“The Sounds of Summer” is a full day of bluegrass and Americana music Saturday, June, 22, starting at noon. The lineup features the California Blue Runners’ Zydeco and Cajun sounds; the Goat Hill Girls playing bluegrass; the Wildcat Mountain Ramblers singing bluegrass and cowboy country; and Andre Thierry on the accordion. Thanks to El Camino Health, the Town of Los Gatos and Los Gatos Morning Rotary for sponsoring this event.
The music continues when Jazz on the Plazz returns for the summer on Wednesday, June 26, with Le Jazz Hot Quartet. This free musical series presented by Los Gatos Music and Arts happens Wednesday evenings through Aug 21 at Los Gatos Town Plaza, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Information for both these events is available at jazzontheplazz.com. Bring a picnic basket and a lawn chair and enjoy free general admission seating, or reserved seating is available for purchase along with specialty foods, wine and refreshments from town businesses.
Our own homegrown Fourth of July celebration, “Oak Meadow Park Symphony in the Park” will take Thursday, July 4, beginning at 10:30 am. It’s geared for families and kicks off with a children’s decorated bike parade, followed by Mayor Mary Badame’s welcome, a flag raising and words from the Veterans Memorial and Support Foundation. At 12:15 p.m., the San Jose Wind Symphony will perform. Inflatables, food trucks and a beer and wine garden will be on site, and the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad and the carousel will be open.
“Music in the Park” begins its summer series Sunday, July 21 on the Los Gatos Civic Center lawn with Alex Lucero and continuing through Aug. 25. Since 1988, Music in the park has been a free, family-friendly summer concert series hosted by the Town of Los Gatos.
Amazing but true: Every year 10,000 families are impacted by cancer here in Silicon Valley. Look around and you’ll see that our community provides help, information and hope for those navigating the cancer journey.
For 28 years, the American Cancer Society’s Discovery Shop has rewarded Los Gatos treasure hunters. The resale shop will be moving to its new location at 150 W. Main St., with proceeds going toward the ongoing fight against cancer. “We are very thankful for the continued support from our community for the last 28 years,” says store manager Rita Melamed.
Another organization supporting those who have been diagnosed with cancer is Cancer CAREpoint. Their annual Garden Party raises funds to provide personalized care for cancer patients and their families and caregivers. Organizers from Los Gatos and Saratoga are at work planning the very popular fundraiser, coming up Aug. 12 at Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga. For tickets, visit cancercarepoint.org.
The Santa Clara County Fire Department says it’s time to get ready for fire season and stresses the importance of defensible space, a 30- to 100-foot buffer around your home, free of flammable vegetation. Santa Clara County Assistant Fire Marshal Jeremy Davis lauds Los Gatos homeowner Lionel Willingham, whose defensible space helped firefighters quicky extinguish a fire before it spread to nearby homes and open space. The department’s website at www.sccfd.org is full of helpful information.
Attention Los Gatos Thrives Movie Monday fans: Ginger MacDonald says, “Due to the heavy July Fourth holiday travel week, Movie Monday will skip the July 1 event and resume Aug. 5 at the Los Gatos Theatre.”
If you have social or business news about Los Gatos, please let me know: debby@debbyrice.com.