SAN JOSE, Calif. – The holidays will hit San Jose in full force on Saturday, Dec.10 as the San Jose Earthquakes will host the first-ever Winterfest at Avaya Stadium. The holiday-themed festival will run from noon through 5 p.m. and will feature more than 10 tons of snow and holiday-related activities ahead of a viewing party for MLS Cup 2016.
The two-acre 7UP Epicenter at Avaya Stadium will be transformed into a winter wonderland with numerous activities, including a giant inflatable snow globe and snowman bounce house. With roughly 2,100 cubic feet of snow available for snowballs and snowmen, fans will have an opportunity to have a true winter experience without the lengthy drive to the mountains. Families and friends can also snap their annual holiday cards in the 7UP Epicenter with a holiday-themed backdrop.
Ahead of and during Winterfest, the Earthquakes will be hosting a toy drive benefitting Sacred Heart Community Services, Uplift Family Services, Child Advocates of Silicon Valley, Bill Wilson Center, Shop with a Cop Silicon Valley, and Salvation Army.
General admission to Winterfest is free, although new and gently used toys or canned goods are a suggested donation upon entry. Ticketed activities at the festival will benefit the Earthquakes Community Fund.
There will also be action on the Avaya Stadium field, with teams of police and fire fighters squaring off with bragging rights on the line at 12:30 p.m. That match will be followed by two games, the first being between the women of St. Francis High School Salesian College Preparatory and Cristo Rey San Jose Jesuit High School at 2:25 p.m., followed by the men of Cristo Rey San Jose Jesuit High School vs. St. Francis High School Salesian College Preparatory at 4:25 p.m.
For those who want to dress the part of a professional Earthquakes player, team-issued equipment will be sold on a first come, first served basis beginning at noon at the Earthquakes Team Store, powered by Gyft. Limited amounts of jerseys, shorts, socks and sliders will be for sale with all proceeds benefitting the Earthquakes Community Fund. A merchandise sale will also take place that same day at the team store.
Throughout the event, the TCL 4K bar will offer winter beverages, such as hot chocolate and eggnog, and food trucks will line up along the fence on the north end of the Epicenter just like an Earthquakes home match.
A Select-a-Seat event for prospective Earthquakes season ticket holders will take place throughout the festivities, allowing the valued members of the Quakes community to find and select available seats for the 2017 season.
The festival will conclude with a viewing party for the 2016 MLS Cup, set to kick off at 5 p.m. PT, as the Eastern Conference champions and Western Conference champions battle to be crowned as the best team in Major League Soccer.
