Concerts & Events in Scotts Valley

A charter member of the MLS, the San Jose Earthquakes played their first four seasons as the Clash before claiming the MLS Cup in 2001 and 2003. Though the team moved to Houston in '05, the franchise was reinstated in '08, bringing professional soccer back to the Bay Area. Buck Shaw Stadium serves as the team's current home, though a new stadium will shoot skyward in 2014, complete with luxury suites for fans and exhausted referees alike.

At Wedding Faire, brides-to-be attend edifying panels, peruse wedding wares from hundreds of vendors, and try on around 400 styles of dresses from local bridal salons. Enthused betrothees explore 25,000 square feet of matrimonial merchandise and events, glimpsing new styles at three daily fashion shows and dropping in on workshops featuring wedding tips from industry insiders (some events entail additional fees). At Saturday's wedding luncheon, brides and professionals mingle and enjoy scrumptious eats as wedding maven Sasha Souza presents a collection of her favorite bridal trinkets and tricks. Afterward, a book signing allows attendees to shake Sasha's hand and propose marriage to her.

For years, football fans lobbied for a football field that looked more like a hockey rink. For $10, today's side deal gets you a sideline-seat ticket to a San Jose Wolves home game (a $25 value), or for $20, get a club-level ticket (a $40 value). All seven 2010 home games take place on Saturdays between March 20 and June 12 and begin at 7:15 p.m. at the Cow Palace in Daly City. Watch as the thrilling routes, veers, and tackles that define football take on new meaning in the confinement of a 50-yard field.

Upon winning the California League championship in 2010, the Giants became the first team in league history to win four championships in a six-year span—an impressive feat considering the league has been around for more than half a century. Despite such the momentous achievement, it was practically just another blasé milestone for the Giants, who’ve won a total of six CL titles since 1988, when they first affiliated themselves with the majors’ own commanding Giants. During that time, the Class-A club has served as an incubator for more than 150 big-league players, all the while maintaining a tradition of community service through partnerships with local schools and youth sports programs that keep kids off the city’s immaculate lawns. The Giants have also instituted a number of rituals at Municipal Stadium, such as the “Beer Batter,” in which vendors throughout the entire stadium cuts the price of beer in half for 15 minutes every time an appointed hitter on the opposing team—known as the Beer Batter—strikes out.

For the better part of a century, Spartan Stadium has been a cornerstone of San Jose State athletics and university life, hosting more than 300 home football games since 1933, as well as soccer games and concerts packed with more than 30,000 fans. Open during home football games, the Jeff Garcia Hall of Champions pays tribute to more than 300 former athletes and coaches, including pro football stars, golfers, and judo experts. Beyond the football team's keep, the other bastion of SJSU athletics, the Event Center, opened its doors in the late '80s to house men's and women's basketball contests as well as a weight room for students and a take-a-foam-finger, leave-a-foam-finger depository for fans. Spartan athletics maintains a high pedigree throughout their programs, including recent WAC championships for their men's and women's golf teams.

San Francisco mayor and US senator James Duval Phelan built the Villa Montalvo in 1912 as a bastion of art, hosting such writers as Jack London and Edwin Markham in conversation-filled luncheons and creativity-fueling vacations. After his death, Phelan bequeathed the house and grounds to the public, asking that they continue its role as an incubator of inspiration. Today, the center hosts artist residencies, gallery exhibitions, and educational opportunities for visitors. Surrounding the wealth of culture, the 175-acre grounds include miles of hiking trails through woodlands densely populated with muses, a meticulously manicured Italianate garden, and a picnic-ready Great Lawn.