Fundraiser

St. Mary’s Country Fair in Los Gatos

St Mary's Country Fair - Stage and RideSt. Mary’s Country Fair in Los Gatos is a fun, annual community event that occurs the second weekend of October (skipped last year due to Covid).

This year, it’s October Oct 10th – 10th, 2021. There’s also a great shopping opportunity on Thursday with the popular Harvest Market.

New this year, please note: Covid precautions. This is a masked event, and everyone is required to wear a mask except when eating or drinking. There will be no pancake breakfast or spaghetti dinner for safety reasons also.

Also new this year: this is a cashless event. You’ll be able to use credit cards or debit cards, but not cash.

Open to everyone, and with no admission fee, the three day fundraiser is a great place to enjoy so many cool things, including:

  • Butler Carnival rides (separate tickets)
  • bouncy house
  • country store shopping
  • arts & crafts (such as pumpkin decorating)
  • martial arts displays
  • dancing
  • dining (good and affordable!) – several food booths to choose from
  • raffle
  • play games
  • giant slide
  • full service coffee shop
  • margarita booth
  • talent show
  • live bands
  • bingo (of course!)
  • Harvest Market

Hours for the Country Fair:
Friday, October 8, 5 pm to 10 pm
Saturday, October 9, 10 am to 10 pm
Sunday, October 10, 10 am to 5 pm

Hours for the Harvest Market Thursday Oct 7:
11 am to 4 pm no entrance fee
Evening Shopping from 5 pm to 9 pm $20 entrance fee
Shop, Appetizers, Drinks, Raffle & Music
Tickets presale or at the door

 

See even more at the event’s website: http://stmarysfair.squarespace.com/

This is a fabulous place to walk through and simply bump into friends & neighbors from all over Los Gatos and the nearby communities. It’s also a fun place to take photos. Each day is a little different, some return again and again!

 

Details

St. Mary’s Church and School are located in downtown Los Gatos on Bean Avenue near Tait (and near North Santa Cruz Avenue) in the historic Almond Grove neighborhood. You can also reach the party by coming from Main Street and Lyndon Avenue.

Purchase advance tickets for rides, raffles, food, and more using this form. To get all the details on the hours, booths, events, please check the St Mary’s Country Fair website.

 

Extra tips:

Like a bargain? There’s an easy way to save money. Visit the parish or school office before Friday at 2pm and buy your Butler ride tickets at a substantial discount – and avoid the lines! (Tickets are sold in the 2 weeks leading up to the fair most years.)

Also, much of the Almond Grove District of Los Gatos has permit parking only in the evenings. So don’t park in the neighborhood! There are lots of public parking spaces between North Santa Cruz and University Avenues in Los Gatos, and they are no cost, so park there instead. I usually like to park between North Santa Cruz Avenue and University Avenue in the public lot. If you’re in biking distance, consider cycling in – just remember lights are required when biking in the dark, and remember road safety!

Virtual WineFest: Tasting Fundraiser by the Los Gatos Rotary!

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Los Gatos Rotary Virtual WineFest & Auction 2021The annual CrabFest is postponed until next year, but the Rotary Club of Los Gatos has some new plans for 2021. Save the date for Saturday, January 30th at 5pm!

“Don’t be crabby come ‘wine’ with us.”

That’s the slogan for this year’s fundraiser, also called the Virtual Crab WineFest & Auction! This year’s main event centers around a local wine tasting guided via Zoom by professional winemaker and Los Gatan, Left Bend Wine‘s Gary Robinson. A Wine Tasting Kit for two is provided via curbside pickup 1-2 days prior to the event, which will contain 5 tastings, 1 full size bottle, and gourmet snacks. Live streamed entertainment, including a performance by the San Jose Youth Symphony, 2 door prizes, and a silent auction are served beside this deluxe wine tasting experience. And as always, proceeds benefit the Rotary Charities foundations.

Virtual WineFest & Auction

Registration is now open through the Los Gatos Rotary website. Check the Virtual WineFest & Auction event page for ticket sales, event details and updates, to view the silent auction catalogue, contact the event team, or donate directly to the fundraiser. Each ticket is for a two-person tasting experience at a cost of $150.

The event is also posted on the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce event calendar with easy links to save the date on your virtual calendar and view a video promotion for the event.

The Annual Great Race

Virtual Great Race for 2020: The Great Social Distancing Race

Normally we’d be having the annual Great Race this time of year (and you can read about 2019 below), but due to the novel coronavirus, or Covid-19, this year it will be a virtual race and you can sign up and participate anytime between now and May 1st. From the website linked below:

Our virtual race allows you to run 4 miles in a venue and at a time of your choice prior to May 1. Time and distance verification is encouraged through Strava, Garmin, or Asics Runkeeper for which you were all sent an email for a free download when you registered for the Great Race. However, it is not required and the honor system will be respected.

Please check out all of the details for the Great Social Distancing Race at this website.

 

 

PRIOR POST for 2019 is below:

The annual Great Race from downtown Saratoga to downtown Los Gatos takes place on Sunday April 19, 2020, commencing at 8:30 a.m.. While many participants do jog or run, others walk or stroll. It’s a family-friendly fundraiser sponsored by the Rotary Club of Los Gatos and is open to all.

Photo of runners - The Great Race in Los Gatos - annual run from Saratoga to Los GatosThe Great Race course is 4 miles long, but some who wish to go both ways can put in 8 miles, known as the Gr8er Race.

The Rotary club offers this fun event each year with the help of a number of sponsors. For many years in a row, Sereno Group, where I work, has been a major sponsor for years. Many other local business back this great fundraiser too. See the list of sponsors, a map of the route, and run information at the Rotory Club link below.

To get all of the details for the Great Race, including pricing and links to register early, visit the Los Gatos Rotary’s website page dedicated to this event.

 

Paws & Pedals Fundraiser

The Los Gatos SoulCycle and mobile dog walking app, Wag!, are showing they’ve got soul with a special Paws & Pedals fundraiser this Saturday, October 6. Cyclists are invited to bring their dogs to class for a free walk with a Wag! walker during their spin workout. For every walk taken (cost is the regular fee of $36), Wag! will donate $25 to Unconditional Love Animal Rescue in Los Gatos to help adoptable dogs. Both attendees and their pups will get a great workout!

The event will take place during the 8:30 am and 9:30 am classes at the Los Gatos SoulCycle located at 212 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos, CA 95030.  You can see more details on the Facebook page here.

Paws and Pedal fundraiser in Los Gatos

CATillion Gala Fundraiser in Los Gatos

October 19, 2012

All That Jazz is the theme for the CATillion Gala sponsored by the Los Gatos Community Foundation November 3 2012The Los Gatos Community Foundation is once again putting on its formal gala,  CATillion, to raise funds for the good local causes it supports.  This year is the 8th annual event and the theme is “All That Jazz”.  It will take place on November 3rd at La Rinconada Country Club. Cost is $150 per person.

In addition to the formal dinner, there will be a silent and live auction. 

Where does the money go?  Back into the community.  The organization’s website says
 

“In the past seven years, this event has brought in over $250,000 allowing the Los Gatos Community Foundation, Inc. to funnel money back into the community through its its Grant programs and Scholarship programs as well as improvement projects throughout the Town of Los Gatos. This year we will be raising monies to support the relighting of the 154 trees along Santa Cruz Avenue in our beautiful downtown Los Gatos with energy saving LED lights.”

To learn more about attending or sponsoring this event, please see the LGCF’s website:
http://www.losgatoscommunityfoundation.org/catillion.php

Childhood Cancer Awareness Day in Los Gatos

September 13, 2012

Kudos to students at Los Gatos High School’s Gold Ribbon Club and many local businesses for raising awareness and money in the fight against childhood cancers.  This Saturday is “Childhood Cancer Awareness Day”  in town and participating Los Gatos businesses (click on the link to see which ones) will donate money for pediatric cancer research via CureSearch for sales happening on that day.

Additionally, the club will be selling luminarias for $5 each and will have them on display that evening, according to the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce’s events page. The Chamber’s page also states ” If you would like to participate, or have any questions, please contact Lu Ann, 408-206-3931, luannf@comcast.net. Click for INFORMATION“.

Garage Sale at The Venue – Fabulous Fundraiser!

July 20, 2011

The VENUE will have a garage sale to support the Facility! Please suport The Venue by contributing Items to the sale, or buying from the Garage Sale! They would like to use the money for new games and equipment for the teens to use, as well for the kitchen upgrade this summer so that healthy and yummy food can be be sold in The Venue Cafe this coming school year!

Garage sale details:
 
Address: The Venue, 4 New York Ave. Los Gatos 95030.
Time: Saturday July 23rd from 10am to 1pm
Furniture: Sofa’s, End Tables, Storage Cabinets, Book Cases
Computers: File servers, computers, Key boards, mouse, Computer Monitors, power leads for computers and networking equipment and cables.
Electronics: TV’s, DVD’s Karaoke, Microwaves, Office Calculator, First Data Credit Card Terminal.
Music Recording and performing equipments, Microphones and stands,  Harbinger mixers, Dance Revolution Platforms
Office supplies: clocks, Whiteboards, notice boards, stationary, 4 drawer filing cabinets, files and folders, envelopes, Filing trays, Clothes: T shirts etc.
Home & furnishings, dishes, platters, area rugs, Picture frames,
Large Fish Aquarium – Stand alone fully housed and kitted out with pump, and fully interior decoration for fish. (comes with supplies for cleaning and feeding.
Games: x box Video and PC games, Board games, chess sets, pool Table Balls and brushes.
 
Contact:
 
Website: