The Season of Hope is back at St. Joseph Cathedral Basilica in downtown San Jose.

The free concert series was originally launched in 1996, featuring a variety of performances over 23 days — including choirs, opera singers, harpists, dancers, jazz bands and more, all recruited by Henry Schiro, who led the San Jose Jazz Society at the time.

The series evolved over time, but it remained a real gift, providing people with another reason to come downtown during the bright holiday season. It also gave arts organizations exposure to audiences, some of whom no doubt became ticket-buying supporters to the groups they liked.

It took a hiatus during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 before returning for its 25th season during the last two weeks before Christmas in 2021. Then it went dark for

See Full Page