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Dear Santa Clara Residents and Friends,
May is a month of momentum. The world is watching, and Santa Clara is ready.
This spring has been one of the most exciting in our city's history. In April, we hosted the STEM Zone, a showcase of Silicon Valley innovation, young talent, and community pride that left everyone who attended feeling inspired. And just as May arrived, our Downtown came alive with the first Night Market of the season, filling Lafayette Street with food, music, dancing, and the kind of joy that reminds me why this city is so special.
Now, with the FIFA World Cup 2026 just weeks away, the countdown is on. Levi's Stadium will welcome the world for six extraordinary matches beginning June 13, and Santa Clara, our city, our home, will be at the center of it all. We are not just hosting games. We are hosting history.
As your Mayor and a fourth-generation Santa Claran, I could not be more proud. This newsletter is your guide to some of what is happening this month and into the summer. I hope to see you out there.
On April 19, Santa Clara welcomed hundreds of families, students, and innovation enthusiasts to the inaugural STEM Zone at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The event, part of our Celebrate Santa Clara 2026 community series, showcased the very best of Silicon Valley's spirit: curiosity, creativity, and collaboration.
Thanks to our amazing City Librarian and Staff, visitors explored four exciting zones: a Robotics Zone with live demos from high school teams and Mission College's robotic dog; a Discovery Zone featuring Santa Clara University student innovations, water systems science, and a fire prevention VR experience; a Play Zone packed with hands-on engineering challenges; and inspiring Speaker Panels featuring commercial astronaut Sirisha Bandla, MythBusters' Kari Byron, and the creative team behind the droids of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
STEM Zone was Santa Clara at its finest, where our identity as the heart of Silicon Valley met our commitment to education and community. I want to thank every student, educator, scientist, and volunteer who made this day extraordinary!
The energy from May is just the beginning. Mark your calendars for our next two Night Markets with each one promising the same wonderful mix of food, culture, live music, and community art:
Night Market #2
- June 5 - 6
- Friday, 4 - 9 p.m. and Saturday, 2 - 9 p.m.
Night Market #3
- July 17 - 18
- Friday, 4 - 9 p.m. and Saturday, 2 - 9 p.m.
 The FIFA World Cup is the most-watched sporting event on the planet, and in just a few weeks, six of its matches will be played right here in Santa Clara at Levi's Stadium. Fans from across the globe will descend on our city, and I want every resident to feel a part of this historic moment, whether you have a ticket to the stadium or you're cheering from your neighborhood.
Santa Clara's World Cup Match Schedule
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Saturday, June 13, 12 p.m. PST: Match 8 | Group B | Qatar vs. Switzerland
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Tuesday, June 16, 9 p.m. PST: Match 20 | Group J | Austria vs. Jordan
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Friday, June 19, 9 p.m. PST: Match 31 | Group D | Turkey vs. Paraguay
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Monday, June 22, 8 p.m. PST: Match 44 | Group J | Jordan vs. Algeria
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Thursday, June 25, 7 p.m. PST: Match 60 | Group D | Paraguay vs. Australia
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Wednesday, July 1, 5 p.m. PST: Match 81 | Round of 32 | Winner of Group D vs Wildcard
Watch Parties - Cheer with Your Neighbors!
Not everyone will be in the stands, and that's perfectly okay. We are planning community Watch Parties so that every Santa Claran can experience the thrill of World Cup match days together. Imagine gathering with your neighbors, sharing great food, and erupting in cheers as history unfolds on a big screen.
Details on dates, locations, and Watch Party programming are coming very soon. This summer should belong to all of us, not just those lucky enough to have tickets. Stay connected for announcements through our 2026 Community Events webpage.
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None of what you have read in this newsletter, not the STEM Zone, the Night Markets, the Day on the Field Stadium event, the Watch Parties ahead, would have been possible without the dedication of our Economic Development, Communications, and Marketing Committee. I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to every single member who has given their time, passion, and insight to help shape the Celebrate Santa Clara 2026 community events. What makes this committee so remarkable is the breadth of voices around the table. They represent the full tapestry of our city… youth sports coaches and young participants, artists and cultural performers, historic preservation advocates who cherish our city's roots, members of our diverse ethnic and cultural communities, civic and non-profit organizations, business leaders, teachers and school leaders, newer residents still falling in love with Santa Clara, and longtime families who have called this city home for generations. Across every generation, every walk of life, all united by a shared love for this community. And of course, our dedicated city staff who has help lead us through this most exciting year!
These events were designed by Santa Clarans, for Santa Clarans. That was the intention from the very beginning, and this committee held true to it at every step. They ensured that our 2026 programming is not just tied to the global spectacle of the World Cup and the Super Bowl but that it belongs to us. The Night Markets celebrating our culinary and cultural diversity, the STEM Zone honoring our identity as the heart of Silicon Valley, the Watch Parties that will bring neighbors together regardless of whether they have a stadium ticket, these are community events in the truest sense of the word. I am profoundly grateful for the wisdom, creativity, and heart that each committee member brought to this work. Santa Clara is better because of you.
May is the bridge between a remarkable spring and a historic summer. As we cross it together, I want you to feel the pride that I feel every day representing this city. Santa Clara is ready. We have worked hard, planned carefully, and built a community worthy of this moment.
When the world arrives at our doorstep in June, they will not just see a stadium. They will see us, our neighborhoods, our businesses, our culture, and our warmth. That is the Santa Clara I have loved my entire life, and I could not be more honored to share it with the world on your behalf.
With gratitude and civic pride,
 Mayor Lisa M. Gillmor
LGillmor@SantaClaraCA.gov
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