Mexican Heritage Plaza

This was my first time at the Mexican heritage plaza for a play. Love that they have a big parking lot. The inside courtyard area is very big and beautiful! As we entered the theatre they had booth set up in the lobby selling stuff which was really neat.
I can’t wait to come back here for other events (hopefully outside so I can enjoy the environment more).
We sat in the first row on the left side (if looking at the stage) of the theatre. Great view of everything! But unfortunately the seating/​stairs was very bad designed and the middle of the stair did not line up with the row walkway. I ended up falling while trying to exit the row, I luckily didn’t hurt myself badly but I did end up with many big bruises on my backside and legs.
Be careful and watch your step as someone could get hurt worse than I did.

We were invited to attend a preview of Antique Roadshow filmed in Santa Clara and to be telecast on KQED next week.
Forewarned that there’s limited premise parking, we arrived around 6pm for the event which began at 6:30pm. It was still daylight so no problem. At the conclusion of the event at 9pm, we followed people out to the lot. Oops, wrong lot. Apparently there’s a major lot and a smaller lot. Lesson here — look around while it’s still daylight to avoid mistakes.
As for the venue, we were led upstairs to the second floor for a reception. There’s an outdoor patio overlooking the plaza. Later we were led into the theater from the second floor. Nice comfy seats. We viewed the show and later Q&A session with the producer of Antique Roadshow. At the conclusion of the event, we exited from ground level back to our car.
Easy access back to Hwy 101.

I was amazed at the design of this place. Fairly non-​descript from the outside, but you walk in and wham! there’s an enormous open plaza in the center! Very nice theater and beautiful furniture and antiques displayed inside. There’s a side parking lot which is attended by a security guard.

We are delighted to know and work with the Mexican Heritage Plaza, is a beautiful venue it has a lot space to do things around the mail hall, we just had our 10^th Wedding Anniversary and a Ceremony there on 12÷27÷14, it was out doors, the view was gorgeous, we received a lot complements about the entered event, our guest felt very welcome and enjoyed the space.
We had our Appetizers Outdoors, we wanted to do several food stations with Authentic Mexican Style Appetizers, we had Mini Enchiladas made on site, Morisqueta, Mini Pambasos, Mini Huaraches, Arepas, Mini Tinga Tostadas, Fish Tacos with Hand Made Tortillas, Shrimp Ceviche, Aguachiles, Tinga, Hand Made Quesadillas, Homemade Chips and Salsa, Churros Made on Site, Aguas Frescas Satation, Hot Drink Station with Fruit Punch, Café De Olla, Champurrado and a Dessert Station, the reason a mention all of the appetizers is because we wanted to do it like a mercadito style with lots of food stations and thanks to the huge out door space we were able to achieve it, allowing the guest to walk around and still have cocktail tables and some seating, we had a total of 7 appetizer stations.
I want thank Arturo & Nelly for being so accommodating and easy to work with, I am so happy of how every turned out, our guest whom many had not being at the plaza yet were amaze of the beautiful facility and all the freedom they had to be walking around.
Our ceremony was also out doors and the rest of the event was inside the hall, we had about 170 guest, one thing I really liked about the event inside is that we had lots of space, we setup king, round and children’s tables and made the space work really well. (it felt cozy and warm)
We also use one of their prefer vendor caterers «Catering For All Occasions», they exceeded our expectations, our guest still raving about the food. When we talked to chef and owner Gloria about our food ideas, she immediately advised us on what to choose for our appetizers to give us the feel we were going for «Posada/​Mercadito Style» our main course was also so delicious, we had Filet Mignon with Chimichurry Sauce, Adobo Chicken, Mash Potatoes, Rice Pilaf, Grilled Vegetables, Greek and Harvest Salad and Fresh Baked Bread.
I will definitely have another event here. I loved, loved our anniversary celebration thanks to you guys and to Catering For All Occasions you are awesome ;)

I was here for dance event, Parking was difficult, the place inside was clean, not too much to say about this square shaped building wiith a very large coutyard in the middle. sorry for the short review. just when you come here for an event, the parking is free but come early!

I recently held my wedding at the Mexican Heritage Plaza and let me start off by saying the VENUE is really nice. The RECEPTION was beautiful, I was one happy groom.
THE ONLY downside to my experience was Arturo Magana; he’s the manager in charge of events. When dealing with him in person he was polite and professional but when dealing with him over the phone or email he’s a complete headache. Arturo is nearly impossible to get a hold of. It is almost as if he tries to avoid his clients. After securing the date I tried countless times to reach him and left voicemails. He would not return my calls. We planned a wedding for 300+ guests, which was stressful enough, he only further assisted in adding unnecessary stress.
We provided alcohol for our guests and therefore, according to Arturo, needed THREE off duty police officers present. He emailed me the form and when I asked him to clarify some questions I had, he brushed me off and simply said he didn’t know. He told me to contact the police department and speak to the person in charge of providing officers for events. So I did. When I spoke to her she was confused as to why I was dealing with her and not Arturo. Nevertheless she very politely helped me and informed me we only needed TWO NOT three as Arturo had stated. (She saved me $ 230)
It’s been a month since the wedding and as I type this review I have yet to receive my $ 1,000 deposit. The deposit which I was told I would have within two weeks after the wedding. I spoke to Arturo and he gave me some bullshit excuse. He said he would call me the following day no later than noon to give me the exact date I would receive my check. It’s been SIX days and I haven’t heard a thing from him.
If you decide to host any form of event there I recommend dealing with KELLY as I decided to. I informed her I did not want to deal with Arturo and she took care of us from there on. Kelly was an absolute delight. She always answered promptly whether it was via email or by phone. When I left voicemails I would receive a call back in a timely manner. My wife and I live 25 miles away and both work therefore it was difficult to set up a time to see the hall. Kelly worked around our schedules and made the process easy.

Gotta love this place.

I go here whenever Akbayann holds their Pilipino Cultural Night (PCN here. I definitely recommend bringing a sweater or cardigan when you watch a show. Even though it’s hot outside, the air conditioning, depending on where you are sitting can make you cold and uncomfortable.
I give this place a 3 because of the location. There is a crosswalk that definitely needs a stoplight. This street has been notorious for pedestrian accidents. Pedestrians have the right of way ALWAYS, especially at a crosswalk. My big brother was crossing the street and a car sped up and hit him making him fly more than 3 yards. I think the city needs to do something about this crosswalk. Drivers are always honking at people for crossing the street. ITS A CROSSWALK!

This venue is awesome to work with. It’s very spacious with a great loading area and company power conveniently located right next to the stage. Lots of seating and great access all around the theater. The booth is nice and tidy with updated equipment. Rob, the TD, does a great job to keep this place pristine. Would love to work with again.

Great place for Latino cultural events. Watch their calendar. Many worthy cultural gems make MHP their Bay Area stop.

My daughter dance here with Los Lupenos, a Mexican folk dancing group. And my son dances with Spidey, hip-​hop/​break dancing. It’s a bit of a drive from my place, only because classes are around traffic time, so it takes about 30 minutes to get there in lame traffic. But my kids enjoy it and in the end that’s all that matters.
My daughter danced for another group before, and felt completely lost (she looked very lost during the shows)
Maestro Rudy is great with the kids. He teaches them about sounds and rhythms and where the dance originated from before he even teaches the dance. He gives the children drum sticks and they bang the sound they’re shoes should make during that particular dance on the floor. He makes the classes fun and educational, and the kids always laugh at his jokes :)
My son dances with teacher Spidey, and he thinks he’s the coolest. He also likes that Spideys friends go to class sometimes and show them different breakdancing moves. Spidey works well with the kids and they all seem to have a great time. He also makes his classes educational by discussing the different sounds, instruments, beats, and rhythms. My son can’t wait for the next session to begin!
The classes here are affordable and the kids get to have a recital at the end of each session in the theatre.

Was here saturday for a beautiful wedding. It has plenty of parking, The landscape and ponds are clean and very pretty. Restrooms were BIG and clean. and plenty of room for reception. I AM A FAN :)

The place that is always crying that its going through a rice and beans time (osea broke)
This place is beautiful, unfortunately the events they offer aren’t always that great.
They announce a fee range for most events.
When you try to pay the low amount they offered, you get fat attitude to donate more. If that’s the case then just give a flat rate.
I signed up my little sister for folklore lessons once. But she was to shy. 20 minutes into the lesson we went upstairs for a refund. I explained my SISTER is not ready for the class. The employee didn’t want to give us a refund she insisted on signing up for other classes. She insisted mostly on the activity for parents and children class. I reminded her I’m not the parent like 5x’s. I stated «That is something my mom should bring her to but I doubt she’ll want to.» The employee replied «Why should she its not her obligation» with fat attitude. I starred at her and asked her why wouldn’t it be her obligation its her daughter. She put her hands in her forehead and said oh yeah I forgot. Stupid!

I held an event here in Fall 2010, it’s a lovely, private venue and very conveniently located.
Due to the change in management, we found it a bit difficult in the beginning to figure out policies, etc. but Melina was extremely helpful and it wasn’t long before we had everything squared away. I recommend visiting the facility and speaking with Melina in person, to ensure you’re on the same page. Melina is very friendly, can help answer questions, and if not– will direct you to the right person.
I highly recommend this facility, it’s definitely a «home away from home» and/​or «urban oasis» feel — our guests were very complimentary. The pricing seems reasonable.
Thanks Melina and MHP!

THE BEST VENUE for a wedding in San Jose.
1) Beautiful site. We had our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all in one place. The ceremony was under the palm trees, the cocktail hour was under the trellis, and the reception was in the pavillion.
The pavillion is a structure with glass walls that can open so it looks like you are using a giant canopy with vaulted ceilings. This is perfect for evening summer weddings as it keeps the nice breezy summer air in.
2) Friendly staff. I worked with Melina Iglesias, who was very accommodating and communicated clearly. As a plus, she also speaks Spanish.
3) Although it is a city-​owned venue, they pretty much let you bring on whatever LICENSED caterer or vendor you want to use. This allowed us to hire our own licensed bartenders and buy the liquor from Costco/​Bevmo so that we were able to host an open bar while saving us a ton of money.
4) If you choose spring/​summer months, you don’t need to do a lot of decorating as the flowers will be in bloom. I had my wedding at the end of May, and the place looked gorgeous.
Tips:
The only thing I would say is that you need to be as organized as possible as using this venue takes a lot of paper work as it is a city-​owned venue. Make sure you meet each deadline, or have a wedding planner who can help you meet their deadlines.
Use one of their vendor-​approved caterers like Golden Harvest so that the caterer would already know where the catering kitchen is and how to load/​unload their items.
There are some hidden costs, so make sure you have the complete estimate before signing up. A cleaning deposit and hourly security is not included in their package.
If you need to get a hold of someone, CALL do not send an E-​mail unless you’re sending them documents and you’ve told them to keep an eye out for it.

This would be a perfect wedding venue for the couple who wants and indoor wedding, but would like to see a little bit of the outdoors. However when I say outdoors, I mean views of a few little gardens and the rest of the Mexican Heritage Plaza.
While the reception area I was interested in looks like a big glass box, they do have other large options onsite. The glass box seems too small to accomodate a larger wedding but perfect for a more intimate affair.
The floor is very decent and you are allowed to have a cocktail hour inside the lobby of the movie theatre there — for an additional charge.
So while this place isn’t for me, I do agree with Hello T how the outdoor area is pretty nice and has water-​filled mosaics for some pretty unique photos.
It seems a little overpriced for what you get but since they’re a true non-​profit, it’s going to a great cause.

A very nice historic area chock-​full of interesting Latino culture in East San Jose. If you are interested in Mexican-​American culture, this is a place you must visit while in San Jose. They also have a lot of cultural events, such as an annual mariachi festival. The outdoor area is absolutely stunning, with greenery and water-​filled mosaics around every corner. The inside is full of preserved artifacts and educational materials. The staff I’ve dealt with have always been enthusiastic and even managed to herd around a group of 30 or so unruly 1^st and 2^nd graders on a tour of the place. Well done!

I’ve lived in the Alum Rock area since 1993, so I’ve pretty much overseen the evolution of what is now the Mexican Heritage Plaza. Construction began when I was in 2^nd grade, and the venue was finished when I reached about 4^th grade.
Why am I talking about grade school? Because the venue was right behind it. During the mixing periods, my teacher Mr. Lynn would take us to the Plaza’s Computer Labs, and teach us some very basic computer skills. He was more of a Mac user, so he didn’t know about Windows 95 (which was the killer app at the time).
But let’s fast-​forward to 2008. Never did I know that the place was much more than a computer lab. It had a nice garden, some wonderful Mexican-​American murals, and best of all – an incredible theatrical space. My Fil-​Am group, Akbayan, used this the theatre for its annual Pilipino Cultural Night this year and last year, and now I imagine it being a mainstay with Akbayan for quite a while.
With a huge stage, an impressive repertoire of more than 500 seats, and professional lighting, curtains, and other stage equipment, the Mexican Heritage Plaza remains a grand venue, and it’s definitely a diamond in the rough when you compare the interior to the greater area around the Plaza.
Whether you’re Mexican or not, this is a place worth taking a child to. I only wish San Jose had something like this for Filipinos.

I once came here with my mom to see Guillermo Gomez-Pena’s Mexterminator Project. There was a nude man painted green with an American flag draped around his shoulders on a pedestal and dead chickens hanging from the ceiling. It was the most bizarre installation art show I had ever seen. Glancing around the large room confirmed my thoughts of the exhibit, everyone had blank/​shocked looks on their faces, even the artiest looking bohemians were stumped.
I guess what the Mercury News recently printed was correct, the Mexican Heritage Plaza should focus on its community presence rather than attempting to be a niche art hub. The plaza is a great venue for weddings, quincineras and showers with it’s large halls, courtyard and nicely landscaped gated area.
Showcasing local art like MACLA, Works and Gallery AD as well as continuing to open itself up to community events will make the plaza accessible to a wider audience and perhaps bring in some greatly needed revenue.

Dont tell, I have been steppin out on Santa Cruz.
If I keep it on the DL and only do it sometimes she wont need to find out.
MHP
From the moment you step through the beautiful art they call a gate, to the swishing of the grasses in the plaza, and the bumpin venue… aye que rico! Shows from Ozomatli to upcoming stuff like dancers from India and important social events… gotta chek it!