This is a big summer weekend in Silicon Valley. First, there’s the 2017 Gilroy Garlic Festival in South County happening this weekend. Also, you have two concerts this Saturday and Sunday night at the SAP Center in downtown San Jose. Finally, there is a San Jose Earthquakes soccer match vs. Colorado at Avaya Stadium in San Jose on Saturday afternoon at 4:45pm.
This transit guide will detail the bus and rail alternatives to traffic gridlock and parking hassles.
2017 Gilroy Garlic Festival
The 2017 Gilroy Garlic Festival takes place this weekend at Christmas Hill Park, 7050 Miller Ave., in Gilroy.
Free secure bicycle parking is available on Miller Ave. at the levee (Uvas Parkway). Make sure to bring your own lock.
To help you beat traffic gridlock on Highway 101 to and from the Garlic Festival on Saturday and Sunday, Caltrain will run a special “Garlic Train” from San Jose Diridon Station to Gilroy. Information and ticket prices for the “Garlic Train” can be found here.
There are also several bus options available to and from the Festival area. For instance, from San Jose Diridon Station and downtown San Jose, catch VTA’s 68 bus line to the end of the line at the Gilroy Transit Center. VTA’s 68 bus line typically runs every 30 minutes on weekends.
Alternately, you can catch Monterey-Salinas Transit’s 55 express bus to Gilroy Transit Center.
As there is no weekend transit service south of Gilroy Transit Center, plan on at least a 30 minute walk to Christmas Hill Park and the Festival grounds. Here is a map showing you walking and bicycle directions between the Festival and the Gilroy Transit Center.
Make sure to allow at least an hour extra time to and from Gilroy on the buses, as crowds enter and leave the Garlic Festival this weekend.
Enjoy the Gilroy Garlic Festival this weekend and stay safe.
Two Music Legends Visit San Jose
On Saturday, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill will have their “Soul2Soul” World Tour concert in San Jose. On Sunday, Neil Diamond will have his “50th Anniversary World Tour” concert in San Jose. Both concerts will be at the SAP Center on Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 8pm, respectively. Read up on information regarding both shows.
To help you beat traffic and parking hassles, there is an SAP Center music concert transit guide that covers late-night bus service from music concerts. This is especially useful if you’re coming from the Peninsula, Fremont, or the South County.
Earthquakes Soccer On Saturday
On Saturday at 4:45pm, the San Jose Earthquakes host the Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer action.
Note that the Earthquakes have chartered Caltrain to provide one FREE train to and from the soccer match. Details can be found below.
.@VTA Pedestrian Undercrossing opening, free @Caltrain, Luau Night and much more!
REMINDER: Early 4:45 kickoff! ➡️ https://t.co/jw7gMSPXcm pic.twitter.com/vkEkKMuZaW
— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) July 27, 2017
There is also our own transit guide to Earthquakes soccer, which details bus service to and from the match.
For More Information…
Follow @svtransitupdts on Twitter for transit updates to and from these and other events throughout the South Bay. Transit reports from BART, VTA, and other transit agencies from transit riders like YOU are reported daily. Read how YOU can help report public transit delays.
Stay safe and have fun at these events this weekend.
Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users