September rolling in means fall is just around the corner, though you wouldn’t know it from the lineup of outdoor festivals, live music, art shows and community events filling the calendar. There’s no shortage of ways to soak up the last days of the season.
Annual Fairs & Festivals | Arts, Theater & Lectures | Comedy | Film | Food & Drink | Fundraisers & Galas | Music | Museums | Outdoor Fun
Get Involved: Community Happenings
Sound Summit, A Night in Tuscany and the 69th Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival
Fundraisers & Galas
Hot Tickets, Media Partners & Premium Calendar Listings
Sound Summit
September 12
Mill Valley
Mountain Theater
Mount Tamalpais State Park
East Ridgecrest Blvd.
Sound Summit returns to Mount Tam with cool tunes, breathtaking views, Father John Misty, Guster, Jerry Harrison’s 50 Years of Talking Heads, and more.
A Night in Tuscany
September 19
Petaluma
The Barn at Gambonini Family Ranch
7325 Old Lakeville Road No. 3
Celebrate nearly 40 years of changing children’s lives with an unforgettable evening of fine dining, wine, auctions and community—all supporting North Bay children and families.
69th Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival
September 19-20
Mill Valley
Old Mill Park
64 Cascade Drive
The Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival returns to Old Mill Park featuring 135 juried artists, live music, food, wine tasting, and family activities.
Mill Valley Depot Weekend of Fun
Concerts in the Plaza
Sept 26
Come dance, sway, and sing along at Mill Valley’s Concerts in the Plaza. Free live music all day downtown, plus plenty of that community spirit. Lineup this year: Give Me a Dollar, Lorin Rowin & the Deep Blue Jam, Caroline De Lone, Musical Feast, Howell Devine, and The Rubinoos. Music runs 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
“Larry the Hat’s” Community Block Party
Sept 27
Larry the Hat’s, iconic block party is back and taking over the Depot Plaza. There’ll be food, drinks, live music, a kids zone and a fashion show. This year’s a tribute to Bobby Weir, and proceeds go to Muir Beach VFD, who are trying to get a new firehouse built.
Annual Fairs and Festivals
Autumn Moon Festival
Sept 19-20
San Francisco
Chinatown
A harvest festival with 3,000 years of history, this tradition packs Chinatown’s Grant Avenue with a parade, dancers, activities and food — including many, many mooncakes.
Oktoberfest
Sept 19
Mill Valley
Tam Valley Community Center, 203 Marin Avenue
The first of a few Oktoberfest celebrations coming to Marin this fall, Tam Valley Community Center gets the festivities started with games, food, music and beer.
Festival of the Sea
Sept 19
San Francisco
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
Celebrate San Francisco’s maritime heritage with live music, sea shanties, a parade of boats, sandcastle building, local food trucks and family-friendly waterfront activities.
San Rafael PorchFest
Sept 20
San Rafael
Gerstle Park Neighborhood
Live music takes over the Gerstle Park neighborhood during this free community festival. More than 70 local bands transform porches, front yards and street corners into stages throughout the afternoon.
Sausalito Boat Show and Waterfront Festival
Sept 25-27
Sausalito
Clipper Yacht Harbor, 310 Harbor Drive
Celebrate the past, present, and future of the Sausalito waterfront at this family-friendly festival. Explore over 80 boats on land and at sea over this three-day event, with live music from the ILLeagles on Saturday.
Arts, Lectures & Theater
The Art of Public Service
Through Sept 24
San Rafael
Marin Civic Center Gallery
This thought-provoking exhibition at the Marin Civic Center Gallery highlights the creativity and personal experiences of Marin County employees through paintings, collages and storytelling.
Author Talk: Vanessa Hua with Jasmin Darznik
Sept 9
Mill Valley
Mill Valley Public Library
Bay Area novelist Vanessa Hua discusses her newest novel, Coyoteland, a funny, heartfelt story set in an affluent Bay Area suburb where a Chinese American family moves in and sets off a series of scandals. Hua will be in conversation with New York Times bestselling author Jasmin Darznik.
Simon Boccanegra
Sept 12–27
San Francisco
SF Opera opens its 2026–2027 season with this Verdi masterpiece. Pro tip: score a ticket for $10 with the “Opera for the Bay” program, available to Bay Area residents who haven’t visited SF Opera in the last three years.
Between Gesture and Form: Abstraction from Midcentury to Now
Sept 12–Oct 10
San Francisco
This CK Contemporary exhibition brings together midcentury, abstract paintings by Jack Wolfe and Walter Quirt with J. Nick Taylor’s contemporary sculpture. The opening reception will be held on September 12 at 5 p.m. at CK Contemporary, and you’ll even have the opportunity to meet sculptor Taylor here.
Opera in the Amphitheater
Sept 12
Novato
Hamilton Amphitheater
This event is a rare opportunity to hear world-class opera singers in a community venue. Opera in the Amphitheater returns for its fourth annual event, showcasing free live opera performances at Novato’s Hamilton Amphitheater. The family-friendly celebration features arias and activities al fresco.
Spotlight West Marin
Sept 16–Oct 17
Sausalito
750 Bridgeway, Sausalito
Discover the creative spirit of West Marin at the Sausalito Center for the Arts in Spotlight West Marin, a group exhibition featuring painting, photography, sculpture, woodworking, and more by artists who live and work throughout the region. The exhibition opens to the public September 16, with an opening reception on Sunday, September 20, from 4–7 p.m. All artwork will be available for purchase. Read more about it in our article here.
Death of a Salesman
Sept 24–Oct 25
Ross
Ross Valley Players kick off their 97th season with Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama following Willy Loman, an aging traveling salesman grappling with disappointment, family expectations and his pursuit of the American Dream.
Bluey’s Big Play
Sept 26–27
San Francisco
Orpheum Theatre
Beloved blue heeler Bluey brings her playful adventures to the stage in this interactive live show, perfect for young fans and the whole family.
Comedy
San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition
Sept 3–27
Bay Area
Some of the country’s funniest up-and-coming comedians compete in this monthlong stand-up competition, performing at venues across the Bay Area. The event culminates with the championship finals at the Marin Center in San Rafael on September 26.
Fugazi Funny Festival
Sept 9–12
San Francisco
678 Green St
Club Fugazi kicks off its inaugural comedy festival with four nights of stand-up, storytelling and musical comedy. The lineup includes Besties, Diane Amos, Eddie Pepitone and Shane Mauss.
BBQ, Brews & Comedy
Sept 12
Novato
Jonas Center, IVC Marin Campus
Dinner, local brews and live stand-up comedy come together at this annual fundraiser benefiting Marin community and international service programs. Enjoy performances by Bay Area comedians Samson Koletkar, Sean Philippe and Clara Bijl, plus live auctions throughout the evening.
Film
Bolinas Film Festival
Sept 17-20
Bolinas
In addition to film screenings and discussions, the third annual Bolinas Film Festival includes add-on immersive experiences like farm tours, table reads and nature excursions, plus an opening gala.
Italian Film Festival
Sept 26–Oct 31
San Rafael
Angelico Hall, Dominican University
Che bello! This nearly 50-year-old Marin tradition screens Italian films across six Saturdays at Dominican University’s Angelico Hall. All films are in Italian, with English subtitles.
Food & Drink
Annual Chili Cook-Off in Sausalito
Sept 19
Sausalito
There’s nothing like a chili cook-off to bring out fiercely competitive spirits, and Sausalito’s 47th Annual Chili Cook-Off comes to Dunphy Park on September 19. Event goers can sample the goods and watch a few extra brave souls participate in a hot pepper eating contest. There’s live music, and by the end of the day, awards will be disbursed to the best chilis of the year.
Edible Garden
Sept 27
Ross
Sample food and drinks from local chefs, wineries and purveyors while exploring the gardens of the Marin Art and Garden Center. Live music and contemporary Zimbabwean sculpture add to this annual fundraiser.
Music
Sly Stone Tribute
Sept 4
Novato
HopMonk Tavern
Celebrate the legendary sound of funk and soul at HopMonk Tavern with a tribute to Sly Stone featuring premier Bay Area musicians Dan Lebowitz, Natalie Cressman and more.
DJs by the Bay
Sept 12
Sausalito
Dunphy Park
Six local DJs split an hour apiece, and nobody headlines, at this free dance party in Dunphy Park. Bring a blanket, bring the kids, dance by the water.
San Francisco Electronic Music Festival
Sept 24–26
San Francisco
Experience three nights of experimental music, sound art and multimedia performances from boundary-pushing artists at The Lab. The annual festival celebrates innovative electronic works from local and international artists.
Portola Music Fest
Sept 26–27
San Francisco
Portola returns to Pier 80, transforming the waterfront venue into a warehouse-style dance party featuring a lineup of electronic, pop, rap and more. Headliners include Robyn, Swedish House Mafia, Zara Larsson and more.
Concerts in the Plaza
Sept 26
Mill Valley
Spend the day in downtown Mill Valley with free live music, dancing and plenty of community spirit. The lineup includes Give Me a Dollar, Lorin Rowin & the Deep Blue Jam, Caroline De Lone, Musical Feast, Howell Devine and The Rubinoos, with music from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m
Museums
Catching Waves: Surfing in Bolinas Since
Through Sept 26
Bolinas
Bolinas Museum, 48 Wharf Road
Take a look at more than a century of surfing in Bolinas, from the town’s early surfers to the local artists and board makers who helped shape surf and skate culture. The exhibition features photos, stories and memorabilia from Bolinas’ surfing community.
Forever Grateful/Golden Gate Park
Sept 5–Oct 25
San Francisco County Fair Building, Golden Gate Park
Celebrate the Grateful Dead at Forever Grateful/Golden Gate Park, an immersive exhibition exploring the band’s connection to San Francisco through an interactive environment. The exhibition opens September 5 at the San Francisco County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park.
Outdoor Fun
Free Fishing Day
Sept 5
Across California
Time to break out your unregistered hot rod… your fishing rod, that is. For one day only, the California Fish and Wildlife Department permits fishing without a fishing license, encouraging newbies to give the sport a try. Regulations on gear, fishing hours, size limits, etc., still apply.
Make a Difference Day
Sept 12
Sausalito
Sausalito hosts a citywide day of service that brings the community together through hands-on volunteer projects. The day concludes with live music, local food and a community celebration. Various locations, Sausalito.
California Coastal Cleanup Day
Sept 19
Across California
Join thousands of volunteers across the state for the 42nd annual California Coastal Cleanup Day, the state’s largest volunteer event. Spend the day helping remove plastic waste while protecting wildlife alongside family and friends.
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.
