San Jose this weekend: salmon tours, a lantern launch at Almaden Lake, holiday lights downtown and a craft fair, with rain likely Friday

San Jose's weekend of Nov. 13-15 opens the holiday season downtown and includes two free Saturday nature events.  Plan for weather:  the National Weather Service forecasts rain Friday, with a 90% chance and a half to three-quarters of an inch possible, a chance of rain Saturday morning and rain likely again Sunday after 10 a.m.

San Jose Holiday Lights opens Friday

The walk-through light show opens Friday, Nov. 13, at Discovery Meadow, 330 W. San Carlos St., and runs nightly through Jan. 1 from 4:30 to 10:30 p.m., with last entry at 10, according to its website.  It has six themed “worlds” of lights.  Tickets are sold through TicketSpice, where general admission for ages 13 to 64 is $25 or $29 and child and senior tickets are $19 or $23, depending on the night.  Kids’ tickets are $10 on select school nights.  The VTA light rail stops at Children’s Discovery Museum Station, steps from the entrance.

Harvest Festival craft show, Friday to Sunday

The Harvest Festival art and craft show, with handmade jewelry, glass, woodwork, specialty food and more, runs Nov. 13-15 at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Road.  Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.  Admission is $9, $7 for seniors 62 and older and military, $4 for ages 13 to 17 and free for 12 and under; everyone pays $5 on Sunday.  Parking is $20.  Tickets are sold through Ticketor.

Salmon Festival, Saturday

The South Bay Clean Creeks Coalition, a San Jose volunteer group, holds its first San Jose Salmon Festival from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, to celebrate the fall run of Chinook salmon, which swim up local creeks to spawn.  It starts with speeches at 9 and a creek cleanup, followed by guided salmon tours starting at 11:30 a.m. and a taco truck.  The group’s free Eventbrite listing puts the festival at the RFRD Canine Recreation Center, 56 Barack Obama Blvd., downtown.

Raptor Fest, Saturday

Santa Clara County Parks and the Peninsula Open Space Trust, or POST, a land conservation nonprofit, host the free Raptor Fest from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Rancho San Vicente entrance to Calero County Park in South San Jose.  A falconer gives the same 75-minute talk at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.; register for one through Eventbrite.  Parking at the site is limited, so visitors park at Challenger School of Almaden and take a free shuttle, POST says.  Bring a blanket for ground seating, leave pets at home and check email for weather cancellations.

Water Lantern Festival, Saturday and Sunday

The Water Lantern Festival comes to Almaden Lake Park, 6099 Winfield Blvd., on Saturday and Sunday.  Gates open at 2:30 p.m., with food trucks and music, lantern decorating at 5 and the launch onto the lake from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.  General admission, which includes a lantern kit, is $32.99 at the regular price on the organizer’s website, rising to $34.99 at last call; group packages are $61.99.  The organizer says the event is expected to sell out.

Source:  San Jose Holiday Lights; San Jose Holiday Lights tickets on TicketSpice; Harvest Festival San Jose; Harvest Festival tickets on Ticketor; South Bay Clean Creeks Coalition:  Salmon Festival; Salmon Festival on Eventbrite; Santa Clara County Parks calendar; POST:  Raptor Fest; Water Lantern Festival San Jose; National Weather Service forecast.