City of Mill Valley
From Pam Keon and All the Amazing People Who Took on the Herculean Task of the 125th Celebration: Join the Dedication of the 125th Time Capsule – Dec. 8th, 5pm at City Hall!
Pam Keon: On Monday, December 8th, I hope you can attend these events at Mill Valley’s City Hall. At 5pm we will dedicate the 2025 Mill Valley Time Capsule. This ceremony marks the celebration of Mill Valley’s 125th anniversary year with the placement of a time capsule capturing daily life in 2025 and documenting the three-day 125th Anniversary Celebration over Labor Day Weekend. The 2025 time capsule will be placed inside the 12+ ton red jasper boulder that sits in front of City Hall, and replaces the 1953 time capsule that was removed from the boulder earlier this year. The new time capsule is to be opened on September 1, 2100 – so mark your calendars, or your children’s or grandchildren’s calendars!
Read MoreSF Chronicle: Here are 15 New Laws that Californians Must Start Following in 2026 – Gov. Gavin Newsom Approved more than 900 New Laws This Year, Lowering Drug Costs, Ban Police and ICE Masks & More
“For the past six years, through boom, bust and pandemic, California’s Legislature has ended each session with a blitz of new laws that aim to make housing more plentiful and affordable. SF Chronicle: Here are 15 New Laws that Californians Must Start Following in 2026 – Gov. Gavin Newsom Approved more than 900 New Laws This Year, Lowering Drug Costs & Much More
Read MoreHoliday Craft Fair Featuring Dozens of Artists Returns to Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto – Dec. 6th, 10am-4pm
Join us for this festive event and enjoy some unique holiday shopping. The fair features many new and returning artists selling their fine handmade arts and crafts. There will be a wide variety of items to choose from that may include: woodwork, jewelry, glass work, ceramics, decorations, knitwear, fiber arts, plants and much more. Our beautiful venue and great southern Marin location, as well as ample parking, will contribute to making this a great fair!
Read MoreCity of Mill Valley Launches “Lease to Locals” Pilot Program to Incentivize Workforce Housing and Long-Term Rentals
“Mill Valley is deeply committed to affirmatively furthering fair housing and to enabling our workforce the opportunity to live here,’ said Mill Valley Mayor Stephen Burke. “This includes our ongoing work with Front Porch and its Home Match program, as well as Bayview Terrace, our proposed 45 unit affordable housing project, and now this pilot effort with Placemate. We are also grateful for the partnership and support provided by the Community Housing Foundation of Mill Valley.” The Lease to Locals program is intended to unlock existing housing by providing homeowners a financial incentive to house the local workforce through a long-term rental. The program is launching as a pilot and will be evaluated after six months for longer-term funding opportunities. Placemate Inc., an organization with a proven track record in addressing workforce housing shortages in destination communities, will administer the “Lease to Locals” program.
Read MoreMill Valley, County of Marin Leaders, Marin Residents & People Throughout the Bay Area Are Rallying Around Our Neighbors Facing the Loss of SNAP Benefits, Including Our 94941 Food-Serving Community!
“If you are food insecure, I can help,” said Tony Adams, who owns the Mill Valley Pasta Company in downtown Mill Valley. Early on, Adams posted that he’s offering to help anyone needing food at his stores or pop-ups, no questions asked. We launched something called the Uncle Tony Program. People can come in, mention they’re there to pick up an order for Uncle Tony. It’s coded language for us, that they may be food insecure and need help. Sometimes the biggest barrier to getting help is having to ask for help,” Adams said. Madrona Bakery, Le Marais Bakery, Equator Coffees, Shoreline Coffee Shop, Watershed,
Read MoreMill Valley’s Efforts to Replace the former Whole Foods Market on Miller Ave. Have Stalled Due to Amazon Layoffs – Whole Foods’ Lease Lasts Several More Years. The Mill Valley Market was selected by Amazon’s team – the Layoffs Stalled Those Efforts
Many residents find it hard to believe that Amazon—one of the richest companies in the world—couldn’t afford the necessary building updates. Mill Valley Mayor Stephen Burke sought to squash the idea that the City obstructed seismic retrofits that were necessary, and made it clear in a statement: “The City regrets the potential closure of the Whole Foods, which is an important community resource. The decision to close, if true, is based on business considerations that the City is not privy to. Further, other than issuing a permit for roof repairs, the City has imposed no further requirements or restrictions upon the property. In fact, this year City Council, the Planning Commission, and City Staff have dedicated themselves to updating and modifying parking, commercial codes, and other regulations with the goal of making the opening and operation of vibrant businesses easier.”
Read MoreCalling all Mill Valley Peetniks! Don’t Be Sad – We’re Here for You! Starting November 4th at 7am, Sweetwater Music Hall’s Café Will Be Open & Proudly Pouring Peet’s. Café’s Open 7 days a week, 7am-7pm!
As coffee lovers can attest, there’s been lots of Sturm & Drang in recent months about the future of Peet’s Coffee at 88 Throckmorton in downtown Mill Valley. The Peet’s Coffee store in Mill Valley has been part of the company success that began in 1966. Peet’s opened its first Bay Area store in Berkeley in 1966 and the Mill Valley location was opened in 1987. Peet’s determined in recent months that the size of the 88 Throckmorton space no longer matched the customer experience of the other successful Peet’s shops elsewhere in Marin County. Rather than simply move on, the ever-creative folks, legendary Sweetwater Music Hall saw an opportunity to keep Peet’s in downtown Mill Valley.
Read MoreMill Valley Winterfest Is Coming Soon on Sunday, Dec. 7th, With Lots of Performances, the Amazing Electric Train Around Lytton Square, Incredible Ginger Bread Houses And Much More to Come!
Winterfest, the 94941’s annual holiday celebration produced by the Mill Valley Chamber and supported by the City of Mill Valley, returns to the Downtown Plaza on December 7th, drawing another massive outpouring of residents, participants and friends to celebrate the holidays! We’ll be unveiling all of the amazing local holiday performances in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, there’s plenty of excitement to chew on, including the return of the beautiful Electric Train that kept kiddos and their families busy and happy throughout the day last year.
Read MoreOn the Heels of a Successful Measure L to Address Infrastructure Needs, City Pivots to Implement an Extension of the Municipal Service Tax for Another Decade to Continue Repairing Roads & Clearing Flammable Brush
Now the City Council and staff are pivoting to an extension of its Municipal Service Tax for another decade to continue repairing roads and clearing flammable brush. That assessment came after City Manager Todd Cusimano reported on the tax, known as the MST, at the City Council meeting on Oct. 20 as part of a strategic discussion that looked at future street repairs and local revenue streams. “We will have to continue with the MST,” he said. “If we do this right over the next 10 years, we’ll be talking about potentially not having to have one of these taxes.” “This is not a forever tax,” added Councilmember Urban Carmel. “This is really the end game, I think, for the next round.”
Read MoreGolden Gate Bridge-Inspired Pasta Shape Launched by Bay Area Mill Valley Pasta Co. in Downtown Mill Valley and at Their Factory Store in San Rafael, as Well as at all Farmers Market Stops
Mill Valley Pasta Co. worked hand in hand with Giacomo Reni San Francisco’s Pastabiz, a company based in the Mission which specializes in pasta production tools and equipment, to finalize the design. The custom brass and bronze die was then fabricated by one of the few remaining die makers in Italy. Reni and Mill Valley Pasta Co. had previously worked together to create a custom die to make a Dachshund-dog-shaped pasta that Mill Valley Pasta Co. calls “Cagnatini.” The Ponte d’Oro pasta is available at both of Mill Valley Pasta Co.’s retail stores in Mill Valley and their Factory Store in San Rafael, as well as at all farmers market stops (6 weekly), and on their website (www.millvalleypasta.com).
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