BLVA Newsletter – September 2026
Dear Friend,
Can you believe it’s already September? The days are getting a little shorter, but our village calendar is fuller than ever. This month brings one of our biggest celebrations of the year, a historic milestone for our beloved county park, and plenty of chances to gather with your neighbors.
And what a summer it’s been! Our Village Markets have welcomed hundreds of visitors each month, our new streetlight banners are brightening Mill Street, and our Supper Clubs keep bringing friends old and new around the table. Keep reading for village updates, upcoming events, and ways to get involved with the BLVA!
UPCOMING BLVA EVENTS 🗓
VILLAGE MARKET & BLUE PLAQUE CEREMONY
Saturday, Sept. 5th | 10 AM–2 PM
Blue Plaque Recognition Ceremony at 12 PM
Mill Street & Ben Lomond County Park
Come enjoy the largest market yet, with over 24 vendors, including fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs from Solorios Farm, food by Pharaoh’s Plate, Adorable French Bakery, La Marea of the Sea, chair massage, native plants for sale, and more than a dozen local artists and makers. Brick Lab will have Lego activities for kids, and local band Ramblin’ Rebels will perform live.
We’re also excited to celebrate the installation of a Museum of Art & History Blue Plaque recognizing our park as a Historic Landmark! As part of the festivities at the September 5 Village Market, local historian Ronnie Trubek will share the park’s history and why this designation matters to our community. Join us at 12:00 PM to learn more about this special place and celebrate another milestone in Ben Lomond’s history.
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 use public parking on HWY 9 and in surrounding neighborhoods. Parking is also available at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (on Love Creek Rd).
SCOTTISH DAY 2026
Saturday, Sept. 19 | 1–5 PM | FREE
Ben Lomond County Park, 9525 Mill Street
Press your tartan and join us for the second annual Ben Lomond Scottish Day, a celebration of our village’s proud Scottish roots. This family-friendly festival features live Scottish music, falconry, sheepdog, swordfighting demonstrations, cèilidh community dancing, Highland dancers, a silent auction, kids’ activities, and food, beer and wine for sale. Admission is free, and all proceeds support the BLVA’s work in our village.
Event Lineup
1:00–2:00 PM | Live Music with Jay Salter & the Celtic Circle
2:00–2:30 PM | Falconry Demonstration with the 3 Falconeers
2:30–3:00 PM | Dance Performance by the San Jose School of Highland Dance
3:00–3:30 PM | Swordfighting Demonstration by Davenriche European Martial Artes School
3:30–4:30 PM | Community Ceilidh Dancing with Haggis & Avocado
4:30–5:00 PM | Santa Cruz Community Music School
5:00 PM | Shortbread Contest Awards
Kids Highland Games
1:30 PM | Tug of War
2:30 PM | Sack Race
3:30 PM | Caber Toss
4:30 PM | Spoon Race
Shortbread Contest
There’s still time to enter! Local bakers compete for community bragging rights (and a $100 prize!) while attendees sample each entry and vote for their favorites.
Silent Auction Donations
Interested in donating to the silent auction? Reach out to ScottishDay@BenLomondVillage.org.
Volunteer!
Event flyering, day-of ice cream scooping, setup, cleanup, and so much more…we could really use your help! And, we’ll make it fun too. All event volunteers get a complimentary event glass and beverage.
Thank you to our event sponsors!
Scarborough Lumber, Steel Bonnet Brewing Company, Roberts Ranch Vineyards, Marianne’s Ice Cream, and the Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay
TALES OF BEN LOMOND PART 3
From Redwoods to Retreats: The Valley’s Counterculture Years
With Special Guest Holly Harman
Thursday, Sept. 24 | 6:30–8:30 PM; Doors Open at 6:00 PM
Park Hall Community Center
Back by popular demand! Join Ronnie Trubek as she explores four decades that transformed Ben Lomond and the people who called it home. Plus, special guest Holly Harman, author of Inside a Hippie Commune, will be interviewed at the end of the presentation, followed by open Q&A.
SUPPER CLUB: PIE SOCIAL
Saturday, Sept. 26 | 6–8 PM | $10
Free but advance registration is required
Beeline Blooms
Join us for a Community Pie Social at Beeline Blooms hosted by Jen and Tina, where you’ll be surrounded by dahlias, friendly conversation, and sweet and savory pies. Your hosts will provide water and cider as well as boxes to take home your favorite pieces of pie. Please bring one pie (anything with a crust above, below, or around and a sweet or savory filling!) for every two people in your group. Or bring a large salad to round out our community supper.
VILLAGE MARKET
Saturday, Oct. 3 | 10 AM–2 PM
Mill Street & Ben Lomond County Park
Mark your calendar now so you don’t miss the last Village Market of 2026! Come enjoy delicious fresh food, great music, and get your shopping done all while enjoying seeing your friends and neighbors right in downtown Ben Lomond!
SUPPER CLUB: STARS & SNACKS
Friday, Oct. 9 | 6:30–11:00 PM | FREE
Quail Hollow County Park
Join us for a Supper Club co-sponsored by the Santa Cruz Astronomy Club at Quail Hollow County Park!
SUPPER CLUB: ART IN THE PARK
Sunday, Oct. 25 | 2–5 PM
Free but advance registration required
Ben Lomond County Park
Join us for some instruction in drawing mandalas, sharing some potluck snacks and spending time drawing a mandala. All art supplies provided, as well as drinks.
SUPPER CLUB: GAMES & GHOSTS
Saturday, Oct. 17 | 4–7 PM
Free but advance registration required
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! The host will provide two 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.
OTHER LOCAL EVENTS 🗓
LAST CHANCE: RHYTHMS WITHIN, ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONS EXHIBITION
Through Saturday, Sept. 19 | Gallery Hours: Thursday–Sunday, Noon–5 PM
Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center, 9341 Mill Street
Don’t miss your final weeks to experience Rhythms Within in the Thomas Gallery. This exhibit invited artists to set aside recognizable subjects and create work drawn from emotion, ideas, and internal reality. The result is a collection of bold abstract expressions from artists across our community. Stop by before it closes on September 19, and see how our local artists tapped into their inner rhythms!
HARVEST VINE & WINE WALK WITH FRENCH WORKER’S LUNCH
Saturday, Sept. 5 | 11:30 AM–1:30 PM
Roberts Ranch Vineyards, 875 Roberts RD, Ben Lomond
Tour the vineyard during harvest season, then gather on the terrace for a Provençal lunch paired with featured wines. Wear comfortable closed-toe shoes for the hike!
WINE, CHARCUTERIE, AND CRUSHPAD CONCERT
Saturday, Sept. 5 | 3–5 PM
Roberts Ranch Vineyards, 875 Roberts Rd, Ben Lomond
Enjoy live music by Mountain Drive alongside boutique wine tasting and charcuterie at this ridge-top winery.
SENIOR CARGIVER & FAMILY RESOURCE FAIR
Thursday, Sept. 10 | 4–7 PM
Highland Park Senior & Community Center
Meet experts from every level of senior care—all under one roof—offering vital information and support for seniors, veterans, caregivers, and their families to plan for and navigate aging with greater ease.
MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY THEATRE PRESENTS: RUMORS
Sept. 18–Oct. 11
Park Hall Community Center, 9400 Mill Street
Mountain Community Theater brings Neil Simon’s hilarious farce “Rumors” to the Park Hall stage, directed by MarNae Taylor. Join the fun at the Champagne Gala following opening night on Sept. 18, or grab two tickets for the price of one at Community Night on Sept. 19 (a perfect way to cap off Scottish Day!).
PANCAKES IN THE PARK
Sunday, Sept. 20 | 8:30 AM–12 PM (Every 3rd Sunday thru October)
Highlands Park Senior and Community Center, 8500 HWY 9
A great breakfast for all ages! Enjoy all-you-can-eat pancakes, fruit, eggs made to order, potatoes, and sausage for only $12. Come have a great breakfast and support the Senior Center.
FREE YARD TRIMMINGS DISPOSAL FOR COUNTY RESIDENTS
Saturday, Sept. 26 | 7:30 AM–3:30 PM
Ben Lomond Transfer Station
Thanks to funding secured by 5th District Supervisor Monica Martinez, the Free Green Waste Disposal Program will continue through September before returning in spring 2027. District Five residents can dispose of yard trimmings and green waste at no cost at the Ben Lomond Transfer Station on the last Saturday of each month.
Take advantage of the program to create defensible space around your home—and consider helping neighbors who may need support. Seniors can contact Damien’s Ladder (see Local Spotlight below) for help hauling green waste.
VALLEY WOMEN’S GROUP NATIVE PLANT SALE
Saturday, Sept. 26 | 9 AM–3 PM
Highland Senior & Community Center parking lot
The Valley Women’s Club of San Lorenzo Valley’s annual Native Plant Sale and fundraiser features over 2,000 neonicotinoid-free native plants with dozens of carefully chosen species available. Funds support local school grants, student scholarships, and environmental restoration programs managed by the SLV Habitat Restoration Program.
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT 🔦
DAMIANS LADDER
This month, we’d like to shine the spotlight on a local non-profit you may not have heard of, Damians Ladder.
Founded in 2023, this organization is committed to helping seniors and people with disabilities remain safe and comfortable in their own homes by providing small, essential home repairs and modifications at low or no cost. Experienced field volunteers power their mission, working directly with clients to make requested repairs. Each volunteer must pass a criminal background check before entering a client’s home. With more than 1960 service hours in 2025–2026, they are making a huge difference in the lives of seniors throughout Santa Cruz County.
GET INVOLVED 💪
SOCIAL COMMITTEE
4th Sundays | 6–7 PM
Ben Lomond Library
Join the committee dedicated to having fun! The Social Committee plans the dances and Supper Clubs. Come help us plan and make more fun things happen in Ben Lomond. Email Social@BenLomondVillage.org for more information.
TREE LIGHTING PLANNING COMMITTEE
Monday, September 28 | 6–7 PM at the Ben Lomond Library
If you’d like to be part of our 2026 Tree Lighting planning committee, join us!
BETTER STREETS & BEAUTIFICATION
Next Meeting: Thursday, Sept. 24 | 6:00 PM
Ben Lomond Fire Department Meeting Room
The Better Streets & Beautification Committee continues working with the County and Caltrans to make Ben Lomond’s streets safer, more walkable, and more attractive. Recent progress includes new high-visibility crosswalks, accessible ramps, shoulder paving improvements, and repairs to decorative streetlights. BLVA has also requested reducing the Mill Street speed limit from 25 to 15 mph and improving the Mill/Main Street intersection.
One of Better Streets’ highest priorities is to improve the safety of walking on Glen Arbor Road. A new flashing crosswalk at Glen Arbor Road and Madrone Avenue is expected to be operational in September. We’re also making progress on the long-awaited Glen Arbor walkway project between Highway 9 and Pine Avenue. On August 27, Better Streets hosted the County Community Development & Infrastructure Department for a community meeting at the Ben Lomond Fire Department to get a status update. More than 20 BLVA members attended and heard a presentation on the project’s history by Better Streets chair Jamie Helmer, and County Senior Engineer Jeffrey de los Santos provided an update on the schedule and funding. The County has committed $2.1M toward the project and is seeking additional funding. BLVA and community members will have an opportunity to help shape the design, including materials, lighting, landscaping, and drainage. An email will go out to BLVA members with additional details and a link to a survey to provide your feedback on the design of this walkway.
Learn More About the Glen Arbor Walkway Project
See a burned-out streetlight or other roadway issue? Report it through the County’s Report a Problem portal or the My Santa Cruz County app. With winter weather approaching, now is also a good time to report potential drainage, road, or tree hazards before storms arrive.
RECENT IMPACT 💥
KIOSK MAKEOVER
Our little Ben Lomond kiosk is getting some love! BLVA Beautification Committee volunteers have been pulling staples, powerwashing, and painting. Come take a look at our refreshed kiosk and see new pictures from local historian Ronnie Trubek.
Thank you to King’s Paint & Paper for their generous donation of paint and supplies!
‘OUT AND ABOUT’ WITH THE BLVA 👠
SUPPER CLUB RECAP: BOCCI BALL TEA PARTY
A huge thank you to Magdalena and Mark for opening their home for August’s Supper Club! More than 20 neighbors gathered on a beautiful Sunday afternoon for tea, an impressive spread of tarts and tea-time treats, and some friendly (okay, occasionally competitive) rounds of bocci ball. It was exactly what Supper Club is all about: good food, good company, and getting to know the people who make Ben Lomond home. If you haven’t made it to a Supper Club yet, the September Pie Social is the perfect place to start!
THANK YOU! ❤️
As summer winds down and we head into one of our busiest months of the year, we’re reminded that none of it happens without a caring community. Whether you volunteer your time, attend an event, shop locally, bake a batch of shortbread, 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 Ariel at Secretary@BenLomondVillage.org.
Thank you for being part of the Ben Lomond Village Alliance family. We look forward to seeing you at Scottish Day, around town, and at the many community events still to come this year.
Cheers,
Ben Lomond Village Alliance
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