San Jose Art Garden & Art Walk
San Jose Art Garden & Art Walk
Every Thursday night from 5-9pm, in the Mission plaza of San Jose del Cabo, local artists and creators gather to showcase their paintings, photography, handmade jewelry, food, dancing, and much more. The plaza gets crowded with people viewing the art, enjoying the food cart options, and hanging out. The art walk is intended to encourage visitors of the art garden to explore the art galleries and restaurants throughout the cobblestone streets of downtown San Jose. Originally only held between the months of November and June, the art garden and art walk have recently been extended to a year-round event! The plaza has a giant Mexican flag waving above the buildings at the corner of the downtown area in front of the church. It’s about a fifteen to twenty minute walk from the Vidanta hotel at the edge of the Hotel Zone.
Local Mexican art
Artists set up in rows all over the plaza each with lights, easels, and tables to best display their beautiful works. Most of the art is paintings, but there are also some photographers, sculptors, dancers, jewelers and more unique mediums. As you walk along the rows of art, your interest in an artist’s work may lead to a friendly conversation with the artist about their inspiration, techniques, or pricing. Don’t forget to explore all of the art galleries located throughout the downtown area featuring amazing works from local and international artists.
Traditional Mexican food
Food is another great part of the art walk. You can indulge in fresh churros, tamales, tacos, and esquite. We’ve had the fresh churros a few times and for not being the biggest churro fan, I have to say these are delicious. We noticed tables selling locally sourced honeys and marmalades, coffee, teas, and chocolates. Instead of buying honey from the grocery store, we got fresh, local honey from the beekeeper himself. We also bought coffee that is roasted and ground here in San Jose. These options and more are also often available at local farmer’s markets. Outside of the food vendors, downtown San Jose is home to many great restaurants with a variety of cuisine options. Check out the Los Cabos Handbook page of this website to see some of my favorite restaurants in downtown San Jose.
Entertainment for all ages
Live bands perform on stage for you to sit and enjoy while you eat or look at art. Oftentimes you can watch street performers and dancers in the open spaces performing traditional dances. A few toy carts are always present with all kinds of fun toys for kids. You’ll see the flying, light-up spinners shoot up into the air and then fall gracefully before they are caught by the person launching and selling them. I bought one and was surprised how high they launch into the sky.
Beyond Mission plaza
After walking through the main plaza, wander down one of the pretty cobblestone streets past restaurants, bars, and art galleries. Downtown San Jose has a lot to offer depending on what you want to eat, the vibe you desire, and the amount of art you want to enjoy.