Santa Clara committee praises quick-turn stadium field day, advances murals and STEM Zone plans

The Economic Development and Marketing Committee on Thursday praised staff for producing a community field day at Levi's Stadium on Feb. 28 and moved forward with public-art plans and programming for a summer-long events campaign.

Alicia, a city staff presenter, recapped the stadium day's programming and sponsorships, saying, "I would call the event a success. Santa Clara definitely showed up and represented." Her presentation noted doors opened at noon, music and food activations, roughly 125 youth athletes in organized activities, a police-versus-fire scrimmage, numerous partner booths including a library mobile, and sponsorship support from ProLogist that subsidized photo-ops and concessions.

Why it matters: Committee members framed the stadium day as a rapid-response pilot that exposed communication and outreach gaps to fix before larger events associated with upcoming international sport competitions.

Committee feedback and concerns

Volunteers and event leads praised turnout but flagged communications problems. Mike, who coordinated youth field activities, said the principal shortcoming was speed of information flow to participating nonprofits and coaches and urged better lead-time for future events.

Taylor Amarante, an EDMC member, said residents were still talking about the event days afterward: "I have never had a week where I heard so much about the city of Santa Clara and specifically that event." By contrast, another attendee representing younger residents urged stronger early planning and better surveying to broaden appeal beyond families with small children.

Several public commenters raised accessibility concerns for residents in convalescent facilities and group homes and suggested virtual or transportation options for people who cannot safely attend large in-person events.

Art activation: two athlete murals proposed

Staff reported that artist John Cerny is available to commission two large-scale athlete murals as part of the "mission meets the moment" campaign. The subcommittee recommended highlighting Brandi Chastain and Jalen Williams (as shown in mock-ups) and proposed locating one mural near the Convention Center/Levi's Stadium area and the other near 900 Lafayette or the Franklin/Lafayette paseo adjacent to the university.

Committee members emphasized athlete approval and interpretive signage; staff said QR codes or adjacent plaques would be installed to provide biographical context. On funding, staff said the artist offered a favorable rate and "we have funding for 4" murals at that rate, though the current request was for feedback on two initial pieces.

STEM Zone details and partners

Rachel, the STEM Zone lead, briefed the committee on a free, family-oriented STEM Zone set for Sunday, April 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Santa Clara Convention Center. Programming will include hands-on workshops, two astronaut panels (one pending NASA confirmation), a meteorologist session, robotics battles with local FIRST leagues, a physics show from Foothill College and partner exhibits from Santa Clara University and the 49ers STEM Institute.

"It's free. Free parking, free everything," Rachel said, urging members to share the Eventbrite registration link. Staff said Intel is a confirmed sponsor for the STEM Zone.

Night markets, partner-led events and subcommittees

Staff outlined next steps for night markets and partner participation: the night market subcommittee will meet March 19 at 3 p.m., and a global relations subcommittee will meet March 26 at 9 a.m. The committee reiterated that night markets will be city-produced but will include participation slots for community partners; partner-led events similar to the Lunar New Year market may be proposed for review.

Business engagement and volunteer onboarding

Harbir, identifying himself as CEO of the Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, asked whether businesses and nonprofits would have pathways to participate in upcoming events. Staff replied that partner-led proposals are welcome and that businesses should attend the subcommittee to shape participation.

Staff also reminded volunteers they must complete the city's volunteer onboarding process before assisting at events; one attendee complained that prior volunteer offers were declined because the city-required background check and application had not been completed.

Next steps and closing

Staff said final stadium-event budget numbers remain under review and that the city will circulate attendance figures when complete. EDMC meetings were set for April 13, May 11 and June 8. The committee closed with expressions of thanks to staff and a group photo before adjournment.

(Reporting note: Quotes and attributions are drawn directly from meeting remarks. Attendance numbers, sponsorship commitments and budget totals were reported by staff during the meeting; where a specific dollar figure or final attendance tally was not provided in the transcript, the article notes that those numbers are pending.)