by Mary Pope-Handy | Aug 19, 2023 | Belgatos, Belwood, Cabaña, Events, Recreation, Surmont

The next “Belwood Bingo and Movie Night” is tonight, Aug 19th, for paying cabaña members and their guests. At 6 pm the music starts, at 6:30 pm it’s bingo, and the film, Captain Marvel, starts at 8:15 pm.
What to bring to the Belwood Bingo and Movie Night
This is an outdoor event, and things get cool to cold after the sun goes down. Dress in layers and bring something comfy to sit on – blankets, sleeping bags, lawn chairs etc.
Bring your picnic supper, or if you’ve already eaten, there will be popcorn, cotton candy, and other treats are available for purchase!
For more information, keep an eye on the Belwood HOA website page for this event (and hopefully another one in July or August).

The address is 100 Belwood Gateway, Los Gatos CA 95032
by Mary Pope-Handy | Jun 26, 2023 | Belgatos, Belwood, Cabaña, Events, Recreation, Surmont
The Belwood of Los Gatos community is hosting its annual Independence Day or 4th of July celebration and the details will soon be announced on the Belwood HOA website. Last year, neighborhood festivities ran from 1pm – 5pm at the cabaña. Read all about it on the Belwood HOA site!
Annual 4th of July Party
The party is open to Belwood members and their invited guests only. This will be the second July 4th community party out of lockdown (they were annual until 2019, but were put on hold from 2020-2021), and it’s a great opportunity for newer residents, especially, to get to know their neighbors.
Please note that our warm, dry, and windy summers make the risk of fire danger very high. Fireworks are illegal in most of Santa Clara County without a permit due to the safety hazard. A sign at Belgatos Park warns that fireworks are strictly prohibited. There are some spectacular professional firework displays and festivities around the Valley that you can enjoy, including the, which is less than 10 minutes by car and 20 minutes by bike from Belwood!
Got Facebook? If so, you might consider tagging photos shared of the event with the unofficial Belwood Cabaña page on Facebook. It’s another great way to keep in-touch and stay updated with the community.
by Mary Pope-Handy | Mar 14, 2023 | Belgatos Park, Heritage Grove, Recreation, Trails
Have you explored all of our nearby parks? The Belgatos Park Trails connect directly to two open space preserves with a large network of paths, to hike, bike, or venture on horseback: the The Heinz Open Space Preserve and Santa Rosa Open Space Preserve.
Or if you’d like to learn more before you explore, check out the Town’s park guide, or print a copy and bring it with. We have additional details on Belgatos Park here on the Belwood Blog as well as park-related articles and news for neighborhood residents which can be found under the Belgatos Park tag and Trails tag.
Interactive Map of Trails
My husband, Jim Handy, drew out the local trails on Google Maps and this provides a much better sense of what’s where. Enjoy!
View Blossom Hill Trails in a larger map
by Mary Pope-Handy | Oct 15, 2022 | Belgatos, Belwood, Cabaña, Events, Recreation, Surmont

It’s official – the Halloween party is back!
The September 2022 Bellringer, the community’s newsletter, has announced it. After a two-year hiatus, Belwood is ready to have this family-friendly monster bash yet again. This event is held at the cabana club for members. The party will start around 3pm with wrap-up at 7pm on Sunday, October 30, check the Belwood event page and newsletters for updates. Feel free to reach out to Belwood’s Events Coordinator, Mary Schepman, by email through hoa@belwoodhomes.org if you have ideas or would like to help! Volunteers needed!
Info below is from previous years
Halloween fun in the Belwood of Los Gatos Community!
Put on a costume and celebrate Halloween at the Belwood of Los Gatos cabana club, Sunday Oct 27th, 2019 from 3- 6pm. Enjoy games, prizes, pizza, snacks & the spirit of All Hallows Eve. The featured event will be either a spooky haunted house or a movie, beginning at 6pm. Costumes highly encouraged!
Belwood residents and invited guests only, please. Free admission, donations appreciated.
Learn more at the Belwood Homes Halloween Party event page.
Volunteers needed! Find sign-up information through the link above.

by Mary Pope-Handy | Jun 27, 2013 | Belwood, News, Photos & Videos, Recreation
A couple of nights ago, I was out walking in the neighborhood with my daughter when we noticed a “Little Free Library” stand at 100 Belhaven Drive (at the corner with Harwood Road). It had a few books inside and said “take a book, return a book”. Apparently there are little free libraries all over the place, but it was the first we’d learned of it.
The website for Little Free Library says that their mission is
- To promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide.
- To build a sense of community as we share skills, creativity and wisdom across generations.
This appears to be a new phenomena. Navigating around the website, there’s a link to a map with their sites. This new one in Belwood isn’t shown, but there’s one in Almaden, 2 in Cambrian, 1 in Campbell, and another in West San Jose. Kudos to our neighbors for getting it started here!
For more information, please see www.LittleFreeLibrary.org.
by Mary Pope-Handy | Oct 2, 2011 | Entertainment, Events, Los Gatos downtown, Recreation
The annual St. Mary’s Country Fair is next weekend, Oct 7 – 9th, 2011 (beginning Friday at 5pm and ending Sunday at 5pm). It’s always the 2nd weekend in October and is a huge fundraiser for both the school and parish programs. All are welcome! Free admission, great food, entertainment, dancing on Saturday night to live music and of course rides and activities too. Click on the link above to get more information.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church is located at 219 Bean Avenue in downtown Los Gatos (a block or two in from North Santa Cruz). The fair can be accessed via Bean or by Lyndon (off of Main).
by Mary Pope-Handy | Sep 30, 2011 | Belgatos Park, Photos & Videos, Recreation
“Cardboard Hill” is a much beloved spot in Belgatos Park, but sometimes it looks more like “big trash hill” when the cardboard sledders neglect to clean up after themselves. Pack it in, pack it out! This is true for all the wonderful parks and trails in Los Gatos.
Here are a few shots from a couple days ago – typical fun on a sunny September afternoon.

About a half dozen kids gather to slide down “cardboard hill” at Belgatos Park in Los Gatos.

What goes up with some work comes down with some fun at Cardboard Hill.

Sliding down “cardboard hill” at Belgatos Park in the Belwood neighborhood of Los Gatos. (more…)