Concerts, Cowboy Parades & Dad Rock Battles

🎭 Cool Events This Week

🎹 Concerts on the Green (Summer Kick-Off)

🗓️ Friday, June 6, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

📍 Novato (Civic Green, 901 Sherman Ave)

Nothing says summer like free outdoor concerts in the park. Novato’s Concerts on the Green series launches this Friday with the Anthony Arya Band bringing upbeat Americana rock to the Civic Green. Bring a picnic blanket, lawn chairs and the kids – outside food and drink are welcome, so grab takeout from a local Novato spot and make an evening of it. The atmosphere is ultra-family-friendly (think little ones dancing on the grass) and admission is free.

👉 Pro tip Arrive early to snag a good spot on the lawn; sorry, Fido has to sit this one out (no dogs allowed).

Marin Arts Website→ More Info

🤠 Western Weekend (Point Reyes Station)

🗓️ Saturday & Sunday, June 7 – 8, various times

📍 Point Reyes Station (Downtown/Main Street & Dance Palace)

Time to dust off your cowboy boots – Western Weekend is the ultimate small-town hoedown honoring West Marin’s ranching roots. Festivities kick off Saturday morning with a “Wild West” farmers market and local art exhibits around town. Saturday night, swing your partner at an old-fashioned barn dance (7:00 pm at the Dance Palace) after the 6:30 pm Grand Marshal introductions – expect fiddles, twirling, and big community vibes. Come Sunday, Main Street comes alive at high noon with a down-home parade featuring decorated horses, farm floats, cowboy bands and plenty of plaid. Come early to snag a viewing spot and then hit the Food Corral by Toby’s Feed Barn for local oysters, chili, and the Farm Bureau’s famous BBQ chicken lunch – a true country feast. All events are free and family-friendly. Just bring your Western spirit (and appetite) to this beloved Point Reyes tradition.

Western Weekend Website→ More Info

🎨 Novato Festival of Art, Wine & Music

🗓️ Saturday & Sunday, June 7 – 8, 11:00 am – 7:00 pm (Sat), until 6:00 pm (Sun)

📍 Novato (Downtown – Grant Avenue)

Downtown Novato transforms into Marin’s biggest street party this weekend at the annual Art, Wine & Music Festival. We’re talking two days of live bands on stage, art and craft vendors lining the streets, mouth-watering food trucks, a bustling beer and wine garden, and a kids’ carnival area to keep the little ones happy. This popular fest – hosted by the Novato Chamber – draws folks from all over the North Bay and has become a cornerstone of the Marin social calendar. Sip local wines or microbrews while grooving to music, browse dozens of artisan booths, and let the kids romp in the bouncy houses. The best part? Admission is free for all ages. (Bring cash for drinks or art buys, though.) It runs 11 am to 7 pm on Saturday and 11 am to 6 pm on Sunday, so you can make a full day of it. This is as “Marin summer” as it gets – sun, tunes, art, and vino in the heart of Novato.

Novato Chamber Website→ More Info

🎤 Countywide Battle of the Dad Bands

🗓️ Saturday, June 7, 12:00 – 5:00 pm

📍 Larkspur (Piper Park)

Yes, you read that right – it’s a dad band battle royale! Marin’s musically-inclined fathers are hitting the stage to rock out and claim bragging rights, all for a good cause. Seven different “Dad bands” from around the county will plug in and jam, capped off by local favorites Wonder Bread 5 as the grand finale. Expect a fun, festival atmosphere: there’ll be 8 food trucks (think gourmet tacos, lobster rolls, pizza and more) to fuel the crowd, a marketplace of local vendors, and a “super cool” Kid Zone with activities to keep the little ones busy while the grown-ups rock on. It’s an afternoon of music and community, with proceeds supporting the Larkspur Chamber and local businesses. Tickets aren’t cheap but come loaded – general admission is $110 (kids 5–17 $25, under 5 free) which includes a keepsake tasting glass and unlimited beer tastings in the on-site beer garden.

👉 Pro Tip For the full VIP treatment – lounge access and extra perks – there’s a $175 option. It’s a splurge, but where else can you cheer on Marin’s coolest dads as they shred for glory and charity?

Larkspur Chamber Website→ More Info

🍗 BBQ on the Lawn with Jerry’s Middle Finger

🗓️ Sunday, June 8, Gates 3:00 pm (Show at 4:00 pm)

📍 Nicasio (Rancho Nicasio)

Close out the week with a classic Marin summer combo: a lazy Sunday BBQ, a scenic ranch setting, and a whole lot of Jerry Garcia vibe. Jerry’s Middle Finger (or JMF to local Deadheads) isn’t just another tribute band – they’re known for delivering “the best Jerry Garcia Band tribute experience in the world,” with unparalleled energy and sound. This all-star crew of musicians will serve up Grateful Dead and JGB classics under the open sky at historic Rancho Nicasio, where the outdoor stage and sprawling lawn make for a perfect chill afternoon. Grab a plate of BBQ and a cold drink (sold on-site) and kick back on the grass as the sun sets and the music jams. Tickets are $37 in advance (general admission, lawn seating – kids are welcome too). Gates open at 3 pm, so come early to stake out a picnic spot. It’s a family-friendly show (kids often end up dancing together up front) and a great taste of Marin’s summer music scene for both longtime Deadheads and casual listeners alike. Tickets can be purchased online using the link below or at the gate if not sold out.

Rancho Nicasio Website→ 🎟️ Tickets

🍽️ Underground Eats

🍔 Lou’s Tiny Takeaway Triumph

Tucked in an unassuming Terra Linda strip mall is Lou’s Takeaway, a pint-sized eatery with a huge local following. Chef “Lou” (Anthony) serves up daily-changing comfort food with inventive twists – think spice-roasted chicken, braised pork belly, and salads drenched in game-changing sauces. The portions are generous, the menu is whatever Lou dreams up that day, and the flavors pack serious wow. It’s the kind of ultra-local food counter where word-of-mouth keeps the lines long (even Alice Waters has trekked over from the East Bay for a taste). There’s no sign on the highway, no flashy ads – just a loyal crowd chasing Lou’s next delicious experiment. If you know, you know… and now you know. Shhh!

View Menu → Lou’s Takeaway

📢 Local Buzz

🙋‍♀️ Marin’s First Women’s Sports Bar? Game On, Say Local Founders

Marin could finally get a women’s sports bar of its very own. Two local entrepreneurs – Isabella Woods and Soledad Jean-Pierre – just launched a crowdfunding campaign for “The Twelfth,” which they tout as Marin’s first-ever sports bar devoted to women’s athletics. The duo announced their plans in late May, citing the surge in Bay Area women’s sports fandom over the past year as inspiration. They’re rallying community support (and dollars) to make it happen, hoping that soon Marin fans will have a home turf to cheer on everything from the WNBA to the Women’s World Cup – cold drink in hand.

Ground News Website → More Info

❓ Noe Valley’s Tongue-in-Cheek Petition to Join Marin County

An upscale SF neighborhood wants to secede to Marin – or so claims a satirical Change.org petition making the rounds. In a stunt that had locals on both sides of the Golden Gate smirking, someone in Noe Valley launched a spoof petition to “join Marin County”. The tongue-in-cheek appeal riffs on Marin’s suburban serenity, joking that a move north would grant Noe Valley “peaceful, suburban life” with ample parking and freedom from “existential crises over every artisanal loaf of bread”. It even name-drops Marin’s (real) Golden Retriever Club as a beacon of community joy. Needless to say, it’s all in jest – as of last count the petition had a grand total of four signatures. Still, the idea gave both Noe Valley and Marin residents a good chuckle about their cultural quirks.

SFIST Website → More Info

🏛️ Tam High Community Rallies to Save Equity Programs

At Mill Valley’s Tamalpais High School, parents and alumni are buzzing about a new petition to preserve support services for Black students. After a series of painful racist incidents on campus in recent years, Tam High added dedicated resources this school year to better support its Black students. Now those contracts are up for renewal – and one parent warns they might not be renewed. In response, community members have taken to Change.org urging the Tam Union High School District board to keep these vital programs in place. The petition notes that rolling back these services would undermine progress toward a more inclusive school environment. It’s a serious local push to ensure hard-won equity measures don’t get axed in the new school budget, and it has many in Marin’s education community watching closely.

Enjoy Mill Valley Website → More Info

💎 Hidden Gem

📢 Museum of International Propaganda

📍San Rafael (1000 5th Avenue)

Sure, downtown San Rafael has a movie theater and shops – but did you know it also hides a Museum of International Propaganda in a little side-street storefront? This obscure, one-of-a-kind museum was founded by a local couple and stuffed with their personal hoard of 20th-century propaganda art. We’re talking giant Mao-era posters, Soviet statues, WWII cartoons – the works. From Nazi swastika emblazoned ashtrays to Cultural Revolution paintings, the collection will fascinate and unsettle you all at once. The vibe is part history lesson, part “wait, this is in Marin?” surprise. It’s so under-the-radar that when it opens its doors at 3:30 PM, the curator isn’t even expecting visitors. But step inside and you’ll find an eye-popping tour of how governments spin stories – all curated by founder Tom Areton, who traveled the world to snag these artifacts.

🎟️ Admission Free (donations welcome). It’s quirky, a little eerie, and 100% Marin-level cool to brag about at your next dinner party.

Museum of International Propaganda Website → More Info

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