Year of the Horse rides into Milpitas with a couple events

Lunar New Year

Milpitas is celebrating Lunar New Year twice this month. First up is the city’s celebration of the Year of the Horse on Feb. 13, 6-8 p.m., at the Milpitas Civic Center Plaza, 457 E. Calaveras Blvd. The event will feature performances, food, music and activities. For more information, call 408-586-3225 or email specialevents@milpitas.gov.

Bodhi Meditation Silicon Valley is holding a Lunar New Year Lantern Blessing Festival on Feb. 21-22 at 919 Hanson Court in Milpitas.

The festival features a lantern making contest that encourages participants to express their hopes and blessings for the new year through handcrafted lanterns. Winners in three age groups will be recognized during the festival’s closing ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 22 at about 4 p.m. Awards will be presented in in categories including Best New Year Spirit Award, Creative Excellence Award, Master Craftsmanship Award, People’s Choice Award and A Celebration of Unity.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3ZPtG7e.

Grand jury

Civic-minded residents can apply for service on the 2026-27 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury, a cornerstone of government transparency, accountability and public oversight.

The Civil Grand Jury is an independent investigatory body convened annually to examine the operations of county and city government, school districts, special districts and other local public agencies. Under the court’s direction, grand jurors are empowered to review records, evaluate government programs, inspect detention facilities and issue findings and recommendations that promote ethical, efficient and transparent governance.

Applications, due by Friday, March 27, and informational materials including the Civil Grand Jury brochure are available at https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/CGJ#recruitment. For more information, contact Britney Huelbig, deputy court manager for the Civil Grand Jury, at 408-882-2721 or CGJ@scscourt.org.