For the first time in a while, there’s genuine excitement in the air in downtown San Jose about the upcoming Sharks season. The “Turn It All Teal” marketing campaign this summer did its job, and you can bet expectations are the highest they’ve been for the team since the season after they made the Stanley Cup finals in 2016.

Not only is San Jose hockey crazy right now, the city could lay claim to being a literal hotbed for the sport in the United States. Sharks President Jonathan Becher said as much back in June, noting that San Jose has the NHL’s Sharks, the American Hockey League’s Barracuda and the new, still unnamed Professional Women’s Hockey League team that opens its inaugural season in December.

“San Jose is the only city in the United States that has teams from all three of those leagues,” Becher said. “So if you’re that town in Michigan, we’re coming for you. We’re now Hockey City, USA.”

The “Turn It All Teal” signs are everywhere downtown, the crosswalks and vehicle barriers at San Pedro Square are Sharks-themed and downtown bars are getting their Sharks specials ready. Scrolling social media, you can tell fans are excited about the ascension of Macklin Celebrini — aka Captain Mack — checking out the first phase of SAP Center’s $425 million “Teal Reimagination” and definitely ready for a new goal song to debut with last year’s uninspired “Power Bite” getting the boot.

The home opener against the Florida Panthers on Thursday will again be preceded by a street festival outside SAP Center, and even the plans for that seem bigger than usual. It starts at 3 p.m., with players greeting fans as they arrive on the Teal Carpet. There’ll be a lowrider showcase, a spray-paint activity from Local Color, a bucking mechanical shark to ride, lots of kids activities and plenty of food trucks.

After Super Bowl LX, March Madness and the FIFA World Cup, a strong Sharks season is just what downtown San Jose needs to keep its momentum going.

SANTA CLARA PROUD: It’s been a big year for the Mission City, with Levi’s Stadium hosting both the Super Bowl and a half-dozen World Cup games, so Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor should have plenty of positives to hit on when she delivers the State of the City address Sept. 30 at the Mission City Performing Arts Center at Wilcox High School. The event begins with a welcome reception at 5 p.m. and will include council district awards, a citywide award and performances by Elite Dance Team of Santa Clara and Sociedade Filamonica Uniao Portugeusa de Santa Clara, a local Portuguese band.

And that’s just a prelude to this weekend’s big Santa Clara event, the annual Parade of Champions on Saturday. The parade is continuing this year’s sports celebration theme with its choice of grand marshals: Bay FC co-owner Leslie Osborne, former San Jose Earthquakes star Shea Salinas and Kevin Zacher, CEO of the Santa Clara Swim Club, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary. They’ll be at the “Meet the Grand Marshals” breakfast at 8 a.m. at the American Legion Post 419 at 958 Homestead Road.

An opening ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. at the main stage on Monroe and Franklin streets, and the parade itself will set off at 11 a.m. The festival will continue on in the main stage area around Franklin Square until 5 p.m. You can get more information at www.scparadeofchampions.org.

BOOK IT: The San Jose Public Library Foundation is welcoming bestselling author Robert Dugoni to its third annual Signature Author Event on Oct. 8. The 7 p.m. fundraiser at the Montgomery Theater in downtown San Jose will focus on his novel, “The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell,” and will include a conversation moderated by San Jose City Librarian Jill Bourne.

Dugoni, who grew up in the Bay Area and attended Stanford University, practiced law in San Francisco before he became a writer full-time. He’s published 30 books that have sold more than 12 million copies, so it’s probably not a decision he regrets. Tickets are available at sjplf.org/authorevent26.