Julius Jr. music videos.

The Simon Kidgits Club is a program that focuses on health, wellness, education, safety and entertainment for children ages 3 to 8.

For more information about the Simon Kidgits Club, visit simon.com/kidgits or contact Great Mall at (408) 956-2033 or www.greatmallbayarea.com.

Art-wine festival

The annual Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival will take place Saturday, Sept. 13 and Sunday, Sept. 14 at Central Park, 969 Kiely Blvd, Santa Clara, with arts and crafts, wine, food and live music.

The festival will take place from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13 and from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14. It will start in the morning with a pancake breakfast in the pavilion, followed by an afternoon of exploring among 175 arts and crafts booths with items ranging from fine paintings to toys, jewelry, ceramics, clothing and more.

Attendees can partake in premium wines served by J. Lohr, Wente, Bargetto and Emilio Guglielmo or micro-brewed beer provided by Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. Two dozen community groups will be cooking an assortment of food including tri-tip sandwiches, pulled pork, Philly cheesesteaks, kettle corn and Chinese chicken salad in “Food Alley.”

Each day will offer a variety of continuous live entertainment on three stages, located throughout the park. In Kids Kingdom there will be rides, crafts, games and live entertainments for children of all ages.

Admission to the festival is free and parking is available around the park. Proceeds from the festival will benefit local charities. For more information, call (408) 615-3140 or visit SantaClaraArtAndWine.com.

Annual lu’au

Hui Ilima’s 55th Annual Lu’au will be held on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. at I.E.S. Hall, 1401 E. Santa Clara St. in San Jose. Enjoy an all-you-can-eat sit-down dinner with favorite Hawaiian foods and traditional lu’au entertainment for tickets ranging from $20-$50. Vendors will be selling Hawaiian gifts and leis. Purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win a trip to Hawaii. Wear aloha attire if you have it. For tickets and information, please call (408) 472-1422.

Council forum

A forum for candidates running for Milpitas City Council will be held Saturday, Sept. 13 from 1-4 p.m. at Milpitas Public Library, 160 N. Main St. The candidates will state their positions on the issues and then the public will have time to ask questions.

Plein Air Paint Out

In its efforts to promote art in the community, the Fremont Art Association will hold a one day Plein Air Paint Out at the Dominican Sisters’ 26-acre estate behind Mission San Jose at 43326 Mission Blvd., on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in Fremont. Artists will paint until 2 p.m. followed by an exhibit and reception in the courtyard from 2:30-3:30 p.m. The public is welcome. The event is being co-sponsored by The Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, Olive Hyde Art Guild, the Fremont Cultural Arts Council, and Mission Coffee Roasting Co., which will provide coffee and mini-pastries for the artists at registration time. It will be open to both FAA members and non-members, with members paying a $20 entry fee and non-members paying $30.

All two-dimensional mediums will be accepted including oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels and mixed media.

Pre-registration is encouraged, with a mail-in registration deadline of Sept. 10. Registration applications and rules can be picked up at the FAA Gallery, at 37697 Niles Blvd., or from FremontArtAssociation.org. For more information, call David at (510) 656-4256.

Mexican Independence

The Mexican Independence Day annual event will be held at the Milpitas Library Community Room on Sunday Sept. 14 at Milpitas Public Library, 160 N. Main St. in the Community Room from 2:30-5 p.m. Mayor Jose Esteves will be giving a “grito” of “Viva Mexico” at the commencement of Independence Day festivities. This free event is sponsored by Ballet Folkorico Milpitas.

Bach to Nature

This is your chance to play your own piano concerto in a backdrop of nature. Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation is for the first time placing four pianos in the most picturesque spots in county parks and they’re there for your enjoyment.

Sunset Piano in partnership with county parks is continuing to discover how placing pianos in an outdoor environment affects human behavior and spirit. Pianos in public outdoor settings provide musical engagement opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy including some that have never had access to a piano. Pianists of all ages and skill levels from “Chopsticks” to Chopin can play as long as they wish. You might play in solitude or to an impromptu audience of hikers, bikers and joggers.

The pianos can be found in four iconic county park locations: near the playground at Vasona, the old farm equipment at Sanborn, on the deck near the bike path at Alviso Marina, and in the Sandy Wool picnic area at Ed Levin Park. The pianos will remain in their unnatural habitats throughout the month of September. The piano at Alviso Marina will be extended into October for an added highlight at the Day on the Bay event happening Oct. 12.

Santa Clara County Parks extends their thanks to DC Pianos of Berkeley for their sponsorship of pianos for this project. Sunset Piano is in full swing in its latest iteration of Opus 3 in the city of San Francisco. Learn more about them at sunsetpiano.com.

Korean War vets

Attention Korean War veterans. If you served, you may be eligible for the Korean Ambassador Peace Medal. The medal is an expression of appreciation from the Korean government to U.S. service men and women who served in the Korean conflict. To be eligible, veterans must have served during the Korean War from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953. The deadline for the application, which is available at calegion.org/html/korean-peace-medal.html, is Sept. 23. Applications can be mailed to the South Korean consulate in San Francisco, 3500 Clay St., San Francisco, Calif. 94118, or by faxing the application to (415) 921-2251.

ESL assistance

Speak more English, learn new words and make many friends as a member of Milpitas Public Library’s ESL Conversation Club. Members of this free club meet 10-11 a.m. every Friday in the conference room on site at 160 N. Main St. This club works to improve listening and speaking skills for all levels of English language learners. Topics include American culture, life skills and current events. For more information, call the library at (408) 262-1171, extension 3616.

Guided meditation

Come for a free guided meditation session every Sunday from 3-5 p.m.,”Live life with joy, purpose and confidence.” In these sessions you will learn powerful but simple breathing techniques to eliminate stress and experience a guided meditation. This workshop, held at the Cracolice Building, 540 S. Abel St., offers an opportunity to learn about the nature of the mind and the keys to deal with stress in everyday life. For more information or to confirm your seat in the workshop, call Usha Ara at (408) 520-1674.

NEXT WEEK

Town hall on retirement

Come join a town hall event on retirement in California’s 17th Congressional District at Milpitas Public Library, 160 N. Main St., on Wednesday, Sept. 17 from 6-8 p.m.

With the impending retirement of more than 76 million “baby boomers,” lawmakers will face renewed pressure for effective reform of both Medicare and Social Security in the near future. Retirees in California’s 17th Congressional District arguably face a heightened challenge in planning for their golden years, with Alameda and Santa Clara counties ranking among the most expensive jurisdictions in the country based on cost of living.

This town hall event will feature expert panelists who advise beneficiaries on changes in Medicare and Social Security. The forum also invites representatives from the Office of Congressman Mike Honda (D-California’s 17th District) and from the Office of Congressional candidate Ro Khanna to share their vision for Medicare, Social Security, and for retirees within the district. The objective of this forum is to allow audience members to ask questions about how each panelist or community leader is working to ensure a healthy retirement for residents in California’s 17th District.

This event will include short presentations by each panelist, followed by an open question and answer where audience members are encouraged to ask questions. Audience members with specific questions about the future of Medicare, during the program’s current open enrollment period, are especially requested to participate.

Re-entering the workforce

Join Farah Chadwick for an informational talk on re-entering the workforce after taking time off on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 10:30 a.m. at Milpitas Public Library, 160 N. Main St.

If you are one of the many professional women thinking about returning to the workforce after taking time off, come hear Chadwick’s experience, her ideas and how she can assist you. Learn strategies on how to ramp up your job search and restart your career. RSVP to farah@startup-pairup.com.

Chadwick is CEO and founder of Startup-Pairup, a virtual community site whose mission is to connect startup companies with educated, professional women who wish to reenter the workforce after taking time off.

Meditation workshops

Free meditation workshops, sponsored by Science of Spirituality, will be held on Thursday evenings from 7-9 p.m. at the India Community Center, 525 Los Coches St. No fees, donations, equipment or special clothing are needed.

Samuel Ayer reunion

The 10th annual Samuel Ayer High School reunion for all classes will take place at Cardoza Park on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 9 a.m. to dusk. Call Butch Janitz at (408) 262-8124 for more information.

LATE SEPTEMBER/BEYOND

Fun Run 5k/10k

The Reciprocal Energy Fitness third annual Fun Run/Walk/Jog Event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 8 a.m. This is planned as a grand event of fun, friends and fitness. Take off from the start line and cruise down a flat paved path through a community park. Then everyone will make their way onto the scenic Berryessa Creek nature trail. All participants will receive water, food, a T-shirt and a certificate of participation. Medals will also be awarded to the male and female first finisher in both the 5k and 10k.

Those wishing to support their Fremont participants on the sidelines can do so for free. To register online visit, re-fitness.com/RegistrationFNRN003.html.

Book sale

The Friends of the Milpitas Library are holding their fall sale Friday, Sept. 26 through Sunday, Sept. 28 in the auditorium of the Milpitas Public Library, 160 N. Main St. Only members can preview and purchase books Friday night, Sept. 26, from 7-9 p.m., with membership available at the door. The sale opens to the public on Saturday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 28, from 12-4 p.m. Books will be sold at $1.50 per inch, audio books and DVDs at $2 each, CDs at $1 each; with some special priced items. Sunday, Sept. 28 is bargain day, when a bag full of books is $5 and media items are marked down 50 percent. For Friday night members’ access to the book sale, members may enter the library parking garage from either side and walk north along the back of the library to the second door on the left, which will open at 7 p.m. People interested in volunteering should call the library at (408) 262-1171, extension 3616, and leave their name and phone number so a member of the Friends of the Milpitas Library can contact them. Volunteers can also sign up to volunteer at the information desk upstairs on the second floor.

Family center and children’s festival

The grand opening for the Sunnyhills Family Resource Center, and the Children’s Festival, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Sunnyhills United Methodist Church, 355 Dixon Road. Join for the grand opening of the new Sunnyhills Family Resource Center serving Milpitas. There will be a variety of entertainers and activities including: Andy Z, performers from Jensen Dance Studio, Potter the Otter, resources for families, food and other activities.

For more information, call (408) 684-4785 or visit healthtrust.org/services/learning-together-initative/.

Meet with VTA

On Monday, Sept. 29 from 12-1:30 p.m. the Milpitas Rotary Club will meet at Dave & Buster’s at the Great Mall. Program speaker is Jim Lawson, VTA government affairs manager and former Milpitas City Council member, with an update on VTA and BART. The cost for lunch is $20.

Special needs respite

Children with special needs and their siblings are welcome to come to the Mount Olive Ministries, 1989 E. Calaveras Blvd. for an afternoon of free fun on Satuday, Oct. 4 from 1-4:30 p.m. to give parents an afternoon off.

Take a break, get away, do some shopping and breathe while your children (developmental ages 1 to 14) play games, make crafts and have fun with music and snacks.

All activities will be led by trained staff and volunteers. Children must be pre-registered because there is limited space. Children with food allergies should bring a snack with them. For more information contact Linda Tatsuno at ltatsuno@sbcglobal.net.

Candidates’ forum

A candidates’ forum for the positions of mayor of Milpitas and Milpitas City Council members will be hosted by Milpitas Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Oct. 9 from 7-9 p.m. at Milpitas City Hall, 455 E. Calaveras Blvd. and is open to the public. Questions from the public to the forum may be submitted by Oct. 2 to the chamber. Questions can submitted in person at the Milpitas Chamber of Commerce, 828 N. Hillview Drive, or e-mailed to info@milpitaschamber.com.

Gourdfest

The third annual Gourdfest will be presented Oct. 11 and Oct. 12 at Uesugi Pumpkin Patch, 14485 Monterey Highway in San Martin, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Featured will be a “make and take” for children, where for a nominal fee, children can make a small art object from a gourd, and take it away with them. Also featured will be educational presentations and demonstrations for children and adults alike, as well as booths where craft ready and finished art gourds are available for sale. In addition, off site classes in gourd art are available for adults ages 16 and over.

The event is sponsored by the Calabash Club of Silicon Valley. For more information, visit gourdfest.com.