Out with the old year, in with the new. The first month of 2026 has happenings for all different tastes: comedy for those who love to laugh, a film fest for those who enjoy a good mystery and a highbrow gathering for design and art connoisseurs.
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On the Scene: Community Events
2026 Date TBD San Francisco Ballet Opening Night Gala
Experience the convergence of dance, fashion and music as San Francisco Ballet pirouettes into its next season during its annual Opening Night Gala each January. Each gala features a dinner at San Francisco City Hall, a one-night-only opening night performance at the War Memorial Opera House and a coveted after-party.
2026 Date TBD Preview Gala for the FOG Design+Art Fair
Photos: Drew Altizer Photography
Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture‘s yearly preview gala of FOG Design+Art—an event showcasing leading contemporary artists—is often a sold-out affair with thousands of guests in attendance, including much of the city’s well-heeled crowd. Along with benefiting the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s (SFMOMA) educational programs and exhibitions, the gala offered previews of works of contemporary art and design from leading galleries. The fair itself runs Jan 23-26.
Events
2026 Date TBD Wild in Marin
There’s a fungus among us at the Mycological Society of Marin’s fifth annual fungus festival, where you can discover science, food, music and speakers—all tied to the mystical world of mushrooms.
2026 Date TBD Opening Reception for “Sock It to Winter” Art Show
Marin Society of Artists (MSA) opens the new year with its, “Sock It to Winter” Art Show and Charity Event. This fine arts exhibition showcases a range of art that makes winter both magical and meaningful. Partnering with St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin County, (which provides care and critical services to residents of Marin who are struggling to make ends meet), MSA will be collecting new socks and gently worn jackets for St. Vincent de Paul’s clients.
Join us at the Opening Reception for “Sock It to Winter” art show, Friday, January 10th, 5-8pm. Come enjoy the art, meet the artists, and bring in your donation of socks. Art exhibition and sock drive: January 8-February 1, 2025. Marin Society of Artists, 1515 3rd St (corner of E St), San Rafael. Gallery hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 12-4pm.
2026 Date TBD Rachelle Reichert
This Bay Area visual artist’s latest work, Rock, Cloud, Cloth, is on display at Sarah Shepard Gallery in the Marin Country Mart. Through her art, Reichert offers poignant commentary on environmental challenges, presented through the forms and materials that occupy the physical planes of her work. The gallery is hosting an artist conversation with Reichert and Devon Bella on January 11 at 2 pm.
2026 Date TBD Renegade Orchestra
If you equally appreciate the gentle beauty of classical music and the heart-thumping soul of rock, this show is for you. At a secret location in Marin (revealed upon ticket purchase), these classical orchestra artists leverage their virtuoso talents to turn powerful rock ballads and anthems on their heads — and the result is awe-inspiring, headbanging fun.
2026 Dates TBD SF Sketchfest
Get your giggle on at Sketchfest, San Francisco’s annual nationally recognized comedy festival that draws in some of the biggest names in the funny business. With more than 180 shows during the fest, each day offers something new to chuckle at: riotous skits, cheeky improv and side splitting standup routines. Along with local talent, this year’s lineup includes Bill Murray and His Blood Brothers band, a special tribute to Rocky Horror’s Tim Curry, and a live screenplay read of “Airplane” with star Robert Hayes and co-creator David Zucker.
2026 Date TBD MLK Day Celebration
Each year, the Norcal MLK Foundation hosts a series on (and on the days leading up to) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday Observance. The day-of celebration in San Francisco, which attracts thousands of people, includes a musical festival, community breakfast and a commemorative march that honors and amplifies Dr. King’s commitment to equality for all.
For more MLK Day celebrations, check out our story on How to Celebrate Martin Luther King Day in the Bay Area.
2026 Date TBD The Spitfire Grill
Ross Valley Players presents “The Spitfire Grill,” a show offering a hearty serving of redemption and renewal. Featuring a soul-stirring score that fuses folk and Americana, this award-winning musical demonstrates how a single place can become a beacon of hope, bringing a community together and healing old wounds.
2026 Date TBD Noir City
Fans of old Hollywood-style noir flock to this film festival held each year to indulge in 10 days worth of films from the height of the noir movement in the 1940s and ’50s. Setting the backdrop for the drama is the historic Grand Lake Theater in Oakland, where all films are shown.
2025 Date TBD Ring Mountain Stewardship Day
Help with the beautification of one of Marin’s treasured spots: Ring Mountain. Activities may include removing invasive weeds, planting native plants, and maintaining trails. Appropriate for ages 5 and up. Pre-registration required.
2026 Date TBD Mary Cassatt at Work
Explore the work of Mary Cassatt, who was the most celebrated female artist of her era (1844–1926), in this special exhibit at the deYoung Museum. Too often dismissed as a sentimental painter of mothers and children, Cassatt was a modernist pioneer whose paintings, pastels, and prints are characterized by restless experimentation and change.
2026 Date TBD Glow: Discover the Art of Light
Compose music with light, touch quantum physics, play LED dungeon crawlers, unveil hidden crystals, see yourself in mechanical mirrors and more at this annual celebration of luminous artworks at the Exploratorium.
2026 Date TBD Songs of Truth
Golden Gate Symphony Orchestra and Chorus presents “Songs of Truth,” a tribute to Jewish composers imprisoned during the Holocaust, in honor of International Holocaust Awareness Day on Jan. 27. The piece blends archival media, live narration and music for a powerful performance, happening at San Rafael’s Congregation Rodef Sholom.
2026 Date TBD Joan Baez at the Commonwealth Club
After a 45-year absence, artist and activist Joan Baez returns to the Commonwealth Club to offer an unprecedented look into her pivotal life experiences beyond stardom. Reading from her newly published poetry book, “When You See My Mother: Ask Her to Dance,” Baez will share poems about her contemporaries (such as Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, and Jimi Hendrix), plus reflections from her childhood, her personal thoughts, and cherished memories of her family.
2026 Dates TBD Edwardian Ball
Break out your corsets and high top hats. Once again, San Francisco’s Regency Ballroom will be filled with dancing, hijinks, acrobatics and plenty of carnival-esque costumery as music, theater and fashion converge on several stages at the world famous Edwardian Ball over two decadent evenings.
2026 Date TBD Outdoor Art Club Estate Sale
Cocktails, Nibbles & Viewing. Chance to Win a Clubhouse Rental! Don’t miss the sneak-peak, adrenaline rush of a cocktail-hour party to kick off the weekend winter sale to raise money for our new clubhouse kitchen. The sale will connect collectors and a new generation to one-of-a-kind, pre-loved treasures, including estate jewelry, vintage fashion, art and lovely items for your home—and the preview party will feature some of the most special items.
Interested in getting your event posted? Click here for more info.
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.
