Old Mill Park is the setting for the 55th annual Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival, a widely acclaimed weekend-long event that for generations has served as the town's farewell to summer.
It began in 1956 with local artists exhibiting their works in downtown shop windows. The concept moved to Old Mill Park in 1962 and nowadays attracts some 8,000 art lovers. The juried works include a wide array of prints, paintings, woodwork, photography and sculpture, and the quality is lofty enough to have gotten the festival rated one of the top 10 fine arts and crafts shows in the Northwest.
The Children’s Grove hosts entertainment and interactive activities for youngsters all day. Kids love the Fratello Marionettes, magic acts and live music. Stellar local music talent provides full line up of entertainment on the main stage. This year, be sure to catch the world folk music of The Palm Wine Boys and reggae sounds of Lumanation on Saturday and the old timey jazz of Miss Emily Anne and the Gypsy Jazz of Lou-Lou & the Gypsy Jivers on Sunday.
Good food and drinks are provided by and benefit local non-profits. Best of all is the setting itself: a fragrant redwood forest at the close of summer, shaded by its mountain.
The Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival is unique in that it is by a volunteer committee of local artists! These committed volunteers have given the Bay Area community a spectacular festival to enjoy for 55 years. Any surplus funds from this non-profit Festival go right back to the community for park improvements and the Emerging Artist Award granted to two High School art students per year. This year the winners were Emily Deng, Tamalpais High School Senior and Charlotte Passot, Tamalpais High Junior.
Ride to the Festival in style! MV Transport will be providing the bus transport service for the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival this year. This is a major upgrade from the old school buses used in the past. These state of the art shuttles are plush, roomy and easy turning. The shuttle is free and makes getting to the festival hassle free – Check the route and stops at the festival website.
Main Stage Music
Saturday, Sept 24
11:30 Michael LaMacchia 3io
12:30 Hang Jones
1:30 The Palm Wine Boys
2:30 4 Guys Named Mo
3:30 Duo Gadjo Trio
4:30 Lumanation
Sunday, Sept 25
12:00 Michael Olsen
1:00 Spark & Whisper
2:00 Todd Morgan & the Emblems
3:00 Miss Emily Anne
4:00 Lou-Lou & the Gypsy Jivers
Children’s Grove
Saturday : MC Naomi Caspe
10:30 – 12:30 Hands-On Craft Time with Tia
12:30 Fratello Marionettes
1:15 Georgia’s Stories
East of the Sun, West of the Moon
2:00 Tinker’s Coin Puppets +
2:45 Magic Dan Chan
3:30 The Gnome Show Puppets
Sunday : MC The Blue Fairy
10:30 – 12:30 Hands-On Craft Time with Tia
12:30 Fratello Marionettes
1:15 Brian Scott’s Magic Magic
2:00 Sing with Dave Fromer
2:45 Benny from the Magic Circus
3:30 Nick Barone’s Puppets
Tales from the Enchanted Forest
