Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival

September 23-24, 2023, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 

Old Mill Park
352 Throckmorton Ave.
Mill Valley, CA
$20 admission, mvfaf.org
Free for students, children under 12, teachers & active-duty military) mvfaf.org

66th Annual Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival in the redwood grove of Old Mill Park is the place for amazing art, crafts, music, food, and fun.

Entertainment

 Michael La Macchia 3io, Madeline King, Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble, Razteria Trio, Chris Makkonen, Larry Carlin / Keystone Crossing, Mari Mack & Livin' Like Kings, Laura Benitez, Jinx Jones, Dirty Cello

For Kids

 Fratello Marionettes, Music with Enzo, Puppet Lady, Brian Scott Magic, Interactive Improv with Tam Valley High School Drama Club, Magic with Blake, Scott the Storyteller

With over 130 highly competitive fine artists from around the country, here are a few reasons this remains the longest running West Coast juried art festival...

• Caring Community. Volunteers chip in to make this labor-intensive event happen each year. It's a labor of love.
• Carefully Curated Art. It means that the works you see are made by the actual artists you meet at the booths. They talk to you and discuss their craft, be it painting, photography, metal works, clay, glass or fabric arts. You are free to browse, and buy if you like.
• Thoughtfully Selected Entertainment. From eclectic music that blends well with nature's environment in the redwood groves, to children's activities to challenge the mind and imagination, guests are pleasantly surprised and tend to stick around to enjoy the sensory expressions.
• Incomparable Setting. While vendors confide that there are challenges loading their artwork and goods in and out of the redwoods, and maybe some areas are a little too shaded to highlight fine art perfectly, the esthetics are worth it for the audience. Guests can enjoy a softly-scented, woodsy environment, minus the blazing sunshine of most open air markets. Art is meant to be appreciated, much like nature. When you combine the two into one experience, it's magic!

Although the art comes from near and far, the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival offers a warm, local, non-commercial experience and welcomes all ages and people.

Live music, children's art activities, a curated selection of quality food vendors (most staffed by volunteers to raise funds for their non-profit organization,) and the beloved Blue Fairy who strolls through the park making music, are a few annual traditions to look forward to.

The  Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival does not accept commercial manufacturers, plants/ flowers, edible art, skin care products, etc. They also require the artist to be at the festival for both days.

From the story tellers and puppeteers, to the main stage acts, to face painting, to the fine arts and crafts, there's a day's worth of entertainment offered at the event.

The artwork from approx. 130 local and international exhibiting artists, includes clothing, jewelry, sculpture, woodwork, painting, glass, and photography, plus more. 

The location at historic Old Mill Park in Mill Valley, California takes place in the redwoods at the foot of Mt. Tamalpais. Old Mill Park in the 1830s was a sawmill on the Cascade Creek built by an Irishman,  John Thomas Reed. It was Reed who gave Mill Valley its name. 

With so much history and beauty in the festival's surroundings, event organizers determined several years ago that  a 'badge' was needed to represent "our home town, our Redwood Grove, our Mountain." The efforts resulted in a logo used to promote the annual festival. It features the colors green and blue and includes the stream, redwood trees, a mountain and the sky blended into an artistically shaped letter "M".

Planners say the festival benefits local non-profits, and invite you to please come supports the arts! 

Events are not guaranteed. It is your responsibility to confirm before going.