We attended the 36th annual event on June 4, 2017. We had attended this festival as a ritual…read morestarting back in 2006 and then continuously until 2014. We were gone for a few years and came back this year. I would have rated all the previous years as 5 star and this particular year as only 3 stars. It is a great event overall, with a good number of wineries, breweries, restaurants and gourmet food producers. The setting is lovely and price-point is fine. What was not ideal this year is that the quality of vintners was not as good overall. And the one I was looking forward to the most (Far Niente/Nickel and Nickel) had a small inventory and did not keep their wines temperature controlled. That meant when it was time for me to start drinking reds (after having started with perusing whites), they were almost out of everything and all of their reds were very warm. So, between so many other vitners not being of high enough quality and Far Niente/Nickel and Nickel not representing themselves properly, I was a bit disappointed. Plus they didn't have any sparkling wine (maybe there was one vendor, though I was too hesitant about quality to try and it was after I had already moved on to reds). Also, I feel they are selling too many tickets as it is very crowded. It is difficult to even walk around with so many people and then the lines are long. Plus the restaurants didn't provide many appetizing options. Even Bungalow 44's chicken was almost all breading according to our three meat-eating family members (the kickin' fried chicken didn't get a good lickin' and therefore wasn't tickin'). I would happily pay another $10-$15 for a smaller crowd, better vintners and a better assortment of food options. In year's past I remember Duckhorn family wines (with Goldeneye, Paraduxx, Migration) and Patz & Hall being there. For next year, I would recommend trying to get: Michel-Schlumberger, Lambert Bridge, J, Jordan, Silver Oak, Schramsberg, Patz & Hall, William Hill, Trefethen, Turnbull, Groth, and Duckhorn Family (Goldeneye, Paraduxx, etc.).

5-Star homogeneity and unbridled high income quality at this "Winnetka West Wine Tasting of the…read moreVanities." On this gorgeous, cloudless, sunny day we decided to venture north from San Francisco in my cousin's cherry 1968 Plymouth Fury Sport convertible about 11 a.m., to avoid the Pride Parade this year (it's not that you've seen one, you've seen them all.) We just weren't in the mood to be stranded in the wilds of Market St. We were all in the mood for something more quiet. Well, upon arrival in Mill Valley, quiet it was, even against the lovely backdrop of the jazz trio's bedroom community gentility. And, it was plain. And, everybody looked the same; so well dressed and well put together in their summer Sunday casuals. The hundreds of hip, the nipped and tucked, and the faux N. Cal. chic descended on Mill Valley's Depot Plaza like bugs to a light. And boy was it white. 'Scuse me for my cynicism. In this Wine Tasting of the Vanities, I counted 7 non-Caucasian faces in 4 hours. 60 wineries were represented. After an hour all the wine tasted essentially the same to me, except for a few. But I am a Wine Cretin: http://www.yelp.com/biz/wine-cretins-chicago#hrid:xgEKJVXkzWF_WE_pFysIvQ Now, my reverse snobbery aside, here are my stand-outs vendors worth patronizing: Spence Vineyards, Jacalyn Spence, Vintner, jacalyn@spencevineyards.com CICI Organic Gelateria 17 E. Blithedale Ave Mill Valley cici.gelateria@gmail.com Piatti Ristorante & Bar 625 Redwood Highway Mill Valley www.paitti.com Maria Maria, La Cantina Gary DiDominick, Executive Chef 651 E. Blithedale Mill Valley gdidomenick@dsecorp.com Bob Franzi Spring Hill Cheese Petaluma Creamery Petaluma, Ca. info@springhillcheese.com

This festival is held at the Lagoon fairgrounds by the Marin Civic Center (THE Frank Lloyd Wright…read morebuilding). It runs annually for 2 days 6/21-6/22/09 from 10 AM to 6 PM. Admission is $10/person. The fair has a lot of large art pieces - wood carvers, furniture makers, glass blowers, potters, sculptors and metal works, the way I remember streets fairs use to be in SF. Little by little, clothing, jewelry, food and 'junk' exhibitors replaced many of the artists at the SF street fairs. I really liked the inlaid wooden mirrors with hummingbirds, tropical fishes, all the way from New York! Many of the pieces here are pricey, as expected for quality art work. The wooden rocking chairs (several thousand dollars a piece) were beautiful. One embroidery artist's large panorama of California golden poppies took her 6 weeks to make. Even a few musicians performing by their booths, selling their CDs. There are plenty of painters - watercolor, oil, acrylic and lots of photographers. Plenty of jewelry, one bath item exhibitor, basalmic vinegar and oils, some unusual jackets and clothing, one shoe exhibitor, and a wood artist who creates purses out of wood. Not a lot of food booths - Ben & Jerry ice cream, sausage/hot dog, gyro sandwiches, an organic booth - salads were expensive, up to $12, crab cake/gumbo/jambalaya, coffee/tea. Organic Dagoba chocolates were giving out samples - chili and lavender flavors! And of course, wine and beer booths. Ample sheltered round tables/chairs to eat in front of the music stand and servers to help you purchase your food (menus in hand) and bring it to you! These young kids went around to ask the exhibitors if they needed help to buy food and deliver it to them from the food concessions. Wow, that's service. Different entertainers daily. Heard a Latin band play and the Emeryville Taiko drums. Costumed stilt walkers were around and a separate stage for local performers (East Indian dancing, school children performing). The festival is held on soft grass and is very clean with ample port-o-toilets with the soap/water pumps outside. I overhead a worker driving by listening to a walkie-talkie message about a spillage and could something be brought over to cover it up. Very well organized.

Beautiful sunny day in the park, overlooking the bay and Angel Island, a very happy crowd, lots of…read morebeer (too much to choose) and food, big fun,.

This was a great festival for many years--the best in the Bay Area. It's outrageous that the…read moreorganizers never revived it, long after the homeless encampment the they initially complained about was removed. King's Mountain has become the go-to art festival for Labor Day weekend. It's fine, but I miss the old Sausalito Art Festival.

A friend of mine passed away this year, sudden and unexpected, but perhaps it saved him from seeing…read morewhat his beloved Sausalito Art Festival turned into. Never have I read such accurate assessments as those penned here on yelp to commemorate the sad remains of what this festival has become. Because I've been away the past couple of Labor Day weekends it'd been 3 years since my last visit to SAF. The price is still exorbitant ($30, $15 parking) and buys you nothing more than you can get for free at any street festival in the Bay Area, all summer long. In the past though, that fee could be somewhat rationalized by the quality of the live music, original art, and food/drink and the fact that all of that could be enjoyed from an inviting waterfront location. Where to begin... The primary music venue here once overlooked Richardson Bay, with plenty of covered seating areas to accommodate all those who wanted to eat or drink, not dance, while enjoying the music. An added bonus was those who listened from kayaks on the bay, charming and unique. In 2019, the music stage was moved. It no longer faces the water, no longer has covered seating, and the only seating area at all is VIP (extra $$) or on a hill quite far from the music. Don't even get me started on the ADA seats on the hill. Is it even legal to make disabled folks climb a grassy hill to sit on a precariously perched folding chair? I'd bet not. Shame on you, SAF. Strike two: The food booths, art, and music are all segregated and none face or front the water. You might as well be in Gilroy. Gone is the opportunity to grab an ice cream while enjoying the art; you'll need to return to the food area for that. And while you're there? The only seating is at unshaded picnic tables with, again, no view of anything. Did I mention that there used to be 15 different kinds of food and now there are 8? Well, now I did. A friend of mine remarked to one artist how appealing her shaded spot was. The artist's comment? "That's the only good thing about this". Telling, huh? The artists, always high quality, were in shorter supply than usual and given their new surroundings I can't say I blamed them. I could go on and on but instead I'll echo the universally bad reviews penned in 2019 in saying: There was nothing to keep anyone there this year. Between musical acts, the stage area went radio silent and if you'd already eaten, drank, or viewed the art it was essentially time to go. I did just that, leaving well before the days' headliner (Blues Traveler) because there was nothing more to enjoy and nowhere to sit. In 2019, SAF couldn't have veered further off course than they did. After a year as dismal as this one, I tend to think they can only improve. Time will tell whether this one-time 5-star attraction can return to its former glory.

When Felecia Gaston hires the bands its the best place to be. The weather is awesome on most…read moreFridays!.....

what a fantastic place for music on a Friday evening... The bands are always top notch, and the…read moreviews are to die for! I'd say it's a 'don't miss'!!!

I'm a huge advocate of Farmers Markets. I love that they bring together locals as well as local…read morevendors. I had a good time, and would definitely recommend coming here at least once, but I may wait awhile before coming again. Mainly because trying to find parking near this market is insane. That, and I wasn't necessarily blown away by any one particular vendor. I highly suggest coming early or parking a little ways down - since come 6:00pm - Downtown San Rafael is a madhouse. As far as clothing and jewelry vendors - I didn't see too much that stood out to me personally, but it was still fun to browse. The Food vendors were very friendly. I tried a mini vanilla Teeny Cake, which was probably the highlight of my stroll-through. The fruit looked delicious and I loved that so many of the fruit vendors had samples out. White nectarines, peaches, and plums - juicy and perfectly ripe were everywhere. I watched a number of mellow soulful musical performances, before turning the corner and heading to Sol Food for some Mango Iced Tea and plantains. I'm so glad that these early night Farmers Markets exist. It's an incredible way to bring together a diverse group of people in a warm and genuine way. Would definitely recommend- if you happen to be in the area on an upcoming Thursday.

Not my favorite farmer's market. Not by a longshot. It feels like a hybrid farmer's market/street…read morefair and not a wholly interesting one at that. The one thing I do like about this Thursday evening market is the deep discounts that go on close to the 8 p.m. closing time. Linger around, then pounce on those $1/pound nectarines, plums, and peaches. Grab 3 flower bouquets for $10. Get a mess of end of summer/end of night tomatoes. They have the usual fruits and vegetables, an assortment of okay food, live LOUD music on the little square beside Arizmendi Bakery, inflatable jumpy things at one end, and mostly forgettable jewelry/clothes/junque at the other end. No dogs allowed here, even on a leash. You will be stopped, so don't even bother trying.

Attended this early this month and what more can you ask for with wine tasting, beautiful weather…read moreand food tasting? Located in San Rafael, the only bad thing was that parking meters ran whcih time was limited for me. Wines from Napa and they were pretty tasty! Pulle pork that they provided was delish! I shall come to another event when my friend notifies me but this is one I have to come again next year!

The Sequoia Theater has been a Mill Valley landmark since 1929, with its iconic Art Deco facade…read more They even showed some of the first "talkies" here, on their opening night. Now almost a hundred years later, it is owned by the California Film Institute, and continues to show the latest new releases on its two main screens, and to host the annual Mill Valley Film Festival. Last festival, I caught Ralph Fiennes giving a before-film chat in the front row of this small theater, along with with the director Edward Berger. The Sequoia was recently upgraded and there are bigger plans ahead for more extensive renovations. It's nice to see this historic theater preserved, and fitting that it will have a second life as part of the California Film Institute.

Nice people, historic building, movie I wanted to see, but the 1970s remodeled interior was a huge…read moredisappointment. I was hoping at least some portion of the original theater would be intact. Happy this cute small town has this amenity.

I came to the Tourist Club yesterday, because this is one of the weekends that they are open for…read morenon-members. It was a really cool spot! There were tons of people who brought logos and blankets and set up little picnics. The vibe is very chill. There's tons of outdoor seating which was really nice for a nice sunny day. It is definitely a place to come for the vibe rather than the beer itself. The selection is pretty small. They had four beers, a house red and white. They had tons of board games which my group really liked. The location is a bit remote. We followed the sun trail to get there and it was a nice 20 minute little hike. It's nice to feel like you're in the middle of nature away from the hustle and bustle of the city. This is a nice hidden gem in Mill Valley, great spot to spend a few hours in on a sunny day. The only negative is that it's only open to members except for a few weekends of the year.

This place is amazing! I loved everything about the hike here, the German Brewhaus and the…read morebeautiful Muir woods surrounding the Tourist Club. My friend Jaime H. planned a hike with the destination being the Nature Friends Tourist Club, Although you can drive there, we opted to hike the 5 or so miles there. It was a long upward hike, but let me just tell you that the beer was sooo amazing after it. It just amazed me to see this awesome spot, nestled away like a little secret. It's only open 10 times a year to non-members, so it was crowded. I felt so happy to finally be there and enjoy the rest of my day. We found a place to camp out on the deck and picnic. They let you bring in your own food, but I forgot to bring a real lunch. I bought a meat jerky stick and chips along with a couple pitchers of beer. My friends brought some food, which we shared. People were enjoying the weather, family and friends getting together over pitchers of beer, board games and lunch. It was a perfect day. You can tell that the members truly love and take care of their club. Thank you for allowing us to share it with you!

Lark is beautiful, local art deco theater, however, it lost its guiding light, Ellie, who passed…read moreaway last year. Now whomever is choosing the films has resorted to many strange, arcane and off the wall titles. However the Lark offers London's National Theatre Live and the Met Opera live and that's reason enough to become a member. Seats are comfy, snacks, especially rum raisin ice cream are expensive but yummy. Lark is seldom sold out. The town of Larkspur is just beautiful and a nice walk around town and dinner would make a lovely after show

I came here for the Charlie Chaplin-Buster Keaton Film Fest with live music by the Grand Feature…read moreFilm Orchestra (GFFO). It's a simple theater with lovely art deco architecture. Nothing fancy about it, but the auditorium seats are comfortable and in good condition, and views are great from any seat in the house since it's such an intimate space. I was surprised that the orchestra wasn't hidden below, like at a lot of other theaters, but it was great to see them perform live during the show. Lots of wind instruments, including the flute, clarinet, and trumpet, along with sounds of the violin, organ, and percussion equipment. The show started about ten minutes after the listed ticket time. The three films shown were enjoyable, especially with the orchestra doing an impressive job. Sound and picture quality were ideal. Buster Keaton had me thoroughly entertained in two of the films shown, "The Scarecrow" and "One Week". And Charlie Chaplin was delightful to watch as usual, in "The Rink", with the iconic actor in hilarious scenes at the roller rink, which I found even more amusing cuz I had just come from the skating rink myself (and had witnessed a good amount of crashing and tumbling) prior to attending this film fest. There's a lot to love about this place. Not to mention, they serve yummy milkshakes at the concessions stand. Bonus points for that!