Business

The Biz Beat: San Jose Shop Hoists Pinatas to an Art Form

There are few things as joyful as a pinata, and Dulceria Mi Carnaval in San Jose can design them to resemble anything that makes you happy. In a small room adjacent to their shop on East Santa Clara Street, Jose Velasquez and his wife, Cynthia, are surrounded by shelves filled with cardboard templates where the couple has been handcrafting about 15 to 20 pinatas a week since they bought the business in 1991.

Published

3 years ago

May 12, 2023

Oakland Post

The couple also makes more substantial pinatas designed for display rather than destruction, including for customers such as the San Jose Earthquakes and the San Francisco Art Institute.

By Robert Eliason
San Jose Spotlight

There are few things as joyful as a pinata, and Dulceria Mi Carnaval in San Jose can design them to resemble anything that makes you happy.

In a small room adjacent to their shop on East Santa Clara Street, Jose Velasquez and his wife, Cynthia, are surrounded by shelves filled with cardboard templates where the couple has been handcrafting about 15 to 20 pinatas a week since they bought the business in 1991.

“My sister-in-law started it in 1986,” Cynthia told San Jose Spotlight. “Jose had just gotten out of the army when she decided to sell it, and he decided, ‘Well, I’ll try it out.’ We started making custom pinatas because people were always asking for something we did not have in stock. It was a natural part of what we were doing.”

Jose said people send him photos of what they want. He figures out how to create it.

“I love making them and get really excited when it’s really hard to figure out, like this one,” he told San Jose Spotlight, referring to a four-foot-tall pinata of a margarita glass, rescaling it based on a customer’s tiny cell phone photo.

Looking at the shop’s calendar offers a glimpse at the couple’s creative range: a four-foot-tall cow, an alebrije from the film “Coco,” a 30-inch long crayon, Lightning McQueen, a bee hive, a strawberry, a campfire and a troll head are among the completed or pending tasks for the month.

The couple also makes more substantial pinatas designed for display rather than destruction, including for customers such as the San Jose Earthquakes and the San Francisco Art Institute.

After Jose adds the final details to the framework, the pinata goes to Cynthia for dressing and decorating. Rather than looking like something made to be broken, it’s remarkably solid. Cynthia said customers don’t want them to break easily–they want the pinata to last.

“I’ve had kids scream because they are so happy and excited with the pinata they choose,” she said. “And the parent will come back sometimes and buy another one because their child does not want to break it, so they can have one to hang up in their room or the garage.”

Customer Adam Lopez is only slightly taller than the John Cena-wrestling-themed, star-shaped pinata he chose for his sixth birthday.

“We come here because of the huge variety of themes for all age groups,” said Eduardo Lopez, Adam’s father. “For me, pinatas are a way to celebrate kids and bring the family together.”

Indeed, Cynthia’s favorite pinata to make is a simple design: the number one.

“Customers are so excited to celebrate their child’s first birthday,” she said. “We do them in many different styles. It’s fun to do their first pinata and then watch them come back every year for their next birthday.”

Growing up in Tijuana, Jose remembers having only one pinata as a child: a scarecrow his mother made for his sixth birthday. He said she was overwhelmed by all the kids who showed up from all over the neighborhood–kids he didn’t even know.

“Everyone was very poor, and kids came from all of the houses around us just to line up to try to break it,” Jose said. “It was a big thing.”

Jose said when he makes pinatas, he thinks about the children who are going to having that same kind of experience he had.

“That makes me feel good,” he said. “And I’m happy their parents are getting them a really nice pinata, not some little thing from a supermarket.”

Once a pinata is finished, customers can take them as-is–or they can fill them at the shop from the wide variety of candies imported from Mexico. Dulceria Mi Carnaval also stocks balloons, noisemakers, toys and other party goods. But whether for use or display, the pinatas contain the love and good wishes of the couple who makes them.

“Sometimes I think, ‘Well, I worked on that for so long, and they’re just going to hit it and break it,'” Cynthia said. “But we know the excitement it brings them, a memory that will last a lifetime. We have the photos we take of our work. So, you know, I think we’re okay with it.”

Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

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Oakland Post: Week of July 1 – 7, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 1 – 7, 2026

Published

3 days ago

July 5, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Arts and Culture

Prescott Circus Theatre Presents Free Summer Performance Series

Now in its 41st year, the Prescott Circus Theatre is a nationally recognized performing arts education program for Oakland youth. The circus offers safe environments that challenge Oakland youth, through circus arts training, to develop the skills and confidence to thrive on stage, in school, and in life.

Published

2 weeks ago

June 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Prescott Circus showcase pathways pyramid. Photo courtesy of Prescott Circus.

By Post Staff

The Prescott Circus, Oakland’s longest-running youth circus, is returning this summer with its free shows. Join the Prescott Circus’s young stars as they share their joys and talents through stilt-dancing, tumbling, juggling, and more.

At the heart of this one-hour show, which demonstrates teamwork, pride, and joy, are Oakland Unified School District students ages 8 – 17 from more than 10 different schools

This is accomplished through no-cost school and community programs for more than 300 Oakland youth each year. Performing company members from Prescott, where the program began, perform and make appearances at as many as 40 Bay Area events each year.

The summer program is funded in part by Oakland Fund for Children and Youth, California Arts Council, Port of Oakland, and the West Davis & Bergard Foundation.

Performances will be held Tuesday, July 14, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. (ASL interpreted) and Wednesday, July 15, 11 a.m., at the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, 1428 Alice St., Oakland. For free reservations go to

https://PrescottCircusSummerShows.eventbrite.com

For group reservations for camps, childcare centers, senior centers, go to www.prescottcircus.org

A community show will be held Saturday, July 18, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., at DeFremery Park,1651 Adeline St., Oakland.

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Activism

NPRC Joins National Grand Jury Proceedings Seeking Accountability, Constitutional Restoration

Organizers state that testimony will explore historical and political developments that they believe have contributed to the expansion of corporate influence over public institutions and governmental decision-making. Participants are expected to discuss concerns regarding constitutional governance, individual liberties, property rights, and the protection of vulnerable populations, including seniors and persons with disabilities.

Published

2 weeks ago

June 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Photo by Billie Powers.

Special to The Post

The National Probate Reform Coalition (NPRC) has joined Toll and Roll and a growing coalition of advocacy organizations, victims, whistleblowers, and citizen groups in support of a nationally broadcast People’s Grand Jury proceeding scheduled for July 1 and July 7.

Organizers describe the event as a public forum designed to examine allegations of government abuse, judicial misconduct, legislative failures, and the erosion of constitutional protections affecting millions of Americans.

The proceedings will feature testimony from victims, families, advocates, and organizations from across the country who contend they have experienced harm through government actions, institutional neglect, and failures of oversight.

According to organizers, the People’s Grand Jury will focus on concerns involving probate courts, guardianships, conservatorships, child welfare systems, property rights, civil liberties, and what participants view as a growing disconnect between government institutions and the constitutional rights of the people they are sworn to serve.

NPRC is participating because many of the issues being examined mirror the concerns raised by advocates, victims, and families who have participated in its monthly town halls. For years, families have reported cases involving exploitation of elders, questionable guardianships, estate depletion, denial of due process, and a lack of meaningful oversight within probate court systems.

“This proceeding gives victims and advocates an opportunity to place their experiences on the public record,” said Tanya Dennis, lead facilitator of NPRC. “For too long, families have struggled to have their voices heard regarding elder abuse, probate exploitation, and government inaction. This forum allows those stories to be shared before a national audience.”

In keeping with principles of transparency and fairness, invitations have been extended to legislators, members of the judiciary, law enforcement representatives, and other public officials who may wish to respond to concerns raised during the proceedings or defend actions taken by their respective institutions.

One of the primary outcomes sought by organizers is public consideration and support for the People’s Remedy and Restoration Act, a proposed legislative framework that advocates believe would strengthen oversight, increase accountability, provide remedies for victims of governmental abuse, and restore constitutional protections.

The proceedings are expected to be broadcast nationally, providing citizens throughout the United States an opportunity to observe testimony, review evidence presented, and participate in an ongoing conversation regarding government accountability and the protection of individual rights.

Advocates hope the hearings will encourage meaningful dialogue, legislative reform, and renewed public engagement in the democratic process.

Individuals, organizations, public officials, and members of the media interested in attending or obtaining access information may contact the organizers at tollandroll2025@gmail.com.

As Americans continue to debate the future of constitutional governance, judicial accountability, and the protection of vulnerable citizens, the July proceedings are expected to serve as a significant forum for public testimony and civic engagement. For more information, go to https://tollandroll.com