Events in Santa Clara

Santa Clara is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de As?s, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the grounds of Santa Clara University.

Santa Clara is located in the center of Silicon Valley, and is home to the headquarters of Intel, Applied Materials, Sun Microsystems, NVIDIA, Agilent Technologies, and many other high-tech companies. It is home to both Mission College and Santa Clara University, the latter being the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of California.

Santa Clara is also home to Great America, an amusement park operated by Cedar Fair, L.P. Santa Clara owns and operates an electric utility called Silicon Valley Power. In 2005 Silicon Valley Power brought online the Donald Von Raesfeld (DVR) Power Plant.

The new combined-cycle gas turbine plant produces 147 megawatts of electricity for the city and its residents. As a result, the going rate for electricity in Santa Clara is considerably cheaper than that offered by Northern California's dominant utility, Pacific Gas and Electric.

Experience of Santa Clara
When in Santa Clara, you can visit attractions like California's Great America theme park, the Intel Museum and Mission Santa Clara, or go to great events like the Santa Clara Farmer's Market and annual Art and Wine Festival.

Great America theme park
Great America theme park is the city's premier visitor attraction. The 100-acre park is the only place in Northern California where families can interact with Nickelodeon characters and enjoy the maximum rides, waters and roller coasters. The water park inside the Great America theme park is loved by children and elders alike.

Intel Museum
The Intel Museum, located in Santa Clara, displays Intel's history through unique, educational exhibits designed to let you explore Intel's advanced technology and manufacturing first hand. The museum is 10,000 square feet of fun and interactive learning for children and adults. Located within Intel Corporation's headquarters in Santa Clara, the museum offers a unique Silicon Valley experience for thousands of visitors from around the world each year.

You can visit the Intel Museum free of charge. Interactive exchibits and hands-on labs introduce visitors to the world of micro-miniature silicon chips. A self-guided audio tour is available in seven different languages: English, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Spanish, French, and German.

Santa Clara Convention Center
For a meeting venue in one of the most modern, well-equipped convention centers in the country, come to Santa Clara, California. Santa Clara Convention center is a unique and inspired location whose creative energies have changed the world. Located south of San Francisco in the center of Silicon Valley, this high-tech meeting, trade, and convention complex has taken its origin from the business that surrounds it.

Mission Santa Clara de Asis
The visit to Mission Santa Clara de Asis is also free of charge. The eighth of 21 California missions, this mission was founded in 1777 by the Franciscans. After a tour of the mission, you can visit the surrounding Mission Gardens. The pale yellow barksia rose and purple wisteria date back to the 1800's, so does the olive trees on the site.

Shopping
The most popular shopping outlets are Westfield Valley Fair, ercado Santa Clara, Rivermark Plaza, Santana Row (this is actually in San Jose, but borders directly on Santa Clara), and the Great Mall Of The Bay Area.

Sports & Activities
Sports lovers find their thirst fulfilled in this city. Live racing is done daily in nearby cities and is considered as a professional sport like soccer. Live race videos can be seen via their website.

High School sports in San Jose feature colorful histories of dominating schools like St Bellarmine College Preparatory, Oak Grove and Valley Christian. Notable NFL players, MLB players, World Record swimmers and other athletes regularly come from these high schools. Another feature sports, unique to California high school sports is water polo.

There are many parks in the area with good trails for hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. In San Jose, proper, the Alum Rock Park offers superb views of the northern end of Silicon Valley and the artifacts of historical activities related to the geothermal activity in Alum Rock. Adjacent to San Jose are parks like the Almaden Quicksilver County Park and many others.

Active hot air ballooning enthusiasts regularly operate in Morgan Hill, Gilroy and southwards. Hang gliders often fly on the slopes of the Diablo Range (e.g. Mission Peak and Monument Peak) in nearby Fremont and Milpitas. Windsurfers are active on the San Francisco Bay at Shoreline in nearby Mountain View.

Conclusion
Continuous growth and innovative projects undergo in the Santa Clara valley. Santa Clara proudly boasts to be in the heart of silicon valley and all the technological advancements. Residents in Santa Clara are well aware of the significance of technology and put in their best to become part of silicon valley.Indeed this city is an inspiration for the rest of the world.