Dear Neighbor,

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you spent the holiday surrounded by family, giving thanks for all you have and imagining a better future for yourself, your family and our city. 

This year, we kicked off the holiday season with safety! Our police department and District Attorney's Office came together to talk about the action we’re taking to protect our community and our small businesses from retail theft. This work was made possible by a competitive grant from the state of California that our law enforcement offices applied for and received earlier this year. 

The grant, which allocates millions specifically to address retail theft, will put more officers and district attorneys on enforcement and prosecution of these crimes. It will also allow us to expand our Automatic License Plate Reader program. Just a couple weeks ago, I helped install one of our ALPRs, which have already helped our officers solve hundreds of crimes in San Jose.

We came together to assure the community – in San Jose, you don’t have to be scared to do your holiday shopping. We have always been, and will remain the safest big city in the Bay Area.

Simultaneously, the city launched our Holiday San Jose campaign last week, which highlights hundreds of small businesses across the city through an interactive new website. Check it out here!

Whether you’re looking for a new instrument for the budding musician in your life at Ukulele Source in Japantown, picking up flowers at La Bonita Flowers y Artesania on the way to a holiday dinner in Calle Willow, or searching Hicklebees in Willow Glen for the next Percy Jackson book to add to your child’s collection, one of the best ways to support our diverse and entrepreneurial community is to shop local this holiday season! 

Remember, shop safe and shop San Jose! 

Happy holidays,

Mayor Matt

When you think of innovation, you think of San Jose — and for good reason! In 2022, residents of the San Jose metro area received more AI and machine-learning patents than anywhere else in the nation. And it’s only up from here — we are welcoming the booming AI industry to San Jose by exploring incentives for relocation, inviting entrepreneurs and startups to solve city problems, leveraging the capacity of local educational institutions like SJSU, and creating a clean, safe city for all! Learn more here.

Last month, 94 seniors moved into our city’s newest supportive housing site. My family and I were honored to help welcome these seniors home with a Thanksgiving meal. Nina and Luke got to play cards with the residents and even called out some bingo numbers! 

This event was made possible thanks to PATH, who provides support services to the folks who call the Villas home, and Spark Church, which brought the meal and smiling volunteers. It means the world for community organizations to step up and support solutions to homelessness in their neighborhood. 

We have a long way to go to end San Jose’s era of encampments. But seeing how much it meant to our seniors, many of whom were formerly homeless, to have a home this Thanksgiving, makes it all worth it.

This year, we’re partnering with San Jose Foos (a popular social media account that shares events and news about the city), ToysForTots, and the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds to bring holiday cheer to San Jose! Last year, the San Jose Toy Drive distributed over 15,000 toys to kids who might not otherwise receive them, and I know we can come together and donate even more toys this year. You can visit http://sanjosetoydrive.com or drop off your donations at City Hall (200 E. Santa Clara Street) from today until December 15th. Every child deserves a present this holiday season — please help us make it happen!

Enough is enough — how many more babies have to die before we take action? We need support at the federal and state level to stop this public health crisis. Like the mayor of every other city in America — I am asking all levels of government to step up and take action. We need to make the flow of deadly drugs into our country and the crisis of addiction one of our top priorities. Cities need tools that force people to address their addiction or face consequences if they refuse — including jail time if they’ve committed crime. Fentanyl is killing babies. So far this year, we’ve mourned the life of Baby Phoenix, and just months later, we are mourning Baby Winter. I don’t want San Jose to have to mourn another baby.

Downtown Ice

Friday, November 17th to Monday, January 15th 

120 S Market St, San Jose, CA 95113

Lace up your ice skates — Downtown Ice is back! The ice rink has been a local tradition since 1994, solidifying itself as one of San Jose’s favorite winter festivities. Bring your family and friends for an exciting evening of skating underneath the Circle of Palms. Buy your tickets here.

Christmas in the Park

Friday, November 24th to Monday, January 1st

Plaza de Cesar Chavez, 194 S Market Street, San Jose, CA 95113 

Christmas in the Park is an annual holiday tradition in the heart of Downtown San Jose! For over 44 years, this whimsical walk through event has brought people from all over the Bay Area together. Take a photograph with Santa, admire the decorated Christmas trees, enjoy the free nightly performances, and celebrate the magic of the holidays at Christmas in the Park! Learn more here. 

Luz Neighborhood Beautification Project and Clean-Up

Saturday, December 2nd at 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM

225 N Jackson Avenue, San Jose, CA 95116 (Parking Lot A along McKee Rd.)

Join Team Mahan, Regional Medical Center, District 5 United, BeautifySJ, and Councilmember Peter Ortiz’s office to beautify our neighborhoods! Volunteers will be picking up litter, removing graffiti, and more to help create the city that we all deserve. Spend your Saturday making San Jose safer and cleaner! Learn more and RSVP here. 

Community Revitalization Project with Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley

Tuesday, December 5th at 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Seven Trees Community Center, 3590 Cas Dr. San Jose, CA 95111

Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley, PRNS, and Lowes are teaming up to create a safer, cleaner city — and they need your help! Join them on Tuesday, December 5th to plant trees, remove weeds, spread mulch, and install solar sensor lights for registered neighbors. Lunch and a free t-shirt will be provided to all volunteers! Learn more and RSVP here. 

Thanks to volunteers and neighbors who joined our Dumpster Day events in partnership with the English Estates and Silverleaf neighborhood associations last weekend, making our city just a bit cleaner by throwing out junk responsibly. Silverleaf even brought out a cake for my birthday—a cleaner San Jose is the best gift I could ask for! 

Every Saturday morning, Team Mahan hosts a community clean-up. Click here to join the next one: http://bit.ly/cleansj

We laced up our running shoes for the 19th Annual Turkey Trot! The Turkey Trot is one of the largest Thanksgiving Day races in the US, with over 21,000 runners joining us in Downtown San Jose. Whether you're an elite runner or a casual walker, I hope you've enjoyed the long Thanksgiving weekend!

Thrilled to see San Jose Mineta International Airport soar to the top as the Best Midsize U.S. Airport of 2023, according to the Wall Street Journal! This recognition is a testament to our city's commitment to reliability, value, and convenience for travelers. From buying a ticket to arriving at your destination, SJC is dedicated to providing a seamless and enjoyable experience. Thank you to all who contribute to making our airport a standout destination. Let's keep flying high, San Jose!