On Sept. 20–21, a collective of artists once again brought Mill Valley’s Old Mill Park to life with the annual Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival (MVFAF). Thousands of guests explored the 135 juried artists, both local and international, who were present to sell their art of various mediums, ranging from ceramics to jewelry and beyond.
Live music kept spirits high during the festival’s two-day span, thanks to the many different musicians and bands that performed: The Aguilar-Blumenfeld Project, The Dead Sailor Girls, Bermudagrass Triangle, Anthony Arya, Marin County Breakdown, April and Monroe Grisman Project, Will Roc Project, Marina Crouse and Roberta Donnay.
The Children’s Grove made its return this year, offering a family-friendly space where children could enjoy interactive art and activities. This year’s MVFAF also became the first to host a community art project, led by San Francisco-born and now Corte Madera local artist Robert Louthan. He prepped a large mural surface with a line drawing of Samantha Ferro’s “Map of Mill Valley,” and festival-goers could then paint in the map’s empty spaces for an interactive experience.
The MVFAF supports artists year-round, including students. Each year, students from various high schools can apply for cash scholarships provided by the organization, and the winners also had the chance to display their work at the festival for visitors to see.
The Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival couldn’t have happened without their sponsors, including Marin Magazine, Assembly, Marin Dish, Prismic Photography, Marin Independent Journal, Bellam Self Storage and Boxes, Bank of Marin, Bay Area Digital Solutions, Alexander’s Artisan Rugs, Amesos Plumbing Inc., The Redwoods, Mill Valley Refuse Service, Good Earth Natural Foods, MCE, Lagunitas Brewing Co., Mill Valley Market, Caldwell Securities, The Crawford Family, Local Motion, Malugani’s Tire Shop, KQED, Marin Arts, Ronnie’s Awesome List and Nob Hill Gazette.
If you’ve missed this year’s festival, be sure to keep a lookout for their 2026 dates, and check out their online shop with exciting festival swag ranging from T-shirts and hoodies to yoga mats.
