Can downtown San Jose block party repeat its success?

The Historic District in downtown San Jose was swarmed by people last month for the first of a series of block parties, making a good case that music, food and drinks will bring people back. The Urban Vibrancy Institute, the nonprofit that organized the bash, now faces the challenge of repeating that success with a second edition this Thursday in downtown’s arty SoFA District.

Executive Director Eric Glader appears to have a successful sequel on his hands, thanks to the partners he’s lined up to participate. The Ritz nightclub on San Salvador and South First streets will have its bar open and instead of one of its regular shows, it’ll open the stage to Opera San Jose at 5:30 p.m., followed by New Ballet at 6:15 p.m. and Urban Confluence Silicon Valley at 7:15 p.m. The California Theatre will be open for tours from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., with Jerry Nagano performing on the Wurlitzer. And the Unzipped Pavilion — the big structure in the parking lot across from the theater — will host live music by Aki Kumar and Isaiah Pickett.

The fun continues after dark, too, with projection mapping on the Unzipped Pavilion and the Valley Title building from 8:30 p.m. to midnight.

This second block party should get a big boost since it’s happening concurrently with the Institute of Contemporary Art’s annual block party in the same area and the launch of the Pobladores Night Market. That’s the San Jose Downtown Association’s new weekly Thursday night event featuring vendors, artists, live performances and a beer garden at the intersection of South First, William and Market streets — the site of its namesake, Parque de los Pobladores.

“Urban Vibrancy brings a lot of energy and people to the neighborhood when they do their block parties,” said Fil Maresca of Filco Events, who reached out to join forces. “For their party last month in the Historic District, they had several activation areas. This time, we’ll anchor the south end.”

GOOD MEN WALKING: A block party of a different sort will be taking place at Santana Row on Thursday, with the YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley holding its annual Walk a Mile in Their Shoes event. This is the one where men — and supportive women — slip into high heels and walk around the swanky shopping center to raise awareness about sexual assault and domestic violence and raise funds to fight them. The festivities get started at 5 p.m. at Santana Row Park across from Left Bank, where walkers can make signs and see who’s got the best footwear.