Newsletter – September 2025
| Dear Friend, Welcome to the September 2025 edition of the Ben Lomond Village Alliance newsletter! School has begun and the golden days of late summer are here with the unmistakable feeling that fall is just around the corner. It’s a beautiful time to slow down, reconnect, and soak up the magic of life in the redwoods. We have something to celebrate this month: The BLVA has officially grown to over 650 members! Whether you’ve been with us from that first meeting at Park Hall in 2024, or just joined last week, thank you for being part of this growing movement to support, beautify, and strengthen our Village. Your energy, ideas, and enthusiasm are what make this all possible.This month’s newsletter is packed with updates, including fall events and other opportunities to get involved. There’s no shortage of ways to connect and contribute. Here’s to a September full of creativity and community spirit! ~The Team at the BLVA |
UPCOMING BLVA EVENTS 🗓
| Wee Kirk Market Sunday, September 7, 2025, 9am–1pm | FREE Wee Kirk Church, 9500 Central Ave, Ben Lomond The farmer’s market at the Wee Kirk Church continues 1st Sundays through October. This month, favorites Solorios Organic Farm, Real Good Fish, Honey-Do Gardens, La Selva Lavender, J and M Bagels and Wildstone Bakery will be returning, and we’re also excited to welcome new vendor Magic Mudd who will be selling Functional ceramic art for your home, garden, and kitchen made right here in Ben Lomond. Quality Cutlery, CalistaCat, Love Cultivated, Fern Quinn Art and Mahanahula Creations will also be there. Live music by Mountain Lark will be playing music, providing a charming atmosphere while you shop. Visit our website for a complete list of vendors. |
| River & Road Clean-upSaturday, September 20, anytime between 9am–12pm Ben Lomond County Park, Mill Street In partnership with Valley Women’s Group and Save Our Shores, BLVA is encouraging volunteers to help with the annual effort to help keep our environment safe, clean and beautiful. Volunteers must sign the Save Our Shores waiver HERE – save time by printing it out and bring it with you to the check-in spot, which is at Ben Lomond County Park on Mill Street. BRING: Water, work gloves WEAR: Sturdy or water-worthy shoes, easy to see shirt or vest, sun hat and sunscreen WE PROVIDE: Trash bags, latex gloves, suggested cleanup locations |
 |
| BEN LOMOND SCOTTISH DAY 2025 Saturday, October 4 | 1–5 pm | FREE Ben Lomond County Park The Ben Lomond Village Alliance is excited to present our Scottish Day event on October 4! This festive afternoon will feature live Scottish music, cèilidh community dancing, a falcon show, delicious food and drinks for sale, kids’ crafts and activities, and more. There will also be a shortbread contest and a silent auction benefiting the Ben Lomond Village Alliance. Many thanks to our event sponsors: Roberts Ranch Vineyards, Marianne’s Ice Cream, and Steele Bonnet. RSVP & LEARN MORE |
OTHER LOCAL EVENTS 🗓
| Save the Date: Halloween Costume Swap Saturday, October 12 | 11am–1pm | FREE Ben Lomond County Park, Mill Street BLVA and the Valley Women’s Club of the San Lorenzo Valley are hosting a crafty boo-tique! Bring old costumes, find a new one, and even upcycle and get inventive with your own vision. |
| Valley Women’s Club Native Plant SaleSaturday, September 27 | 9am–3pmHighlands Park Senior & Community Center The San Lorenzo Valley Native Habitat Restoration Program is back with our biggest Native Plant Sale Fundraiser yet! 🌿 Shop 1,500 California natives handpicked to thrive in the San Lorenzo Valley. Watch your garden come alive as the native plants attract local pollinators and birds as they strengthen the San Lorenzo Valley ecosystem. 📚 Every purchase supports teacher grants and student scholarships in SLV schools—so your garden grows a greener future for our kids, too. More details and information about the plants that will be for sale available on Valley Women’s website. |
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT 🔦
| Spanky’s Cafe Offering Dinner! In case you missed it, here is exciting news if you’re ever hungry: Spanky’s will soon be offering dinner! Read more in the Press Banner: https://pressbanner.com/strictly-business-spankys-cafe-embracing-community-in-the-valley/ |
| Heartwood Yoga—Introduction to Sun Salutations Saturday, September 6 | 1–4pm Ever wondered what’s really happening in a Sun Salutation? This workshop is all about slowing it down, breaking it apart, and giving you the tools to move with confidence. Together we will explore modifications, breath, and ways to make the practice feel accessible and digestible. Space is limited, reserve your spot through this LINK. |
GET INVOLVED 💪
| Volunteer at the Wee Kirk Farmers Market—Helpers are needed for various roles at the market every month. For September, we are still looking to fill AM Church Monitor and PM Greeters positions. Sign up HERE. |
 |
| Volunteer at the Ben Lomond Scottish Day event—We have plenty of ways you can volunteer at the event! From donations and setup to scooping ice cream or being a temporary tattoo artist, we’d love to have your help at this signature Ben Lomond event. Sign up HERE. Committee Members—All of the Ben Lomond Village Alliance committees welcome more participation. Sign up today and start making things happen in Ben Lomond! Visit our Get Involved page for more information about these opportunities. Supper Club The August Community Potluck at the Park was a blast! We had a feast with 26 attendees and a musician at the Ben Lomond County Park, and it was so much fun to meet so many new people. Don’t miss out on the good food and community building that Supper Club events are cultivating. |
 |
| Sign up to be a Host Hosting a Supper Club can be as simple or extravagant as you want it to be! Hosts hold dinners (or lunches, or tea parties!) in their homes or at other locations. The type of supper and number of guests is up to the host; it could be anything from a potluck to a fully catered meal. Your supper can be a fundraiser for BLVA (required donation set by you) or it can be free. Your creative ideas are welcome! If you have questions or an interest in hosting, email Ariel at secretary@BenLomondVillage.org. Submit your recipe for the Cookbook The recipes submitted so far have been fabulous! You can still be a part of the inaugural BLVA Supper Club Cookbook, which will be for sale in December as a fundraiser for the BLVA. This cookbook will feature potluck dishes, your entertaining-friends-favorites and desserts, but any family favorite dish will be considered for inclusion. You have through October 31 to share your favorite recipes. Submit your recipe(s) for consideration HERE. |
RECENT IMPACT 💥
| The Wee Kirk Market continues to be a town favorite! More than 300 people came to the August Market and folks were delighted by the variety of food vendors including fresh vegetables, fish, and honey and the locally created crafts, lavender, and jewelry vendors. Come Sunday, September 7 to support local small businesses. |
‘OUT AND ABOUT’ WITH THE BLVA 👠
| The Square Dance & Honky-tonk sure was some boot stomping fun! More than 120 people came and danced to the fantastic music of Bois Rouge Cajun Band. We were all grateful to the folks who donated the amazing variety of home made pies! Huge thank you goes out to all the volunteers who helped make this event a success! We all loved the good food, good friends and good fun! |
 |
THANK YOU! ❤️
| As summer turns to fall, we’re feeling grateful for the continued energy and heart this community brings to every BLVA gathering and initiative. From lively dances to neighborhood clean-ups, your involvement is what keeps the spirit of Ben Lomond thriving. Let’s keep the momentum going! You can help us grow our impact—by spreading the word about the Ben Lomond Village Alliance! Share our mission with your friends and neighbors and invite others to join our membership list. Follow us on FACEBOOK and fave us on NEXTDOOR. If you have questions, would like more information about BLVA initiatives, or have Ben Lomond-related announcements (send pictures!) for us to share in our newsletters, please contact Ariel at secretary@benlomondvillage.org. Thank you for being a part of the Ben Lomond Village Alliance family. Warm regards, Ben Lomond Village Alliance |
| Copyright © 2025 Ben Lomond Village Alliance, All rights reserved Ben Lomond Village Alliance is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. |
