Ellen Mattesi with her 3D creation “Evil Clown” on Montford Avenue. (Photo by Mary Ann Hogan)

The Urban Dictionary defines Mill Valley as “a town in Marin County, California, that served as the basis for the South Park episode 'SmugAlert!' The people there… are generally smug, spoiled recluses who live in tiny, 800-square-foot shacks for which they paid $1.2 million.”

The “generally complacent” people tend to make everyone else grumpy. Or so the story goes. If only life were that easy here. As one dinner host recently said, “I get grumpy at people who get grumpy when they hear about what happened to Mill Valley.”

Just look around and you might find an old-fashioned village with a small-town atmosphere and a big-hearted soul. Here's a potpourri of the real Mill Valley:

Terribly good

At the bend in the road where Molino Avenue meets Montford Avenue, you'll find artist and designer Ellen Mattesi's Halloween Valentine's Day gift. For the past eight years, Mattesi, an “inventor of fantasy environments,” has decorated her front yard with elaborate 3D bodies, torsoless arms and hands, skulls, teeth, skeletons, strange bones and a whole lot of clowns, including the giant evil clown with 12-inch-long teeth. Mattesi says, “All the other clowns have to constantly feed him body parts.”

Every year, people honk and wave, give a thumbs up or scream like the dead as they pull off Molino, a funnel for the crowds from Mount Tam and the beaches, as well as for the neighbors who live up the hill.

A few years ago, Mattesi injured her knee and couldn't put up her decorations. She apologized on social media. The neighbors didn't hesitate for a second: “Would you like to help put them up?” “I would help too. We've enjoyed our Halloween fun since we lived here…” Her teenage daughter stepped in and saved the holiday.

This year, the mayor of Mill Valley left a business card with a note in Mattesi's mailbox: “Thank you for bringing Halloween back to Mill Valley.”

Yes, you can

One day last week, a lost bird flew into Scott Snyder's chimney in Tam Valley. Snyder and his wife could hear the helpless fluttering.

First they called a chimney sweep. “They said they didn't know anything about animals,” says Snyder, a data engineer, voice actor and animal lover. Then they called Marin Humane, which sent someone to search. “They thought it might be an owl.” The organization transports animals but doesn't release them from chimneys. So Snyder called WildCare. But they only receive and treat the animals. They don't release or transport them.

Snyder asked neighbors for suggestions. Several offered to help. One suggested the Southern Marin Fire District, which covers Tam Valley. “It had just rained the night before,” Snyder says, “so I didn't feel too bad.”

Within a few hours, a three-man team showed up. They climbed the steep roof of the Snyder. Removed the top of the stovepipe. Lowered a rope down the chimney. The bird climbed about halfway up the rope. Then it took to the skies. It wasn't an owl. “Probably a Florida jay.”

Neighbors cheered on social media. “What a happy ending! … Cats in trees, birds in chimneys, our Southern Marin firefighters can do it all!”

Yes, you can.

And he did.

Signs of optimism

The sign on the wall of Two Neat, a long-standing, funky art and dog gift shop downtown, reads: “Unsupervised children receive an espresso and a free puppy.”

One Friday afternoon, a group of middle school students walked in and told store owner Bob Bijou, “We're unsupervised 12-year-olds. Can we have our free puppy?” Bijou gave them each a free piece of 10-cent taffy instead. The kids gobbled it up. Soon, regular Mill Valley Fridays became Free Toffee Fridays for the original gang of “unsupervised” and their friends. Even if the taffy isn't free, Bijou says, it's a bargain. “Where else in Mill Valley can you get something for 10 cents?”

There are numerous notable signs:

• At the organic produce stand on the corner of Shoreline Highway and Tennessee Valley Road, a roadside sign reads: “Peace, Love and Pickles.”

• The sign at the Book Depot & Café reads: “I say a town is not a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but if it has no bookstore, it knows it is not fooling anyone.” (From Neil Gaiman's “American Gods”)

Make friends with the parks

Next Thursday night, November 2nd, there will be a fundraiser for Friends of Parks and Recreation from 6:30-11:00 p.m. at Sweetwater Music Hall. Tickets are $100 and include wine, beer, appetizers and rock music from Mustache Harbor. Sponsors include the Mill Valley Soccer Club and the Southern Marin Lacrosse Club.

Among the beneficiaries is the city's planned new skate park, a project by and for a savvy group of Mill Valley middle school students.

So, have a nice Mill Valley day.

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Point Bonita Lighthouse, Marin Headlands

With the spectacular weather we’ve been having, now is the perfect time to get outdoors and explore Marin and the Bay Area with the kiddos! Here are a few of our favorite local outdoor adventures that are perfect for families with small kids. My kids have been visiting these places since they were little and still enjoy going on a family outing to them today.

Crissy Field is a fantastic destination for walking, bicycling, kite flying, or playing at the beach. It offers a waterfront promenade and trails that are popular with dog walkers, runners, cyclists, and families, and the water here is perfect for wading and playing in the gently lapping waves. Lawn areas and picnic tables, some with charcoal grills, are available, too, so bring a picnic and your beach blanket and umbrella and spend the day. The backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Angel Island, and the Marin Headlands is simply amazing, too.

The Marin Headlands has much to offer for families and is one of our favorite destinations for a day of outdoor adventure. Wildlife, beaches, history, natural beauty, sweeping vistas of the Pacific and San Francisco — the Headlands has all that and more. The hike to Point Bonita Lighthouse is exciting and has amazing views, Rodeo Beach is always a great place to spend an afternoon exploring and watching the surfers and dolphins playing in the waves, and South Rodeo Beach is a secluded spot that’s far less busy than its neighbor to the north.

China Camp State Park, located along San Pablo Bay in San Rafael, is one of Marin’s hidden gems. Families with kids will want to check out the beach, explore the historic Chinese fishing village, and take an easy hike on the Turtle Back Nature Trail. The Quan Bros. snack shop at the village is open on weekends for food, cold drinks, and ice cream.

The Point Reyes Visitor Center near Olema is one of our favorite destinations for a family adventure. Take a walk on the Earthquake Trail, which tells the story of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and its effects on Point Reyes, visit the Morgan Horse Ranch, check out the exhibits in the visitor center, and have a picnic on the sprawling grounds, which have picnic tables and charcoal grills.

The amazing Tolay Lake Regional Park near Petaluma is a great destination for a family outing with picnic areas, miles of paths and trails, and even some friendly farm animals to visit (including goats, chickens, and Pete the miniature horse). Most of the trails here are easy enough for families with kids, and there’s always something to see. The park offers events throughout the year, including organized hikes, a “family farm chores day” where kids can help feed the animals, and the Tolay Fall Festival each October.

One of our favorite Marin County coastal destinations for families is Drakes Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore. Drakes Beach is sheltered from the weather, so when it’s windy, foggy and inhospitable at the lighthouse or North Beach, it will often be warm and sunny at Drakes. During the months of winter, you’ll often find enormous northern elephant seals camped out on the beach here. It’s quite a sight to see, and there are usually rangers or volunteers on hand to help explain what’s going on.

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RICHMOND — Can you ferry a boat, sling delicious hors d’oeuvres, tidy up bedsheets and make guests feel at home in a five-room inn in the middle of San Pablo Bay?

If so, the picturesque East Brother Light Station may have a job for you.

Applications are open for two new innkeepers to keep the nearly 150-year-old lighthouse up and running for two years, starting in April 2023.

“People who typically apply have been in the hospitality industry and they like working with the public; they’re people who have worked on boats for a long time,” said Tom Butt, Richmond’s outgoing mayor and president of the East Brother Light Station Inc., which runs the lighthouse. “It’s very attractive for those type of people: Boats and lighthouses are like peanut butter and jelly.”

Perched on a rocky mound near Point Molate and visible from the Richmond Bridge, the iconic bed-and-breakfast offers beautiful panoramic views of the San Francisco and San Pablo bays.

In addition to seasonal day visits and special events, visitors on the island can enjoy rented-out rooms inside the goldenrod California Victorian structures — surrounded by miles of shimmering salt water and the occasional harbor seal — Thursday through Sunday for $475 to $525 a night.

While it’s a dream job for some, the role is not an breeze or some cushy, luxury getaway.

“It’s a really cool place, but the one thing the job doesn’t allow you to do is sit around and drink piña coladas while enjoying the view,” Butt said. “It’s hard work.”

Innkeepers must assume the role of maid, boat captain, gift shop attendant, tour guide, host and chef with “high-quality culinary experience” to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner. Applicants who are smokers, live with children or have pets will not be selected.

Additionally, at least one of the innkeepers must have a Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential boat operator’s license, in order to safely ferry guests from the launch at 1900 Stenmark Drive in Richmond to East Brother Island and back.

Two previous innkeepers, Tiffany Danse and Tyler Waterson, estimated they worked at least 80 to 90 hours each week to maintain East Brother Light Station, which is a registered California Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The current innkeepers, Bryan and Stephanie Wesolek, will be leaving after their two-year commitment comes to a close at the end of March.

RICHMOND, CA – JAN. 27: A barge is pushed through the narrows between the East Brothers Light Station and Point San Pablo, part of the coastline of Richmond, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

The newly chosen duo, which does not have to be a romantic couple, will be compensated with a majority portion of the profits of the inn, after the expenses of operation are subtracted. On top of benefits like a health care plan, two weeks of vacation and onsite living quarters on the nearly three-quarters of an acre island, the keepers’ gross pay in 2021-22 was $140,000 split between them.

Butt said there are other perks, too, such as tips and networking opportunities to land future gigs. “You might make me your future employer while working,” he said.

Butt said the staff is supported by volunteers who help out with maintenance of the facilities, such as painting and repair jobs around the grounds. While the $300,000 nonprofit has a list of 300 volunteers, there is a core group of a dozen stewards who work the grounds weekly, Butt said.

And without access to Wi-Fi, reliable cell service and plumbing — aside from a rainwater catchment and cistern system — the job takes the concept of “remote work” to another level.

The nonprofit, which Butt founded, has leased the island from the Coast Guard and run the business, primarily as a means to afford costly repairs and upkeep.

The restored inn was opened in 1980, a few decades after the Coast Guard decommissioned the island’s historic lighthouse keepers in favor of automatic boat beacons.

More information about East Brother Light Station and the innkeeper job can be found at www.ebls.org, and questions may be emailed to EastBrotherLightStationJOBS@gmail.com.

IJ reporter Adrian Rodriguez contributed to this report.

The post $140,000 job comes with San Francisco waterfront views, room and board — however there’s a catch – Marin Impartial Journal appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

RICHMOND — Can you ferry a boat, sling delicious hors d’oeuvres, tidy up bedsheets and make guests feel at home in a five-room inn in the middle of San Pablo Bay?

If so, the picturesque East Brother Light Station may have a job for you.

Applications are open for two new innkeepers to keep the nearly 150-year-old lighthouse up and running for two years, starting in April 2023.

“People who typically apply have been in the hospitality industry and they like working with the public; they’re people who have worked on boats for a long time,” said Tom Butt, Richmond’s outgoing mayor and president of the East Brother Light Station Inc., which runs the lighthouse. “It’s very attractive for those type of people: Boats and lighthouses are like peanut butter and jelly.”

Perched on a rocky mound near Point Molate and visible from the Richmond Bridge, the iconic bed-and-breakfast offers beautiful panoramic views of the San Francisco and San Pablo bays.

In addition to seasonal day visits and special events, visitors on the island can enjoy rented-out rooms inside the goldenrod California Victorian structures — surrounded by miles of shimmering salt water and the occasional harbor seal — Thursday through Sunday for $475 to $525 a night.

While it’s a dream job for some, the role is not an breeze or some cushy, luxury getaway.

“It’s a really cool place, but the one thing the job doesn’t allow you to do is sit around and drink piña coladas while enjoying the view,” Butt said. “It’s hard work.”

Innkeepers must assume the role of maid, boat captain, gift shop attendant, tour guide, host and chef with “high-quality culinary experience” to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner. Applicants who are smokers, live with children or have pets will not be selected.

Additionally, at least one of the innkeepers must have a Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential boat operator’s license, in order to safely ferry guests from the launch at 1900 Stenmark Drive in Richmond to East Brother Island and back.

Two previous innkeepers, Tiffany Danse and Tyler Waterson, estimated they worked at least 80 to 90 hours each week to maintain East Brother Light Station, which is a registered California Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The current innkeepers, Bryan and Stephanie Wesolek, will be leaving after their two-year commitment comes to a close at the end of March.

RICHMOND, CA – JAN. 27: A barge is pushed through the narrows between the East Brothers Light Station and Point San Pablo, part of the coastline of Richmond, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

The newly chosen duo, which does not have to be a romantic couple, will be compensated with a majority portion of the profits of the inn, after the expenses of operation are subtracted. On top of benefits like a health care plan, two weeks of vacation and onsite living quarters on the nearly three-quarters of an acre island, the keepers’ gross pay in 2021-22 was $140,000 split between them.

Butt said there are other perks, too, such as tips and networking opportunities to land future gigs. “You might make me your future employer while working,” he said.

Butt said the staff is supported by volunteers who help out with maintenance of the facilities, such as painting and repair jobs around the grounds. While the $300,000 nonprofit has a list of 300 volunteers, there is a core group of a dozen stewards who work the grounds weekly, Butt said.

And without access to Wi-Fi, reliable cell service and plumbing — aside from a rainwater catchment and cistern system — the job takes the concept of “remote work” to another level.

The nonprofit, which Butt founded, has leased the island from the Coast Guard and run the business, primarily as a means to afford costly repairs and upkeep.

The restored inn was opened in 1980, a few decades after the Coast Guard decommissioned the island’s historic lighthouse keepers in favor of automatic boat beacons.

More information about East Brother Light Station and the innkeeper job can be found at www.ebls.org, and questions may be emailed to EastBrotherLightStationJOBS@gmail.com.

IJ reporter Adrian Rodriguez contributed to this report.

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After a two-year hiatus, the Great Dickens Christmas Fair and Victorian Holiday Party returned for five weekends to the historic Cow Palace in Daly City this November and December. The family-friendly holiday fair takes place on Saturdays and Sundays (as well as the Friday after Thanksgiving, November 25) from November 19 through December 18, 2022, and offers visitors a delightfully immersive holiday experience unlike any other.

An annual Bay Area tradition for nearly 40 years, the Great Dickens Christmas Fair features hundreds of costumed Victorian characters, from waltzing royals to scrappy chimney-sweeps, who populate over four acres of twilight-lit shops, pubs, stages, and dance halls. At the Dickens Fair, it’s always Christmas Eve in 19th-century London.

This year the fair has expanded to include the new Vauxhall Gardens, a 50,000-square foot Victorian park-like area with a 2,800-square foot skating rink with synthetic ice, Christmas trees for sale, refreshments like hot apple cider for purchase, and more . Admission to Vauxhall Gardens is free to the public (parking fee still applies); Unlimited skate time costs $12 for adults and $6 for children 3-8 and includes skate rental.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair offers a variety of entertainments for all ages and tastes. Enjoy and all new traditional Christmas pantomime with The Tale of Puss in Boots, step back into Christmas past of Ebenezer Scrooge at Fezziwig’s Christmas Party, and marvel at the deductive skills of famed sleuth Sherlock Holmes. Families can also take part in hands-on craft activities, old-world games of skill and chance, and lively interactive shows.

The Tinsley Green Children’s Area and Father Christmas Stage will entertain and delight; youngsters can meet Old Father Christmas, ride on the hand-powered Adventure Carousel, have tea with characters from Alice in Wonderland, and laugh at the antics of an authentic British Punch and Judy puppet show. Kids can also construct a whimsical Fairy House, learn how to run an 1860s printing press, sing sea chanteys, and take fencing lessons.

The fair also features delicious foods from the British Empire and beyond, from pub fare like fish and chips and bangers and mash to handcrafted chocolates and tea cakes to Indian fare. You can also enjoy a traditional English tea with scones and finger sandwiches at Cuthbert’s Tea Shop. (Make a reservation in advance to make sure you get a teatime table!)

The fair takes place November 19, 20, 25, 26, and 27 and December 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, and 18, 2022; Hours are 10 am to 6 pm. General admission to the Great Dickens Christmas Fair is $45 for adults and $25 for youth aged 5 to 12. Twilight tickets, for admission after 3 pm, cost $30 for adults and $18 for youth. Children under 5 are always free. Advance tickets are required. Purchase tickets online here. Parking costs $15 per car, payable at the gate.

The Cow Palace is located at 2600 Geneva Avenue in Daly City. For more information, online tickets, and a full schedule of entertainment and events, visit dickensfair.com.

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Get into the holiday spirit — Victorian style! The Great Dickens Christmas Fair, where it’s always Christmas Eve in the 1850s, is back for 2022! This Bay Area tradition has been going strong for nearly 40 years now, and features elaborate sets depicting the streets and alleys of 19th-century London, non-stop musical and theatrical performances, and hundreds of costumed living history performers depicting everyone from street urchins, Chimney sweeps, and sailors to Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge, Father Christmas, Bob Cratchit, and Tiny Tim, as well as chimney sweeps, newsboys, sailors, carolers, and musicians.

We had a chance to visit the fair again on its opening day, and it was great to be back experiencing all the magic the fair has to offer. The Dickens Fair is a holiday must-visit for the whole family, and everyone will find plenty to see and do!

Stroll the streets of London, which are divided into areas like the Grand Concourse, the London Docks, Tinsley Green, Fish Street, and Pickwick Place. All around you’ll find costumed vendors offering anything from 19th-century clothing and hats for all ages, jewelry, books, musical instruments, soaps and candles, toys, and more. It’s a great place to find unique holiday gifts for everyone.

This year, they’ve added a new section: “Vauxhall Gardens,” a park-like area with a synthetic ice skating rink ($12, $8 for ages 6 and under; includes skate rental) and Christmas trees for sale in partnership with the Delancey Street Foundation. Visitors to Vauxhall Gardens can also enjoy treats like hot cider and handmade chocolates. Vauxhall Gardens is accessible to the public free of charge ($15 parking fee still applies).

The Dickens Fair offers constant entertainment, not only from the wandering actors with whom you interact, but on numerous stages and performance venues, too. Join in at Fezziwig’s Dance Party, hear excerpts from the grand opera and Gilbert and Sullivan at the Victoria and Albert Music Hall, sing along to sea shanties at the Paddy West Stage, and enjoy music-hall songs and entertainment at Mad Sal’s Dockside Alehouse. You’ll also experience folk dancing and caroling at various spots around the fair.

Don’t miss a chance to sit around the table with Charles Dickens himself, where he’ll read from his classic tale A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future may even make appearances! Other opportunities to take in intimate events like this include the Dickens Family Parlor and the Athenaeum Club, which offer a schedule of performances throughout the day featuring 19th-century luminaries like Oscar Wilde, Mary Shelley, the Pre-Raphaelite painters, and even Edgar Allen poe

Younger visitors will want to spend time at Tinsley Green where they can play games, ride the Adventure Carousel, enjoy a Punch-and-Judy puppet show and performances by characters from Alice and Wonderland, and even meet Father Christmas himself! Kids can also get hands-on making crafts like fairy houses and Christmas tree ornaments.

hungry? Grab a snack like hot cinnamon crunch almonds or roasted chestnuts from one of the stands. Pubs and bars offer libations for all ages, including hot cider, eggnog, lemonade, beer, wine, and hard cider. For something more substantial, visit the food vendors, most of whom are located along Fish Street and Tinsley Green, where you can dine on authentic cuisine from the British Isles like bangers, fish and chips, roast beef, meat pies, and sausage rolls. If British food isn’t your thing then there’s pasta, crepes, Greek, and Indian food. You can also reserve a spot for tea time, complete with scones, finger sandwiches, and a teapot to take home, at Cuthbert’s Tea Shoppe.

There’s so much to do and see here that you won’t want to leave. It’s easy to get lost within the twisting streets of London but don’t worry — any character can give you directions to where you want to go. It’s fun and absorbing and you’ll really feel like you’ve stepped into another time and place. Visitors are encouraged to come dressed in period costume and really get into the spirit of things, too!

If You Go

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair takes place on weekends (including the Friday after Thanksgiving, November 25) November 19 through December 23, 2022; Hours are 10 am to 6 pm. General admission to the Great Dickens Christmas Fair is $45 for adults and $25 for children aged 5 to 12. Twilight tickets, for admission after 3 pm, cost $30 for adults and $18 for children. Children under 5 are always free. Parking costs $15 per car. All tickets must be reserved online in advance; Tickets are not sold at the gate. Order tickets online here.

The Cow Palace is located at 2600 Geneva Avenue in Daly City. To get there from Marin, take 101 south across the Golden Gate Bridge. Bear right onto Park Presidio/19th Avenue and follow it until you get to Brotherhood Way, which you’ll take east. Take Brotherhood to Alemany Boulevard, then follow Alemany until you get to Geneva Avenue, where you’ll turn right. Follow Geneva Avenue all the way to the Cow Palace, which will be on your right.

A wide variety of food and drink are available for purchase at the fair. Make sure you wear good shoes, since you’ll be doing a lot of walking on concrete floors, and strollers are a must for little ones. Make sure you pack water, too, since there are no drinking fountains on site.

For more information, online tickets, and a full schedule of entertainment and events, visit dickensfair.com.

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For some families, it just wouldn’t be the holidays without attending a special seasonal performance. Fortunately for us, the San Francsico Bay Area has a number of world-class, classic holiday performances for families with children of all ages.

Here are some of our favorite classic holiday performances that we don’t want to miss this winter. Tickets to these special performances often sell out, especially for in-demand dates around Christmas, so make sure you order your tickets soon.

Photo: ODC/Dance

A beloved Bay Area holiday tradition, ODC/Dance’s The Velveteen Rabbit returns to the Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA from November 27 to December 11, 2022, The Velveteen Rabbit celebrates the unique connection between a little boy and his stuffed rabbit, and the enduring power of love. It’s a perfect holiday performance for all ages! Learn more at odc.dance/velveteenrabbit.

Photo: San Francisco Ballet © Erik Tomasson

San Francisco Ballet’s celebrated production of Nutcracker is the one that all others are compared to! San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker features over 150 costumed characters, dazzling scenery, Tchaikovsky’s beautiful score performed live by the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, and of course the opulence of the War Memorial Opera House decorated for Christmas. Families should consider Passport performances include fun activities throughout the opera house, costumed characters, giveaways, refreshments, and a special keepsake passport to stamp with memories of your trip to Nutcracker. 2022 performances of Nutcracker begin on December 8 and run through December 27. The SF Ballet recommends Nutcracker for children ages 5 and up; no children under 3 are allowed. Learn more at www.sfballet.org.

Photo: Grace Cathedral

This holiday season, San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral offers a variety of concerts for all ages. Families with younger children will love Sing You a Merry Christmas, where you can join the with the toys of St. Nicholas’s workshop in singing along with your favorite Christmas carols. A Cathedral Christmas features the Cathedral’s Choir of Men and Boys, a full orchestra, organist, and guest soloist performing classic Christmas carols and other sacred music for the holiday season. There are even a couple opportunities to sing along, too.

A Christmas concert in this soaring gothic-revival cathedral is a magical holiday experience for everyone! Concerts take place December 10-23, 2022. Make sure you visit the life-size gingerbread house at the Fairmont Hotel while you’re in the Nob Hill neighborhood. Learn more at gracecathedral.org/christmas.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair and Victorian Holiday Party is an immersive, theatrical holiday experience like no other! Wander the streets of Victorian London and interact with the 800 costumed characters, from Queen Victoria and Prince Alvert to chimney sweeps and sailors, who populate over three acres of twilight-lit shops, pubs, stages, and dance halls. A San Francsico Bay Area holiday tradition for over three decades, the Great DIckens Christmas Fair returns for five weekends to the historic Cow Palace in Daly City from November 19–December 18, 2022.

The Dickens Fair offers constant entertainment: join in at Fezziwig’s Dance Party, hear excerpts from the grand opera and Gilbert and Sullivan at the Victoria and Albert Music Hall, sing along to sea shanties at the Paddy West Stage, and enjoy music-hall songs at Mad Sal’s Dockside Alehouse. You’ll also experience folk dancing and caroling at various spots around the fair. There’s so much to do and see here that you won’t want to leave. It’s fun and absorbing and you’ll really feel like you’ve stepped into another time and place. Come dressed in period costume and really get into the spirit of things! Learn more at dickensfair.com.

Photo: Marin Symphony

Celebrate the season with your friends and family, as the Marin Symphony Orchestra, conducted by maestro Alasdair Neale, presents a program of classic holiday-inspired music. This year’s performance features the Marin Symphony Chorus and Marin Symphony Children’s Chorus as well as special guests, sing-alongs, and complimentary post-concert cookies and cider! Youth tickets for ages 6–17 are only $25!

The Marin Symphony Holiday Pops Concert takes place Tuesday, December 13, at 7 p.m. at the Marin Center Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium in San Rafael. Learn more at marinsymphony.org/holiday-pops

Photo: San Francisco Symphony

The renovated San Francisco Symphony offers a variety of holiday performances for families throughout the month of December. Holiday treats from the SF Symphony include Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf with the SF Symphony Youth Orchestra and narrator W. Kamau Bell, and screenings of the movies Elf and How the Grinch Stole Christmas with live orchestral accompaniment.

Peter and the Wolf takes place on December 11 at 2 pm, How the Grinch Stole Christmas on December 16 at 7:30 pm and December 17 at 2 pm and Elf in Concert on December 21 at 7:30 pm and December 22 at 2 pm . Get your tickets here.

Photo: Marin Ballet

Marin Ballet’s Nutcracker will transport your family into the lavish rooms of a Victorian-era party, where Clara’s dreams come to life. She encounters mischievous mice, battling soldiers, and the Nutcracker prince who leads her through the forest of the Snow Queen to the Land of the Sweets! Your children will meet the Sugar Plum fairy and all the spices of the land, including Nutmeg, Chocolate, Chinese Almonds, and the Sweet Tooth Fairies. Choreographed by Performance Director Julia Adam, the production features the artistry of 125 young dancers, lavish costumes and sets, and incredible sets including a Christmas tree that grows, sailboats, and a hot air balloon. The Marin Ballet’s Nutcracker takes place December 10 and 11, 2023. Get your tickets here.

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Last week, the public health departments in San Francisco and Marin counties announced changes to COVID-19 face mask requirements in indoor settings. On Friday, the softened mandates went into effect.

In both counties, an exemption allows people to remove their masks in some indoor settings where stable groups of fully vaccinated people gather. Think of these settings as places where the same group of people get together again and again, such as yoga classes or office settings.

Those places include offices, gyms, fitness centers, employee commuter vehicles, religious gatherings, college classes and other indoor gatherings, not exceeding 100 people.

The employer, or the host of the indoor gatherings, is required to control access and verify that everyone present is fully vaccinated. They must also ensure proper ventilation, no recent COVID-19 outbreaks, and that guests and children under 12 are not present, among other safety measures, the counties said.

The new exemption does not apply to public indoor settings such as retail stores, bars and restaurants or other places of businesses that are open to the public. People can continue to remove their masks temporarily in restaurants and bars to eat or drink.

San Francisco specifically noted that masks are still required in “shared indoor areas such as common areas of a building, [including] elevators, lobbies and restrooms, where people from different workplace settings could interact.”

• For more information on SF’s revised mandate, visit sfmayor.org.
• For more details on Marin’s softened mandate, visit marincounty.org.

When will SF and Marin and other Bay Area counties fully lift the indoor mask mandate?

Last week, San Francisco and Marin — along with six other Bay Area counties, including Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Marin, Sonoma and Napa — also presented three criteria for when mask mandates can be lifted entirely.

First, a county must reach the “moderate” (yellow) tier of case rates, as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s data tracker, and remain there for three weeks. Marin is the only county in the state in the yellow tier; it moved into this lower-risk position two days ago.

Second, the county’s health officer must determine that COVID-19 hospitalizations are “low and stable.”

Finally, 80% of a county’s total population must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or eight weeks after a COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized for children ages 5 to 11. As of Thursday, 75% of San Francisco’s population and 81% of Marin’s population is fully vaccinated.

Marin is the only county in the Bay Area that is close to meeting the criteria for lifting the mask mandate. “We want to see fewer people hospitalized with COVID-19 before lifting the mandate,” said Dr. Matt Willis, the county’s health director. “Last week, there were 15 total COVID-19 hospitalizations in Marin. So we set that as the metric — we’ll want to see less than 15 people in the hospital for COVID-19 before lifting the mandate.”

While Marin’s move into the yellow tier is promising, it needs to remain at that level for 21 consecutive days. “Three consecutive weeks in yellow will mean we’ve maintained fewer than 18 new cases per day on average,” Willis explained. “That’s among the lowest rates in the state, and California’s rates are the lowest in the nation. We’re in a good place to peel back restrictions. We’ve talked about following the science as we place new restrictions, and the local mask mandate helped control the fourth wave.As we moved out of lockdown in the past, we saw evidence that we can safely lift restrictions when conditions allow.With over 90 percent of our eligible community fully vaccinated, we’ve earned another margin of normalcy. “

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The Golden Gate corridor refers to all means of travel between Marin and Sonoma counties to downtown San Francisco.

It’s served by Highway 101 and the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District. The world-famous bridge is the most prominent portion of the route. While most travel the corridor by auto, the Bridge District’s bus and ferry services play a major role in facilitating corridor mobility.

I recently spoke with Dennis Mulligan, the district’s general manager. The San Francisco native is one of the top public-sector managers in the Bay Area.

Much work has been accomplished installing a wire rope netting for the state of the art suicide barrier in a project now predicted to cost at least $206 million. It’s expected to be completed in November of 2023. Crews are working 24/7, including double shifts in the evenings. To see an already erected barrier segment, go near the bridge’s northwest end and find the Marin Headlands parking area overlooking the bridge.

In 2021, 223 people tried to commit suicide by jumping off the 1.7-mile span. Of those, 198 were dissuaded due to Bridge District staff’s valiant efforts. The barrier is expected to save 30 lives a year. Past experience indicates of those dissuaded from suicide, few make a second effort whether by jumping, pills, gunshot or other easily available means.

Transit patronage, bridge traffic and related revenue were decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. When the coronavirus hit in March 2020, most of us were terrorized. The idea of ​​going to a downtown San Francisco office, dining out, meeting friends or attending cultural and recreational events seemed foolhardy.

Bridge traffic immediately decreased by 70%, ferry patronages dropped by 99% and bus ridership declined by 90%.

With the introduction of lifesaving vaccines, the “when” and “how” of work is slowly moving toward a new post-pandemic reality.

Along the corridor, auto traffic within Marin has returned to pre-pandemic levels. Likewise, midday and weekend Golden Gate Bridge auto traffic is back to its pre-pandemic volume. It’s the traditional morning and evening commute that’s dramatically declined, particularly on Monday and Friday.

Twenty percent of San Francisco office space is vacant. The other 80% tends to be underutilized. Office denizens – particularly finance and technology – have multiple workplace options. Many have opted to work from home at least two or three days each week, leaving the old Financial District and South of Market’s high-rise buildings desolate.

That trend is reflected by bus and ferry ridership. Like most urban transit systems, the pillar of Golden Gate ferries and buses was the five-day-a-week peak commute from the suburbs to the city center and back.

On pre-pandemic weekdays, the Golden Gate ferry’s Larkspur to SF Ferry Building route ran 42 trips per day. Mid-pandemic, that was down to 14. Even now, only 22 trips are scheduled.

As Mulligan says, “People are not lining up to go to San Francisco.”

Another example is the Route 4 express commuter bus from Mill Valley to downtown San Francisco. Until early 2020, it made 25 trips a day. The line was terminated during the pandemic. Now, under Golden Gate’s new renumbering scheme, Route 114 makes just four runs each weekday. The decline is similar for all Marin and Sonoma express bus commute routes.

While work habits changed, the recreation-based travel market is returning. That’s reflected on Golden Gate ferry routes from the San Francisco Ferry Building to Sausalito and Angel Island.

If the shift to remote working becomes permanent, its financial impact will be disruptive. Bridge District toll and transit revenue is down by $1 million a week. Even with right-sizing bus and ferry trips to cut costs, Golden Gate was dependent on one-time federal pandemic relief to balance its books.

Until the workplace’s new normal becomes clear, transit management, employees and passengers will have to wait two or three more years to learn how they’ll emerge from the (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime global epidemic.

Resources: Marin’s suicide prevention and crisis hotline is 415-499-1100. Grief counseling is available at 415-499-1195.

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It’s like old times, or at least like the Before Times. Every Fourth of July, the San Francisco Mime Troupe premieres a new musical comedy political satire that tours Bay Area Parks for the rest of the summer, with donations encouraged to keep the show going.

Only for the last couple of years that hasn’t happened. Though SFMT has kept its hand in during the COVID-19 pandemic with a few radio serial podcasts, the theater collective has held off a return to parks until now.

Now the Mime Troupe is back in parks with a new show appropriately titled “Back to the Way Things Were,” though, of course, the nostalgic title is tongue in cheek. It’s the troupe’s first touring show in Bay Area parks since 2019’s “Treasure Island.”

Written by Michael Gene Sullivan with Marie Cartier, “Back to the Way Things Were” does feature a family attempting to go out and do things after being cooped up at home because of the pandemic, but the show’s not really about COVID at all. It’s about voracious capitalists profiting off human misery and destroying the environment, and basically everything being terrible and getting worse.

Small wonder that Zoe, the teenager at the center of the play, has become so nihilistic. Played with scowling exasperation by Alicia MP Nelson, Zoe volunteers at an unhoused placement center, but she also doesn’t believe there’s any hope for the future and doesn’t pretend otherwise.

By contrast, her parents are blithely optimistic, cheerily singing that things are at last getting “back to the way things were.” Norman Gee and Lizzie Calogero keep up a comically sunny, old-timey mom-and-pop demeanor as Ralph and Alice — yes, like “The Honeymooners.” Ralph is even an ex-bus driver who’s now an Uber driver, while Alice just got a new job as a package sorter at a fulfillment center. Of course, the world outside their door turns out to be a parade of horrors giving just a small sampling of how messed up our society is today.

Aside from Nelson as Zoe, all of the actors play multiple roles. Calogero portrays a harried but dedicated social worker, while Gee shows up as a patient but endlessly delayed client waiting for housing help with his volumes of paperwork.

Andre Amarotico is a smooth and smarmy venture capitalist looking to privatize social services, the glad-handing guy who’s obviously going to become the villain of the piece. He also plays an overworked fast food employee, a helpful street protestor, a predatory cop and a shattered idealist.

Like 2018’s Mime Troupe show, “Seeing Red,” this one involves time travel. Keiko Shimosato Carreiro appears as Book, a seemingly crazed visitor from who-knows-where in a cowboy hat, long duster and coveralls (fun costumes by Brooke Jennings). Book is jumpy and paranoid about all the surveillance devices that we all routinely carry and install that allow a mysterious “Them” to track our movements. (The show’s weakest running gag is about whether to call them “They” or “Them,” as if that were a point of legitimate confusion.) And she keeps trying to draw Zoe into her mission to save the future.

Directed by longtime collective member and frequent performer Velina Brown, it’s a lively show showcasing the Troupe’s trademark quick shifts of scene and character, aided by Carlos Aceves’ versatile set. With music and lyrics by Daniel Savio, who leads the three-piece SFMT Band, the songs in a variety of styles are fairly catchy, especially the chipper title tune.

At 100 minutes without intermission, it’s actually one of SFMT’s longer musicals, as some other recent ones have been just a little over an hour. It’s fast-paced enough that it doesn’t feel overlong so much as meandering, less focused on a particular issue than sampling a smorgasbord of social woes that capitalism has wrought. Like Zoe, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by it all and conclude that we’re doomed — at least in the absence of fanciful sci-fi solutions like the ones she stumbles into. But even so, kudos to the Mime Troupe for calling out America’s broken and sabotaged systems and demanding that we somehow collectively do better.

Sam Hurwitt is a Bay Area arts journalist and playwright. Contact him at shurwitt@gmail.com or on Twitter at twitter.com/shurwitt.

IF YOU GO

What: “Back to the Way Things Were”

When: Through Sept 5; various locations and times, including at 7 pm July 20 at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley

Admission: Free, donations accepted

Information: 415-285-1717; sfmt.org

Rating (out of five stars): ★★★★

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