Plaza de César Chávez
37°19′55″N 121°53′24″W / 37.332°N 121.89°W / 37.332; -121.89
The Plaza de César Chávez is an urban plaza and park in Downtown San Jose, California.[1] The plaza's origins date to 1797 as the plaza mayor of the Spanish Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe, making it the oldest public space in Northern California. The plaza was rededicated after Californian civil rights activist César Chávez in 1993.
The Plaza de César Chávez is one of San Jose's primary civic spaces and the historic center of Downtown San Jose. It is bounded by numerous San Jose institutions and landmarks, including The Tech Museum of Innovation, the San Jose Museum of Art, City National Civic, San Jose State University, and Circle of Palms Plaza. The plaza hosts numerous notable events, including the San Jose Jazz Festival, Music in the Park and Christmas in the Park.
History
The Plaza was established when San Jose moved from its original location on the bank of the Guadalupe River to the current downtown location in 1797 and has been in use ever since, making it the oldest public open space in California.[citation needed]
The present-day park was the site of California's capitol from 1849 to 1851, a period during which the California Republic gained American statehood; hence, the site contained California's first state capitol. From 1889 to 1958, San Jose's city hall occupied the center of the park before the local government moved it northward to North First and Mission Streets.[2] Today, San José City Hall is located nearby on Santa Clara Street.
The Fairmont San Jose's main tower was built in 1997, while its annex tower was completed in 2002.[citation needed]
Culture
At different times of the year it hosts live music, cultural festivals, arts and crafts fairs, food shows, the official city Christmas tree, water fountains, and open-air theater.
The Music in the Park concert series has been held in the park since 1988, except during the 2020 pandemic and in 2011 and 2012, when security issues forced the organizer of the formerly free series to take a break and return as a ticketed event.[3][4]
The San Jose Jazz Summer Fest has its main stage in the park.
Since 2015, Silicon Valley Pride has been held in the vicinity of the plaza, which had hosted the event in the 1980s as well.
Every winter from Thanksgiving until New Year's it hosts the Christmas in the Park.
At the south end of the plaza is the statue of Quetzalcóatl by Robert Graham.
Gallery
- The southern end of the plaza
- 1980 Silicon Valley Pride
References
- ^ Carlson, Eric (1999). "Plaza de Cesar E. Chavez". Soft Underbelly of San Jose. Boulevards. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
- ^ Rombeck, Janice (August 7, 2005). "San Jose's City Hall |History". Mercury News. Archived from the original on February 26, 2006.
- ^ Koehn, Josh (August 24, 2011). "Music in the Past?". San Jose.com. SanJose.com. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
- ^ Carnes, Aaron (July 17, 2013). "Music in the Park Returns with Ozomatli and a Lot of Changes". Metro Silicon Valley. MetroSiliconValley.com. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
External links
- Official website
- v
- t
- e
- American Musical Theatre of SJ
- Cantor Center for Visual Arts
- Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph
- Choral Project
- De Saisset Museum
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library
- Gurdwara Sahib
- Hammer Theatre
- Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies
- MACLA
- Mexican Heritage Plaza
- Montalvo Arts Center
- Opera San José
- Pacific Art League
- SJ City Hall
- SJ Flea Market
- SJ Improv
- San José Museum of Art
- sjDANCEco
- Symphony Silicon Valley
- Triton Museum of Art
- Viet Museum
- Villa Mira Monte
- Vivace Youth Chorus
- California Theatre
- CEFCU Stadium
- Earthquakes Stadium
- Excite Ballpark
- Frost Amphitheater
- Levi's Stadium
- Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
- Mountain Winery Amphitheatre
- PAL Stadium
- Provident Credit Union Event Center
- San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
- SAP Center
- Santa Clara Convention Center
- Shoreline Amphitheatre
- San Jose Civic
- San Jose McEnery Convention Center
- Sharks Ice San Jose
- Stanford Stadium
- Stevens Stadium
- Almaden Quicksilver County Park
- Alum Rock Park
- Anderson Lake
- Bay Area Ridge Trail
- Calero Reservoir
- Castle Rock State Park
- Coyote–Bear Park
- Coyote Creek Trail
- Ed Levin Park
- Joseph D. Grant County Park
- Guadalupe River Trail
- Henry W. Coe State Park
- Kelley Park
- Lake Cunningham
- Los Alamitos Creek Trail
- Los Gatos Creek Trail
- Plaza de César Chávez
- Rancho San Antonio
- Rosicrucian Park
- St. James Park
- Sanborn County Park
- SF Bay Trail
- Shoreline Park
- Stevens Creek Trail
- Uvas Canyon
- Uvas Creek Preserve
- Uvas Reservoir
- Vasona Park