Summer in the North Bay means festivals, musicals, late-night concerts, county fairs, barbecues galore, fundraisers and Wine Country block parties.
Here’s a county-by-county guide to the season’s standout happenings, distilled into a fast-moving field guide perfect for long weekends and spontaneous road trips.
Marin County
Mountain Play: ‘The Wizard of Oz’
The Mountain Play stages The Wizard of Oz at Mount Tamalpais’ Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre on select dates in June, including a singalong show. Picnic blankets, hiking shoes and costumes encouraged. mountainplay.org
Western Weekend, Point Reyes Station
Point Reyes Station’s annual Western Weekend returns June 6–7 with a parade, barn dance, live music, horse events and old-school, small-town revelry centered around Toby’s Feed Barn and downtown Point Reyes. westernweekend.org
Marin County Fair
The Marin County Fair runs July 1–5 at the Marin Center Fairgrounds with fireworks, carnival rides, concerts, livestock exhibits and this year’s “Stars, Stripes & Stories” theme celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. marinfair.org
Mill Valley Memorial Day Parade
Mill Valley’s Memorial Day celebration includes a veterans ceremony, parade, live music and community festivities. The 2026 parade theme is “Our Democracy.” mviloveaparade.com
Muir Beach Volunteer Firefighters BBQ
The 52nd annual Muir Beach Volunteer Firefighters BBQ lands May 24 at Santos Meadow with barbecue chicken, vegetarian tamales, live music, beer, wine and raffle prizes benefiting the local volunteer fire department. muirbeachfire.com
Novato Festival of Art, Wine & Music
Downtown Novato hosts two days of live music, local art, wine tasting and food vendors June 13–14 at the Novato Festival of Art, Wine & Music. novatochamber.com
Larkspur Battle of the Bands
Piper Park hosts the 2nd Annual Larkspur Battle of the Bands on June 7 with competing local bands, food vendors, drinks and a family friendly atmosphere. thelarkspurchamber.org
Rancho Nicasio Summer BBQ Series
Rancho Nicasio’s beloved Summer BBQ series returns with outdoor concerts and lawn seating. One standout show features Los Lobos performing under the oaks on May 23 (see next week’s profile). ranchonicasio.com
Downtown San Rafael Summer Market
San Rafael’s 2nd Friday Summer Market combines live music, food vendors, local art and downtown strolling on select Fridays throughout the summer alongside the city’s Art Walk events. downtownsanrafael.org
Friday Nights on Main, Tiburon
Tiburon’s Friday Nights on Main transforms Main Street into a waterfront block party with music, dining and outdoor socializing on summer evenings. tiburonchamber.org
Marin Theatre Company: ‘Pictures from Home’
Marin Theatre Company presents the West Coast premiere of Pictures from Home, adapted from Larry Sultan’s memoir and running May 7–31 in Mill Valley. marintheatre.org
Napa County
Napa Music Hall
Napa Music Hall anchors downtown nightlife with BottleRock AfterDark concerts and touring acts. Representative summer shows include Bush, LCD Soundsystem and Chevy Metal during BottleRock weekend. napamusichall.com
Blue Note Napa Summer Sessions
Blue Note Napa’s outdoor Summer Sessions series at the Meritage Resort brings major artists to Wine Country, including Chris Tucker, Mavis Staples, Dave Koz and Brit Floyd. bluenotejazz.com/napa
Uptown Theatre Napa
The Uptown Theatre continues its run as Napa’s premier live music venue with summer performances from artists like Brett Dennen and Pablo Cruise inside the restored Art Deco theater downtown. uptowntheatrenapa.com
Flynn Creek Circus
Flynn Creek Circus returns to the North Bay with its intimate circus-theater production blending acrobatics, storytelling and live music beneath a traveling big top tent. flynncreekcircus.com
Sonoma County
Film Festival of Love
True West Film Center’s Film Festival of Love runs June 24–28 in Healdsburg, showcasing films, filmmaker conversations and live performances centered around romance and human connection. truewestfilmcenter.org
Petaluma Music Festival
The Petaluma Music Festival takes over the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds July 25 with multiple stages, craft beer, food vendors and all-day live music benefiting local school music programs. petalumamusicfestival.org
Cotati Accordion Festival
The Cotati Accordion Festival returns Aug. 15–16 to La Plaza Park with polka, zydeco, tango, folk music and enough squeezebox enthusiasm to power an entire county fair. cotatifest.com
Gravenstein Apple Fair
Ragle Ranch Park hosts the Gravenstein Apple Fair Aug. 8–9 with cider, pie contests, live music, crafts and Sonoma County Farm Trails celebrating the region’s agricultural heritage. gravensteinapplefair.com
Sonoma County Fair
The Sonoma County Fair runs Aug. 7–16 in Santa Rosa with carnival rides, horse racing, concerts, livestock competitions, fair food and classic summer midway energy. sonomacountyfair.com
Sonoma County Pride
Santa Rosa’s Sonoma County Pride celebration returns June 5–6 with a parade, performances, community booths and live entertainment centered around Courthouse Square. sonomacountypride.org
Healdsburg Jazz Festival
The Healdsburg Jazz Festival fills plazas, wineries and performance venues June 12–21 with internationally known jazz musicians and intimate Wine Country performances. healdsburgjazz.org
Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience
The Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience returns May 14–17 with celebrity chefs, grand tastings, vineyard dinners and curated Wine Country culinary events. healdsburgwineandfood.com
Peacetown Summer Concert Series
Sebastopol’s free Peacetown concert series returns to Ives Park with weekly Wednesday performances throughout the summer. Poor Man’s Whiskey helps launch the season June 3. peacetown.org
Sonoma Matsuri Festival
Santa Rosa’s Sonoma Matsuri Festival celebrates Japanese culture May 17 with taiko drumming, dance, martial arts, crafts and food at Juilliard Park. sonomamatsuri.com
Sonoma Wild Music Festival
Sonoma Wild combines roots music, environmental activism and family friendly festivities with performances by Elephant Revival, Sam Grisman Project and more. tapestryproductions.org/sonomawild
Petaluma Fair
The Petaluma Fair returns June 18–21 with carnival rides, livestock exhibits, music, food and this year’s “Past, Present and Future Luma” theme. petalumafairgrounds.com/petalumafair
Sonoma County Juneteenth
Sonoma County Juneteenth returns June 13 at Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Santa Rosa with music, food, performances and cultural programming celebrating African American history and community. sonomacountyjuneteenth.com
The Lost Church
Santa Rosa’s newly reopened Lost Church resumes its intimate concert calendar with artists like The Musers performing in the venue’s living-room-style performance space. thelostchurch.org
Inn at Occidental Sunset Concert Series
The Inn at Occidental hosts lawn concerts throughout summer, including a July performance by Eagles tribute band Illeagles benefiting Music to My Ears. innatoccidental.com
Green Music Center
The Green Music Center hosts major touring acts all summer, including a July 17 triple bill featuring Spin Doctors, Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms in Rohnert Park. gmc.sonoma.edu
Audacity Rising
Audacity Rising continues its mission-driven concert programming, using live music events to support immigrant communities and legal aid efforts throughout the North Bay. audacityrising.org
Graton Resort & Casino Expansion
Graton Resort & Casino unveils major new additions this summer, including expanded gaming, dining, rooftop amenities and entertainment offerings in Rohnert Park. gratonresortcasino.com. Whether it’s jazz in Healdsburg, fireworks in Marin, accordion solos in Cotati or carnival lights in Petaluma, the North Bay’s summer calendar remains one of California’s great regional pleasures—equal parts county fair, cultural happening and community reunion.
