All of the Marin stereotypes are either put to rest or reinforced by a visit to Fairfax. It’s a little bit country, a little bit vegan/organic/gluten-free, both upscale(Village Sake), down-market(Nave’s), and Rock&Roll(19 Broadway). For a taste of all that’s Fairfax get thyself to the annual Fairfax Fest which runs for 2 weekend days each year. Before a visit it might help to do your reconnaissance. Look online for a music schedule lineup as well as a map of the place. This year I heard a couple say«no, that’s all there is» but I knew better. They’d missed the whole part of the festival over by Peri Park as well as that on the baseball field and in the Fairfax Pavillion(the site of the Ecofest). This festival winds through redwood trees, has vendor tables tucked into groves, then sprawls out to unexpected places. It’s by no means huge but there’s not a logical path through it all which is why you’ll benefit from knowing that in advance. The offerings are all over the map in a very Fairfaxian way: Hawaiian music on a stage tucked away in a redwood grove, rock music from a Fairfax mainstay(Danny Click & the Hell Yeahs) on the big, obvious stage, beer of course, BBQ oysters, the ubiquitous grilled corn-on-the-cob, and a farmer’s market. I’d be remiss if I failed to mention the vendor booths at which you can get every tie-dye/hippy product you ever imagined(though this year the cat ear headbands seemed to be the best-selling product). Or the Ecofest, an oddly fascinating mix of do-gooder products and services that didn’t quite make it to a booth at the county fair. The Fairfax Festival is a great reason to slip off to Fairfax for a few hours(or a day) and experience something that feels like the quintessential Marin experience. It’s very home grown and uniquely Fairfax and if you don’t know what that means, all the more reason to visit. * Free valet bike parking. * Street parking for all others(good luck). * Free admission * Dogs permitted
Michelle J.
Place rating: 3 Fairfax, CA
The festival deserves 5 stars and is a community event that everyone attends who lives here but I took it down to 3 stars solely based on the eco fest organic wine tasting-all the vendors donate all of the wine yet they charge $ 40 for both days of tasting-you are not allowed to buy a glass wine or a tasting just for one day-and they are beyond rude about it-years ago the tasting was $ 10 per day and the vendors were happy to pour you a nice healthy taste. What does the $ go to? I know at least 10 people who decided to forgo the tasting due to the price-but I guess a few at $ 40 is better than a lot at $ 10-not in sync with the moral or ethics of the festival. Seems more like a tasting in Mill Valley
Terry T.
Place rating: 3 Hercules, CA
The fair has been held every June for 35 years. It is held in such a pretty setting. The small redwood grove, the larger park and the ball field make this an ideal setting for a fair. The event is part flea market and part crafts fair. There are 3 music stages and several food vendors. The fair is crowed and it is hard to park. I wasn’t impressed with the food offerings. I never did find the BBQ oysters. It is too bad that none of the local restaurants had booths; Fairfax is a town full of locally owned restaurants. The wine choices were impressive. The music was great.
