More Best of Silicon Valley Winners: Family & Pets | Health & Fitness | Services | Shopping | Editorial Picks
The best arts groups, dance troupes, theater companies, nightclubs, music-makers and scenesters—in other words, all the best cultural happenings in Silicon Valley, according to Metro’s readers.
Best Author Readings
Gold—Hicklebee’s, San Jose
Silver—Center for Literary Arts of San Jose, SJSU
Bronze—Kepler’s Books, Menlo Park
Best Ballet Company
Gold—New Ballet
Silver (tie)
San José Dance Theatre
Smuin Contemporary Ballet
Best Bike Ride
Gold—Los Gatos Creek Trail
Silver—Coyote Creek Trail
Best Casino or Card Room
Gold—Casino M8trix, San Jose
Silver—Bay 101, San Jose
Bronze—CV Photo Casino, San Jose
Best Comedy Night
Gold—San Jose Improv Open Mic, San Jose
Silver—Rooster T. Feathers, Sunnyvale
Best Cover Band
Gold—Lavender Fields Band
Silver—The Houserockers
Bronze—The Honey Wilders
Best Dance Company
Gold—San José Dance Theatre
Silver—West Valley Dance Company
Bronze—Smuin Contemporary Ballet
Best DJ Night
Gold—Darkwave, Woodhams Lounge, Santa Clara
Silver—Woodhams Lounge, Santa Clara
Best Festival—Central Silicon Valley
Gold—Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival
Silver—Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival
Best Festival—Peninsula
Gold—Mountain View Art & Wine Festival
Silver—Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival
Best Festival—San Jose
Gold—Italian Family Festa
Silver—Fountain Blues & Brews Festival
Bronze—Viva CalleSJ
Best Festival—South County
Gold—Northern California Renaissance Faire
Silver—Morgan Hill Mushroom Festival
Best Festival—West Valley
Gold—Campbell Oktoberfest
Silver—Boogie on the Bayou, Campbell
Bronze—Los Gatos Art & Wine Festival, Fiesta de Artes
Best Film Festival
Gold—Cinequest
Silver—Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest
Best Gallery Openings
Gold—Works/San José
Silver—Triton Museum of Art
Best Golf Course
Gold—Coyote Creek Golf Club
Silver—San Jose Municipal Golf Course
Best Hip-Hop Venue
Gold—The Branham Lounge, San Jose
Best Jazz/Blues Club
Gold—Poor House Bistro, San Jose
Silver—Mama Kin, San Jose
Best Karaoke
Gold—7 Bamboo, San Jose
Silver—Effie’s Restaurant, Campbell
Bronze—Mama Kin, San Jose
Best Latin Music Club
Gold—Alberto’s, Mountain View
Silver (tie)—Club Caribe de San Jose
Miami Beach Club, San Jose
Best LGBTQ Event
Gold—Silicon Valley Pride
Silver—Wigs, Waffles, and Wine
Best Live Music Venue—Large
Gold—Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Silver—Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga
Bronze—SAP Center, San Jose
Best Local Band
Gold—Aki Kumar
Silver—The Honey Wilders
Bronze—Ghosts of Calico
Best Local Book Since January 2023
Gold—Reed Magazine, Issue 156
Best Local Instagram Account
Gold—Tony’s Lists
Best Media Personality
Gold—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News
Silver—Brodie Brazil, NBC Sports California
Bronze—Charlie Kirk, 860AM The Answer
Best Movie Theater
Gold—Pruneyard Cinemas, Campbell
Silver—Cinemark CinéArts Santana Row, San Jose
Bronze—Cinemark Century Mountain View 16
Best Museum
Gold—San Jose Museum of Art
Silver—Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, San Jose
Bronze—Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose
Best Music Festival
Gold—San Jose Jazz
Silver—Music in the Park
Bronze—Fountain Blues & Brews Festival
Best Outdoor Art Event
Gold (tie)
Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival
Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival
Bronze—Viva CalleSJ
Best Outdoor Music Venue
Gold—The Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Silver—Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View
Bronze—Frost Amphitheater, Stanford
Best Outdoor Store
Gold—Sports Basement, Campbell
Silver—Bass Pro Shops, San Jose
Bronze—Sports Basement, Sunnyvale
Best Park or Open Space
Gold—Vasona Lake County Park
Silver—Rancho San Antonio Preserve
Bronze—John D. Morgan Park
Best Performing Arts Center
Gold—Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
Silver—Center for the Performing Arts, San Jose
Bronze—Hammer Theatre, San Jose
Best Place to Dance
Gold—Number 1 Broadway, Los Gatos
Silver—Little Lou’s BBQ, Campbell
Bronze—Splash, San Jose
Best Place to Discover Local Musicians
Gold—Poor House Bistro, San Jose
Silver—Mama Kin Open Mic Night, San Jose
Bronze—Woodhams Lounge, Santa Clara
Best Small Museum
Gold—Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, San Jose
Silver—Institute of Contemporary Art San José
Bronze—Sunnyvale Pez Pole
Best Small Music Venue
Gold—Club Fox, Redwood City
Silver—Art Boutiki, San Jose
Bronze—Mama Kin, San Jose
Best Small Theater Company
Gold—City Lights Theater Company
Silver—San Jose Stage Company
Bronze—3Below Theaters
Best Symphony
Gold—Symphony San Jose
Silver—San José Chamber Orchestra
Best Theater Company
Gold—TheatreWorks Silicon Valley
Silver—City Lights Theater Company
Bronze—San Jose Stage Company
Best Trivia Night
Gold—Fred’s Place, Mountain View
Silver—Off the Rails Brewing Company, Sunnyvale
Bronze—Guildhouse, San Jose
