Enjoy Mill Valley Blog

Gov. Gavin Newsom. What was already looking like a less-than-spectacular Fourth of July celebration this weekend due to COVID-19 social distancing requirements is now facing even more uncertainty for Marin residents. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the closure of many indoor business operations for the California counties that have been on the state’s new watch list for…

Mill Valley residents peacefully protested racial violence and systemic inequality on Sunday, June 6, marching from the Depot Plaza to Tam High. Photos by Tane Daijogo. Tam High student Sierra Hetler, at center, with friends at the June 6th Black Lives Matter protest she organized. Courtesy image. For weeks, protests, rallies and demonstrations have been…

If 2020 hasn’t thrown you 3-4 of the craziest months of your life, then you must have one heck of an adventure-laden personal history on your hands. Get writing! We began early March with uncertainty and nervous chuckles over elbow bumps and foot shakes, and seemingly every step since then has been a potent mixture…

A selection of artwork at the 2019 Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival. This one really hurts. We’ve had to post an avalanche of cancellations, postponements and reductions related to the COVID-19 crisis over the past several months, and all of them have been massive losses for the residents, businesses and nonprofit organizations that make Mill…

Singers Marin founder Jan Pedersen Schiff. Courtesy image. Jan Pedersen Schiff, a towering figure in the Marin music community since she founded the nonprofit choral organization Singers Marin 33 years ago, has announced her impending retirement and plans to pass the conductor’s wand to other members of the organization who “look forward to more choral…

[UPDATE 7.10.20: Just a few days after indoor dining was added to outdoor dining and takeout/delivery at restaurants around Mill Valley, Marin was placed on the COVID-19 statewide watch list and indoor dining was halted for at least three weeks. Other previously approved sectors are not impacted by this decision. Stay tuned.] As you have…

Like most of us, the City of Mill Valley’s Resident Shopper Vehicle Permit (RSVP) program, which allows residents of Mill Valley and nearby towns to park for free at a metered space as a way to promote downtown businesses, has been mostly hibernating since March. The program has remained active, but with just about every business in…

Muir Woods shuttle has been suspended to minimize visitor exposure in confined spaces. Muir Woods photos by Kirke Wrench and Hans Roenau. Muir Woods National Monument, the biggest tourist attraction in Marin and the crown jewel of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, is set to reopen Monday, June 29 for the first time since…

A past Curtain Theatre production in Old Mill Park. Courtesy image. The Curtain Theatre, which for more than 20 years has produced free theater in Old Mill Park with an emphasis on Shakespeare, announced it will postpone its production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” to the summer of 2021 due to lingering concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. The production, marking…

Oscar Lopez’s Yo-El-Mexicano. Courtesy image. Despite being unable to welcome art lovers to check out in-person exhibits as usual, the folks at the O’Hanlon Center for the Arts have stayed extremely bust of late. Fresh on the heels of its “Humankind in Crisis” exhibit, the nonprofit arts organization followed it up with “Me to Myself,” which focused on the…

Throckmorton Theatre’s Tivoli Room. Courtesy image. For the past three years, the Throckmorton Theatre has welcomed audiences to the Tivoli Room every Wednesday at noon and presented concerts performed by talented musicians free of charge. Musicians often stayed after the performance to informally speak about the program and their upcoming concerts. With concerts on hold…

Photos of past Sound Summit music festivals. Courtesy images. Sound Summit – executive producer and Mill Valley resident Michael Nash’s double entendre moniker for the festival – has joined the ranks of music and arts festivals around the world that have fallen victim to the COVID-19 crisis. Music lovers will have to wait until 2021 to…