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| June 3, 2005
SUMMER FESTIVALS: Sunny San Anselmo A long tradition of creekside frolics and sassy parades BY MATTHEW STAFFORD San Anselmo’s been a pleasant place to set down roots and raise a family as far back as a century ago, when the town’s picnic-friendly creekside orchards and strict anti-alcohol ordinances made it a wholesome alternative to those neighboring examples of municipal wickedness, San Rafael and Fairfax. Before then San Anselmo was little more than the east-west hub of the North Coast Pacific Railway, but after the 1906 earthquake city folk flocked to this sylvan, sun-dappled setting to begin a new life. Today the town’s attractive homes, matchless weather, handsome library, excellent restaurants and beautifully preserved creekside maintain its family-friendly reputation. San Anselmo’s strong community spirit is reflected in the many municipal festivals it hosts each summer. Almost all of them take place along the banks of San Anselmo Creek, the town’s gathering spot for nearly a century. A fine example is the Creekside “Q” on June 29, a good old-fashioned small-town barbecue with terrific food—it’s catered by Bubba’s Diner, one of the town’s most revered eating spots. Besides exemplary barbecued chicken and fantastic salads and big chunks of juicy watermelon and other traditional American grub, the evening event offers up lots of foot-stomping music, children’s activities aplenty and the simple pleasures of midsummer Marin at dusk. Another promising creekside frolic is July 23’s Salute to the Beatles, a fun-filled celebration of the Fab Four. As evening falls, the Peter Pennhallow band and chorus pay tribute to Ringo and his talented sidemen, all the way from “Love Me Do” to “She’s So Heavy,” while attendees in their grooviest gear warble along. Bring a picnic and bone up on the lyrics to “Hey Bulldog.” This year marks the hundredth anniversary of the Dipsea Race (see story on page 13), and in celebration the town will host three movies about this fabled marathon to kick off the summer-long Film Night in the Park series. Almost every weekend through September 4, a different classic flick is shown under the stars while you and your neighbors cheer the heroes, boo the villains, enjoy a picnic supper and loll on the grass. This year’s selections features such gems as The Searchers, Monkey Business, The 400 Blows and, best of all, the scary, surreal Robert Mitchum classic Night of the Hunter. Each film is preceded by music, a raffle and a bit of movie trivia; popcorn, candy and sodas are available for purchase. If you want an even more interactive show-biz experience, check out the Town Players’ production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the Tim Rice-Andrew Lloyd Webber musical based on Joseph and His Brethren. Also presented in Creek Park, it runs from July 26-August 7. Further creekside entertainment is served up on occasional Sunday afternoons through the summer when the Music in the Park series presents a stellar array of plein air jazz, blues, folk, rock and Motown. There’s stuff to do beyond the banks of San Anselmo Creek as well. The San Anselmo Art & Design Festival transforms the downtown area into a lively bazaar of lovely sights, lilting sounds and delicious smells June 25 and 26. Eight blocks of San Anselmo Avenue offer up a global array of food and drink, a dazzling lineup of live music, home, cooking and garden demos and workshops and over 225 artists displaying their wares. Sculpture, ceramics, clothing, photography, woodwork and jewelry are among the treasures available for purchase while jazz, R&B, rock and zydeco bands provide an eclectic backdrop. Later in the year, during the town’s matchlessly balmy Indian summer, the San Anselmo Community Fair & Parade provides citizen and sightseer alike with a full day of family-friendly fun. After a rib-sticking pancake breakfast, attendees enjoy arts and crafts, children’s activities, live music from Pride and Joy, a thundering high school Battle of the Bands and barbecued oysters and other delicious delectables from local restaurants. The crowd-pleasing parade up San Anselmo Avenue, meanwhile, features dazzling floats, vintage cars, the ever-popular Marin Sanitary Marching Rock ’n’ Rollers and the perpetually saucy Prom Queens. Meanwhile, back at the creek, summer proper draws to a close with the Creek Clean-Up on September 17. Volunteers gather at nine in the morning and work their way down the length of San Anselmo Creek from the Fairfax border to Ross, clearing out the debris and detritus of the past several months in a hands-on attempt at preventive flood control. It’s the perfect way to wrap up a summer in San Anselmo: by pitching in and tidying up the town’s traditional crossroads after a sunny season of friendly community frolic. SUMMER FESTIVALS BY CITY Corte Madera |
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San Anselmo Art & Design Festival, Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26. 10am-6pm on San Anselmo Avenue between Bolinas and Tamalpais streets. Free. Info: 800/310-6563. Creekside “Q,” Wednesday, June 29. 5:30-7:30pm in Creek Park. Info: 415/258-4676. Music in the Park, occasional Sunday afternoons throughout the summer in Creek Park. Free. Info: 415/258-4676. Salute to the Beatles, Saturday, July 23. 6:30pm in Creek Park. $5-$10. Info: 415/258-4676. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Thursday, July 28-Sunday, August 7. Fridays-Saturdays at 7pm and Sundays at 5pm in Creek Park. $12-$18. Info: 415/258-4640. Creek Clean-Up, Saturday, September 17. Meet at the Isabel Cook Center (1000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.) at 9am. Free. Info: 415/258-4676. San Anselmo Community Fair & Parade, Sunday, October 2. 10am-5pm (pancake breakfast at 7:30am). Info: 415/258-4676. |
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