Viva CalleSJ: walk/bike/skate the streets
Details
Viva CalleSJ is not just a bicycle event, it is an open streets event! Feel free to walk, bike, skate or just come play in the streets. (See https://www.vivacallesj.org/the-event/featured-event)
The San Jose Parks Department puts on this event a couple times a year and completely closes off the streets to regular traffic for this event, so you don't need to worry about cars and trucks! Sunday, April 19 is the first Viva CalleSJ of 2026.
Here's the official page: https://www.vivacallesj.org/ and here's the map of activities/stops: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1lIFW7SqX_ePbsjJjM3w2GK1N9IURmLc&femb=1&ll=37.36517514639243%2C-121.82555414999999&z=14
Here are highlights from the previous events:
September 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK3rfbkJZzg
June 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNRCoEQgrUY
April 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMd9S6Fp73Q
Last Meetup event
As a heads up, I'll be there for the event but probably not for the entire 5 hours, and there's going to be thousands of people here moving around the entire time, sooo you're probably not going to be able to find anyone. Think of this as an informational post and less of a traditional meetup where you meet specific people from our group :)
ABOUT THE EVENT
Choose your own quest as you bike, skate, walk, or roll from Mexican Heritage Plaza to Alum Rock Village or from Cimaron Park to Fernish Park, there are plenty of side quests to explore along this adventurous route.
NOTE that this event will likely have thousands of people!
Good news: You'll find at least a couple interesting people.
Not so good news: You'll have a hard time finding specific people (including other people from this meetup event) among the thousands of other people.
My goal is to visit all the hubs, so I'll (probably) have a bike, but having a scooter/skateboard/roller skates (or an electric version) should be fine. Walking is probably going to be too slow if you want to visit all the hubs though. If you do want to walk around, there's plenty of stuff to do so you won't get bored. If you want to go to all the hubs but don't have any alternative modes of transportation, get a Bay Wheels bike (see the HOW TO GET THERE section below)
HOW TO GET THERE
I'd suggest taking VTA, since that'll get you pretty close to the activity hubs and you won't need to worry about parking/closed streets. You can look at this map to see all the routes.
If you're further away/don't have VTA nearby but can take Bart, I'd recommend taking BART down to the Berryessa station, then with a bike/skateboard/e-bike/whatever, it'll take ~15 minutes to get to the Cimarron Park hub. Otherwise, you can hop on a Lyft bike - there are 2 Bay Wheels/Lyft Bike stations next to the Berryessa BART station at Newbury Park Dr @ King Rd and Berryessa BART (https://www.lyft.com/bikes/bay-wheels/explore). The day pass includes unlimited 30-min classic bike rides within a 24-hour period with any ride longer than 30 min costing an extra $0.19/min (see the plans here).
If you want to drive, there are a bunch of parking lots in downtown SJ that are within 3 miles of the event: https://parksj.org/ - keep in mind roads might be closed for the event if you want to park closer.
ACTIVITIES
Address for the main hubs:
Mexican Heritage Plaza: 1700 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose, CA 95116 Link
Cimarrón Park: Orange St, San Jose, CA 95127 Link
Alum Rock Business District: Stewart Ave & Alum Rock Ave Intersection Link
Fernish Park: 3470 Rubion Dr, San Jose, CA 95148 Link
LIVE EVENTS
I added flyers from the official page below, but take a look at https://www.vivacallesj.org/ for the latest updates.
OTHER EVENT INFO
- Maintain a safe speed! Stay in control, go with the flow of traffic, pass on the left, slower traffic please keep to the right.
- Be aware of your surroundings! Never Stop in the middle of the route and keep your eyes sharp to avoid accidents and obstacles.
- Wear a helmet! We care about your safety and so does the law! Participants under the age of 18 must wear a helmet and everyone is encouraged to wear one.
- Viva CalleSJ staff, volunteers, and public safety officers can be found on route and in activity hubs, ask for help!
- Take public transportation. Parking will be difficult in the areas around the route, avoid the hassle by taking VTA!
SAFETY DISCLAIMER
The organizers of this meet-up are unpaid volunteers and not expert guides. All participants agree to assume 100% responsibility for their own safety, conduct, and well-being and recognize that possible hazards exist while participating in outdoor (or any other) activities, and agree to participate solely at their own risk. If you RSVP “Yes” and/or attend any of our events, it shall be conclusively presumed that you understand and agree to this policy.
