by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Oct 3, 2026 | Events, Kids
Graphics: © Marina Zlochin via canva.com
Celebrate the season in style with the Los Gatos Halloween Pet and Kids Parade! The Paw-Looza is sure to be tons of fun for all!
Details on the Los Gatos Halloween Pet and Kids Parade
The event takes place on Sunday, October 25th, 2026
Town Plaza Park | 9 AM – 12 PM Events and activities, including face painting and a costume parade
Downtown Trick or Treating | 12 PM – 12 PM Trick-or-treat at participating downtown businesses, marked by festive balloon bundles.
Please check on the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce’s webpage for all of the details for the day!
Come in costume and bring the whole family. Many downtown merchants will be participating in handing out treats to the costumed visitors participating. There will be prizes for the best costume!
There is NO FEE to attend, but donations are welcome and will support a very worthy cause, The Street Dog Coalition.
The Street Dog Coalition
The Street Dog Coalition is an amazing and wonderful volunteer organization and we are proud to support them. Per their website:
“The Street Dog Coalition provides free veterinary care and related services to pets of people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. Using a One Health approach to street medicine and pop-up street clinics, we care for lives on both ends of the leash.”
Please learn more about them at their website: The Street Dog Coalition
Many thanks to the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce and many sponsors for making this a wonderful Los Gatos tradition!
Howling Halloween – a precursor
Years ago, we had a fun dog costume parade in Los Gatos each October called the Howling Halloween Pet Parade. The proceeds used to go to the Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police Department’s K9 unit – a wonderful cause. That event was hosted by Society Dog, a pet supply company that closed several years ago.
by Mary Pope-Handy | Aug 8, 2026 | Events, Kids, Los Gatos Events
Each August, the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad and W.E. “Bill” Mason Carousel host their End of Summer Night Ride, a pasta dinner fundraiser!
End of Summer Night Ride details
Typically this event is held near the end of the month, however this year it will be held Sunday, Aug 9, 2026 from 6 PM – 8:45 PM.
At the very end of the summer season, the railroad and carousel hold their second major fundraiser of the year – the End of Summer Night Ride and Pasta Dinner. Evening activities begin at 6 PM, and the last train departs at 8:30 PM. You can purchase by the ride ($7 for train, $5 for carousel), one combo train and carousel ticket, for one ride on each, at $10, or get the unlimited pass (sold per person) and ride as many times as you want all evening for $20 per person.
Remember that children 2 and under ride free with paying adult.
Dinner is served from 6 – 8 PM, and a donation of $15 per adult and $11 per child will get you a plate piled high with spaghetti and meat sauce, a garden salad or caprese, and garlic bread. Vegetarian options are available, and beverages are an extra fee (beer and wine will be available for purchase). Additional donations are always welcome.
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by Clair Handy, Mary Pope-Handy | Jul 25, 2026 | Events, Irrelevant Fun, Kids, LG Lifestyle, Los Gatos Art & Entertainment, Los Gatos Events, Los Gatos History, Parks, Visiting Los Gatos
This weekend enjoy some family-friendly fun and local history at Oak Meadow Park with back-to-back celebrations for National Carousel Day and Billy Jones Day!
National Carousel Day: July 25th
Today, Saturday July 25th 2026, is National Carousel Day! To celebrate, take a ride on the historic (and beautifully restored) W.E. “Bill” Mason Carousel. Come learn about the history of this centenarian ride from carousel volunteers, or just enjoy the music of the band organ, the lights, the art, and festivities. Did you know that each horse has a name? Not only that, you can learn a little about each horse (or even adopt one) by visiting the Carousel Horses page on the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad website.
Hear a little more about what to expect from Will Whitney here: https://fb.watch/IAOlcNzb5Z/ And adults and older kids may enjoy reading about the preservation project, covered in this Los Gatan article by Amanda Senior earlier this year: In the workshop with carousel restorer Cheryl Stuermer.
Billy Jones Day: Last Sunday in July
The last Sunday of July is Billy Jones Day, also this weekend on July 26th! This annual celebration “honor[s] the man who started it all by doing things the way he did on his ranch.” (BJWWR) That means all rides (on both the train and carousel) are an open donation instead of their usual fee – donate as much or as little as you like to support the nonprofit, Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad, Inc., that is keeping these rides running and open to the public, and preserving them and their history for the next generation.
This year they’re going full-steam ahead and firing up all the locomotives plus one guest steam enegine for the event!
Both days, the train and carousel will be on their usual summer weekend hours, running from 10:30am – 4:30pm. The Snack Shack will be open both days from 11:00am – 3:30pm. There may be a fee of $6 to park at the Oak Meadow Parking lot if there is an attendant at the booth, however the lot can fill up early on summer weekends, so plan accordingly!
by Mary Pope-Handy | Jan 13, 2025 | Events, Kids
Image made with ©Canva, original image by Belika Design
Are you ready for summer? KCAT TV Studio is now taking applications for their FREE 2b ME multimedia summer camps for ages 9 to 13.
Calling all future TV Producers, Filmmakers, Podcasters, Editors, and Creators! KCAT TV SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION OPEN NOW
KCAT TV Summer Camp Details
KCAT TV’s popular summer camps for ages 9 – 13 year-olds are now open for registration! Experience live TV, movie making, podcasting, and more.
CAMP DATES, TIMES AND LOCATION:
Weekly summer camps
June 9 through Aug 8, Monday – Friday
(There’s probably a break for Independence Day, July 4th, but I’m not seeing it on their web page.)
Full days (9-5:30pm)
An immersive experience of both TV, movie, and podcasting
Half-day mornings (9-1pm)
TV Studio production and Live Show “includes journalism, weather and field trip”
Half-day afternoons (1:30-5:30pm)
Focus on movie production and podcasting and “includes on-location filmmaking, acting, scriptwriting and editing”
Camps are held at KCAT TV15 Studio on Los Gatos High School Campus.
Scholarships may be available.
Learn more and register now:
Cost per weekly session (scholarships may be available): $425 half day / $700 full day – there’s an early bird special offered with lower pricing of $400 half day and $675 full day if the student is signed up by March 30th.
Related Reading:
Los Gatos High School’s Spring Musical
Oktoberfest LG
Black Cat Hats
by Mary Pope-Handy | Jul 19, 2022 | Events, Kids, Uncategorized
Tomorrow evening you can enjoy some wonderful pizza and support the Los Gatos Youth Theatre! Pizza My Heart will be giving 30% of the proceeds to support the program!
From the LGYT fundraiser chair:
“We here at LGYT are constantly looking for ways to help our families best support our kids on stage and, well, I think we’ve done it again: all your Wednesday evening dining needs are solved!! Pizza My Heart in downtown Los Gatos is helping us fundraise by donating 30% of every purchase that mentions LGYT at the time of purchase back to our organization. Wednesday, 7/20 from 4-9pm is the official timing, but they’re even going to count mentions during the afternoon.”
Here’s to good eating for a good cause! Please participate in the LGYT fundraiser and enjoy some yummy pizza!
Looking to catch a performance?
It is show week for Freaky Friday! Performances are
July 21 7pm Kitt cast
July 22nd 7:00pm Yorkey cast
July 23rd 2:00pm Yorkey cast AND 7:00pm Kitt cast
July 24th 12:00pm Kitt cast AND 5:00pm Yorkey cast
Tickets are on sale @ https://lgyt.seatyourself.biz
marketing@lgyt.net
by Mary Pope-Handy | Mar 19, 2020 | Kids, Parks
Today my family and I walked over to Belgatos Park (our usual haunt) and saw a number of people out on bikes or walking en route. We wondered if there would be kids in close proximity on the playground, but the answer is no – it’s cordoned off for public safety during the coronavirus “Shelter in Place”. Makes sense.
The police tape prohibiting entrance to the playground comes with a sign about the closure.
Please stay well, one and all!
