With crisp air to wake you up and leaves beginning to turn, fall has officially arrived in Marin. It’s a great time of the year to enjoy all the bounty that the season has to offer, including pumpkin patches, Oktoberfest events and the energy of Fleet Week. There’s also the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival to check out, and the Mill Valley Film Festival brings a touch of Hollywood glam to Marin County. Whether you’re looking for art and culture, or a day out in the autumn sun, we’ve got plenty of events in Marin this October.
Annual Fairs & Festivals | Arts, Theater & Lectures | Film | Fundraisers & Galas | Music | Museums | Outdoor Fun | Other Events
Get Involved: Community Happenings
Blues & Brews Marin, Stepping Out to Celebrate Life 31st Annual Gala, Bonnie Raitt Live with Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Gather for the Planet, The San Francisco Fall Show and Reach for the Stars 80s Prom Night Gala
Fundraisers & Galas
Hot Tickets, Media Partners & Premium Calendar Listings
Blues & Brews Marin
October 2
Novato
Pacheco Ranch Winery
Blues & Brews, an annual fundraiser to benefit Marin Foster Care Association, features music, cocktails, craft beers & fine wines, Southern-inspired food, auction, and an inspiring program.
Stepping Out to Celebrate Life 31st Annual Gala
October 3
San Rafael
Marin Center Exhibit Hall
An evening benefiting our Breast Cancer Grants Program. Enjoy cocktails, auctions, gourmet dining, live music and a fashion show celebrating models thriving after breast cancer.
Bonnie Raitt Live with Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen
October 10
San Francisco
The Theater at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Bonnie Raitt and her band are returning to San francisco for her first headlining show in the city since 2009! Limited tickets are still available for San Francisco on October 14 at The Theatre at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
On this special night at The Theatre at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, fans will be able to experience the iconic San Francisco entertainment house transformed offering a gracious theater setting with versatile raked theater seats. Bonnie Raitt’s show is part of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium’s continued multi-million dollar capital improvement projects to keep the historic building updated with its remodeled expo hall, dressing rooms, bathrooms and more.
Gather for the Planet Presented by Agricultural Institute of Marin
October 10
Point Reyes Station
Black Mountain Ranch
Join us for a special evening celebrating the farmers, fishers, ranchers, and makers who nourish our communities.
Reach for the Stars | 80s Prom Night Gala
October 24
San Anselmo
Irene M. Hunt School | J.E.T. Gym
Relive your prom—or make your prom debut—at the raddest night of the year! Enjoy nostalgic cocktails, chew gnarly bites, dance to epic 80s tunes and take in totally awesome decor.
Annual Fairs and Festivals
A huge Cheese Fest, Fleet Week and more.
SF Cheese Fest
October 3
Treasure Island
Gold Bar Whiskey Distillery Tasting Room
One night, one island and a lot of very good cheese. Californian artisan cheesemakers, winemakers, craft brewers and chefs take over Gold Bar Distillery for an evening of tastings, grazing and good company.
Fleet Week
October 4-12
San Francisco
The Blue Angels return over the Bay for one of the most spectacular free air shows in the country. Fleet Week also brings Navy and Marine Corps ship tours, a Fleet Fest, and band performances to the waterfront.
Castro Street Fair
October 4
San Francisco
Castro District
One of San Francisco’s longest-running street fairs returns to the Castro for its 52nd year. Enjoy the offerings of local artisans, plus live music, food vendors, and the vibrant community spirit that has defined this neighborhood gathering since 1974.
Nostalgia Days
October 9-10
Novato
Grant Ave, Downtown Novato
Downtown Novato’s classic car celebration marks 30 years with two days of engines, chrome and community. Friday night’s Hot Rod Cruise winds through town at dusk; Saturday brings the full car show and awards, lining Grant Avenue with hundreds of immaculately restored machines.
San Francisco Fall Show
October 15-18
San Francisco
Festival Pavilion, 2 Marina Boulevard.
More than 40 of the world’s top dealers gather at Fort Mason for four days of museum-quality fine art, antiques, furniture, rugs, ceramics and decorative objects. One of the West Coast’s most distinguished design events of the year.
Art, Lectures & Theater
Stanford Professor discussion, Oakland Style Week and more.
Oakland Style Week
October 7-11
Oakland
Various locations
Oakland rolls out its runway for a week of fashion, art, music and culture that’s entirely its own. The celebration includes a mixology competition, a collaborative fashion show and a high tea event that invites guests to sip in high style.
Dr. Christopher Gardner discusses Food Sense: What to Eat and Why
October 17
Larkspur
Marin Country Mart
Copperfield’s Books welcomes Stanford nutrition professor Dr. Christopher Gardner to discuss his new book uncovering findings from over two decades of food research. Guests will be greeted with fall bites and elixirs inspired by the publication.
Betrayal
October 22-November 15
Mill Valley
Marin Theatre
Harold Pinter’s masterwork of love and deception, directed by Carey Perloff, tells a seven-year affair in reverse, letting memory and reality slowly surface. What unfolds is a study in what goes unsaid between lovers and friends, laced with Pinter’s signature wit and sharp silences.
Film
Mill Valley’s iconic film festival returns.
Mill Valley Film Festival
October 1-11
Every fall, the California Film Institute turns Marin’s neighborhood theaters into a destination for film lovers from around the world. Now in its 49th year, MVFF brings world cinema, American independents and short films to screens across Marin and Berkeley. Sequoia Cinema, Lark Theater, Outdoor Art Club, BAMPFA and Smith Rafael Film Center.
Check out our full coverage of the festival here.
BAMPFA
2155 Center Street, Berkeley
Halloween
Get your spooky season started with pumpkin patches, Halloween haunts and more.
Nicasio Valley Pumpkin Patch
September 26-November 2
Nicasio
Nicasio Valley Pumpkin Patch
A West Marin fall classic — farm animals, hayrides and pumpkins of every shape and size spread across open fields at the foot of the hills. The unhurried, old-fashioned kind of autumn outing. 5300 Nicasio Valley Road.
Terror Vault presents Slashed: Return to Hellville
October 1-November 1
San Francisco
The San Francisco Mint
The SF Mint’s Halloween haunt returns with a new story of scares. This year’s immersive experience takes visitors into a 1980s slasher film, with over 100 scare actors bringing Hollywood-caliber frights to life each night. Embark on the hour-long theatrical journey through darkness, live performance and pulse-pounding scares.
Treat Walk
October 29
San Rafael
Lonatese Garden
This family-friendly Halloween celebration returns for its third year, inviting all ages to show off their Halloween spirit. Stroll through Lonatese Garden with face painting, pumpkin decorating, games and of course, treats.
Halloween Hoopla
October 31
San Francisco
Yerba Buena Gardens
Kids get the whole afternoon on this one. Circus Bella brings its performers and the All-Star Trio to Yerba Buena Gardens for three hours of live music, circus acts and a Halloween costume parade to close it out. Free, family-friendly and best suited for kids under 10.
Music
A weekend of bluegrass and a Mill Valley favorite returns to Sweetwater.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
October 2-4
San Francisco
Golden Gate Park
Three days, six stages, zero admission — the Bay Area’s most beloved free music festival returns to Golden Gate Park for its 26th year. This year’s lineup includes Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss & Union Station Ft. Jerry Douglas, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Molly Tuttle and more.
Zepparella
October 9-10
Mill Valley
Sweetwater Music Hall
Few tribute bands earn the kind of devotion Zepparella has. The all-female Led Zeppelin tribute returns to Sweetwater for two nights of the kind of rock that makes you forget you’re not at the real thing.
Museums
Black Art Week and a one of a kind exhibit at the SF MOMA.
Nexus: SF/Bay Area Black Art Week
Through October 4
Bay Area
Nexus SF Bay Area
Now in its third year, Nexus unites galleries, museums and cultural institutions across San Francisco and Oakland in a week-long celebration of Black artists and arts organizations. Opening September 30, events and exhibitions organized by the Museum of the African Diaspora span both cities and beyond.
RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me
October 3-February 7
San Francisco
SFMOMA
South Korean boy band BTS’s star, RM, brings works from his personal collection to SFMOMA, placing Korean modernist and contemporary artists in conversation with Georgia O’Keeffe, Henri Matisse and others from the museum’s own holdings. Many of the Korean pieces have never been shown publicly in the US, making this a must-see exhibition.
Outdoor Fun
Cultural festivals, a sandcastle competition and more.
Italian Heritage Parade
October 11
San Francisco
Jefferson and Powell Streets, North Beach
The oldest continuously running Italian-American parade in the United States winds through North Beach once again, a living tradition stretching back to 1869. Marching bands, floats and community pride on one of the year’s most festive afternoons.
Indigenous Peoples Day with Jeremy Dutcher
October 12
San Francisco
Yerba Buena Gardens
Head to Yerba Buena Gardens for a free afternoon of Native American art, music and community. Headlining is Jeremy Dutcher, the Neqotkuk composer and performer whose music bridges classical training and Indigenous language revitalization — and who is the only artist to win the Polaris Music Prize twice.
Leap Sandcastle Classic
October 24
San Francisco
Ocean Beach
Elementary school teams pair with corporate sponsors to build elaborate sand sculptures along Ocean Beach in this cherished annual fundraiser for arts education. Bring the kids, a jacket and a dreamy sandcastle vision.
Other Events
A fashion lovers favorite, a classic car show and more.
Marin Fashion Night
October 3
Ross
Marin Art & Garden Center
Fashion, art, music, food and drinks come together for what organizer Gerry Kelly is calling the biggest edition yet of this beloved Marin evening. Come dressed to impress and leave with inspiration for the rest of the season.
Point Reyes Classic Car Show
October 3
Point Reyes
Toby’s Feed Barn
Benefiting various West Marin non-profits, this car show at Toby’s Feed Barn fills this beach town’s downtown streets with vintage wheels aplenty.
2026 Silicon Valley Open
October 20-24
Redwood City
Squash Zone
The world’s top 48 squash players coming from 14 countries head to Silicon Valley for a week of PSA Gold competition, with $260,000 in equal prize money on the line. The roster features World No. 3 Nour ElSherbini, World No. 3 Diego Elias and two-time defending champion Olivia Weaver, plus a free Fan Fest and clinics for the community.
Looking for more?
Check out our team’s suggestions for the best things to do in Marin.
Give Back When You Go Out: Volunteer
Looking for more ways to give back to our community by volunteering your time? Here’s a list of Marin County nonprofits supporting a variety of causes — ranging from helping our most vulnerable residents to keeping our environment healthy — where your assistance can really make a difference.
