Leaves are falling, pumpkin bread is baking and folks are bundling up in their coziest sweaters. This November is packed with things to do, including a number of holidays that coincide, like Día de los Muertos, Diwali, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. Marin’s November events mean seasonal festivities and plenty of opportunities for holiday shopping. Add in film festivals and local concerts, and you’ll be anything but bored this month.
Annual Fairs & Festivals | Arts, Theater & Lectures | Comedy I Film | Fundraisers & Galas | Museums | Music | Outdoor Fun | Other Events
Get Involved: Community Happenings
PNOC Foundation Gratitude Gala
Fundraisers & Galas
Hot Tickets, Media Partners & Premium Calendar Listings
PNOC Gratitude Gala for Childhood Cancer
November 1
San Francisco
Julia Morgan Ballroom, Merchants Exchange Building
465 California Street
415.591.1833
PNOC Foundation will host its annual feel-good night of the year fundraiser in San Francisco to raise critical funds for groundbreaking research and treatments for children facing brain cancer. Turn up the glamour with a Roaring ‘20s/Great Gatsby theme and come together for a night of exceptional cuisine, live band entertainment, curated auction and heartfelt moments. An unforgettable night where gratitude meets greatness.
Annual Fairs & Festivals
Día de los Muertos
November 1
San Rafael
Albert J. Boro Community Center at Pickleweed Park
50 Canal Street
415.485.3077
Photo courtesy of Doug Kaye and the City of San Rafael.
A free community celebration at Pickleweed Park, the 36th annual San Rafael Day of the Day event brings ofrendas (altars), live music, art workshops and cultural performances.
Diwali by the Bay
November 2
Tiburon
Angel Island – Tiburon Ferry
21 Main Street
415.435.2131
Set up a rangoli and scarf down kulfi at Tiburon’s celebration of the Indian festival of lights, when Main Street comes alive with music, dancing, henna art and food.
Holiday Ice Rink Union Square
November 5 onward
San Francisco
Union Square near the corner of Geary and Powell streets
333 Post Street
424.625.3697
The winter wonderland at S.F.’s Union Square returns, with special skate events throughout the season like Flashback Fridays, Drag on Ice and Polar Bear Skates.
Marin Arts and Crafts Show
November 7-9
San Rafael
Marin Center Exhibit Hall
20 Avenue of the Flags
888.747.1123
For holiday gifts or your next favorite knick-knacks, browse textiles, glasswork and artisan crafts of all kinds at this fair in the Marin Center Exhibition Hall.
The Great Dickens Christmas Fair
November 22-December 21
Daly City
Cow Palace
2600 Geneva Avenue
800.510.1558
Five weekends of costume, performances and family fun, all set in 4 acres of winding streets straight out of Victorian England. The Cow Palace hosts this Dickensian delight for its 40th season.
Arts, Theater & Lectures
Multicultural Marin at the Civic Center Art Gallery
November 1-January 23
San Rafael
Civic Center Art Gallery
20 Avenue of the Flags
415.473.6014
Curated by Karina Ramirez-Cortez in collaboration with the Multicultural Center of Marin, Multicultural Marin showcases the work of over 20 artists who live in, or contribute to, the cultural landscape of Marin.
Wait Until Dark
November 14-December 14
Ross
Marin Art and Garden Center
30 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
415.456.9555
This classic tale follows a recently blinded woman who becomes the target of three con men. When her husband is lured away, Susy is forced to defend herself against these intruders.
Padma Lakshmi in conversation with W. Kamau Bell
November 17
San Francisco
Sydney Goldstein Theater
275 Hayes Street
415.392.4400
Foodies rejoice, as Padma Lakshmi, Emmy-nominated Top Chef host, author and activist, comes to town for a discussion with Oakland’s own W. Kamau Bell, a Peabody Award winner and icon in his own right.
Film
Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classics at the Lark Theater
November 1, 7, 8
Larkspur
Lark Theater
549 Magnolia Avenue
415.924.5111
The Lark Theater in downtown Larkspur has become an essential destination for local film buffs wanting to enjoy special programs and the greatest movies of all time on the big screen. November kicks off with 1979’s iconic scarefest Alien and continues with Ridley Scott’s definitive cut of the prescient Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford.
La Bohème
November 8, 9, 12
Larkspur
Lark Theater
549 Magnolia Avenue
415.924.5111
As part of a regular series, the Metropolitan Opera in New York transmits live performances to movie theaters across the country. Catch their rendition of Puccini’s libretto, with more performances to come.
Transgender Film Festival
November 13-15
San Francisco
Roxie Theater
3117 16th Street
415.431.3611
Photo of the film “Love More” courtesy of the director Hayden Frederick.
Shorts, documentaries, music videos and international films air at the Roxie Theater as part of this film festival by and about transgender and gender-nonconforming people. The longest running festival of its kind, the annual showcase returns to S.F. for its 27th year.
Music
Grant-Lee Philips
November 9
Novato
HopMonk Novato
224 Vintage Way
415.892.6200
This beloved former frontman of Grant Lee Buffalo, the 90s alternative rock group that brought us songs like the sublime radio hit “Mockingbirds,” is touring to promote his new album In the Hour of Dust.
The Fil Lorenz Orchestra
November 22
Larkspur
Lark Theater
549 Magnolia Avenue
415.924.5111
Saxophonist/arranger Lorenz has assembled some of the Bay Area’s most accomplished jazz veterans and most promising up-and-coming players for a horn-heavy evening of standards and originals.
Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft, the Tour
November 22-23
San Francisco
Chase Center
1 Warriors Way
888.479.4667
Don’t miss your chance to see the Grammy-nominated smash hit “Birds of a Feather” and more iconic numbers performed live by this important songwriter and artist – while still in her prime.
Museums
Mountain Bike Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
November 8
Fairfax
Marin Museum of Bicycling
1966 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
415.450.8000
This singular museum helping visitors better understand and appreciate Marin’s most beloved invention honors inductees such as world champion Jill Kintner and two pioneers in mountain biking suspension.
Member Preview – KAWS: FAMILY
November 13-15
San Francisco
SFMOMA
151 Third Street
415.357.4000
Photo of KAWS, GONE courtesy of the artist.
Marking his first major museum exhibition on the West Coast, KAWS: FAMILY traces the artist’s output over the past three decades through its keen ability to connect to shared emotions and culture.
Other Events
Open House: SOARING at Marin Primary & Middle School
November 9
Larkspur
Marin Primary & Middle School
20 Magnolia Avenue
415.924.2608
We invite all parents and guardians to Soaring at MP&MS, our signature admissions event! Soaring is an opportunity to sit where your child will sit and progress, like a student, from preschool through 8th grade. You will see our incredible teachers in action, gain a firsthand sense of the scope and sequence of our curriculum, and understand deeply what it means to soar.
One Embarcadero Center Holiday Market
November 19
San Francisco
Urban Patio
Three Embarcadero Center
415.772.0700
Your San Francisco tour of holiday decor can start at Three Embarcadero Center’s Urban Patio. Festive cocktails and mocktails, treats and live music welcome visitors to embrace the season and support local businesses. (Psst.. the first 200 attendees get a free drink.)
Marin Turkey Trot
November 27
Novato
Sports Basement
100 Vintage Way
415.493.2623
Make some room for Thanksgiving dinner with this annual run for the whole family. Running through the Indian Valley College campus in Novato, participants can choose among a 5K, 10K and a youth 1-mile course.
FanExpo
November 28-30
San Francisco
Moscone Center West
800 Howard Street
415.974.4000
Score an exclusive comic, meet your favorite voice actor or step up for lightsaber training. FanExpo at the Moscone Center is a gathering for all things fandom — whether you’re into comics, gaming, sci-fi or fantasy.
Small Business Saturday
November 29
Novato and San Rafael
One day after Black Friday, communities nationwide rally around local shops for Small Business Saturday. Commercial districts around Marin are participating, including downtowns in Novato and San Rafael. (The latter boasts a bonus tree lighting event.)
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.
