Santa Clara Night Markets: Food, Music, Art

The City of Santa Clara is scheduled to open its next Night Markets event on Friday, June 5, with food, music, art and cultural programming in the downtown Lafayette Street corridor. City event pages list the market as a two-day program running from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 6. The city says the event is part of its broader “Celebrate Santa Clara: 2026 Community Events” lineup tied to civic programming around Super Bowl LX and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. ### When does the market start, and is it only one night? Friday, June 5, is the opening date listed on Santa Clara’s event calendar, but the market is not limited to one evening. The city’s Night Markets page says the June event continues on Saturday, June 6, making it a two-day market rather than a single-night activation. The June schedule posted by the city sets Friday hours at 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday hours at 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. A separate city calendar entry for June 5 lists the same opening time and location. ### Where in Santa Clara is the event being held? The City of Santa Clara lists the market location as 900-1000 Lafayette St. in downtown Santa Clara. The city’s community calendar also identifies the June 5 event at 900 Lafayette St., placing it in the Lafayette Street corridor referenced on the Night Markets page. Free parking is listed at 1063 Alviso St., according to the city’s event details. The city page groups the parking information with the market address, indicating attendees should use the downtown area around Lafayette Street and Alviso Street. ### What does the city say people should expect there? Santa Clara describes the Night Markets as a street-style event centered on food, culture, music and art. The city’s Night Markets page says the summer series is intended to showcase Santa Clara’s “cultural and culinary identity” and to bring together local residents and visitors. A city news post about the 2026 community events says each Night Market is planned as a two-day event with food, artisan vendors, live music and community art. That same post says the markets are part of a larger calendar of all-ages events scheduled across 2026. ### How does this fit into Santa Clara’s 2026 event calendar? Santa Clara launched a “Celebrate Santa Clara: 2026 Community Events” program this year under the phrase “Where the Mission Meets the Moment,” according to the city’s events page. The Night Markets are one piece of that calendar, which also includes concerts, outdoor movies and other city-run events. The city’s calendar shows the June market followed by another Night Markets weekend on July 17 and July 18. A city news release published earlier this year also referenced Night Markets in May, June and July as part of the same 2026 programming push. ### Where can people RSVP or check for updates? Santa Clara directs visitors to RSVP through the city’s Night Markets webpage. The event listing appears on both the dedicated Night Markets page and the city’s broader 2026 community events page, which the city says will carry updates. July 17 and July 18 are listed by the city as the next Night Markets dates after the June 5-6 event. The city’s online event pages also include location, parking and schedule details for attendees planning to go.