Plenty of Holiday Events Happening in Santa Clara!

Santa Clara is planning for a festive holiday season in December. Events include the Annual Historic Home Tour (12/3-4), Santa Clara Player’s “Christmas Mouse” (12/3-5; 12/10-12), Santa Clara Chorale’s “Comfort & Joy” (12/10-12); Santa Clara Ballet’s “Nutcracker” (12/11-12); Mission City Opera’s “Truce of Carols & “Amahl and the Night Visitors” (12/18-19), and the Cable Car Classic Holiday Basketball Tournament (12/29-30).
The Santa Clara Historic Home Tour on December 3-4 features an 1889 Stripped Queen Anne Victorian and a 1927 Bungalow. Santa Clara Players present “The Christmas Mouse” two consecutive weekends and the Santa Clara Chorale sings “Comfort & Joy” at the historic Mission Santa Clara. “The Nutcracker,” is performed by Santa Clara Ballet Company on December 11-12 at the Santa Clara Convention Center.
Another holiday classic is Mission City Opera’s presentation of Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors” on December 18-19. Santa Clara University’s “Cable Car Classic” basketball tournament closes a busy month on December 29-30. For detailed information on holiday and other events, visit the Santa Clara Calendar of Events.

Save on California's Great America "Halloween Haunt" Packages!

This October, save on California’s Great America theme park “Halloween Haunt” Packages when you spend a night at one of seven Santa Clara hotels. The spooktacular discount packages include one night weekend accommodations and two admission tickets to the 3rd annual Haunt (extra tickets can be purchased at a discount at participating hotels).

Prices represent almost a 50% savings over regular room and ticket cost. Deal good Friday – Sunday nights October 1-31, 2010. Book online at www.santaclara.org/Haunt. Participating hotels include the Avatar Hotel ($129), Biltmore Hotel & Suites ($129), Embassy Suites ($149), Hilton Santa Clara ($129), Hyatt Regency Santa Clara ($129), Marriott Santa Clara ($139) and The Plaza Suites ($129). Rates are subject to availability.

Northern California’s biggest and scariest Halloween event features six spine-tingling haunted mazes, four themed scare zones, one themed attraction, four head-turning live shows, plus the Park’s world class thrill rides. Event hours are 7:00 p.m. to Midnight Fridays thru Sundays in October. For more information on Halloween Haunt, visit http://haunt.cagreatamerica.com/

New at California's Great America is "Planet Snoopy!"

There's a new top dog in town, and his name is Snoopy. New at California’s Great America in 2010 is “Planet Snoopy.” Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the rest of the Peanuts gang will take up residence in the children’s areas of the Park (formerly Nickelodeon Central and Kidzville). There will be photo opportunities daily with Peanut's favorites including Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, and Sally.

America's favorite beagle will also appear in "Snoopy Rocks! On Ice," a professional ice dancing show held in the Park's Great America theatre. California's Great America is Northern California’s best choice for family fun and adventure with over 100-acres of world-class entertainment. It is the state’s only combination theme and water park. In 2010, the Park will open March 28, April 2-4, April 9-11, April 14-18, weekends April 24 – May 30, daily May 31 – August 23, and weekends through October 31.

Convention Center Wins 7th Consecutive Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Award

For the seventh consecutive year, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) California Integrated Waste Management Board has awarded the Santa Clara Convention Center the WRAP Award for its efforts to reduce, re-use, recycle, and buy recycled. The Convention Center’s waste reduction efforts and recycling program reduced waste by 101 tons this past year.

WRAP awards honor businesses for cutting the amount of trash they produce, conserving resources and reducing waste disposal in landfills. This year’s honorees have diverted over two million tons of materials from landfills. This diversion results in a significant reduction in green house gas emissions. “It’s an honor to be awarded for our part in saving the environment,” said Lisa Moreno, Convention Center general manager. “Our Convention Center is an example of what we all can do if we make it a priority,” said Moreno.

Since 2002, the Convention Center’s waste reduction program has recycled paper products, cardboard, glass and aluminum. ARAMARK, the Convention Center’s in-house caterer, adds to the effort by contributing leftover food to the Second Harvest Food Bank. For more information, visit santaclara.org/conventioncenter/greenmeetings.