The 10 best "things-to-do" around Santa Clara the week of the Big Game!
By the time 6pm ET on February 7th rolls around most people will be off the roads and in front of a large screen TV with drink in hand and dip at the ready. Football fans and fans of advertising will be getting ready to watch the big game and the entertainment that surrounds the Big Game(which is much easier than Roman numerals). It's a special year, being the celebration of 50 years of the competition that matches teams from the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC) to win the national championships and become the Super Bowl Champions for the year.
In Santa Clara, California, festivities are planned for before, during and after the big game, so fans, families, friends and followers of the sport can stretch the spectacle of the day into a week-long event. Score an insider view of some of the activities planned around this year's Big Game.
1. Learn About Walt Disney, San Francisco, California
The Walt Disney Museum is a place to learn about the career and creations of Walt Disney. Disney is famous for his contributions to the field of animation and beloved for the many memorable characters he brought to life, like Mickey Mouse. The museum features exhibits highlighting artists, and galleries documenting Disney's life and caters to school groups and students with their community outreach programs.
2. Watch the Game, Santa Clara, California
If first and foremost you've come to watch the game, you won't be disappointed in Levi's® Stadium. In addition to the state-of-the-art facilities, it is the "greenest and most technologically advanced professional football stadium in the United States."
Santa Clara, California is the host city and they have poured their energy into engineering ways to "celebrate the game" while benefiting Bay Area nonprofits. The 50 Fund has been created to "make Super Bowl 50 the most philanthropic and giving Super Bowl ever." Week-long events leading up to the game include the NFL Experience and Super Bowl City. The NFL Experience is a theme park engineered to entice fans to play interactive games, learn about the history of the sport and view swag from years gone by.
Sitting alongside the NFL Experience in the Moscone Center is Super Bowl City, "designed to showcase the best the Bay Area has to offer" with interactive games and activities. The Fan Energy Zone inside Super Bowl City will focus on technology and innovation and The City Stage in Sue Bierman Park will be the place to see a live musical performance by artists, including Alicia Keys, Chris Isaak, Matt Nathanson, OneRepublic and The Band Perry. It's all free and open to the public from January 30-February 7, 2016.
Here are some other places to spend time before or after the big game.
As a visitor you need to know the museum is located in the Presidio of San Francisco, which is an added bonus, being part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco, with plenty to see and do like explore science and nature in the marshes, beaches and field centers, walk the Woodline, visit an art gallery or enjoy the art installations that punctuate the open spaces. The Presidio is an unique environment which is a "public-private collaboration" that receives support from the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.
3. Explore an Adobe Lodge, Santa Clara, California
The Adobe Lodge serves as a "daily retreat for faculty, staff and their guests" and also functions as a unique party space for hosting special events. From a historical point of view, the Adobe Lodge was constructed in 1825 and "is the only remaining Adobe brick building in the original Santa Clara Mission establishment." Visitors to the campus can also enjoy the gardens that benefit from the nearly 300 days of sunshine, stop in the de Saisset museum with permanent collections that tell the history of California, or see a show at the Mayer Theatre or Music Recital Hall.
4. Stroll Japanese Gardens, Saratoga, California
Hakone is "a tranquil place of peace and harmony" to escape to when you need a break from Super Bowl stimuli. Stroll the 18 acres of verdant beauty cultivated over the past 100 years overlooking the Silicon Valley. Book well in advance to take advantage of a "Docent-led tour" or a traditional tea ceremony to add charm and culture to your visit. Hakone is "one of the oldest Japanese gardens in the Western Hemisphere" and is a National Historic Preservation premiere site.
5. Discover Play, San Jose, California
The Children's Discovery Museum is also celebrating a milestone: 25 years of inspiring curiosity. Known as the purple museum, the exhibits change often to keep kids engaged and it's all designed to involve children in the creative process. The Art Loft is where kids can create their own artwork, Kids in Motion is where kids learn physics while fooling around (whether they know it or not) and spaces like the Wonder Cabinet and WaterWays encourage play camouflaged as education.
6. Ponder the Mystery, San Jose, California
If you're looking for something off the beaten path and out of the ordinary, head for the Winchester Mystery House, which is a mansion built for Sarah Winchester, the heiress of the Winchester rifle fortune. The house is famous for many of its oddities, including doors that open onto blank walls and stairs that go nowhere. The Winchester House is thought to be haunted and has been featured on shows such as American Hauntings that endeavor to explain why Winchester kept workman at the house for 38 years, to complete the 160 rooms that span nearly one mile!
7. Sipping and Sightseeing, Livermore, California
The Livermore Valley is one of California's oldest wine regions. The first grapes were planted in the Livermore Valley in the 1760s by Spanish missionaries and the first commercial winery was established by Robert Livermore in the 1840s. "Livermore Valley wineries were the first to bottle varietal labeled Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Petite Sirah" and "Livermore Valley captured America's first international gold medal for wine in 1889 at the Paris Exposition, putting California on the world wine map." The valley is now home to more than 50 wineries. Take an "all-inclusive-wine-tasting tour" to visit wineries, learn about the grapes, do some tasting, some shopping and enjoy a box lunch without worrying about driving.
8. Taste the Difference, Napa, California
Embark on a culinary adventure or put on an apron and take a class with a seasoned chef. California's climate ensures year-round comestibles to choose from. Join Foodies on Foot for "a culinary and historical walking tour" of historic downtown Napa or walk wine country with the folks behind Gourmet Walks. Chefs, cooking schools, classes and camps conspire to make your trip a delicious one. If you don't have time for a cooking class, the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, CA offers public Cooking Demonstrations and you can get the ingredients for just about anything in their marketplace.
9. An Evening with Heart, Santa Clara, California
It's a free ticketed event, so you need to reserve your tickets online for this concert. Heart will be the headliner and there will be an opening act as well as pre-event activities and it all be capped off by a fireworks show. The gates open at 1pm, when the second stage performances begin. Catch An Evening with Heart starting at 4:30 and stick around for the fireworks that touch off around 6pm. Arrive early to get a spot in either the Central Parking lot or Mission College parking lot and don't worry about food. They will have a "food alley" as well as concessions for wine and beer.
10. Learn the history of the San Francisco 49ers, Santa Clara, California
49ers fan? If so, you won't have to go far to get your fix. The 49ers Museum is located on Tasman Drive, next to the Visa Box Office where you will purchase your tickets. Spend some time among 11 spaces dedicated to telling the story of the 49ers "past, present and future." The museum itself has a mission to serve "as an exciting, engaging home for fans of all ages" and it is dedicated to "education, innovation and heritage." The museum is open daily, although on "event days and 49ers game days, museum hours vary and are open only to ticket holders." Another reason to make your plans early.