ABOUT CHILL OUT & READ
The San Jose Woman's Club, founded in 1894, has been hosting Summer-time ice cream socials and activities since its founding years. The historic San Jose Woman's Clubhouse in downtown San Jose was built in 1929 to create a gathering place for its members and the community. In the 1950s they partnered with Treat Ice Cream, a neighboring business to serve their goods at their annual Ice Cream Socials. In 2019, during their 125th Anniversary year they decided to invite local authors to participate and the event was renamed Chill Out & Read. In 2021 when Treat Ice Cream, the now iconic San Jose institution, closed their doors after 70 years in business we switched to Mariannes Ice Cream of Santa Cruz who had passed their beloved recipes to its respected rival. The Woman's National Book Association was invited to co-host the event in 2025 to include industry professionals to help choose the invited authors.
Chill Out & Read serves up hand-churned ice cream and hand-picked Summer reads to continue the tradition of gathering folks together to socialize and build a better community.
CHAIR
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Ivanna Moreno
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CO-HOSTS
ABOUT SJWC
San Jose Woman's Club provides an inclusive space to build friendship, community, and support for women and all who support them. Join members and friends at virtual events through Zoom, in-person at our historic Clubhouse, or at a community partner event at locations throughout Silicon Valley.
The Club, one of California's oldest women’s organizations, was established in 1894 as part of a nationwide social movement of women’s clubs that combined self-improvement with voluntary community work, addressing needs that interested women, such as kindergartens, libraries, and parks. Today, the San Jose Woman's club is no longer a same-sex organization, but it continues to focus on supporting women and the community as a 501C3 non-profit organization.
ABOUT WNBA
The Women’s National Book Association was established in 1917, before women in America had the right to vote. The WNBA’s founding idea—that books have power and that those involved in their creation gain strength from joining forces—reaches across the decades to now serve members across the country, in local chapters and network members in locations beyond the chapter cities.
The organization has a range of programs including our affiliation with the United Nations Department of Public Information, the sponsorship of National Reading Group Month, and three distinguished national awards—the WNBA Award, the WNBA Pannell Award to Bookstores, and the Eastman grant. These national programs, plus lively events in chapter cities across the country, all contribute to the vibrant and expansive role that the WNBA has played in the world of books.
WNBA MISSION
The Women’s National Book Association is a national organization of women and men who work with and value books. A non-profit 501(c)3 organization, WNBA exists to connect, educate, advocate and lead in the literary community.
