This is a great annual event put on by the great folks at Rancho Compasion. It kicked off on…read moreSaturday with a fundraiser for the Rancho and their good works featuring a wonderful reception on the lawn of Dominican University followed by a screening of the "The Smell of Money". It was a wonderful evening of vegan food and fun with an opportunity to hear from a Kyoto Schindler and the filmmakers. Day two of the festival took place at the Marin Civic Center Auditorium. It featured, films, panels and amazing vegan food on the cutting (not bleeding) edge of the meatless food revolution. We really enjoyed the Nowadays chik'n nuggets made with pea protein and only six other ingredients. These were, by far, the best nuggets I've ever had. They were sooooo juicy! A few other products really grabbed our attention including Melibio's lab-created bee-free honey. There is essentially no way to tell it from bee honey. Hooray bacon was the best bacon substitute that I have tried to date. It was crispy and nicely bacon-y. Finally Kube' coconut based ice cream was incredibly creamy and satisfying. The key lime flavor really popped. We enjoyed the films, panels and shorts. See you there next year.

Another epic year at the MV Film Festival. This powerful…read moredocumentary, "Steal This Story, Please!" is a riveting exploration of fearless journalism and the ongoing pursuit of truth. Well chosen & powerful films are featured each year at the festival. The event is staffed well & quite organized.

Why it has taken till 2023 for me to get to the MVFF is a mystery. This year's festival runs Thu,…read moreOct 5, 2023 - Mon, Oct 16, 2023. It's exciting and convenient that we have an opportunity to participate in a small, navigable, regional film festival that includes thoughtful and innovative films, surprise appearances by directors, and hopefully (after the actors strike concludes) talented actors, all in own backyard. The film festival is organized by The California Film Institute, an arts nonprofit in San Rafael. MVFF provides a forum for introducing new films to West coast audiences well before theatrical release dates. This year I planned to see "Saltburn" by the brilliant Emerald Fennel, who previously won an Academy Award and BAFTA for "Promising Young Woman." What I wasn't expecting was an intimate Q&A (she spoke the day before, but opted to stay for the second showing) talking candidly about the motivation for her transgressive, lush and surprising film. Cord Jefferson's satire, "American Fiction" featured a supremely talented cast, including Jeffrey Wright and Issa Ray, and it's searing insights brought laughter, "aha's" and self-examination to a privileged Marin film audience. Many films show at the Christopher Smith Rafael Theatre (and also at other local sites), the festival is well run, organized and is attended by directors, journalists, critics and local cinephiles. Tickets are sold online (normal tickets prices, $16, or more if there will be a special guest Q&A) and the bigger films go to "Rush" quickly, meaning all advance tickets are sold out, but a handful of remaining tickets will be sold at the door. Don't miss it!

Easy - drive your sweet ride, trusty truck or swagger wagon to the Hamilton area. Pull in and enjoy…read moresound via your own stereo on FM radio. Enjoy vintage cartoons, then a feature presentation complete with intermission (let's all go to the lobby, let's all go to the lobby and get ourselves a treat!) Economical - cost of the movie is FREE but support the group by purchasing goodies. The "lobby" is a tailgate with tasty theatre candy ($3), homemade cupcakes ($2) and beverages. Generous grab bag prizes are also raffled off. Educational - the younger people in your life my not know what a rotary or corded phone is, they can't imagine life without a computer on their phone, but you can open their eyes to the wonders of community film watching in the great outdoors. Extra tips - ***No restrooms on site; take of that before you come. ***Bring lawn chair or blankets and sit up front - organizers have speakers set out to augment audio. ***Be familiar with start time -at a certain point they will "be full" and you will need to park and walk in (with your blankets/chairs)

Looking for an outlawesque experience but aren't quite ready to risk life and limb?…read more Wanna cuddle in your car while nommin on candy and watching Tim Burton? This might be your mecca. The Marin Mobile Drive-In is a regular event where some local counter-culture nerdy types drag out their personal favorites and share them with anyone within ear shot with an FM radio & eyeballs. Cupcakes, popcorn & sodas can be purchased "by donation" for a few bucks but other than that this event is 100% free. All you have to do is follow their website, meetup or facebook pages and show up on the correct night. There are more showings in the summer when the weather is nice but last year they had them periodically all year long.

Days after the closing night show of the 18th annual San Francisco Hip Hop DanceFest accolades from…read morenew converts rolled in: San Francisco Chronicle reporter Leah Garchik wrote "I walked out of the Palace of Fine Arts with: (1) The biggest smile I'd had on my face since election day; (2) Major regrets that I hadn't attended the 17 previous years of the festival"; and From Broke-Ass Stuart, "Hip Hop Dance Fest is incredible", "performances so well thought out and executed", "a place you may find yourself hoarse from cheering", and "dope modern beats, athleticism, heart, and very 'now'. Like I said 3 years ago, whether or not you think you'll like this show hardly matters. You will love it. And by love, I mean that you'll get on their mailing list so that you can clear your calendar for the 19th annual festival, you'll purchase tickets as soon as they're announced (aim for center seats), and you'll attend both shows A & B thus devoting pretty much your entire weekend to enjoying the festival. The Hip Hop Dance Festival continues to fly under the radar of most people who wrongly assume they wouldn't like something like this or feel comfortable seeing something like this. Attend; I'm certain that you'll quickly change your mind. Witnessing fabulous dance troupes from (this year) Paris, Vietnam, Amsterdam, London, Oakland, San Francisco, and more is a treat. It's something I do for myself, twice each year, each time leaving much like Leah Garchik did this year, kicking myself only for having missed years 1 - 14. Other stuff: * One show on Friday, two on Saturday, two on Sunday. Two programs run, A & B, and though some of the troupes might be the same, the routines always differ. * Various master classes offered during SFIHH weekend. Also a participatory dance for children.

My husband and I took our hip-hop-loving 3-year-old to the 11th Annual San Francisco Hip Hop Dance…read moreFest last Sunday for the 2pm matinee. We saw Program A. The biggest standout for us was New York talent Kenichi Ebina who performed "A Tribute to Someone Special." It was a solo tribute to Michael Jackson and it was riveting. That guy can DANCE! And did so with humor, charisma, and gravity-defying moves. The only suggestion for improvement for next year is if they could turn the music down. I wore earplugs, but was unable to get my son to wear them (the music was TOO LOUD!). I tried earplugs and cotton balls for him, but he fussed too much and nothing worked. We practiced at home in preparation for the loud music, but only succeeded in having an earplug inserted in our patient dog's ear (while I was getting the cotton ball - poor doggy!). My son exited the theatre for a few routines and ran around the lobby with my husband, but luckily he saw most of the show. My son was very excited about the skateboards in New Style Motherlode International, which was really cool (I was especially impressed by the martial artists in that opening number as well).

A great place in San Rafael to learn improv. Also the once a month shows are awesome.read more

Love the Improv Marin classes. I've taken classes at other schools and this is the best. I'm…read moretaking the class to be more spontaneous and to have FUN! I love the way the teacher starts us off by simply pairing us up and talking to one person before we circle up with the whole group. This helps quiet the fear and let's face it we all have fear!

What a treat! The Marin Symphony is a highly underrated group. And my new favorite musical…read moreorchestra. Though I am from San Francisco and have seen the SF Symphony at Davies several times, I much more prefer the Marin Symphony performances at the Marin Veterans Memorial Center. I've seen two performances this year--Waterfront Pops: The Music of John Williams, and most recently Holiday Pops. Waterfront Pops was performed outdoors near the Lagoon of the Marin Center. There is ample parking, and very easy to get to just off the freeway. The line up was amazing, and had all of my favorite John Williams songs. The choice of songs was arranged perfectly, starting and ending with Olympic themes. Indiana Jones, Schindler's List, The Patriot, Hook, Jaws, ET, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Superman...All of the classics were played. The songs transported you back to the movie all over again. The Holiday Pops performance was equally beautiful. I love the intimate venue of the Marin Center, as every seat is a good one. Tickets for performances are extremely reasonable--$50.00 for an orchestra seat. Song choice was just perfect, mixing in traditional songs with more contemporary arrangements. The Nutcracker selection was a treat, and at times, sounded better than when I saw the actual performance of the Nutcracker at the War Memorial Opera House (I do not like the sound system there). The finale of Sleigh Bells topped off a truly magical evening. Conductor Alasdair Neal is a lot of fun, personable, and tells great stories. He's a lot of fun to watch conducting as he gets really animated and always looks like hes having so much fun on stage. At one point, during the Trepak performance from the Nutcracker, it looks like he was having a seizure of some sort from from his enthusiasm. Overall, I thoroughly enjoy seeing the Marin Symphony on the two occasions that I've attended their shows, and look forward to seeing Disney Classics next year. A must.

Their local performances are delightful. We are so fortunate that the symphony continues to bring…read moreus beautiful music in a time of so much noise.

Yes, once again I volunteered to do something that I definitely did not have time to do. I…read morevolunteered to work for a few hours at the 25th Annual Tiburon Penisula Wine Festival. Once again it was a Sold Out Event. I spent two hours sticking tooth picks in very large, very good cheese cubes. Monterey Jack, Sharp Cheddar & Pepper Jack. All organic cheeses. All from Clover Organic Farms in Petaluma. All three were smooth and good. The Pepper Jack had a good bite to it. Can't wait to put it in an omelette. Two of the nicest guys from Clover were there. Then I spent two hours dipping chocolate & vanilla sweet cream ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery in San Rafael. 4th Street. Dipped so much ice cream I got a blister. But the payoff was great. I got the last dish of chocolate & vanilla mixed. Will definitely stop in their store the next time I'm in San Rafael and looking for a snack or dessert. And wine, you ask? Yes I drank wine. Lots of very good wineries were represented. After all, it was a Wine Festival. There were plenty of folks drinking my share. I have never understood what makes folks willing to do things when they have had too much to drink that they would never do if they were cold sober. These were people who had paid $55 for a 4-hour wine festival and now they were willing to steal or grab wine from cases that were packed up. I suggested they just go to Sam's or Guaymas or Servino's and sit out on the deck, if they needed more. They just looked at me with that blank, drunk stare. But even with that minor incident, it was an interesting afternoon. I've had my share of dairy products for awhile and a little too much wine. I saw lots of friends from around town and met a few new interesting folks. And I got a parking ticket. All in all it was a well rounded afternoon. Food , wine, friends . . . .

I have just returned from an exhilerating afternoon in scenic Tiburon,Ca…read more The annual Tiburon Winefest outdid itself. The festival was very crowded, but folks were cordial. The food was delicious, especially Servino's offerings of bruschetta and pasta. Sam's was dishing out fresh oysters, and there were also generous samples from a delicious local chili maker. The wines were plentiful, as always. Two aspects of this year's festival were outstanding: The silent auction items, and the Music. Internationally known percussionist James Henry and his Hands on Fire band really created a fun party atmosphere. Their music took the event to another level. Great band! Thanks, Tiburon, for a thoroughly enjoyable day.

This festival is held at the Lagoon fairgrounds by the Marin Civic Center (THE Frank Lloyd Wright…read morebuilding). It runs annually for 2 days 6/21-6/22/09 from 10 AM to 6 PM. Admission is $10/person. The fair has a lot of large art pieces - wood carvers, furniture makers, glass blowers, potters, sculptors and metal works, the way I remember streets fairs use to be in SF. Little by little, clothing, jewelry, food and 'junk' exhibitors replaced many of the artists at the SF street fairs. I really liked the inlaid wooden mirrors with hummingbirds, tropical fishes, all the way from New York! Many of the pieces here are pricey, as expected for quality art work. The wooden rocking chairs (several thousand dollars a piece) were beautiful. One embroidery artist's large panorama of California golden poppies took her 6 weeks to make. Even a few musicians performing by their booths, selling their CDs. There are plenty of painters - watercolor, oil, acrylic and lots of photographers. Plenty of jewelry, one bath item exhibitor, basalmic vinegar and oils, some unusual jackets and clothing, one shoe exhibitor, and a wood artist who creates purses out of wood. Not a lot of food booths - Ben & Jerry ice cream, sausage/hot dog, gyro sandwiches, an organic booth - salads were expensive, up to $12, crab cake/gumbo/jambalaya, coffee/tea. Organic Dagoba chocolates were giving out samples - chili and lavender flavors! And of course, wine and beer booths. Ample sheltered round tables/chairs to eat in front of the music stand and servers to help you purchase your food (menus in hand) and bring it to you! These young kids went around to ask the exhibitors if they needed help to buy food and deliver it to them from the food concessions. Wow, that's service. Different entertainers daily. Heard a Latin band play and the Emeryville Taiko drums. Costumed stilt walkers were around and a separate stage for local performers (East Indian dancing, school children performing). The festival is held on soft grass and is very clean with ample port-o-toilets with the soap/water pumps outside. I overhead a worker driving by listening to a walkie-talkie message about a spillage and could something be brought over to cover it up. Very well organized.