Chabad Mill Valley, the local chapter of one of the largest Hasidic groups and Jewish religious organizations in the world, has been in Mill Valley for more than 17 years.

Chabad Mill Valley founders Rabbi Hillel and Chana Scop, who saw a 20-year dream become reality when they opened Brooklyn, a Project of Chabad Mill Valley, in 2018 in the space formerly occupied by True Botanicals in the downtown strip of shops on Miller Ave. near the Depot Plaza, have another reason to celebrate.

For Brooklyn's latest in a series of community events, they're hosting a Challah braiding workshop on Thursday, July 18 at 5:30pm, for both children and adults, with a demonstration, an exploration of the deeper meaning behind each ingredient and the ability to take home your own Challah to bake.

The 411: Brooklyn, a Project of Chabad Mill Valley hosts a Challah Braiding workshop Party on Thursday, July 18 at 5:30pm. MORE INFO.

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

Soon after Ian Johnson and his wife relocated from Virginia to the Bay Area in 2012, the longtime landscaper and native plant specialist took his wife’s recommendation to reach out to Dan Dufficy, the owner of CNL Native Plant Nursery in Tam Junction.

Johnson had run his own native plant- and rain garden-focused landscaping firm for more than seven years on the East Coast, working regularly with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring and protecting the region’s watershed. He was excited to show Dufficy his passion for native plants – and even brought an array of drawings of many of the projects he’s spearheaded that focused on cleaning up the water before it got into the local watershed.

Johnson showed up in work clothes, ready to get his hands dirty as needed. But not long into their conversation, Dufficy was extending his fist and saying, “I get it. Let’s get you out there,” gesturing toward the vast nursery at the corner of Shoreline Hwy. and Almonte Blvd., adjacent to Proof Lab, the ever-evolving business in the heart of Tam Junction, and the array of like-minded businesses around it, like the Potter’s Studio, Equator Coffees and Studio 4 Art.

“That’s when I said to myself, “you are definitely in California,” Johnson says with a laugh. “It was, basically, ‘you’re hired, here’s a fist bump.’”

Fast forward those nearly seven years since, and the CNL Native Plant Nursery is quite a sight to behold, a gorgeous expanse laden with teak wood and driftwood sculptures from Dufficy’s  surfing trip to West Java and Sumatra, Indonesia, gorgeous pots from an array of local manufacturers like the neighboring Mill Valley Potter’s Studio, elaborate dry creek displays, welded artwork, woodwork, geometrical wall art, a full spectrum of stones, gems, rock and crystals and, of course, a massive array of organic, chemical-free vegetable starts and native plants.

“We’ve really turned the space into more of a living gallery and nursery, which we feel like, for the area that we’re in, is very appropriate,” Johnson says. 

Dufficy founded the company in 1985 out of the back of his pickup truck, never without a sharp pair of shears, a shovel, a pickaxe, and a surfboard. The business started as, and remains, driven by its installation and design department, helping local businesses and homeowners to create the native gardens and landscapes of their dreams, with a specialization in natural habitat restoration.

CNL operated as a landscaping-only company for 20 years and Dufficy opened the nursery in 2010. Landscaping and design remain the driving force, Johnson says, but they're hoping to continue to grow the nursery side of the business.

And while Johnson says he loves the ever-expanding presence of complementary art and displays, he and Dufficy are laser-focused on the core of their business: native plants. Johnson says he is particularly inspired by Reconciliation Ecology, a branch of ecology that studies ways to encourage biodiversity in human-dominated ecosystems. The term was first coined by professor Michael Rosenzweig in his book Win-Win Ecology, based on the theory that there is not enough area for all of earth’s biodiversity to be saved within designated nature preserves, and that humans should increase biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes.

“Native plants will always be at the heart if anything we do,” Johnson says. “Hopefully we can continue to educate the community on the power of native plants and their incredible impact on our ecosystem.”​

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

"It's soooooo quiet."

That's the refrain from just about everyone you bump into in Mill Valley at this time of year, as the end of the school year sends families off on vacation. If you're not getting out of town this summer, or even if you're only gone for part of the it, NOW is the time to Enjoy Mill Valley largely without having to worry about traffic – you can skip the stress that'll come roaring back in two months.

And skipping the traffic is far form the only reason to truly Enjoy Mill Valley by shopping, eating, exploring and gathering in your hometown. There's also the fact that the vast majority of businesses in Mill Valley are mom-and-pop shops. That means that the people who own the cute toy store on Miller or the boutique downtown are likely your kid's baseball or soccer coach, the dad who donates burritos for the end of season party or the mom who organizes the car pool to school.

Worried you won't find what you're looking for in town? We've got you covered – we can be your Mill Valley shopping concierge! Email us at info@millvalley.org or call 415.388.9700 and we'll set you straight.

And here's one more for you: When you buy a product at a Mill Valley shop, you walk out the door with that product. Even Prime can't beat that! You also skip the massive amounts of packaging waste – seriously, does a pair of shoes for your toddler need to arrive in a box that could fit a 55-inch TV in it? – that comes with ordering products online.

Consider this a reminder to ShopMV and resist the urge to use your local stores to comparison shop before doing the seemingly inevitable: heading to Amazon, finding the product you spotted in your favorite local shop and buying it with one-click, knowing it'll show up at your door within two days. It's magic – a completely friction-less transaction, right?

That purchase may seem like the pillar of tech-driven efficiency and saving a few bucks by going online or with the big box stores, but we can do better. Let's be clear: saving a few bucks is always important, but doing so runs the risk of losing some of what makes Mill Valley the truly special place we love. Local shop owners say that although the economy is doing well, competing on price with online and big box stores is nearly impossible, all while their fixed costs, particularly rent, utilities and the difficulty of hiring in a saturated employment market with skyrocketing home prices, continue to climb.

This is not an admonishment! It's also not an all-or-nothing exercise. It's just a challenge. And we're here to help!

And as you can see from the images above, we curated a handful of local products and experiences that make great gifts for loves ones – or for yourself! GO HERE FOR MORE INFO ON THE MUST HAVES ABOVE.

NOW GET OUT THERE AND ENJOY MILL VALLEY!

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

The music-loving family that has brought the world Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is set to join with friends for the Hellman Summer Stomp, an evening of music, local fare and good times , featuring the kids, grandkids and friends of the late Hardly Strictly Bluegrass founder Warren Hellman, at the Sweetwater Music Hall on July 21.

Since the 2011 passing of Warren Hellman, the financier and philanthropist who called the free, three-day festival he created in 2000 the “world’s most selfish gift," his musically-inclined family members have formed their own bands and performing on the small stages at HSB and elsewhere as Marco and the Polos, the Well Known Strangers and more. They do so with a tongue-in-cheek motto: “Four great bands, four great chords.”

The Hellman Summer Stomp will feature the Hellman Family Band and many special guests, including musicians that have played with Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, The Waybacks, Poor Man’s Whisky, and more. They include: Amber Morris, Austin de Lone, Ben Lauffer, David Noble, Frances Hellman, Joshua Zucker, Judith Hellman, Katie Gibbs, Laurel Hellman, Mick Hellman, Nancy Hellman Bechtle, Rob Anderson, Stevie Coyle and Tricia Hellman Gibbs, among others.
 
Doors open at 5:30 pm for a buffet of hearty nibbles for the first 100 guests. Tickets are $20 per person and include the buffet (limited to first 100). The show starts at 7pm. 

The 411: The Hellman Summer Stomp, featuring the kids, grandkids and friends of the late Hardly Strictly Bluegrass founder Warren Hellman, hits the Sweetwater Music Hall, 19 Corte Madera Avenue on July 21. Tix $20. MORE INFO & TIX.  

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

The 2019 Marin County Fair kicks off next week (July 3-7) at the County Fairgrounds in San Rafael behind the theme "Over the Moon!" in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the moon landing and "the things Marin County values the most: family, art, agriculture, and the environment."

Organizers tout nightly fireworks over the beautiful lagoon, headline entertainment including Steel Pulse, Dwight Yoakam, Cheap Trick and many more, carnival rides, barnyard & petting zoo, and unique creative exhibits all topped off with a delicious variety of foods and refreshing treats and beverages.
 
“We developed the theme as an opportunity to honor the 50th anniversary of the landing on the moon, but also to showcase the feeling the Fair evokes from our entire community,” says Director of Cultural Services Gabriella C. Calicchio. “Celebrating art, agriculture, and community are values we hold near and dear and we are literally ‘over the moon’ with excitement in the planning for the 2019 Fair.”
 
Entertainment: 
Wednesday, July 3, 7:30 pm - Dwight Yoakam
Thursday, July 4, 3:00 pm - The Distractions
Thursday, July 4, 7:30 pm - ABBA The Concert
Friday, July 5, 7:30 pm - Steel Pulse
Saturday, July 6, 7:30 pm - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Sunday, July 7, 3:00 pm - Mariachi Divas
Sunday, July 7, 7:30 pm - Cheap Trick
 
2019 FAIR HIGHLIGHTS:

• The Space Station Museum: special exhibit of largest private collection of U.S., Russian and Soviet space exploration artifacts.
• On the Blue Ribbon Stage, featured cheese of the day as an homage to the moon made of cheese in the Fair artwork.
• Street Drum Corps will rock the Fair with world-renowned, high energy, drum and percussion. Three shows daily in the Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium. 1pm, 3pm, & 5pm.
• Over 12,000 Exhibits including themed exhibit categories which include decorated moons and paper moons; exciting photography categories including moonscapes, barnyard buddies, and trees; new and innovative makers projects; baked goods, lively culinary contests, fine art, and much more.
• Special street painting exhibit by Italian Street Painting Marin in the Shade Garden Tent, featuring local master Madonnari Lisa Jones, Joel Yau and Genna Panzarella. ** Fun street painting activity for youth on Children’s Day – Wednesday, July 3rd.
• 28 Free Carnival Rides featuring 10-story Giant Ferris Wheel and Solar Carousel from Butler Amusements.
• Nightly Fireworks over the lagoon at 9:30 pm.
• 49th Annual International Short Film and Video Festival in the 300-seat Showcase Theater at 5 & 7 pm daily.
• Attractions for the entire family: Something Ridiculous comedy juggling duo, Golden Gate Garrison — 501st Legion, Stilt Circus and Rawhide Express Train.
• Barnyard with farm animals, Great American Pig Races & Petting Zoo, Fur & Feathers Tent, Vaulting, Junior Dairy Cattle Show, Sheep Dog Trials, Junior Dairy Goats and Classic Beef Show, Market Swine Show and Pygmy Goats.
• Three Twins Solar Stage features popular contests: Hip Hop and Break Dance, Dancing Stars, Singing Stars and “Star Search” Performing Arts Competitions.
• Green Room Gallery – artful shopping featuring one-of-a-kind locally produced gifts and a chance to meet some of Marin County’s top artisans who will showcase unique jewelry, textiles, home accessories and quality crafts.
• Over the Moon Virtual Reality – Experience the Fair in an otherworldly way! The XR Barnyard helps the cow, rooster, chick blast off to the moon with a little Augmented Reality help. Step into the virtual time machine to experience the Apollo 11 journey through the eyes of those who lived through it. Fairgoers will help the farm animals find the supplies and find the robot to make the epic moon landing and answer these questions...... Is the moon really made of cheese? What is on the dark side of the moon? Do aliens really live in the craters?

 
The 411: ​The Marin County Fair opens Wednesday, July 3 and runs through Sunday, July 7. Ticket prices range from $15-$20 and are available here and at the entrance. MORE INFO & TIX.

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

For Brock Wagstaff and Eric Rogers, principals at Wagstaff + Rogers Architects on Miller Avenue, have long been at the forefront of green design across an array of custom residential and commercial projects in Marin County and well beyond. Now the pair is making a technological leap to fuel their firm's digital transformation and provide their clients and stakeholders with the most robust and collaborative content support.

That leap is driven by their deployment of Box’s Cloud Content Management (CCM) platform solution alongside of mxHero’s Mail2Cloud to drive innovation, content security and collaboration objectives to fuel the firm’s strategic growth posture.

“Architect firms are challenged by content proliferation as we adhere to engineering requirements, regulatory compliance, and seek to offer our clients the most robust communication solutions to fuel our firm’s commercial and private architect firm business objectives," Rogers says. "With these things in mind, Wagstaff + Rogers Architects is keenly aware that our firm must be digital first, mobile ready, with content access anywhere, at any time from any device."

"mxHero’s ability to auto-capture our email-based content and attachments and enrich it with meta-data and security powered by Box, is a game-changing move for our architecture firm and gives us security improvements, workflow synergies and enhances our ability to collaborate both internally and externally with our valuable constituents. Rogers adds. "It's game-changing for us as we continue scale our business.”

Rogers joined Wagstaff in 2004, drawn to one another by their shared focus on “traditional craftsmanship with a passion for new technologies, materials and a strong philosophy about art in architecture,” as well as their shared love of the outdoors.

Rogers recalls that when he went to interview with Wagstaff those many years ago, he worried a bit about showing up on his motorcycle, his long-preferred method of travel. Wagstaff, an avid rock climber, didn’t flinch.

“I threw the jacket and tie aside and been wearing jeans everyday since,” Rogers says.

The pair also connected in terms of design aesthetic. “Brock designs buildings on a scale that you can feel how a family interacts with each other and the area,” says Rogers. “He’s mostly into craftsmen and cottage style design, which was different from the commercial work I had been doing. But he allowed me to bring my modern contemporary taste with me as well.”

“He’s kind of a father figure to me and he allowed me to experiment and focus on things I’m passionate about like green design,” adds Rogers, who became a partner in the firm in 2015. “And we’ve found clients over the years who are just as passionate about it.”

Wagstaff and Rogers’ time together has been fruitful, to say the least. Some of the highlights include a sustainable design in St. Helena that Rogers says he’s most proud of, as well as the San Rafael Home in Belvedere, whose design was inspired by a trip to Indonesia a couple of years ago as well as the influence of Wagstaff, who is a partner in the Bali Beach House.

The duo’s Austin Ave. in San Anselmo was the first home GreenPoint Rated under the town’s new ordinance requirements and was featured in Flourish Magazine, while their “huge experiment in sustainable material” for the Marin Builders Association in San Rafael has stood the test of time and the firm has remodeled, added space and subdivided space it several times for over 10 years now.

The 411: Wagstaff + Rogers Architects is at 275 Miller Ave, #202. MORE INFO.

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

For more than 30 years, the MarinScapes Reimagined art exhibit and sale has been raising money to support Buckelew Programs, which provide treatment and support services for people with mental health and addiction challenges.

For the 31st annual edition of the event, organizers have leaned two of Mill Valley's most renowned artistic minds, Donna Seager and Suzanne Gray of Mill Valley’s renowned Seager/Gray Gallery, to curate the event, which is set for June 20-23 at the Escalle Winery in Larkspur.

Seager and Gray have curated “The Invented Landscape,” an installation organizers dubbed "abstract yet familiar, the new pieces are created by contemporary artists who have reimagined the local scenery with work from their studio practice. Variations in surface, palette and locale offer patrons a different interpretation of iconic Marin; familiar vistas seen through an open and expansive lens. These large-scale pieces remind us that there are a variety of ways to interpret a view, an action or an event."

“Buckelew Programs is thrilled to bring a fresh new look to MarinScapes after 30 years and we are and incredibly honored that renowned gallerists Donna Seager and Suzanne Gray are donating their time and talents to curate a very special new element to our benefit art show,” said Katrin Ciaffa Buckelew Programs Director of Development “Not only will MarinScapes’ visitors see Marin County landscape artwork that they are accustom to enjoying, but they will find the new abstract, yet familiar, ‘reimagined’ art thought-provoking and inspiring.”
 
“We were excited to be asked by the Buckelew Programs to create a special curation in conjunction with their annual MarinScapes exhibition, a wonderful tradition in Marin that raises money and awareness for their programs for mental health and addiction, said Seager.

“We wanted to create an installation that complimented the wonderful plein air landscapes that are such a part of the art history of beautiful Marin County, but to offer a contrast to traditional landscape by choosing artists whose work departs from the norm,” Gray added. 
 
The new installation will be complimented with art from beloved, local favorites like Kathleen Lipinski, Tom Killion and Susan Schneider Williams, showcasing the works of painters who capture Marin County’s spectacular views and magnificent scenic vistas through classic plein air landscapes. A full list of participating artists can be found here.         
 
The 411: Donna Seager and Suzanne Gray of Mill Valley’s renowned Seager/Gray Gallery curate the MarinScapes Reimagined art exhibit and sale to support Buckelew Programs, which provide treatment and support services for people with mental health and addiction challenges. The event is set for June 20-23 at the Escalle Winery in Larkspur. Seager MORE INFO & TIX.
​
Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!

Few are as committed to moving towards Zero Waste as Ambatalia owner Molly de Vries.

And while she continues to practice what she preaches, she's going even further to that end, hosting with Marin Primary & Middle School teacher Rebecca Wunderlich a day-long Mt. Tam EcoFest at her space within the MV Lumber Yard (129 Miller Ave.) to spread the word on reducing waste.

The event features speakers, live music, DIY workshops and a forum for local restaurants on best practices to provide environmentally sustainable and cost effective ways to reduce waste. Speakers and workshops will cover learning ways to improve your recycling habit and getting clarity on which items go into the compost vs. the landfill. There will also be a Restaurant Forum to help restaurant owners and managers learn about best practices to provide environmentally sustainable and cost effective ways to reduce waste. Speakers include Miriam Gordon of Upstream and Grace Lee of ReThink Disposable.

THE 411: Ambatalia hosts a day-long Mt. Tam EcoFest within the MV Lumber Yard (129 Miller Ave.) to spread the word on reducing waste. MORE INFO.

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

Successful entrepreneurs often credit inspiration drawn from former bosses or mentors for imbuing them with the confidence to take the plunge. But just as many of those success stories have drawn fuel from moments when they were doubted or passed over.

James van Kriedt, owner of Bootjack Creative, a burgeoning local branding and design studio, has drawn inspiration from a bit of both camps in his professional career, but perhaps none moreso than an ill-advised doubter when he worked in the restaurant industry in Carmel.

Van Kriedt grew up on Molino Ave. in Mill Valley as an infant and later in Sausalito. After graduating from Tam High, he went to San Francisco State, where he studied industrial arts with an emphasis in visual communication. He met his wife, with whom he lives in Sycamore Park along with their 10-year-old son, while he was working at Piazza D'Angelo as a waiter and bartender. 

While taking a break from college, van Kriedt decided that he wanted to open a wine bar in Carmel, and he and his wife moved there for a year. He worked at local restaurants and garnered his certification as a sommelier. "I worked at a really nice restaurant and got wrapped up in it," he says. "They told me they were opening a place in Napa, which got me excited at the opportunity."

Shortly thereafter, he was told that he'd never be a manager with that restaurant group. "Now they are telling me what I can and cannot do," van Kriedt says, noting the irony of the moment, when he'd hear constantly from co-workers how places like Sausalito and Mill Valley "were talked about like they were the promised land."

As van Kriedt continued to develop his business plan for his wine bar, he came to the realization that he was considerably more excited about working on his would-be business' logo than he was the actual business plan. It was then that he decided to go back to school for design, graduating in 2012. He started freelancing while also working as a wine buyer for the Tipsy Pig restaurant in San Francisco's Marina district. 

"The work just kept coming and coming, so I quit the restaurant business and did design full-time," he says. 

Six years on, van Kriedt says he and his small team of creatives at Bootjack work with a wide variety of entrepreneurs and small businesses that are looking to stand out and have a perception of high quality. Ideally, Bootjack targets clients that aren't simply looking for one component of their brand – a website or a logo, for instance – but who "are committed to doing the whole process."

With a background steeped in the food and hospitality industries, Van Kriedt is fluent in the nuances of that business and has many prominent local clients to show for it, including Grilly's, Flour Craft Bakery, the Pelican Inn and Mountain Home Inn, as well as restaurateur Ged Robertson's Shoreline Coffee Shop, Bootjack Wood Fired and the soon-to-open Watershed at the Mill Valley Lumber Yard. But he's well-versed in design and branding across all industries and has also spearheaded the design and branding for local businesses like Iron Lion Gym and the Makery.

"He’s really really amazing," Robertson says of van Kriedt. "He's done so much for our brands. And he gets into it fully and he completely understands the process in a way that drives the brand forward."

So how about the moniker van Kriedt shares in part with one of Robertson's restaurants, and about which the pair joke over who had it first – where'd he come up with it? 

"I'm born and raised in Mill Valley and Sausalito, and for most of my life, I have lived where I can see Mt. Tam every day," van Kriedt says. "I love living at the foot of it, I love the trail that bears its name and I will always be connected to Mt. Tam."

The 411: Bootjack Creative is a branding and design studio. MORE INFO.

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

By Brian Murphy 

Another “Super Saturday” is in the books for Mill Valley Little League, ending in City Championships for both Majors and Minors, “O’Dogg” Award recipients for inspirational play and, of course, the 12s, 11s and 10s All-Star hat ceremony.

District 3 All-Star play for the 12/11/10U group begins on June 22.

To the action:

MAJORS CITY CHAMPIONSHIP
Brewers 6, Giants 1 — In a matchup of the two top seeds, the Brewers rode a standout performance from Bennett Dammann to the City title. 

Dammann threw three shutout innings, stifling the No. 1 seed Giants’ bats, then did damage with a bat in his hand — going 2-for-3 and scoring three runs. Big Ryan Simon threw the final three innings to make sure the Brew Crew would hold the trophy.

Dammann set the tone early with a base hit to lead off the game, took second on a wild pitch, then tagged up on a Cooper Kift fly out to right field, drawing a wild throw that allowed him to score and give the Brewers a 1-0 lead.

The Brewers added three more in the critical fourth inning, turning a 1-0 lead into a 4-0 lead when Dammann again singled, followed by a two-out Will Gensler single, and then a critical two-out, two-strike RBI single from Kaelin Christman to plate Dammann. After Simon was intentionally walked to load the bases, Nate Ryan came through with the game’s biggest hit, another two-out, two-strike single to left, plating Gensler and Christman.

The Giants weren’t dead. Julian Barnes singled to left, took second on a wild pitch, tagged up and went to third on a deep fly ball by Cole Maxson off of Simon, who had relieved Dammann. Barnes scored when Jackson Van Til reached by error. After a Cooper Mitchell walk, Declan Murphy stroked a single to right field that loaded the bases and the Giants had life.

But after Lucas DiPippa hit the ball hard to third base, Brewers third baseman Cooper Kift made a nifty snag and threw home to force Van Til in a key play. A strikeout then ended the threat, and the Brewers closed out the City Championship. Both teams finished the regular season and playoffs with identical 16-5 records.

Giants 10, Padres 0 — In the semifinal, Cooper Mitchell, Finnegan McGrane and Jackson Van Til combined on the shutout and the Giants banged out 13 hits, including multi-hit days from Van Til, McGrane, Cole Maxson, Declan Murphy and Ivan Pudelka.

Brewers 4, Rays 1 — In the semifinal, Bennett Dammann, Cooper Kift and Ryan Simon each hit a key double, and Will Gensler had a key single as the Brewers scored four in the first inning.  Dammann and Simon combined on the mound for the Brewers, as Simon whiffed eight in three innings. For the Rays, Shade Murray hit an RBI single.

MAJORS ZEPHYR CUP
Tigers 9, Rays 2 — Tito Fierstein pitched a complete game and Eli Solem hit a long two-run home run as the duo led the Tigers to the Zephyr Cup, the Majors’ consolation championship. Fierstein threw 70 pitches and struck out eight, while Solem had a four RBI day.

MINORS CITY CHAMPIONSHIP 
Tigers 5, Mets 3 — The Tigers overcame an early three-run deficit to snag the Minors City title, riding clutch hits, strong pitching and key defense to the title, finally pulling ahead in the fourth inning when Brady Kanter singled home Brayden Clifford and Kai McGarry. Will Ostrander and Levi Burrows did the rest on the mound, combining to toss 3 and 1/3 scoreless innings to make room for the comeback.

The Mets struck first when Ryder Weber smacked a two-run triple, plating Connor Grant and Anthony Murphy. Down 3-0, the Tigers climbed back when McGarry hit a triple of his own, and Max Downie drove in two runs. McGarry would drive in Kanter for an insurance run and the final margin.

Clifford struck out seven for the Tigers, while the Mets relied on Grant, who struck out six in three innings.

Defense was big for both teams. Downie threw out an attempted steal, Ryan Bindeman ended a rally with a backhanded stop, Clifford helped start a double play and Burrows made a play on a ball that ricocheted off the pitcher. For the Mets, catcher Murphy tagged out two runners at home plate.

MINORS LA GINESTRA CUP
Cubs 2, Giants 0 —JT Cochrane and Luke Nurney combined to shut out the Giants and take him the La G trophy for the Cubs. Cochrane struck out six in three innings, and Nurney did the same in his three.

Cochrane added two hits and an RBI for the Cubs, who received strong defense from Dane Migliori at second base. For the Mets, Lukas Welter struck out five in three innings and Hudson Renga and Julian Gioia shined with the glove.

Giants 8, KC Monarchs 2 —In a La G semifinal, David Keane had two hits and Lukas Welter and Elvis Green also contributed with a double each. Welter and Eli Keith led the way on the mound.

9U ALL STARS
Mill Valley 12, Novato North 9 — In the simmering heat at Babe Silva Field in Novato on June 9, Mill Valley rallied for four runs in the sixth inning to improve to 2-0 in District 3 pool play. Henry Edwards had three hits, including a triple, and closed out the final inning on the mound. Terje Steele had three RBIs for Mill Valley.

Mill Valley 14, Dixie-Terra Linda 5 — At Gallinas Field in San Rafael on June 6, Mill Valley banged out 15 hits, including four from Bradley Marshall and three from Henry Edwards. Colton Zinn and Alex Moore had two hits each for the winners.

Brian Pilcher, a 62-year-old Kentfield resident, came into the 109th Dipsea Race among the consensus favorites to win the from inimitable footrace, a solid choice given that he'd won it in 2009, 2015 and 2016 and hadn't participated in the race in 2017 and 2018.

Pilcher, fueled by the tragic death last week of his best friend Mark Richtman after he went missing on a kayak trip in Tomales Bay, conquered the oppressive race on Sunday, running from downtown Mill Valley to Stinson Beach in . In doing so, Pilcher became one of only three competitors to have won the Dipsea Race at least four times.

The 7.4-mile run traverses from downtown Mill Valley, up the 688 Dipsea Steps and the eventual peak at the summit of Cardiac Hill – 1,360 feet above sea level – and then down the narrow Dipsea trail through Steep Ravine, across the panoramic Moors toward the finish line at Stinson Beach. The race uses staggered starts determined by age, gender and past performances, allowing runners both young and old a legitimate chance to win the historic event.

Colorado Springs runner Mark Tatum finished second at , and Alex Varner, despite nabbing the overall best time in the race for a Dipsea-record ninth time, finished third. Sausalito’s Chris Lundy, who came into the race with the chance to three-peat, finished fourth. 

FULL LIST OF WINNERS.

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

​The 16th Comedy in the Plaza – the Mill Valley Arts Commission’s annual night of hilarity on the downtown plaza – regularly draws some of the best standup comedians in the business, and this year's edition is no different. The event is set for Wednesday, June 19 at 6:30pm.

This year’s headliner is Dana Gould, and he’ll be joined by special guest Jake Johannsen and opener Krista Fatka in what promises to be an evening of tremendous laughter. Mark Pitta is the emcee. Bring a chair. Depot Plaza. 6:30pm. Free.

The 411: The 16th Comedy in the Plaza is set for Wednesday, June 19 at 6:30pm, featuring Dana Gould, Jake Johannsen and Krista Fatka. Mark Pitta is the emcee. Bring a chair. Depot Plaza. 6:30pm. Free. ​MORE INFO.

NOTE: Comedy in the Plaza regularly draws a big crowd. Get there early to get a good seat!

On Sunday, June 2, the 38th Annual Mill Valley Wine, Beer & Gourmet Food Tasting drew droves to delight in the deliciousness that Mill Valley has to offer.

The event, sponsored by the Mill Valley Market since 1981, continues to amaze throngs of people well into its fourth decade, largely behind the incredible community spirit and dedication of legions of organizers, volunteers, organizers, sponsors, restaurants, wineries, breweries, gourmet food makers and, of course, hundreds and hundreds of food and drink lovers (with a gorgeous day of weather thrown in for good measure). And organizers once again diverted more than 90 percent of the event's waste from the landfill in support of the goals of Zero Waste Marin. All photos by Gary Ferber Photography.

The appeal of the 38th annual edition of the event was clear: wine from more than 60 premium wineries, fine craft beers from 11 breweries and food from nearly 30 gourmet food purveyors, as well as 10 of the best restaurants in the North Bay, let alone in the 94941. Those restaurants were: Bungalow 44, Flour Craft Bakery, La Ginestra, Parranga, Piazza D'Angelo, Pizza Antica, Playa, Prabh Indian Kitchen, Sol Food and Urban Remedy.

"We're absolutely thrilled at the turnout for this fantastic community event," said Paula Reynolds, co-director of the Mill Valley Chamber, which manages the event and is one of its beneficiaries, along with Kiddo!, the non-profit Mill Valley Schools Community Foundation. "We are so grateful to the sponsors who helped make it happen, particularly the Canepa family, which has played such an incredible role in the event's success over the years. Thanks also to the amazing wineries, breweries, gourmet food providers and 10 great local restaurants that attracted so many food and drink lovers, and to the volunteers and Kelli Tonnesen's Corporate Concepts event production for putting on such a well-organized, popular event."

The event benefited greatly from sponsorship and support from Mill Valley Market, Vintage Wine & Spirits, Zephyr Real Estate. WrapManager/Assembly, Belle Marin Aesthetic Medicine, West Coast Wine • Cheese, Porsche Marin, Redwood Credit Union, FastSigns and U.S. Pure Water, along with partners Kiddo!, City of Mill Valley, Mill Valley Refuse, US Bank and Gary Ferber Photography. And back by popular demand, the event also featured complimentary valet bicycle parking, provided by the Marin County Bicycle Coalition and sponsored by Tam Bikes in Mill Valley.

We'll be back at it again on June 7, 2020!!

More fantastic photos of the event from Gary Ferber Photography.

Support these businesses:

In what has long been one of the biggest musical events in Mill Valley, the 2019 edition of DjangoFest, the 15-year-old event inspired by the late gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, returns to the Throckmorton Theatre June 21-23 for a series of shows featuring some of the biggest names and brightest stars of the genre..

The event, which regularly attracts legions of fans of the “hot” jazz sound Reinhardt pioneered as well as guitarists from all over the Bay Area, has long been one of the landmark local venue’s most popular events. Djangofest kicks off June 21 with a set from Bina Coquet Trio plus Simon Planting, followed on June 22 with Paulus Schäfer, Tim Kliphuis, Simon Planting and special guest Samuel Farthing. The weekend concludes June 23 with Jason Anick Acoustic Trio & Nick Lehr Memorial Djam featuring DjangoFest Mill Valley artists from all three days.

Though Reinhardt died 65 years ago, gypsy jazz continues to find new audiences. Its popularity surged in the aftermath of Woody Allen’s 1999 film Sweet and Lowdown, in which Sean Penn portrayed 1930s, fictional jazz guitarist Emmet Ray, who idolizes Django Reinhardt.

A Romani gypsy from Belgium, Reinhardt emerged in the 1930s as Europe’s best-known jazz musician, a virtuoso guitar player who combined his love for American greats like Louis Armstrong with the rich and mysterious Romani musical tradition. Though he died tragically young at age 43, Reinhardt’s musical legend was by that time cemented within jazz circles, and the past few decades have seen a worldwide spike in interest in both his music and his place in jazz history.

“He transformed jazz in a lot of ways,” said Nick Lehr, the late co-founder of DjangoFest Mill Valley who produced his first such festival in Whidbey Island, Washington back in 2001. “Not only was he the most famous European jazz musician, but he’s also probably the only European that really contributed to the development of the art form.”
​
The 411: Djangofest is June 21-23 at the Throckmorton Theatre. MORE INFO & TIX.

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

Mill Valley resident's Elizabeth Goodwin Welborn’s eight-year-old Stick & Ball equestrian, country polo-inspired brand, which opened its first retail shop at 186 East Blithedale Ave. in 2016, has struck a unique partnership with Mandarina, a new One&Only property with private residences, a hotel and a world class equestrian center North of Puerto Vallarta. 

The deal has the two companies hosting a Polo & Dinner Series in the Bay Area, Aspen and Santa Ynez this summer to introduce the property to the West Coast. Email here for more info on the property or events.

“We are excited to partner with and introduce this new, extraordinary, equestrian-centric destination in Mexico’s majestic Riviera Nayarit,” says Goodwin Welborn, Stick & Ball founder and creative director. "Mandarina's vision for sustainable design and architecture and equestrian centric facilities make the partnership a perfect match."

The 411: Stick & Ball  is at 186 East Blithedale. MORE INFO.

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