Friday, September 15

Gem Faire, Marin Civic Center, San Rafael.

South Novato Library Friday Fun Days, 3 – 4pm, Start the weekend off right with a laid-back afternoon at the South Novato Library. Whether it’s games, crafts or more, this drop-in program is a good way to relax at the end of the week! South Novato Library.

Marin Comics Fest: John Bulena, 3:30-4:30pm, writing professor at the University of California Merced and will be speaking about the use of comics in higher education (AKA why more college students should be reading comic books), San Rafael Library.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a magical stage rendition of Eric Carle’s beloved stories about sea horses, fireflies, and, of course, that lovable Lepidoptera himself, brought to life in vibrant color with puppets galore! BACT Berkeley Center.

Teddy Bears' Picnic, age 6 mo. to 3 years old, Bring your own Bear, if you'd like, and join our Teddy Bear as she packs a picnic and scampers off for an adventure in the forest, Oakland Children's Fairyland.

Saturday, September 16, California Coastal Cleanup Day

Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival, 10am-5pm, artists from around the country display their creative wears, live music and children’s programs, Old Mill Park, Mill Valley. 

Sturgeons Mill, a 105 year old steam powered sawmill. We are a working museum that is open 4 weekends a year to the general public, Sebastopol.

Bay Area Pet Fair, The Largest Gathering Of Adoptable Animals In California History! Free Admission! Free Parking! Free Barking! Enjoy music, crafts, entertainment while helping thousands of homeless California pets find their forever homes, Alameda County Fairgrounds.

Coastal Cleanup Day, 9am-12pm, Point Bonita YMCA.

Volunteer At California Coastal Cleanup Day, San Francisco.

FREE Zumba at The Center, 9am, Mill Valley Aquatics and Fitness Center.

Gem Faire, Marin Civic Center, San Rafael.

Junior Chef Class, 10am, ages 8-13, $5/kid, Pancake Party Benefiting No Kid Hungry, Williams-Sonoma, The Village at Corte Madera.

Family Hang-Out Time, 10 – 10:30am, ages 2-8, A laid-back morning of story, art or games for families of all abilities! South Novato Library.

Northern California Renaissance Faire, 10am-6pm, Hollister.

Presidio Family-Friendly Bike Ride, San Francisco.

Open Cockpit, 10am-4pm, Pacific Coast Air Museum, Santa Rosa.

Guided Hikes - Birds + Bird Art Treasure Hunt, 10:30am-12:30pm, two-mile family-friendly guided hike led by volunteer Presidio art docents, Presidio, San Francisco.

Kids' Workshop: Elizabeth Singer Hunt - Secret Agent Training Manual, 11am, 3rd - 5th graders, Book Passage, Corte Madera.

Marin Comics Fest: Alexis Fajardo, 11am-12pm, author and illustrator of the Kid Beowulf graphic novel series, Blue Moon Comics, San Rafael.

Marin Comics Fest: Brian Fies, 11am-12pm, Eisner Award winner for his webcomic Mom’s Cancer and later earned a Harvey Award for Best New Talent. His other works include the graphic novel Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? and the ongoing webcomic The Last Mechanical Monster, San Anselmo Library.

Kara Johnson reads and signs the "Woollard" series! 12pm, DIESEL, A Bookstore, Larkspur.

GGRO Hawk Talk & Raptor Release, 12-2pm, Hawk Hill.

Sumo Championship Exhibition, 12-5pm, free, Japantown Peace Plaza.

Marin Comics Fest: Serena Valentino and Landry Walker, 1-2:30pm, Serena is a Bay Area author whose credits include the comic books GloomCookie and Nightmares & Fairy Tales as well as the young adult novels How to be a Zombie and How to be a Werewolf, Landry is known for his all-ages work on titles such as Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and The Incredibles, Copperfield’s Books, San Rafael.

Marin Comics Fest: Latino Comics Expo (Ricardo Padilla, Jaime Crespo, Liz Mayorga), 1-2:30pm, Novato Library.

Shakespeare in the Park, 2pm, Free, Hamlet, The Presidio, San Francisco.

Marin Comics Fest: Steven Russell Black, 2-3pm, artist with an obsessive compulsion to champion the odd fringe or otherwise unappreciated. See how he creates his art, San Rafael Library.

Marin Comics Fest: Judd Winick, 2-3pm, a comic book artist and writer who first gained fame for his 1994 stint on MTV’s The Real World: San Francisco, before earning success for his work on comics such as Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and Pedro and Me, his autobiographical graphic novel about his friendship with Real World castmate and AIDS educator Pedro Zamora. He created the animated TV series The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, which ran for three seasons on Cartoon Network, and is currently working on the fourth volume of his all-ages graphic novel series Hilo, San Rafael Pickleweed Library.

Sloth Festival, Celebrating The Sloth And All Thats Sloth Through Music, Art And Dance! Details to be announced.

MONSTER JAWS, Make a set of monster jaws to show how fierce you can be, Randall Museum, San Francisco.

Marin Comics Fest | Amy Martin, Lily Williams and Karen Schneeman, 2:30-4pm, Belvedere Tiburon Library.

Kids Kirtan with Jai Uttal and Friends with Jai Uttal, 3-4:30pm, heartful and simple Indian chanting and stories for the little ones of all ages, Pomegranate, 25 Tamalpais Ave. San Anselmo.

Kids Movie Night, 5-7pm, ages 8+, join us for pizza and the movie "Sky High," Belvedere Tiburon Library.

Darcey Rosenblatt - Lost Boys, 7pm, middle-grade- teen readers, Book Passage, Corte Madera.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a magical stage rendition of Eric Carle’s beloved stories about sea horses, fireflies, and, of course, that lovable Lepidoptera himself, brought to life in vibrant color with puppets galore! BACT Berkeley Center.

Teddy Bears' Picnic, age 6 mo. to 3 years old, Bring your own Bear, if you'd like, and join our Teddy Bear as she packs a picnic and scampers off for an adventure in the forest, Oakland Children's Fairyland.

Sleeping Beauty, Young Performers Theatre, Fort Mason, San Francisco.

Sunday, September 17

SPARK Fun Run, 9-11:30am, Fun for all, Stay after the races for light snacks, a not-to-be-missed raffle and fun activities for the kids! The Village at Corte Madera.

California Coastal Cleanup Day and Sand Globes on Stinson Beach, cleanup 9am-12pm, Sand globe instruction, play, and creations: 12noon-3pm.

Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival, 10am-5pm, artists from around the country display their creative wears, live music and children’s programs, Old Mill Park, Mill Valley. 

Sturgeons Mill, a 105 year old steam powered sawmill. We are a working museum that is open 4 weekends a year to the general public, Sebastopol.

Bay Area Pet Fair, The Largest Gathering Of Adoptable Animals In California History! Free Admission! Free Parking! Free Barking! Enjoy music, crafts, entertainment while helping thousands of homeless California pets find their forever homes, Alameda County Fairgrounds.

Sea Otter Spectacular, 10am-5pm, Did you know that the sea otter is the furriest animal in the entire world?  The smallest marine mammal is also one of the most special with adaptations to stay warm, find food, and even use tools! Join us for classroom presentations, Docent-led tours, and more! Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito.

Gem Faire, Marin Civic Center, San Rafael.

Kinderfest, celebrate Oktoberfest with German food, drink, live music, and kids’ games, San Francisco Tourist Club, Mill Valley.

Open Cockpit, 10am-4pm, Pacific Coast Air Museum, Santa Rosa.

Northern California Renaissance Faire, 10am-6pm, Hollister.

Golden Gate Park Band, Spreckels Temple of Music, Golden Gate Park.

Creativity Festival, 10am-4pm, celebrating the creative and innovative spirit of San Francisco with hands-on, family-friendly activities in the Yerba Buena Children’s Garden, Children's Creativity Museum, San Francisco.

Presidio Picnic, 11am-4pm, Main Parade Grounds, Presidio, San Francisco.

Grand Opening, The Commons, A New Space for Place, 12-5pm, Fort Barry, Sausalito.

Town Picnic on the Ballfield, 12-5pm, food, games, and fun! Fairfax.

GGRO Hawk Talk & Raptor Release, 12-2pm, Hawk Hill.

Comedy Day, 12-5pm, Sharon Meadow, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

Sumo Championship Exhibition, 12-5pm, free, Japantown Peace Plaza.

Comedy Day, 12-5pm, 1 Stage, 5 Hours, 30+ Comedians, A Million Laughs! Organizers say “…it’d be rated PG-13. We ask our performers to “keep it clean,” but occasionally an “off-color” word or topic will pop up. So, please use discretion.” Sharon Meadow, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

Shakespeare in the Park, 2pm, Free, Hamlet, The Presidio, San Francisco.

Nature for Kids: Evening at Roy’s Redwoods, 5:30 – 7:30pm, enjoy a quiet walk as the light fades and the day cools, ending the evening in the large meadow at the edge of the redwoods. This is a perfect spot to look and listen for a few different species of owls. We’ll look for owl pellets and discuss what makes these nocturnal raptors so unique. Meet at the Roy’s Redwoods Loop trailhead on Nicasio Valley Rd in San Geronimo.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a magical stage rendition of Eric Carle’s beloved stories about sea horses, fireflies, and, of course, that lovable Lepidoptera himself, brought to life in vibrant color with puppets galore! BACT Berkeley Center.

Teddy Bears' Picnic, age 6 mo. to 3 years old, Bring your own Bear, if you'd like, and join our Teddy Bear as she packs a picnic and scampers off for an adventure in the forest, Oakland Children's Fairyland.

Sleeping Beauty, Young Performers Theatre, Fort Mason, San Francisco.