Downtown San Jose is a hub for cultural events — and with a menu of festivals on tap through spring and summer, local businesses should be able to capture some of the revenue stream.
Cultural events such as Cinco de Mayo, San Jose Fountain Blues & Brews Festival, San Jose Jazz Summer Fest and South First Fridays art walks will fill the streets with foot traffic. Those crowded sidewalks should help boost the local economy and reaffirm the arts as an economic engine. With a constant diet of events, the city will have opportunities to activate its downtown core and drive revenue, proponents of the arts said.
Leah Toeniskoetter, president and CEO of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce, said the arts have an amazing ripple effect on the local economy.
“They are job creators, not only for the artists and the performers, but the technicians, vendors, hospitality workers,” Toeniskoetter told San José Spotlight. “The ballet, the symphony, the Center for the Performing Arts, all of them sit in our downtown. So, if you want to see … Swan Lake, musicals … you can only find that in our downtown.”
The nonprofit creative sector employs more than 4,700 people and brings in about $292 million per year to the city, according to Kerry Adams Hapner, San Jose director of cultural affairs.
People coming for an event will likely pay for parking and have dinner before a show, or go for drinks and dessert afterward, helping to support restaurants and bars. Multiple-day events such as Cinequest and San Jose Jazz Summer Fest attract people from other cities and countries who stay overnight.
“Whether you’re selling the tickets, doing the choreography or you’re doing the performance, there’s a very large range of jobs that are supported through the creative economy,” Adams Hapner told San José Spotlight. “That’s good for small business owners, for people that work in the restaurants.”
The arts have made a significant comeback since the pandemic. Last fiscal year, San Jose Theaters welcomed 600,000 guests, about 14% above pre-pandemic levels, Frances Wong, spokesperson for Visit San Jose, told San José Spotlight.
In April, Visit San Jose, in partnership with Rollati Ristorante and Vine Hospitality, is promoting San Jose Theater Month. The downtown restaurant is offering a prix fixe dinner menu for theatergoers to encourage dinner and a show. Wong said she’d like to grow the concept, adding more restaurants next year.
Emily Ruvalcaba, chair of the San Jose Downtown Association board, said there’s renewed energy downtown. The association continues to see an uptick in foot traffic tied to events, performances and arts programming.
“San Jose is a city that thrives when its creative heart is beating strong,” Ruvalcaba told San José Spotlight. “The arts aren’t just a complement to our economy, they’re essential to it. They build community, create opportunity and help drive a more vibrant and economically resilient downtown.”
Ruvalcaba said when someone attends a Symphony San Jose concert at the California Theatre or enjoys a new exhibit at MACLA, they’re often dining, shopping or exploring the area.
She said the arts create a significant economic multiplier impact on small businesses, and when an out-of-area visitor attends a downtown arts event they spend an average of $65.69 per person, in addition to the cost of their event ticket.
“The arts are big business in San Jose and critical to the success of our downtown,” Ruvalcaba said. “The arts play a vital role in bringing people together and in a downtown like San Jose’s, that means bringing them directly to the doorsteps of our small businesses.”
Contact Lorraine Gabbert at [email protected].
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