Featured: The 67th Annual Sausalito Art Festival Brings the Art and the Funk
Aug 31 – Sept 1, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Sept 2, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Sausalito waterfront is the place to be over Labor Day weekend when the town transforms into an epic festival of art, food and wine, and music. From traditional ceramics and jewelry to digital art and 3-D mixed media, over 260 regional, national and international artists display their handcrafted wares. An Art Tech Pavilion will showcase art in virtual reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and other cutting edge tools. And, of course, fabulous food and wine.
Lineup:
- Aug 30 Opening Night Preview Party
- Aug 31 A Tribute to Tribute Bands
- Sept 1 Blood, Sweat & Tears
- Sept 2 Blues Traveler
Marinship Park (Sausalito), 415.332.3555
THEATER
Treasure Island
Thru Sept 8
Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic gets a decidedly S.F. twist and plenty of double entendres from the San Francisco Mime Troupe. In this rendition, an old sea dog of a developer drops into the city planning office seeking to plunder the city’s riches.
Mill Valley Community Center lawn (and other locations)
415.285.1717, sfmt.org
Anastasia
Sept 3–29
Be transported to the twilight of the Russian Empire and the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s in this epic adventure directed by Tony Award winner Darko Tresnjak.
Golden Gate Theatre (SF)
888.746.1799, shnsf.com
Gala Celebration
Sept 6–8
Bring a picnic to Transcendence Theatre Company’s grand finale of the 2019 Broadway Under the Stars season, featuring community tributes and plenty of song.
Jack London State Historic Park (Glen Ellen)
877.424.1414, bestnightever.org
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Sept 6–29
Wrapping up its 30th anniversary season in the open air, Marin Shakespeare brings a fairy-filled confection and LeMar “Maverick” Harrison as Puck, the mischievous sprite.
Forest Meadows Amphitheatre (San Rafael)
415.499.4488, marinshakespeare.org
Titanic
Sept 7–8
This musical in concert format brings the Tony Award–winning score to life with a 25-piece orchestra and vocal accompaniment.
Alcazar Theatre (SF)
415.255.8207, 42ndstreetmoon.org
Mousetrap
Sept 13–Oct 13
The mistress of mystery, Agatha Christie, traps a group of strangers in a remote mansion in a snowstorm. Murders ensue and the guests are not who they appear to be.
Ross Valley Players (Ross)
415.456.9555, rossvalleyplayers.com
Top Girls
Sept 19–Oct 13
A dinner party larded with powerful women, both mythical and real, is the setup for this modern classic that dissects feminism and the cost of progress in Margaret Thatcher’s Britain.
Geary Theater (SF)
415.749.2228, act-sf.org
Dionysus Was Such a Nice Man
Sept 20–Oct 20
This play by Kate Tarker is a comic and pungent take on the story of Oedipus from the perspective of the family of shepherds who raised him.
Joe Goode Annex (SF)
Romeo and Juliet Opera at the Ballpark
Sept 21
A 71-foot-high by 153-foot-wide screen on the home field of the San Francisco Giants will show a high-definition live simulcast of the War Memorial Opera House show.
Oracle Park (SF)
415.864.3330, sfopera.com
Hot Mikado
Sept 25–Oct 13
The Gilbert and Sullivan operetta gets a jazzy interpretation when the town of Titipu is turned upside down with the arrival of trumpeter Nanki-Poo in search of his lost love, Yum Yum.
Gateway Theatre (SF)
415.255.8207, 2ndstreetmoon.org
Sovereignty
Sept 26–Oct 20
A young Cherokee lawyer fights to restore her nation’s jurisdiction and encounters the ghosts of her grandfathers and echoes of the Trail of Tears.
Marin Theatre Company (Mill Valley)
415.388.5200, marintheatre.org
DANCE
Free for All
Sept 19–Oct 20
A whimsical take on Strindberg’s Miss Julie, this production pits have-nots against haves atop Nob Hill in San Francisco.
Cutting Ball Theater (SF)
415.525.1205, cuttingball.com
Dance Series I
Sept 27–Oct 6
Smuin Ballet kicks off the new season with three works, including a cowboy-booted dance to the music of Johnny Cash, a piece set to the score of Orff’s Carmina Burana, and Take Five, a riff on the Dave Brubeck jazz standard.
Cowell Theater (SF)
415.912.1899, smuinballet.org
COMEDY
S.F. Stand-Up Comedy Competition
Sept 7
An opportunity to see the comedians of tomorrow competing for fame and fortune, this laugh-fest launched the careers of Ellen DeGeneres, Kevin Pollak and Rob Schneider.
Marin Center (San Rafael)
415.473.6800, marincenter.org
Jay Leno
Sept 8
Acclaimed late-night TV show host and comedian and host of CNBC’s Jay Leno’s Garage delivers his humor to a live NorCal audience.
Rodney Strong Vineyards (Healdsbsurg)
707.431.1533, rodneystrongconcertseries.com
T.J. Miller
Sept 8
The star of HBO’s Silicon Valley (he played Erlich Bachman) and Weasel in Deadpool and Deadpool 2 returns to his absurdist observational stand-up act.
Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley)
415.388.3850, sweetwatermusichall.com
Ron White
Sept 20
The cigar-smoking, scotch-drinking funnyman from the Blue-Collar Comedy Tour phenomenon presents stories of growing up in a small town in Texas and what it takes to be one of the most successful comedians in America.
Luther Burbank Center for the Arts (Santa Rosa)
707.546.3600, lutherburbankcenter.org
EVENTS
Art Festival
THRU Sept 2
With over 19 bands, including Blues Traveler and Blood, Sweat & Tears, plus countless artists from 41 states and 12 countries, this weekend-long party brings art, music and food to the waterfront.
415.332.3555, sausalitoartfestival.org
Futurewell Summit
Sept 6
Keynote speakers Paul Hawken and Zach Bush headline a star-studded speaker lineup including Alice Waters, Anna Lappé, Regina Benjamin,and Jennifer Siebel-Newsom, among many others, in this daylong idea exchange about a sustainable future for our planet.
Stemple Creek Ranch (Tomales)
Opera Ball: The Capulets’ Masked Ball
Sept 6
The San Francisco Opera Guild celebrates the opening of the new season with cocktails, dinner and opera, in a “hidden” style befitting Shakespeare’s most famous family.
War Memorial Opera House (SF)
415.864.3330, sfopera.com
Festival Independencia Salvadorena
Sept 8
An homage to the celebration that commemorates El Salvador’s Independence Day includes the country’s top bands, along with food, beverages and cultural arts and crafts.
Lagoon Park (San Rafael)
Outdoor Antique French Market
Sept 8
Enjoy French music by Michel Michelis and made-to-order crepes amid booths full of vintage clothing, retro and antique furniture, art and garden decor.
Marin Center (San Rafael)
415.383.2252, thefrenchmarketmarin.com
Suzette Gresham at Greens Restaurant
Sept 11
In honor of the storied restaurant’s 40th anniversary, six acclaimed Bay Area chefs each design a vegetarian four-course prix fixe meal inspired by Greens menus from the last four decades. This month, the co-owner and executive chef of two-Michelin-starred Acquerello takes over the kitchen.
Greens (SF)
415.771.6222, greensrestaurant.com
Women Funded
Sept 11–13
Lead with power, help resolve complex social issues and redefine investment along with 400 change-makers from around the world and collaborate for gender equity.
Hotel Kabuki (SF)
415.441.0706, womensfundingnetwork.org
Ben Folds
Sept 12
Hear how the musician and performer sustained a multi-decade career in music and how he found his voice as a musician as he discusses his new book, A Dream About Lightning Bugs.
JCCSF (SF)
415.292.1233, jccsf.org
Marin Humane Gala
Sept 14
For one night only, the shelter known for exceptional animal care transforms into a swanky soiree, complete with furry friends.
Marin Humane (Novato)
415.506.6265, marinhumane.org/gala2019
Korean Chuseok (Harvest) Festival
Sept 14
Celebrate Korean heritage with K-pop and traditional music, traditional Korean games, kimchi and rice cake making, and food trucks and booths offering fusion and classic food.
The Presidio (SF)
415.441.1881, koreancentersf.org
Sausalito Floating Home Tour
Sept 14
After a one-year hiatus, the opportunity to peek into one of America’s unique communities and chat with its residents returns (Sausalito).
TEDTalks
Sept 14
Enjoy an innovator showcase, passed appetizers, whiskey tastings and mocktails from Urban Remedy preceding the live filming of this year’s TED Talks, then meet the speakers.
James Dunn Theater, College of Marin (Kentfield)
415.785.8873, tedxmarin.org
Annual Trade Feast
Sept 14
Feel the reverberations of Native American drums under the shade of native oaks on an original Miwok village site.
Museum of the American Indian (Novato)
415.897.4064, marinindian.com
S.F. Cheese Fest
Sept 14-15
This California Artisan Cheese Guild event features a cheesemaker celebration, a cheese and S.F. chocolate tasting, and a happier hour.
The Cheese School SF (SF)
Marin County Celebrity Golf Classic
Sept 16
Play a round with A’s and Giants pitcher Vida Blue, Oakland Raider hall-of-famer Fred Biletnikoff and many others in support of Cleaning4Kids and the YMCA.
Meadow Club (Fairfax)
WildCare Gala
Sept 21
Come out and support the San Rafael–based organization that cares for more than 4,000 injured, ill, and orphaned animals each year. With a vegan catered dinner from A Fork Full of Earth, auction items and encounters with WildCare ambassadors.
Marin Country Mart (Larkspur)
415.453.1000, discoverwildcare.org
Tiburon Taps Beer Festival
Sept 21
This annual bayside beer fest features over 30 breweries from Marin and beyond and the cover band known for their vintage rock and sweet ’staches, Mustache Harbor.
Shoreline Park (Tiburon)
Wine Walk
Sept 28
An event with live music, vendors and more than 20 NorCal wineries pouring samples, including Rosenblum Cellars, Wente Vineyards and Wachira Wines.
Jack London Square (Oakland)
510.645.9292, jacklondonsquare.com
Fall for Art
Sept 29
Site-specific performances among the vines and olive groves and an alfresco lunch support ODC’s Youth & Teen Program and creation of new dance works.
McEvoy Ranch (Petaluma)
415.863.9834, odc.dance
FILM
Margaret Atwood
Sept 10
With release of The Testaments, the highly anticipated sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, the Lark Theater presents an exclusive live broadcast of an interview with the author from a London stage.
(Larkspur).415.924.5111, larktheater.net
Wilder than Wild: Fire, Forests, and the Future
Sept 12
Filmmaker Kevin White traces a journey from the Rim Fire of 2013 to the wine country wildfires of 2017, exploring the proactive use of prescribed fire, and meets with a California tribe who have renewed their tradition of cultural fire.
Rafael Film Center (San Rafael)
415.454.1222, rafaelfilm.cafilm.org
Christina Mueller is a long-time Bay Area food writer. She hails from the East Coast and has spent way too much time in South America and Europe. She discovered her talent as a wordsmith in college and her love of all things epicurean in grad school. She has written for Condé Nast Contract Publishing, Sunset, and the Marin Independent Journal, among others. She volunteers with California State Parks and at her childrens’ schools, and supports the Marin Audubon Society, PEN America, and Planned Parenthood. When she is not drinking wine by a fire, she is known to spend time with her extended family.
