BLVA Newsletter – October 2026
Dear Ariel,
Wow, September was a busy month! So much was happening across the valley and festivities with Ben Lomond was also bustling. We gathered at the Village Market, danced and celebrated at Scottish Day, learned about our town’s history at Tales of Ben Lomond and ate so much delicious pie at the Pie Social at Beeline Blooms.
Thank you for being a part of it! Here’s what’s coming up in October.
UPCOMING BLVA EVENTS 🗓
VILLAGE MARKET
Sat, October 3 | 10 AM–2 PM
Mill Street & Ben Lomond County Park
Don’t miss the last Village Market of the season! We’re going to have some exciting new vendors, including the Cheeky Villan Food Truck and Donkey Boy Coffee. We’ll also be giving out some FREE Village Market tote bags at the top of each hour, so stop by the BLVA table to get one.
Sign Up to Volunteer
Volunteers will receive a Village Market tote bag and a $20 voucher to use at the market.
Note that there will be no parking on Mill Street in front of the park during the event, and we recommend visitors walk from their homes if they live nearby or make us of public parking on HWY 9 and surrounding neighborhoods.
SUPPER CLUB: STARS & SNACKS
Fri, October 9 | 6:30–11:00 PM
Quail Hollow County Park
In collaboration with the Santa Cruz Astronomy Club, the Ben Lomond Village Alliance is pleased to announce a Supper Club and star-watching evening!
The BLVA and attendees will bring treats, and the Astronomy Club will share information and allow the public to look through their telescopes.
SUPPER CLUB: GAMES & GHOSTS
Sat, October 17 | 4-7 PM
Steve & Jane’s House
You are cordially summoned to a night of Games & Ghosts, a Halloween and Board Game Gathering. Costumes are encouraged and can be provided if needed! Host will provide two delicious main courses (one meat and one vegetarian) as well as a variety of drinks. The guests will sign up to bring appetizers, side dishes/salads and desserts.
SUPPER CLUB: ART IN THE PARK
Sun, October 25 | 2–5 PM
Ben Lomond County Park
Join us for some instruction in drawing mandalas, then share some potluck snacks and spend time drawing a mandala. All art supplies provided, as well as drinks. Hosted by Ariel.
OTHER LOCAL EVENTS 🗓
STEEL BONNET 11-YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY
Sat, October 3 | 12–9 PM
20B Victor Square, Scotts Valley
Our friends at Steel Bonnet Brewing Company, who were generous sponsors of the recent Ben Lomond Scottish Day event, are celebrating 11 years with a full day of live music, food trucks, activities, and plenty of locally brewed beer. Stop by after the Village Market!
Learn More
DREAMING IN COLOR: TINA MASCIOCCHI & KATHRYN PIERNO
Featured Artists Exhibit | October 1–25
Opening Reception | Fri, October 2 | 5–7 PM
Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center, 9341 Mill Street
This two-woman show translates internal emotions into a vivid external reality. Their artwork invites viewers to lose themselves in a rich, non-linear narrative where color serves as the primary language of the soul.
CALL FOR ARTISTS: THE GIFT OF ART, ANNUAL HOLIDAY GIFT EXHIBIT
Online Entry Deadline: October 29 by Noon
Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center, 9341 Mill Street
SCMAC will have their popular holiday gift exhibit again this year. For this show, artists are asked to submit work that is suitable for gift giving. Framed paintings, crafty wall hangings, functional ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, cards, glass, woodwork, etc! All mediums are welcome, but all submissions must be for sale. Open to artists 18 years and older.
41st ANNUAL MOUNTAIN AFFAIR
Fri, October 30 | 6:30–9:30 PM
Highlands Park Community Center, 8500 Highway 9
The Mountain Affair brings neighbors, local leaders, and longtime supporters together for an evening under the redwoods in support of Mountain Community Resources, San Lorenzo Valley’s local family resource center. Guests enjoy fine food, local wines, live music, a silent auction featuring local businesses and artisans, and a meaningful opportunity to invest in a stronger, more connected valley.
All proceeds support Mountain Community Resources in providing a welcoming place where San Lorenzo Valley residents can access food, counseling, parent education, housing navigation, emergency preparedness, disaster recovery support, and connections to the broader Community Bridges network.
Learn More
FIRE SAFE GARDEN DESIGN
Sat, October 18 |10 AM–12 PM | FREE
Mountain Feed and Farm Supply, 9550 HWY 9
Wildfire risk can be a confusing and emotional topic in garden design, especially if you have cherished trees, shrubs and vines close to your house. If the thought of removing plants around your home is distressing you, come find your way back to joy in creating your fire-safe garden.
MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY THEATER PRESENTS RUMORS
September 18-October 11
Park Hall Community Center, 9400 Mill Street
Director Marnae Taylor brings the play Rumors, written by Neil Simon, to MCT. Charley, the deputy mayor of New York, and his wife, Myra Brock, on the evening of their tenth wedding anniversary, host an elegant dinner party which goes hysterically wrong. Four couples arrive expecting a night of sophistication—only to discover the host has had a terrible mishap and his wife is missing.
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT 🔦
ROBERTS RANCH VINEYARDS
Did you know we have a world-class vineyard and winery located right here in Ben Lomond? Tucked high on a southeast-facing ridge in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains, the family-owned vineyard, Roberts Ranch, is situated to take advantage of sunlight, views, and the cooling breezes coming up the San Lorenzo Valley from the Pacific Ocean. This boutique ranch vineyard currently has 4 acres of vines planted exclusively in Pinot Noir, and they utilize old-world wine-making techniques to craft small-lot offerings.
Offering four types of wine tasting experiences, including Vine & Wine Walks with a French Worker’s Lunch, Wine Tasting, Charcuterie, and Crushpad Concerts, there is something for everyone to enjoy. They also offer a membership club that includes special discount codes on all their events, plus invitations to exclusive private events!
Roberts Ranch has also been a generous sponsor of the Ben Lomond Village Alliance’s Ben Lomond Scottish Day the last two years. We are so grateful for their support!
GET INVOLVED 💪
Want to get involved with the BLVA? Join a committee today!
BETTER STREETS & BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE
Next meeting: Thursday, October 1, 6:00 PM
Ben Lomond Fire Department Meeting Room
The meeting will have as its focus a recap of the August 27 meeting on planning for the Glen Arbor Road walkway from Pine to Highway 9, scoping of the planned improvements and formation of volunteer teams to clean and install some low maintenance plants in the Highway 9 planter strips once the weather turns a little cooler.
The Better Streets Committee would also like to share with the community the Week Without Driving (WWD), a community challenge that invites people across Santa Cruz County to step out of their cars and experience how they would get around if driving were not available to them. From October 1 through October 8, 2026, we encourage you to walk, roll, bike, ride transit, carpool, or ask for rides whenever possible and reflect on what works, what does not, and what barriers exist for people who rely on these options every day. This campaign is about building understanding, empathy, and momentum for a more accessible transportation for everyone. More info HERE.
EVENTS COMMITTEE: TREE LIGHTING PLANNING
Next Meeting: Monday, October 19 | 6–7 PM
Ben Lomond Library
If you’d like to be part of our 2026 Tree Lighting planning committee, join us! Anyone who wants to be an active part of the planning process and help shape this event is welcome to join.
Questions? Reach out to Events@BenLomondVillage.org.
SOCIAL COMMITTEE MONTHLY MEETING
Sun, October 25 | 6–7 PM
Ben Lomond Library
Come join the committee that’s dedicated to having fun times together! The Social Committee is responsible for the dances and Supper Clubs. Come help us plan and make more fun things happen in Ben Lomond. We meet on the 4th Sunday of the month from 6–7 PM at the Ben Lomond Library.
Reach out to Social@BenLomondVillage.org for more information.
RECENT IMPACT 💥
KIOSK MAKEOVER
The Mill Street kiosk has a whole new look! Thanks to the efforts of our dedicated BLVA volunteers and friends, the it’s been beautifully repaired and repainted.
Special thanks to Dave Grant, an SLV High School teacher, who donated heart redwood for the base of the kiosk, and to Tom King, who generously donated his expert advice and paint.
Also thanks to YOU, the BLVA community, for helping us select the paint colors, and the following BLVA members and friends generously donated their time, talent, and expertise: Mary Eppolito, Sally Munro, Tom Howard, Sarah Jansen-Mount, Jamie Helmer, Tina Castle, and our carpenter, and Jim Bahn. Thank you to Ronnie Trubek for the historical photos.
We are grateful to everyone who helped restore this community landmark and make the kiosk look its best once again!
SCOTTISH DAY EXTRAVAGANZA
What a day! More than 1,000 people joined us for Scottish Day in Ben Lomond, filling the park with music, food, festivities, and plenty of Scottish spirit.
A huge thank you to everyone who came out, along with the performers, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, and community partners who helped make the day possible. We loved seeing so many neighbors and visitors come together to celebrate the community we call home.
Thank you to our sponsors—Scarborough Lumber, Roberts Ranch Vineyards, Steel Bonnet, Bay Federal, the Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay, Marianne’s Ice Cream—and the many local businesses, artisans, and individuals who contributed the array of auction items, and the generous bidders who made our biggest fundraiser of the year a huge success, raising more than $4,300!
OUT AND ABOUT’ WITH THE BLVA 👠
ALL ABOUT THE PIE
More than 50 neighbors attended the BLVA Supper Club’s Pie Social on Saturday, September 26, at Beeline Blooms. It’s a good thing they showed up hungry because the selection of pies and salads was plentiful and so creative! Guests gathered at picnic tables among the farm’s incredible dahlias, and the spread did not disappoint. Savory pies, sweet dessert pies, and salads lined the tables from end to end as guests sat down at long family-style tables together. Pies were passed, and strangers got to know each other. Plenty of people went home with a box of leftovers, and if you tasted something you loved, keep an eye out for the upcoming 2026 BLVA Supper Club Cookbook as we hope to include many of the recipes from this event in there! If you have a recipe to submit, please email it to secretary@benlomondvillage.org.
A big thank you to Beeline Blooms ((include link)) for opening up the farm and giving us such a beautiful place to eat together. Thank you also to Jen Janisch and Tina Castle for hosting, planning the details, and keeping everything flowing all evening. All the participants greatly enjoyed the music provided by Mica Johnson and Katrina Haeger. And thanks to everyone who baked, tossed a salad or came to the event hungry and ready to meet people! Festive gatherings like this where strangers become friends are why the Supper Club exists, and we can’t wait to see you at the next one.
THANK YOU! ❤️
As we enjoy the thriving Village Markets and all the other signs of a vibrant Ben Lomond, we’re reminded that none of it happens without a community that cares. Whether you volunteer your time, attend an event, shop locally, stop to chat with a neighbor, or smile and wave a car ahead of you in traffic on Hwy 9, you’re helping make our village a stronger, more connected place. Thank you for being part of that story.
If you enjoy receiving this newsletter, please help us grow our community by sharing it with your friends and neighbors. Invite them to join our membership list, follow us on FACEBOOK , and fave us on NEXTDOOR so they can stay connected with everything happening in Ben Lomond.
Have a great photo from around town? Know about an upcoming event, a local business worth highlighting, or a story about a neighbor doing something remarkable? We’d love to hear from you! Send your Ben Lomond news, photos, and newsletter ideas to Secretary@BenLomondVillage.org.
Thank you for being part of the Ben Lomond Village Alliance family. We look forward to seeing you at the next Village Market, around town, and at one of the Supper Clubs this month!
Cheers,
Ben Lomond Village Alliance
