It’s that time of year again when William Street Park in San Jose really goes to the dogs. Of course, I’m talking about the 27th annual Bark in the Park on Saturday. There’ll be about 2,500 pooches and more than twice that many people in the park on William and South 16th streets.
The canine convention is always a lot of fun — unless you’re a cat or a squirrel — but this year it is adding a new element that’s pretty important. It’s called Animal Rescue Row, a section of the event that’s dedicated to local rescue and adoption organizations. People will get to meet dogs available for adoption, and you can also see the pups strut their stuff on the main stage between 3 and 5 p.m.
Mike Armstrong, of Fremont, and Buzz, a 6-year- old English Springer Spaniel, show off their agility skills William Street Park in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. Canine High Learning offers group training classes at all levels from basic obedience to advanced and competitive dog sports at the Humane Society Silicon Valley in Milpitas. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Annie Hermes, who owns Messenger Events and organizes Bark in the Park with the Campus Community Association, said she’s exited to give the adoption agencies the spotlight, though finding forever homes for pups has long been part of Bark in the Park’s DNA.
“While creating a festive space for animal lovers to gather, shop, learn and play has always been a part of the event Creating a space to promote animal adoption has also been a primary focus of Bark in the Park since its inception nearly three decades ago.” Hermes said.
William Street Park in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
There’ll be a lot of fun to be had, too. The Veterinary Emergency Group is hosting popular events on the main stage, including the pet/owner lookalike contest at noon, a dog costume contest at 1 p.m. and a tail-wagging contest at 2 p.m. The whole event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and adults can get in with a $10 donation. Kids and dogs are free, and the funds raised support Humane Society Silicon Valley, the San Jose Animal Care Center and other nonprofits. Get more info at www.barksanjose.org.
KEPLER’S TURNS 70: It’s been 70 years since Roy Kepler opened his legendary bookstore in Menlo Park, and the long legacy of Kepler’s Books is being celebrated with a free block party Saturday. The festivities at 1010 El Camino Real will include a photo booth, food vendors, kids’ activities and live music from Peninsula rockers Effie Zilch.
The bookstore started gaining its following during the Beat era, becoming the gathering spot for the Peninsula’s intellectual set around the same time similar ideas were brewing at Cody’s Books in Berkeley and City Lights in San Francisco. Nothing lasts forever, though, and it seemed as though the revolutionary spirit embodied by Kepler’s Books wasn’t enough to pay the bills in a world of Amazons and Barnes & Nobles. But just as Kepler’s Books closed its doors at the end of August 2005, the community made its voice heard and the reorganized operation reopened just a few weeks later.
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The block party at the Menlo Center runs from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., but that’s not the only Kepler’s celebration in the works. There’s also a 70th anniversary benefit, “An Evening With Joan Baez,” on Oct. 29. The legendary counterculture singer, who performed at Kepler’s in the 1950s and ’60s, will be in conversation with Kimberly Ford, whose literary seminars are a Kepler’s staple. Tickets to that one are $200, but that includes appetizers, desserts and a signed copy of Baez’s book of drawings, “Am I Pretty When I Fly?”
You can get more information about those events and others being held by the Kepler’s Literary Foundation at www.keplers.org.
PARK PLACE: The nonprofit transit advocacy group Transform is hosting a Park(ing) Day pop-up parklet outside Mezcal restaurant on San Fernando and First streets in downtown San Jose on Sept. 19. Park(ing) Day is a global day of action to spur people to turn public parking spaces into vibrant areas. During the 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. event, you can work on an art project, enjoy treats from Mezcal and learn more about Transform’s SPOT SJ project, which aims to make better use of the city’s existing parking spaces.
LOOKING FOR CREATIVITY: It’s not too late to apply for one of three spots as a San Jose Creative Ambassador for 2026. Each creative ambassador who is selected will receive a stipend of $12,000 to produce a project that engages the public in creative expression. Applications are due at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, and you can find out more about it at bit.ly/2026CreativeAmbassadorCSJ.