July 2026 Meeting: Alan Sands Lecture

Join us for a magic lecture by Alan Sands on Wednesday, July 8th, 2026, 7:30 p.m.-9:45 p.m.

Join us for a rare, wide-ranging evening with Alan Sands.  Alan is the son of the late “Magician's Magician,” George Sands.  Over his father's 86 years of life, he wrote many books on original magic and was most widely known for his "Sandsational Rope" tricks. It has been said that his rope routines are the foundation for all rope routines performed today, with the exception of the Professor’s Nightmare.  His card routines are also staples for many doing close-up and stage magic, including Jeff McBride, to drop one name.  George Sands invented moves and developed routines that keep audiences entertained - magicians and laymen alike. The Magic Lecture (7:30PM-9:45pm): Lecture fee for paid members of RING216: Free Lecture fee for nonmembers: $20/person This Magic Lecture shares the Magic and Legacy of George Sands that you can use immediately when you leave.  If will change the way you perform and entertain. "When I combine my father’s 70 years of knowledge and experience with my 30+ years of professional experience as a full-time entertainer, you get over 100 years of first-hand professional advice and some very polished and well-developed routines." - Alan Sands You will learn effects using coins, cards, ropes, razor blades, balloons, and ESP cards which can be used in close-up, parlor, and stage venues.  George Sands loved to say, “Let me teach you everything I know so you will get the hell out of my price range.”  Alan continues the same tradition. To prepare for this lecture, come with a deck of cards, a quarter, and a dollar bill.   Alan will provide ropes for attendees to use during the lecture.  Hope to see you all there!

June 2026 Meeting: The Ring 216 Auction and Flea Market

Mark your calendars! Reserve your flea market table!

Got magic stuff you want to get rid of? Is there anything you have your eye on? Bring your magical friends and join us at our next meeting on Wednesday, June 10, beginning at 7:00 PM to shop the collections of your fellow magicians — and/or sell the stuff you don't use anymore. Flea Market A few tables are still available to reserve, so don't miss out! Reserve your table today using our easy online form. The costs are: Full table: $10 for members, $20 for non-members Half table: $5 for members, $10 for non-members You can view a layout of the tables when you reserve, and you can make a request for a particular table (although requests are not guaranteed). The earlier you reserve, the more likely you will be to get your preferred location. PLEASE NOTE: The Yu-Ai Kai tables are a little bit smaller than last year, so if you have a lot of stuff, consider a full table or even two tables.

Reserve Table

Auction There will also be an auction of magical goods. If you're interested in the auction, just show up. Anybody can sell at auction. The club takes a 10% fee for auction sales, but no fee for table sales. Make a Donation If you have some unwanted stuff, consider donating it to the club. We'll auction it off that night, and the proceeds will go to Ring 216. Evening Agenda 6:30 PM: Sellers may arrive to set up their tables for the flea market. 7:00 PM: The doors open to buyers. 8:15 PM: The auction begins. 9:30 PM (approximately): All sales end and it's time to pack up. Want more details about the auction? Read our FAQ. So bring your friends and your stuff — and your cash.

Maiy 2026 Meeting: Mini-Swap Meet, Lectures, Open Performances

 

May 13th, Wednesday, 2026, we will have our RING216 Silicon Valley Magic meeting! Guests (beginners and advanced practitioners of the magical arts) seeking a magic community are welcome to join us.

 

Our agenda for the evening includes the following:

 

1) 7:00-7:45pm: Mini-Swap Meet. Back by popular demand! Bring a few like-new items to trade or sell. Remember, this is not a full blown flea market/auction so please do not bring more than a few items. Qualifications to participate? Pay your $25 annual membership fees at PAYMENT@RING216.ORG

 

2) 7:45-8:15pm: Mini-Lectures! It was well received in January and February. So this month we are bringing you different mini-lectures with some variety per your request! Note: the purpose of the mini-lectures is to provide a performance/high level explanations from members who have original/customized material. It is not meant as a deep dive workshop. In the future, we will provide Station Rotation Deeper Dive workshops with the mini-lecture materials based on your feedback.

 

4) 8:15-9:30pm: Open Performance Night! This can be work in process, an idea you are playing around with, or an accomplished routine. Sign up now by messaging President Cal Tong or sign up when you arrive.

April 2026 Meeting: Mini-Swap Meet, Mini-Lectures and Open Performances

 

April 8th, Wednesday 2026, we will have our Ring 216 Silicon Valley Magic meeting! Guests (beginners and advanced practitioners of the magical arts) seeking a magic community are welcome to join us! At the Usual Location: 588 North 4rth Street, SJ, CA Our Agenda: 1) 7:00-7:45pm: Mini-Swop Meet. Back by popular demand! Bring a few like-new items to trade or sell. Remember, this is not a full blown flea market, so just bring a few items.  :o).  Qualifications to participate:  Pay your $25 annual membership fees at PAYMENT@RING216.ORG 2) 7:45-8:15pm: Mini-Lectures! It was well received in January and February.  This month we are bringing you different mini-lectures with some variety per your request.  Note: the purpose of the mini-lecture is to provide a performance/high level explanations from members who have original material. It is not meant as a deep dive. In the future, we will provide deeper dive workshops based on your feedback. 3)8:15-8:30: Short Break 4)8:30-9:30:  Open Performance Night.  Sign up now by messaging me or sign up when you arrive.

 

March 2026 Meeting: Lecture by Nick Diffatte

 

Lecture by Award Winning Comedy  Magician Nick Diffatte!

Date: March 11th, 2026 Time: 7:30pm - 9:45pm Location: 588 N. 4th Street, SJ, CA 95112 Cost: $20 for members of Ring 216, $30 for non-members

February 2026 Meeting

 

IBM RING 216 Silicon Valley Magic Meeting

February 11, 2026, Wednesday, we will have our RING 216 Silicon Valley Magic meeting! Guests (beginners and advanced practitioners of the magical arts) seeking a magic community are welcome to join us. The location is the usual 588 North 4th Street, San Jose, CA.
 

Our Agenda includes the following:

1) 7:00-7:45pm: Mini-Swap Meet. Back by popular demand! Bring a few like-new items to trade or sell. Remember, this is not a full blown flea market/auction so please do not bring more than a few items. Qualifications to participate? Pay your $25 annual membership fees at PAYMENT@RING216.ORG

 

2)7:45-7:55pm: Competition Awards Ceremony

 

3)7:55-8:25pm: Mini-Lectures! It was well received in January. So this month we are bringing you different mini-lectures with more variety per your request! Note: the purpose of the mini-lectures is to provide performances and high level explanations from members who have original or customized material. It is not meant as a deep dive workshop. In the future, we will provide "Station Rotation" Deeper Dive workshops with the mini-lecture materials based on your feedback.

 

4)8:25-8:35: Short Break

 

5) 8:35-9:45: Open Performance Night! Sign up now by messaging President Cal Tong or sign up when you arrive on February 11th.

 

January 2026 Meeting

We have something special and different planned for our first meeting on Jan 14th, 2026.

Before the meeting, 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm: We are having a MINI-SWAP MEET! 

If you have a few "like-new" magic tricks or books that you would like to trade or sell at an affordable price, feel free to bring them and plant yourself at one of the tables at no charge.

FAQs
- How many items can you bring? Please just bring a few items. If you have more than a few items, then do not bring more than what can fit in a small shoe box.
- Please note, this is not meant to be a large flea market auction as THAT event is planned for this summer. 
- Who can participate? Anyone who has paid their 2026 membership fees or anyone who intends to pay their annual fees before the February RING 216 Meeting (Jon Armstrong Live Lecture).

 

Then the meeting proper beings.

 

 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm: Original Mini-lectures by your RING 216 experts of prestidigitation.
- David Martinez on using 3D prototyping, Syd Kashima on his personalized sleight-of-hand card control technique, Yitian Liang teaches his opener for strolling/close up, Rishabh shares his take on routine by Harry Lorayne, & Calvin Lou Tong shares his redesigned version of "Business Cardiographic" 

8:30 pm to 9:45 pm: Open Performance Night

To pay your 2026 Annual membership dues, you can pay at the meeting or use Paypal to sent $25 to payment@ring216.org

November 12 Meeting: Elections, Open Performance, Free Magic Raffle Prizes

Don't miss our November 12th meeting! The night's agenda includes:
 

Elections: 7:30pm-7:40pm.  Come support the RING by voting for your 2026 officers.

Open Performance Night: Perform your latest routines, effects, and sleights.  If you have. not performed for your membership requirements, this will be the last night to complete this activity since the December meeting will be the Stage Competition.

Free Raffle Prizes: Every member who attends will have a chance to win free magic raffle prizes!  

Close-Up Magic Competition To Be Held October 8, 2025

 On Oct. 08, (Wednesday) 2025, Ring 216 will host its annual "Live" Close-Up Magic Competition from 7:30PM-9:45PM.

Mark your calendars and plan to come out to support your fellow magicians as they present their best material in a formal close-up setting.

And since magic is always better when there are more people to enjoy it, bring your friends and family!

We'll be at our usual location at Yu-Ai Kai Senior Center, 588 North 4th Street, San Jose, CA.

We are currently at the limit for the maximum number of competitors. If you would like to be placed on stand-by as a competitor, contact your RING216 President at CALVINLOUTONG@YAHOO.COM.

Michael O'Brien Lecture: September 10, 2025

Join us for a rare, wide-ranging evening with Michael O'Brien. Michael is known for his unique approach which is designed to invoke a sense of wonder, fun, nostalgia, and excitement like no other!  He has been creating and teaching magic since 2014, was a performer on "Penn and Teller Fool Us", and has lectured for Penguin Magic and Blackpool Magic Convention.  When Michael is not performing at these venues, he spends his time teaching as a Professor of Magic at the world famous Magic Castle in Hollywood.  

Michael O'Brien's Magic Lecture Content (7:30PM-9:45pm):
Lecture fee for paid members of RING216: Free
Lecture fee for nonmembers: $30/person

Have You Seen My Purse? - Michael's spongeball opener he performs at every gig!

Triple Bottle Production - A fun way to produce multiple bottles and even gift one out to a guest without breaking the bank!

Progressive Oil & Water - An oil and water routine that gets progressively more impossible by adding more and more cards into the mix. At the same time, the magician handles the cards less and less ending with a final phase that is done completely by the spectators.

Final Destination - A travel themed confabulation type effect that works right on your phone or Tablet!

Toxic-Less - An iOS18 friendly solution to the TOXIC calculator force plot. Predict any number you want using your iPhone calculator.

PokéMonte - A modern twist on the classic “Color Monte” type routine using Pokémon cards.

Ninja+ by Matthew Garrett - The act I performed on Fool Us. A high energy linking ring routine that allows you to join multiple different objects and allow the spectators to carefully examine impossible objects as closely as they like! 

Special Pre-Meeting Workshop (5pm-7pm)
Workshop fee for members/nonmembers: $40/person

A Lesson In Misdirection - A wild ride of a card effect that is extremely modular and always leaves you 1 step ahead of your spectators. We will focus on card controls, misdirection, and  modular routine structuring.

Unique Card Techniques - Michael will teach his personal sleight-of hand card techniques that have been fine-tuned over the years including the "Point and Shoot" control and a fun pocket utility switch.

Uisce Beatha Coins to Glass - A 4 coins to glass routine where everything gets more and more fair with each passing coin! Will work on coin techniques and learn about method cancellation.

Strolling Chop Cup - A 3 phase in the hands chop cup routine that allows the spectator to control the action. No table? No problem! Learn audience management as well as how to structure an act that flows seamlessly from phase to phase.

Meeting August 13, 2025: David Gerard Lecture

David Gerard Returns to the IBM Ring216 — One Night Only

   Join us for a rare, wide-ranging evening with David Gerard, one of the top corporate entertainers and magicians in the world. David has performed for clients like Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Page, consulted on four seasons of America’s Got Talent, and recently directed Colin Cloud’s Mastermind at Harrah’s Las Vegas. Before all that, he got his start right here — at the IBM Ring in San Jose and The Magic Garage in Sunnyvale. His past lectures for the club have been met with rave reviews and this will be no different. Having left his job in tech three years ago to perform full time, David returns with a refined perspective on our craft.

 

    This won’t be a canned set or a dealer demo. David has studied under some of the most respected minds in magic — including Eric Mead, Ken Weber, Jamy Ian Swiss, and many more — and will be weaving insights from these legends into a one-of-a-kind lecture. David wants to customize the evening to serve the real questions, needs, and curiosities of the Ring. Whether you're interested in the basics of strolling magic, deep theory around audience management, or advanced material for the stage, nothing is off-limits. Please comment or email your questions and requests ahead of time so he can tailor the night to the group. 

 

   This will be an evening of magic, mentalism, business, and community — and one you won’t want to miss.

Cost: $20 for RING216 Members / $30 for nonmembers

Time: August 13th, 2025, 7:30PM 

Meeting Report, July 9, 2025: Open Performances

 Ring 216 President Cal Tong opened the July meeting by welcoming some members who had not been here in a while and some returning visitors and some new faces. There were twenty-some people in attendance, who were each given a raffle ticket. In between the evening’s performances, the people whose raffle numbers were called chose a magic item from among those generously donated by members. By the end of the evening, everyone had won a prize.

 

Fourteen performers had volunteered this evening. Yitian Liang started it off by solving a Rubik’s cube without touching it. Mike Bailes performed the cups and balls. David Martinez tried out a new time travel routine in which a card is found even before it is selected. Alex Wu performed a series of difficult card effects done with one hand, including a production of a selected card from a zippered wallet that fooled many of those present. Tom* drew a six by six magic square using a spectator’s numbers. Gary Goldberg demonstrated how to find three needles in a haystack, using a deck of cards.

 

Fred Rasmussen slyly showed his Houdini side with taped and chained thumbs doing inexplicable things. Jim Blaishek gave a treat to magic collectors with his routine employing a card fan to top hat transformation and a Mel Babcock die box. Harold workshopped a new effect that combined mind reading of a card by a spectator with a cash prediction of a selected number. Michael Nguyen visiting from the Oakland Magic Circle closed out the night with his manipulation act of Miser’s dream, silks, billiard balls and card fan productions.   

 

After the performances and the raffle there was free socializing and sessioning.

Ring 216 Meeting on Wednesday, July 9

We can't wait to see you at our next meeting!

Agenda Highlights

Raffle: Don't miss out on another chance to win some fantastic prizes donated by club members. It's always a highlight of our gatherings. The raffle is for members who have paid their dues for 2025.

Open Performance: Bring your latest tricks and share your magic with fellow members. Whether it's a classic routine or something new, this is your chance to shine. Club members are encouraged to perform at least once each year. This is a perfect low-stress environment to test out your new magic routines!

This meeting promises to be engaging and full of learning opportunities. Let's continue to support each other and share the magic that brings us together.

On June 11, 2025: The Ring 216 Auction and Flea Market

Mark your calendars! Reserve your flea market table!

Got magic stuff you want to get rid of? Is there anything you have your eye on? Bring your magical friends and join us at our next meeting on Wednesday, June 11, beginning at 7:00 PM to shop the collections of your fellow magicians — and/or sell the stuff you don't use anymore. Flea Market A few tables are still available to reserve, so don't miss out! Reserve your table today using our easy online form. The costs are: Full table: $15 for members, $20 for non-members Half table: $10 for members, $15 for non-members You can view a layout of the tables when you reserve, and you can make a request for a particular table (although requests are not guaranteed). The earlier you reserve, the more likely you will be to get your preferred location.

Reserve Table

Auction There will also be an auction of magical goods. If you're interested in the auction, just show up. Anybody can sell at auction. The club takes a 10% fee for auction sales, but no fee for table sales. Make a Donation If you have some unwanted stuff, consider donating it to the club. We'll auction it off that night, and the proceeds will go to Ring 216. Evening Agenda 6:30 PM: Sellers may arrive to set up their tables for the flea market. 7:00 PM: The doors open to buyers. 8:15 PM: The auction begins. 9:30 PM (approximately): All sales end and it's time to pack up. Want more details about the auction? Read our FAQ. So bring your friends and your stuff — and your cash.