Activities

Friday, August 29

• Marin Shakespeare Company presents Much Ado About Nothing at 8 pm. Special event: Pay What You Will: donations of amount accepted at the door. Forest Meadows Amphitheatre at Dominican University of California, San Rafael. More information: www.marinshakespeare.org.

• Film Night in the Park will be showing Shaolin Soccer on Friday evening at 8 pm at Creek Park in San Anselmo. Suggested donation $6 for adults and $3 for children. For more info, go to www.filmnight.org. 

Saturday, August 30 

• The 56th annual Sausalito Art Festival takes place Labor Day Weekend on the Sausalito waterfront at the Bay Model Visitor Center and Marinship Park. Enjoy a wide selection of art and artists as well as fabulous live music. There will lots of children’s entertainment including Tim Cain and The Magic Family Cirucus show. Saturday hours are 9 am to 6 pm. Adults $20, seniors 62+ $10, juniors 6–12 $5, children under 6 free. 3-day pass is $30. Advance tickets: (866) 468-3399 or www.ticketweb.com. More information: (415) 331-3555 or www.sausalitoartfestival.org.

Marin Mommies is pleased to present a guest post by photographer Norm Levin, owner of Natural Portraits: Family and event photography as nature intended. He offers some valuable tips on photographing your children's soccer games (and any other sports activity). Read on to learn how to capture that perfect sports photo. You can visit Norm online at www.naturalportraits.smugmug.com

Where did the summer go?

It seems like yesterday that school was out and we were taking the little ones off on a family trip, or to camp, or swimming and baseball practices. As a parent with a camera, which eliminates practically no one, you’ve attempted with varying degrees of success to capture your child actively enjoying his or her outdoor pursuits.

Those cherished summer events are mostly behind us now, living on in our memories and stored on our digital devices.

If your refrigerator door is anything like ours, it’s already displaying your child’s fall soccer team assignment precariously held under a magnet. When the soccer season starts, which should be any minute now, you know you’ll be there digital camera in hand to get the photo goods. May the god of pixels be with you.

Friday, August 22

• Marin Shakespeare Company presents Amadeus at 8 pm. General admission: adults $27.50 advance, $30 at the door; seniors $22.50 advance/$25 door; youth 18 and under are $15. Forest Meadows Amphitheatre at Dominican University of California, San Rafael. More information: www.marinshakespeare.org.

• The North Bay Shakespeare presents A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Hamilton Amphitheater in Novato. Performances run from August 8–October 5. This Friday's performance will benefit Novato's School Fuel program. Performance starts at 7:00 pm. For more info, go to our article.

• Enjoy Jazz & Blues by the Bay this Friday at Gabrielson Park in Sausalito from 6:30–8 pm. For more info, call (415) 289-4152.

• Film Night in the Park will be showing Ratatouille on Friday evening at 8 pm at Old Mill Park (300th block of Throckmorton Ave.) in Mill Valley. Suggested donation $6 for adults and $3 for children. For more info, go to www.filmnight.org.

Get ready to dance in the aisles at the Marin Symphony Family Concert on Sunday, September 28 at 3 pm. The theme of this family-friendly concert is “Gotta Dance!”, and features famous walzes, tangos, can-cans, polkas, and ballet music. The Marin Symphony’s Family Concerts are special one-hour programs designed to introduce children to the wonders of symphonic music. Conducted by George Thompson and narrated by KDFC radio’s Hoyt Smith, the concert features classical works by Strauss, Hayden, Offenbach, Tchaikovsky, and others. The concert takes place in the Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium at Marin Center in San Rafael.

read more »

"I'm bored! There's nothing to do!" In answer to that age-old favorite complaint of the 8- to 12-year old, or "tweenager" group, Marin mom of two tween daughters Jules Howard has just opened club between in Fairfax. Club between is a high-tech interactive entertainment center and lounge for children aged 8 to 12, featuring boys' and girls' lounges with Wii, sports arcade games, foosball, air hockey, computers, board games, movie night, and more! They also offer meals delivered from nearby Iron Springs Brewpub and party rentals.

When you venture outdoors in California, you run the risk of encountering some of the state's wildlife. While most animals are non-aggressive and harmless (but best left alone anyhow), there are some that can pose a direct threat to both children and adults. One of California's largest predators, the mountain lion, is known to live in Marin and throughout the Bay Area. While they're still extremely rare, it's good to know how to react and what to do in the unlikely event that you do encounter one.

This weekend, step back in time aboard the Niña, an historically accurate recreation of the ship that accompanied Christopher Columbus on several of his voyages to the New World. The ship is a replica of a Caravel, a type of ship used by the Spanish and Portuguese during the Age of Discovery, and was hand-built in Brazil using 15th-century construction methods and launched in 1991, in time for the quincentennial of Columbus' 1492 voyage to the Americas. The Niña also starred in the Ridley Scott film 1492, which featured Gerard Depardieu as Columbus.

Friday, August 15

• Bring the kids (ages 2–5) to "Fantastic Friday: Down By the Bay", this Friday from 10 am to noon at the Crissy Field Center. Splish and splash with water play and learn about sand and shells. To register call (415) 561-7752, or download the form at www.parksconservancy.org. The cost is $10 per child, accompanied by a parent or caregiver. 

• Marin Kids Consignment will be having a  sale at Playtime Safari from 5 to 8 pm. Get some gently used clothing for the kids for the perfect price. Bring the kids while you shop for some play and a movie. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang will be showing at 5:10 pm. There is never an entrance fee to shop. There is a $5 entrance fee to bring your kids to play at Playtime Safari, watch the movie, and eat the snacks provided. For more info, go to www.marinkidsconsignment.com. Playtime Safari is located at 5470 Nave Drive in Novato.

• Tam Valley's Creekside Fridays presents James Mosely Band, this Friday from 6:30–8 pm. Music is free; food is available for a reasonable price. At the Cabin at Tennessee Valley Road and Marin Avenue. More information: www.tamvalley.org

• The North Bay Shakespeare presents A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Hamilton Amphitheater in Novato. Performances run from August 8–October 5. It's Family and Friends Night for groups of 3 or more only at $16.00 a ticket. Performance starts at 7:00 pm. For more info, go to our article.

• Enjoy Jazz & Blues by the Bay this Friday at Gabrielson Park in Sausalito from 6:30–8 pm. For more info, call (415) 289-4152.

• The Marinwood Community Center’s Music in the Park End of Summer Celebration will be featuring The Sorentinos from 5:30 pm–8:30 pm. There will be live music, a bounce house and food. For the entire family. The Marinwood Community Center is located at 775 Miller Creek Road in San Rafael. For more info, go to www.marinwood.org.

• Film Night in the Park will be showing Touch of Evil on Friday evening at 8 pm at San Anselmo's Creek Park. Suggested donation $6 for adults and $3 for children. For more info, go to www.filmnight.org.

• Marin Shakespeare Company presents The Winter's Tale at 8 pm. General admission: adults $27.50 advance, $30 at the door; seniors $22.50 advance/$25 door; youth 18 and under are $15. Forest Meadows Amphitheatre at Dominican University of California, San Rafael. More information: www.marinshakespeare.org.