Block party series to support San Jose small businesses kicks off

SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose’s free summer block party event kicked off on Thursday night. The event will highlight small businesses each month until October in different business districts throughout downtown.

The Urban Vibrancy Institute (UVI), partnering with the City of San Jose, said they want to keep the good times rolling.

In San Jose's Fountain Alley, the block party included live music, vendor booths, local artists, and access to restaurants nearby.

"That’s honestly what I like about the Bay Area. You have everything here, especially with all these events that are going on downtown," said Gaby, of San Jose. 

UVI and the City of San Jose have partnered to bring more attention to small businesses since last year. District 3 City Councilmember Omar Torres and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan talked about the impact the block parties have had on the community.

"We heard from small businesses that they would sometimes make an entire month’s rent in one night when we just came out with live music and vendors and threw a block party. It’s easy and cheap to do with a little bit of planning and coordination," said Mahan. 

"Our downtown is seeing an uptick, right? We are recovering, so downtown is open for business!" said Torres.

Mahan says 65 vendors will participate in the block party series throughout the summer, including Pricklee, a company offering a new healthy drink.

"We’re actually signed up for all of them. We think this is a cool event. We love how they promote local businesses, and we really wanted to introduce our product to the local customer base as well," said Yuange Yang, owner of Pricklee drinks. 

San Jose social media Influencer Chris Villa of San Jose Foos says he works nearby and wanted to support a local event.

"I do support the community a lot. I’m out here for my city, more so. I love the people. I love seeing the community coming together," said Villa. 

Click here for more information about the block parties.