Senator Cortese’s 2026 Picnic by the Lake Thank You and Recap

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Allow me to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who attended my 4th Annual Picnic by the Lake Multicultural Festival and Legislative Resource Fair this past Saturday, October 10th, 2026 at Hellyer County Park. On behalf of our event co-partners at the County of Santa Clara Parks and Recreation Department and the San Jose Japantown Lions Club, we thank you for making our Picnic by the Lake truly spectacular. I hope you were able to enjoy it as much as we were, and more. Check out some of the highlights below!
 

Thank You to Our Picnic by the Lake Co-Partners: County of Santa Clara Parks Department & San Jose Japantown Lions Club
 

I met up with members of the San Jose Japantown Lions Club.

I met up with members of the San Jose Japantown Lions Club.

Santa Clara County Parks Rangers engaging youth at their resource table.

Santa Clara County Parks Rangers engaging youth at their resource table.  

Thank You to All Our Vendors!
 

I signed up to receive my annual flu shot from the County of Santa Clara Valley Health Care staff.

I signed up to receive my annual flu shot from the County of Santa Clara Valley Health Care staff.

Kudos to the County of Santa Clara Office of Emergency Management for handing out over 1,400 emergency preparedness kits.

Kudos to the County of Santa Clara Office of Emergency Management for handing out over 1,400 emergency preparedness kits.

I would also like to take some time to give a special thanks to all the nonprofit organizations, as well as County and State agencies and departments, who participated as resource booth participants. Thank you for joining us and providing vital resources and services to those who attended the event. In particular, I want to thank:

  • County of Santa Clara Valley Health Care for providing 155 free flu shots, 
  • County of Santa Clara Office of Emergency Management for providing free emergency preparedness kits, 
  • Milpitas Executive Lions Club for providing free vision, hearing, blood pressure and diabetes screenings, 
  • CAL FIRE Department – Local 2881 for firing up the grill and cooking delicious beef and veggie burgers with the help of Silicon Valley Career Technical Education Fire Science Academy students, and 
  • San Andreas Regional Center for hosting our Kid’s Zone, which included face painting, bubbles, and free snow cones! 

We had over 80 resource booth participants offering great community support, giveaways, and interactive displays. Thank you for joining my office, event partners, sponsors, and me in uplifting each other for the betterment of the community.
 

Thank you to Santa Clara Valley Water District for being one of our event partners.

Thank you to Santa Clara Valley Water District for being one of our event partners.

San Andreas Regional Center hosted our Kid’s Zone offering face painting and free snow cones!

San Andreas Regional Center hosted our Kid’s Zone offering face painting and free snow cones!

Thank you to First Tee of Silicon Valley for participating with us!

Thank you to First Tee of Silicon Valley for participating with us!

I stopped by College of Adaptive Arts table. Thank you for participating!

I stopped by College of Adaptive Arts table. Thank you for participating!

Mesmerizing Multicultural Performances!

Picnic by the Lake would not have been as captivating as it was without the incredible and culturally diverse performances of local groups showcasing the rich tapestry we have here in Silicon Valley. I want to take the opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to both of our emcees, retired KPIX reporter, Len Ramirez, as well as Gilroy Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Cristina Cortes. We also extend a special thank you to Lewis Tecson from Bytes & Notes for managing the sound system and keeping the energy alive and rhythm flowing.

In particular, I want to thank Julie Dominguez for gracing us with a Land Acknowledgement from the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. A Land Acknowledgement is a formal statement that recognizes the legacy of colonialism that impacted Indigenous Peoples, their traditional territories and practices.
 

Thank you, Julie Dominguez and the Muwekma Ohlone Preservation Foundation, for delivering an impactful Land Acknowledgement to start our program.

Thank you, Julie Dominguez and the Muwekma Ohlone Preservation Foundation, for delivering an impactful Land Acknowledgement to start our program. 

The Silicon Valley Korean American Citizens League’s Katuri Dance Group performed a traditional Korean Fan Dance and Uhwudong.

The Silicon Valley Korean American Citizens League’s Katuri Dance Group performed a traditional Korean Fan Dance and Uhwudong.

I would like to acknowledge and thank all of our performers for entertaining us throughout the day including:

  • Bytes & Notes
  • Dream Achievers Band – Musicians with Autism from FCSN
  • LD Dancers and Singers
  • Leleka Ukrainian Dance Group
  • Silicon Valley Korean American Citizens League
  • Pilipino Association of Workers and Immigrants (PAWIS)
  • Overfelt High School Polynesian Club
  • El Grito de la Cultura Academy
  • Kriyaa Dance Academy
  • San Jose Cambodian Cultural Dance Troupe
     
The Leleka Ukrainian Dance Group performed a series of traditional Ukrainian folk-dances.

The Leleka Ukrainian Dance Group performed a series of traditional Ukrainian folk-dances. 

El Grito de la Cultura Academy, led by Elena Robles, performed folklórico dance numbers that livened up the stage!

El Grito de la Cultura Academy, led by Elena Robles, performed folklórico dance numbers that livened up the stage!

Thank You to Our Volunteers
 

CalFIRE Local 2881 and Silicon Valley Career Technical Education Fire Science Academy students fired up the grill and served delicious beef and veggie burgers to guests.

CalFIRE Local 2881 and Silicon Valley Career Technical Education Fire Science Academy students fired up the grill and served delicious beef and veggie burgers to guests.

Thank you to San Jose Boy and Girl Scouts Troop Number # 817 for organizing and staffing our pumpkin patch with free pumpkins!

Thank you to San Jose Boy and Girl Scouts Troop Number # 817 for organizing and staffing our pumpkin patch with free pumpkins!   


Thank You to Our Event Partners

I would also like to thank all of our event partners. Without their generous contributions, Picnic by the Lake would not have been made possible. A hearty THANK YOU to United Association Local 393 – Plumbers, Pipefitters, Steamfitters, and HVACR Technicians; Silicon Valley Community Foundation; Santa Clara Family Health Plan; Kaiser Permanente; KeyPoint Credit Union; Sutter Health; Republic Services; Amazon; San Jose Sharks; California Nurses Association; Microsoft; San Jose Water; Silicon Valley Clean Energy; Santa Clara Valley Water District; Google; Safeway; San Andreas Regional Center; Plenary Americas USA; San Francisco 49ers; San Jose Giants; San Jose Conservation Corps; Nob Hill Foods; In-N-Out; Chik-Fil-A; Community Cycles of California; City Cruises; Provident Credit Union; and Ike’s Love and Sandwiches.


Thank You to My District Staff

Last but certainly not least, I would like to recognize and thank my amazing District Office staff who worked hard these past few months to make Picnic by the Lake a resounding success. Please join me in thanking them: Michelle Pelayo-Osorio, Zachary Contini, Meghan Bedi, Mariam Ghallab, Natasha Waxman, Phuong Nguyen, Marilyn Damey, and Mario B. Lopez.

Senator Cortese with Michelle Pelayo-Osorio, Zachary Contini, Meghan Bedi, Mariam Ghallab, Natasha Waxman, Phuong Nguyen, Marilyn Damey, and Mario B. Lopez


For those who weren’t able to join us this time, I want to extend a warm invitation to next year’s event. Next year’s event will be announced soon! Picnic by the Lake is an awesome, all-free celebration of our vibrant and diverse community.


Sincerely,

Dave Cortese
California State Senator
Senate District 15