The Mill Valley Chamber Music Society, the non-profit, all-volunteer organization founded in 1973 to present classical musicians in Mill Valley at affordable ticket prices, concludes its 47th season on March 8 with a performance by the critically acclaimed, all-female Aizuri Quartet from New York City.

MVCMS concerts are held at 5 p.m. Sundays at the Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church, 410 Sycamore Avenue, Mill Valley, an intimate concert venue featuring superb acoustics and free parking.

Branded by The New York Times as “genuinely exciting” and “imaginative,” the all-woman quartet has garnered critical acclaim for bringing “a technical bravado and emotional power” to bold new commissions, and for its “flawless” (San Diego Union-Tribune) performances of the great masterpieces of the past. The group (Emma Frucht and Miho Saegusa, violins; Ayane Kozasa, viola; and Karen Ouzounian, cello) is in the midst of an extensive tour across North America including four concerts in the Bay Area presented by the Bay Area Music Consortium.

Formed in 2012 and combining four distinctive musical personalities into a unique collective, the Aizuri Quartet was awarded the Grand Prize and the CAG Management Prize at the 2018 M-Prize Chamber Arts Competition, along with top prizes at the 2017 Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in Japan, and the 2015 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition in London. The Quartet’s debut album, Blueprinting, featuring new works written for the Aizuri Quartet by five American composers, was released by New Amsterdam Records and nominated for a 2019 GRAMMY Award.

The “Songs and Echoes of Home” program for the performance includes: Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904): Selections from Cypresses; Lembit Beecher (b. 1980): These Memories May Be True (2012); Komitas Vartabed (1869-1935): Armenian Folk Songs, arr. Sergei Aslamazian; Rhiannon Giddens (b.1977): At the Purchaser’s Option; and Jean Sibelius (1865-1957): String Quartet in D Minor Op. 56, Voces Intimae.

Season subscriptions are $145 per person for five concerts or $105 for three concerts. All subscribers receive complimentary tickets to the annual Marin Music Chest Young Artists Concert. Tickets are sold at the door at $40 per person. Free admission for youth age 18 and under. Subscriptions or single tickets can be ordered online here.

The Aizuri Quartet's Mill Valley performance is one of four concerts supported in part by the Bay Area Music Consortium, a partnership between Berkeley Chamber Performances, Gold Coast Chamber Players (Lafayette), Mill Valley Chamber Music Society, and Noe Valley Chamber Music (San Francisco). BAMC enables acclaimed ensembles from other parts of the country to present their noteworthy talent to delight and enrich the broader audiences of the member communities.

Two months after the end of the MVCMS season, on May 17, the organization showcases the talents of five emerging classical musicians at the annual Marin Music Chest “Young Artists' Concert."

​The 411: The Mill Valley Chamber Music Society's 47th season continues Sunday, March 8 with a performance by the all-female Aizuri Quartet from New York City. Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church, 410 Sycamore Avenue. Free parking. Concerts are at 5 p.m. Single tickets are $40 general and free for youth ages 18 and under. Season subscriptions options include $145 per person for all five concerts or a mini-subscription for $105 for three concerts. All subscribers receive a complimentary ticket to the annual Marin Music Chest Young Artists Concert on May 17. MORE INFO & TIX.

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

Fourteen months ago, Chris and Lindsey Wanner opened the second Bay Area location of their West Coast Wine • Cheese shop, nestling into the 700-square-foot space at 31 Sunnyside Ave. that was the former home of the Weathered Nest vintage home accessories space adjacent to Kitchen Sunnyside restaurant in downtown Mill Valley.

As the moniker suggests, the Wanners leave no doubt about the wines they spotlight. “I’m kind of a homer, for sure – it’s all about California, Oregon and Washington,” Chris Wanner says of their Pinot Noir-heavy bottle list of approximately 330 wines. “That’s where my expertise lies, and I really love repping these brands and telling the stories of these winemakers and vineyard owners. And I see us as not being just a place that sells wine, but a space that builds community around our wine and around those stories."

To that end, the couple have hosted dozens of tastings and winemaker events, always with the same goal: highlight great wine and winemakers and build community. They're doing so again throughout early 2020, starting Feb. 26 with Hourglass Winery from Calistoga, featuring Hourglass National Sales Manager Michael Cooperman. 

"Under the guidance of winemaker Tony Biagi, Hourglass continues to refine its estate wines to new heights of craft and expression," Wanner says. "They continually strive to farm mindfully, and produce terroir-driven wines of the highest character. Also, their caves at the Blue Line Estate property are an absolute must-visit when in Calistoga (the picture at bottom left of the above collage is from the inside of those caves, while the pic at bottom right is of the entrance of the caves).

"I've enjoyed a couple of very memorable Blue Line Estate visits in the past, but after hanging out with Michael Cooperman this week, I couldn't be more excited to finally get him into our wine bars!" Wanner adds. "I'm looking forward to introducing you to him and to the Hourglass wines. I hope to share a glass with you next week!"

On March 11, the shop hosts its regular Wine Club Pick-Up Party. Two Club Options to choose from, quarterly pick-up parties with complimentary flights for members, with discounts on all bar tabs, and deeper discounts on retail wines.  Two weeks later, the shop's favorite guest bartender and regular Jaclyn Strife (at left) pops in to get behind the bar for another shift. Happy Hour specials will go until 8pm.

On April 1, the Wanners welcome Ian Brand of I. Brand Winery in Carmel Valley for a tasting. The SF Chronicle's Winemaker of the Year, the most in-demand winemaker on the Central Coast, Brand will be sharing wines from his three labels La Marea, Le P'tit Paysan, and I. Brand & Family.

One week later, on April 8, West Coast Wine • Cheese celebrates the release of its second vintage of OVO Rosé from Vogelzang Vineyards in Santa Barbara. "Same winemaker, new vineyard source, and a small amount of Syrah added to the Grenache to add a touch of depth and complexity," Wanner says.

The 411: Over the next two months, West Coast Wine • Cheese shop hosts a number of tastings and events at its space at 31 Sunnyside Ave. in downtown Mill Valley. MORE INFO.

​​Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

The Mount Tam watershed is one of Marin’s most valuable resources, and our uses of it are limited in order to protect it.

Hiking, biking, and horseback riding are permitted with some constraints, but what about electric bikes? In September 2019, Marin County supervisors approved a new policy that allows the use of e-bikes on certain multi-use paths and roads, including the popular Mill Valley/Sausalito path, the Corte Madera Creek path and the Pacheco path, according to the Marin Independent Journal. It also allows e-bikes on paved roads and parking lots in county parks. The rule change does not affect the ban on e-bike use on Marin County Open Space District land and on unpaved trails in county parks.

Marin Municipal Water District officials are currently reviewing e-bike use on Its lands, and Crystal Yezman, MMWD's facilities and watershed manager, will discuss the district’s evaluation process regarding this additional recreational activity on the mountain at an Outdoor Art Club event on March 5 at 1pm. One West Blithedale. Free. MORE INFO.

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

As part of our EMV Films series highlighting some of the myriad creative businesses, organizations and people in Mill Valley, we're spotlighting the Mill Valley Lumber Yard and the array of innovative retail shops, restaurants, makers and creators at this gorgeously restored historic property dating back to 1892. We'll be highlighting more businesses, nonprofits and arts organizations throughout 2020!

Mill Valley Lumber Yard owners Matt and Jan Mathews don't need to spend much time touting the beauty and inimitability of what they've created. There's no shortage of patrons and friends who happily do it for them. In the video below, MVLY regular Stephen Hohenrieder says it all: "I just found myself wanting to be here."

In the years since MVLY opened, it's become a multi-faceted community gathering space and retail and foodie destination. Its spaces span an array of uses, including the much-lauded Watershed Restaurant from Ged Robertson and Kyle Swain, Chelsea Hutchison’s BOL Superfood Cafe, Flour Craft Bakery from Heather Hardcastle and Rick Perko, Stacy King's Lulu Design Jewelry, Louise Dockstader's Once Around, Mad Dogs & Englishman, an innovative, creative bicycle shop from Jennifer Blevins and Martin Watson, longtime MVLY stalwarts in with Molly de Vries' Ambatalia and Gayle Nicoletti’s Bloomingayles, as well as Serena Armstrong’s FarmHouseUrban, Suzy Ekman’s Makers Market, Amy Lowery’s The Edit, Brit Morin's Makeshop and Paige Mycoskie's Aviator Nation.

MVLY extends far beyond traditional food and retail, as Makers Market's monthly Outdoor Market events invite dozens of independent creators to showcase their wares alongside live music, kids' crafts and activities and much more. And one of the hidden gems of the property is the second floor, where some of Mill Valley's most talented artists (like Victoria Mimiaga) and entrepreneurs ply their trades.

Quite simply, Matt and Jan Mathews have made one of the largest imprints on Mill Valley when it comes to community vitality in the 30 years since they moved to town. The couple steered their proposed preservation and revitalization of the inimitable Mill Valley Lumber Yard property built by lumber magnate Robert Dollar in 1892 through a lengthy, robust approval process, and subsequently set about making it a buzzworthy destination for both residents and visitors.

Watch the film below. ​Video by Summertime Films, commissioned by the Mill Valley Chamber. Thanks to Norm Hunter and his team. Many more films to come showcasing the boundless innovation, community vitality and entrepreneurial spirit of Mill Valley.

Here are some of the previous videos from our Enjoy Mill Valley Film Series:

Health & Wellness

Mill Valley's Foundational, Historic Businesses

Inspired Chefs

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

Mt. Tam United Methodist Church is launching a parent-centric gathering around wellness and continuing its popular summer Peace Camp.

Tricia Wiig, the church's Children, Youth and Families Minister, says the six-week Parent Wellness Circle will help participants gain insights into their own wellness and focus on areas where they want to grow and make changes as a parent. "Need some support? Or inspiration? Or just want to gather with a group to remember you're not alone? says Wiig.

Parent Wellness Circle participants gather with a facilitator to: 1) Assess their own wellness 2) Discuss important parenting lessons 3) Support each other as they work on next steps 4) Share the joys and challenges of being a parent and 5) Build community.

Sessions take place in the church lounge Tuesday evenings from 7:30-9pm, Feb. 25-Mar. 31. Cost is $15 for the entire 6 sessions. All faiths or none are welcome. RSVP to triciawiig@mtumc.org.

The church has set its "Peace Camp" for kids for the week of June 22-26, 9am-3pm, with extended care (8:30-5:30). Ages 5-12. Cost is $197 per child and $25 for extended care per family, with a request of three hours of parent volunteer time. Campers will be immersed in peacemaking activities as experienced through story telling, spiritual practices, arts and crafts, cooperative outdoor games, yoga, music, and more. 

"Our mission is to equip and empower children to be peacemakers in the world," Wiig says. "All faiths and spiritual traditions (or none) are welcome to learn, grow and play with us!"

​The 411: Mt. Tam United Methodist Church is at 410 Sycamore Ave. ​Email triciawiig@gmail.com for questions or to request a registration form. MORE INFO.

​Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

Picture this: the Marin Headlands, home to some of the most spectacular hiking, running and cycling trails in California, as well as a haven for nature lovers and much more, is instead home to 30,000 people living in 50 apartment towers on a 21,000-acre site, alongside single-family homes, low-rise apartments and townhouses.

Sound horrendous? You have a gang of "Rebels With a Cause," as an award-winning documentary by local filmmakers Nancy Kelly and Kenji Yamamoto calls them, to thank for the pristine land north of the Golden Gate Bridge. On Wednesday, March 4, the Mill Valley Historical Society hosts a First Wednesday panel discussion on that battle featuring Huey Johnson, Doug Ferguson, Dr. Martin Griffin and more at the Mill Valley Library. A screening of the film precedes the discussion on March 3, but registration for that event has been closed.

The 411: ​On Wednesday, March 4 from 7-9pm, the Mill Valley Historical Society hosts a First Wednesday panel discussion on the battle over Marincello featuring Huey Johnson, Doug Ferguson, Dr. Martin Griffin and more at the Mill Valley Library. A screening of the film precedes the discussion on March 3, but the registration limit for that event has been closed.

​Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

Mill Valley residents longing for the days of Beth’s Community Kitchen, the scrumptious downtown bakery from Beth Setrakian that relocated to Bolinas in 2015, look like they’re in for a delicious treat. 

Karen Fong, who shares with Setrakian a lifelong love of baking from childhood and a desire to become deeply engaged with the 94941 community, is opening Mill Valley Baking Co. at 17 East Blithedale Ave. this summer.

In unanimously approving Fong’s application to open in the former Noci space, the Planning Commission lauded the arrival of a bakery in town and gave Fong the green light to open as early as 5:30am to match the hours of other pastry- and coffee-serving shops like Equator and Peet’s. 

“I am very excited to see this go in because it looks fantastic,” said Commissioner Greg Hildebrand. “I’m very much looking forward to this.” 

Despite commission approval, Fong is still in the midst of the permitting process as she awaits sign-off from the County of Marin’s Environmental Health Services division and then final permits from the city. 
​
While much work is ahead of her, Fong teased a menu that includes: 

Croissants (Butter, Chocolate, Almond), Bear Claw, Morning Bun, Fruit/Cheese Danish, Bagels (Plain, Sesame, Poppy Seed and more flavors upon request), Breads (English Muffin, French Sweet Baguette, Rye, Bread, Honey Wheat Bread, Focaccia), Scones (Cranberry, Orange, Blueberry Lemon, Strawberries & Cream), Biscuits (Buttermilk Bacon Cheddar, Cheddar Thyme), Muffins (Banana, Blueberry Lemon, Chocolate Almond), Cookies (Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, Snickerdoodle) Biscotti, as well as Espresso & Drip Coffee Water and Juices.

But while that was more than enough to get your attention, Fong’s journey to this moment is riveting.

“I’ve baked all my life,” she says, pointing to her father Sunny Fong’s decades-long work as a line cook in Berkeley. “He taught all four of us kids how to cook. He went to work at 2am, so when he got off, he was exhausted, so he’d come home and put us to work for him, giving us instructions. We were basically his kitchen help – he had his own assembly line at home. One marinated meats, the other cooked over the stove or meat into the oven and manned the timer, another set the table, and the last washed dishes.”

Before Fong headed down the baking-as-profession path, she graduated with a computer science degree and became a software engineer and later a project manager at none other than Apple Inc., where she remained for more than 13 years. She took time off for maternity leave and later resigned as her husband battled cancer, and eventually decided that the time was right to go to San Francisco Cooking School, focusing on baking both sweet and savory.

Fong says she picked up a “middle of the night work ethic” from her father, often baking brownies and cupcakes as a helpful tool “to push the engineers to meet their deadlines,” she says with a laugh.  - “Baking has always been my thing.”

Fong, who lives in San Francisco, has worked at A16 in San Francisco on both the savory and dessert side and later realized baking was still where she found the most comfort and ease. She then moved on to be a baker at Cavallo Point Lodge. In her time baking in the middle of the night at Cavallo, she decided that the next place she baked at would be working for herself. 

“Cavallo has been my training ground,” she says.

Fong had been looking for a space in San Francisco and elsewhere for more than a year when a friend suggested a Mill Valley visit. They happened upon the former Noci space and Fong knew it was a great fit.
​
“I’m really excited to open and working hard to get through the process,” Fong says.

​Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

From soccer, baseball, lacrosse and football teams playing on sports fields and residents of all ages using the community center pool and fitness center to community gathering points like Downtown Plaza and the community gardens, the presence of parks and recreation in Mill Valley is ubiquitous.

With that in mind, the Mill Valley Friends of Parks and Recreation works with the city to ensure that Mill Valley’s fields, recreation programs and facilities continue to be a first-class experience. Over the past year-plus, the organization has helped fund projects like the Skate Park renovation, improvements at the Mill Valley Golf Course, landscaping outside the Community Center, the Community Garden annex, the Dog Park Agility Course, a scholarship matching program and more sports field renovations.

At a multi-faceted fundraiser on Feb. 6, the group was at it again, raising more than $180,000, with 100 percent of proceeds dedicated to Parks and Recreation projects, including $60,000 for a Fund-A-Need for three projects: scholarships for Mill Valley Recreation programs, a Bicycle Pump Track and Community Coffee, a coffee cart kiosk from Integrated Community Services (ICS) in the Community Center lobby, set to debut later this year, which will provide paid, on-the-job training for individuals with disabilities to equip them with the skills needed for bright careers. The coffee cart is supported by Equator Coffees and Mill Valley Recreation.

The benefit featured food from local restaurants and performances by the MVMS Bluegrass Band and Johnny and June Forever.

The 411: Mill Valley Friends of Parks and Recreation's annual fundraiser raised more than $180,000, with 100 percent pf proceeds dedicated to Parks and Recreation projects. MORE INFO.

​Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

Award-winning composer, producer, educator and musician Richard Howell brings his multi-generational jazz ensemble Sudden Changes, which has roots in revival meetings that summon positive energy and compassion for coexistence through the frequency of love, to the Throckmorton Theatre on Feb. 22.

Howell, who has worked and recorded with legends such as Etta James, Chaka Khan, and Maurice White, as well as with new voices of jazz such as Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah, has performed with pop, soul, and jazz music industry icons on stages across the globe, from the Zellerbach Hall to the Royal Albert Hall. 

Sudden Changes features a number of acclaimed musicians alongside Howell, including pianist Glen Pearson, who currently performs with the Count Basie Orchestra, along with bassist David Ewell, trumpeter Rafa Postel, drummer Ele Salif and master percussionist David Frazier.

Howell calls his music “Bridge Music," as it "celebrates diversity as it bridges, unites and merges the experience of all listeners.  I define it as Bridge Music."

The 411: Richard Howell & Sudden Changes performs at the Throckmorton Theatre on Feb. 22. 8pm. MORE INFO & TIX.

Want to get more involved in your community but sure exactly where to start?

There's a free event that's perfectly suited for you.

The 7th Annual Mill Valley Volunteer Day, where a plethora of fantastic organizations will be on hand to help you navigate the volunteer opportunities that exist in the 94941, from schools, government and sports to the arts and the environment, is set for Saturday, April 25 from 10am-2pm on the Depot Plaza downtown. 

The event kicks off with a litter pick-up outing at 9am starting at Whole Foods Market on Miller Avenue.

The brainchild of longtime local volunteer and Clean Mill Valley co-founder Joan Murray, Volunteer Day gathers Mill Valley-based nonprofits "that want to create community awareness of their organizations and introduce residents to volunteer opportunities in their organizations," Murray says.

And back by popular demand, the Milo Foundation will return for a dog adoption drive. There will also be live music throughout the event.

"Volunteer Day is a great opportunity to connect with fellow community-based organizations, showcase your organization's work in the community, as well as recruit new volunteers," says Clean Mill Valley co-founder Joan Murray, who founded the event.

In past years, more than 30 organizations have participated in the event. Along with local nonprofits, the City of Mill Valley will have a large presence with representatives from police, fire, the library, and the recreation departments.

The 411: The 7th Annual Mill Valley Volunteer Day is set for Saturday, April 25, 10am–2pm in the Downtown Plaza. 

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

While plenty of horrifying examples of #MeToo moments have been exposed in recent years, the movement has also shed light on the subject's complexities, particularly those in which the accused is a loved one. 

In the Marin Theatre Company's ongoing quest to tell stories "that feel more of the moment and feel more urgent in terms of their storytelling," as MTC Artistic Director Jasson Minadakis recently told the Marin Independent Journal, the organization's upcoming production, Love, dives deeply into those complexities. Written by playwright Kate Cortesi, a current Huntington Playwriting Fellow and recent Playwrights Horizons Commission awarded, Love runs March 5-29.

When Penelope is approached about joining a group of women making harassment allegations against her former boss, she finds herself at an uncomfortable crossroads—the man accused was a former lover and remains a dear friend. As the women’s stories unfold, Penelope questions what happened to her, what she enabled, and her very identity. Love examines what accountability looks like when an abuser of power is one of our favorite men, and poses a radical question: Can we place love at the center of these reckonings?

"I wrote this play because there is a conversation around sex and power that I believe people want to have that we're not having, not in public anyway, Cortesi says. "Do we want dark truth to come to light? Yes. Do we want justice for abuses? Yes. Do we want to acknowledge and correct the exploits of patriarchy? Absolutely. AND we also want to delve into the relationships where this reckoning is complicated, murky, and colored by, among other things, love. I believe love belongs at the center of these reckonings, right next to justice and truth."

New York-based director Mike Donahue helms the production, which features newcomers Clea Alsip (Penelope), Rebecca Schweitzer (Vanessa), R. Ward Duffy (Otis), Bobak Cyrus Bakhtiari (Jaime) Mari Vial-Golden (Whitney/Rebecca) and MTC veteran Robert Sicular (Ron/Ken).
​
The 411: Marin Theatre Company's production of Love opens March 5 and runs through March 29. 397 Miller Ave. Tix $25-$70. Discounts for seniors, under 35, teens, military families, and teachers are available. MORE INFO & TIX. 

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

The Mill Valley Chamber Music Society, the non-profit, all-volunteer organization founded in 1973 to present classical musicians in Mill Valley at affordable ticket prices, continues its 47th season on Feb. 23 with a performance by award-winning violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky and pianist Wu Qian.

Moscow-born Sitkovetsky made his concert debut came at the age of eight, and in the same year he moved to the UK to study at the Menuhin School. Sitkovetsky is in demand as a director and has directed and performed as a soloist regularly with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, London Mozart Players, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, and New York Chamber Players. 

Sitkovetsky performs alongside his wife, pianist Wu Qian, with whom he was awarded first prize at the Trio di Trieste Duo competition. Sitkovetsky is an alumnus of the prestigious “Chamber Music Society Two” program at the Lincoln Center, and in 2016 received the Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award. Wu Qian has given recitals in Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, the Concertgebouw, and Kennedy Center. She has appeared with the Brussels Philharmonic, the London Mozart Players, I Virtuosi Italiani, and the Munich Symphoniker.

The program for the Feb. 23 concert includes: De Falle: Suite Populaire Espagnole for Violin & Piano; R. Schumann: Violin Sonata No. 2 in D minor, op. 121; Schnittke: Suite in the Olden Style, op. 80; Grieg: Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor, op. 45

The MVCMS concert series concludes March 8 with Aizuri Quartet. Two months later, MVCMS showcases the talents of five emerging classical musicians at the annual Marin Music Chest “Young Artists' Concert,” on May 17.

MVCMS concerts are held at 5 p.m. Sundays at the Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church, 410 Sycamore Avenue, Mill Valley, an intimate concert venue featuring superb acoustics and free parking.

Season subscriptions are $145 per person for five concerts or $105 for three concerts. All subscribers receive complimentary tickets to the annual Marin Music Chest Young Artists Concert. Tickets are sold at the door at $40 per person. Free admission for youth age 18 and under. Subscriptions or single tickets can be ordered online here.

​The 411: The Mill Valley Chamber Music Society's 47th season continues Sunday, January 26 with a performance by award-winning violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky and pianist Wu Qian. Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church, 410 Sycamore Avenue. Free parking. Concerts are at 5 p.m. Single tickets are $40 general and free for youth ages 18 and under. Season subscriptions options include $145 per person for all five concerts or a mini-subscription for $105 for three concerts. All subscribers receive a complimentary ticket to the annual Marin Music Chest Young Artists Concert on May 17, 2020. MORE INFO & TIX.

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

The name Martin Ray resonates deeply in the history of California winemaking, but the reason why is more complex than the great wine attached to the moniker.

The prowess of Martin Ray Winery dates back more than 80 years, when Ray, who learned to make wine from Paul Masson, and then bought Masson’s vineyard in 1936, and produced varietals until the 1970s. But the staying power of the acclaimed brand traces back to winemaker Courtney Benham's chance discovery of 1,500 cases of Martin Ray wines in a San Jose storage space, which propelled him to acquire the rights to the iconic label, named for its founder, who passed away in 1976, from his family.

On Wednesday, Feb. 26, Mill Valley's Bungalow 44 restaurant is set to celebrate that lineage with a special evening featuring Benham and Bungalow chef Gabe Charpentier collaborating  on a five-course dinner with wine pairings that span Martin Ray Winery's wine.

The 411: Martin Ray Winery's Courtney Benham and Bungalow 44 chef Gabe Charpentier collaborate on a five-course dinner with wine pairings that span Martin Ray Winery's wine. 44 East Blithedale Ave. Cocktails 6:30pm. Dinner 7:30pm. Email to reserve your spot. MORE INFO.

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

With Valentine's Day on the horizon, third-generation calligraphy artist Sarah Hanna wants to help you express your love. The Sonoma-based artist will be at the Poet and/the Bench, the four-year-old lifestyle store and jewelry atelier space from Jeffrey Levin and Bonnie Powers, on Saturday, Feb. 8 (12-3pm).

Hanna will address your Valentine by name or phrase as a gift from Levin and Powers with any purchase, including the shop's new Truth to Paper Valentine's poem cards.

Hanna was born in Jamaica and grew up in Winter Park, Florida where she apprenticed in her mother’s studio. She learned the art of lettering and illustration with two generations of expertise in her DNA and hands. Sarah also earned her degree in advertising, amplifying her natural marketing abilities and the conceptual foundation of her craft.

Hanna creates wedding and bespoke invitation sets, custom maps (like the one she illustrated for Poet and/the Bench), monograms, Letters from Santa and other commissioned designs and decor. 

While you're there, check out Ojai-based Louesa Roebuck's monotypes on display at Poet and/the Bench. 

The 411: Calligraphy artist Sarah Hanna will be at the Poet and/the Bench, the four-year-old lifestyle store and jewelry atelier space from Jeffrey Levin and Bonnie Powers, on Saturday, Feb. 8 (12-3pm) to address your Valentine by name or phrase as a gift from Levin and Powers with any purchase. MORE INFO.

​Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

Needing a bit of love in your life these days? One of the of the missions of the O'Hanlon Center for the Arts is to foster individual creativity, and the vital arts organization is once again doing so next month with a Sunday Salon. These regular events – put on by Murphy Productions' Daniel Patrick and Erma Murphy (also O'Hanlon's co-director) – are potluck-style meals that have attendees performing music, poetry, dance, storytelling and much more.

For the Sunday, Feb. 16th edition of the Sunday Salon, the theme is love.
 
The 411: The O'Hanlon Center for the Arts and Murphy Productions host "The Love Salon" on Sunday, Feb. 16. Potluck at 5pm, performances at 6pm. 616 Throckmorton Ave. Bring good food and drink to share. Share a poem, song, dance or work of art that relates to the theme of love. Interested in presenting? Email Daniel Patrick at musicimpresario@gmail.com. $10. MORE INFO & TIX. Here's Daniel Patrick & Erma Murphy talking about the Sunday Salon:

Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!