Marin Weekend Family Events for January 11, 12 & 13

Here are our picks for great events and activities for children and families this weekend. Find more events for the whole week in Marin and beyond in our Family Events Calendar.

Friday, January 11

• Sing-Along with Sara Sonnet
  San Rafael Public Library
  Friday, 10:30–11 am
  Join us for a delightful selection of books, motion songs, toys, finger plays, lullabies and rhymes for children aged birth to four years old! Location: 1100 E Street, San Rafael. For more info, call (415) 485-3322 or visit their website.
• Waldorf Parent–Toddler Visiting Day
  Marin Waldorf School, San Rafael
  Friday, 9–10:30 am
  Parents and their young children under three are invited to participate in the parent-toddler classes being held at the Marin Waldorf School. The mornings for parents and toddlers consist of indoor and outdoor play, a warm snack, singing, movement, and finger-games. Parents can enjoy a cup of tea while learning to knit and make soft toys for their children, and having conversations about parenting and Waldorf education. The classes are facilitated by an experienced Waldorf-trained teacher, Barbara Rosen, M Ed, with the aid of an experienced assistant. For more info, call (415) 479-8190 ext.147 or visit their website.
• The Ghost Below
  Marin Mammal Center, Sausalito
  Friday, Saturday & Sunday, 10 am–5 pm
  This new thought-provoking exhibit at Sausalito's Marine Mammal Center brings the ghostly dangers of the deep to the surface. Local artists Richard and Judith Lang have created an art experience from a portion of the 450 pounds of "ghost nets" and trash found in the belly of a dead sperm whale. You’ll see, touch, learn and be inspired to make the ocean a healthier place for all. Location: 2000 Bunker Road, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito. For more info, visit their website.
• Breakfast with Enzo (music for families)
  Sports Basement, San Francisco
  Friday, 10 am–noon
  Enzo Garcia plays guitar, banjo, accordion, musical saw, Jew's harp, enzotar, appalachian dulcimer, slide flute, percussion and more. Enzo has been performing his family music show, "Breakfast with Enzo", weekly in San Francisco for the past 8 years, Recommended for children 7 and under. Two different sets of music starting at 10 am and 11am. Drop in any time. Cost: $5 per person; siblings under 7 months free. For more info, call (415) 652-2474 or visit his website.
  
• Parents Night Out
  Marinwood Community Center, San Rafael
  Friday, 5–10 pm
  Drop off the kids and enjoy a night out! While you relax, the kids will be having fun with the Marinwood Camp staff this Saturday evening. This event often sells out—register early! For ages 3–10. Cost: $18; $5 sibling discount. For more info and registration call (415) 479-0775 or visit their website.

Saturday, January 12

• Youth Winter Bird Count in Marin
  
  Albert J. Boro Community Center at Pickleweed Park
  Saturday, 8:30 am–12:30 pm
  Children of all ages and their families are invited to participate. Participants must register but participation is free! The Youth Winter Bird Count will give aspiring young birders an opportunity to work in small teams with experienced birders while participating in real citizen science. Participants will learn to use binoculars and scopes, record and identify a variety of local birds with the help of expert birders, enter data into a shared database and present bird data to other participating teams. Children of all ages and their families are invited to participate. For more info or to register, visit their website
• Open House: Greenwood School
  17 Buena Vista Ave., Mill Valley
  Saturday, 8:45am–12:30 pm
  Greenwood School integrates best contemporary educational practices with the wisdom of Waldorf education. Experience a school where math, language arts and sciences are enlivened with arts, music, movement and enthusiasm. Free childcare available. Schedule: 1st-8th grade focus 8:45-11:30 am and Preschool & Kindergarten focus 11:30-12:30 pm. For more info, call 415-388-0495 or visit their website.
• Marin Country Mart Farmers Market
  Marin Country Mart, Larkspur Landing
  Saturday, 9 am–2 pm
  Enjoy the best local and organic produce, flowers, pastured meats, seafood, organic cheeses, yogurt and milk, breads, baked goods, pasta, confections, olive oil, and brunch and lunch offerings! Kids can take a pony ride and visit the petting zoo (10 am–2 pm), try out some arts and crafts (9 am–2 pm) and listen to family music (9:30–10:30 am). For more info, visit their website.
• Whale Watching at Point Reyes Lighthouse
  Point Reyes National Seashore
  Weekends, 9 am–3:30 pm
  Go see the whales out at the Point Reyes Light House and Chimney Rock. Shuttle buses leave Drakes Beach every 15– 20 minutes. The cost is $5 per person. Children under 16 are free. No cars allowed at Point Reyes Light House during the weekends. For more info, visit their website.
• Family Fun Run and Health and Wellness Fair
  Mill Valley Community Center
  Saturday, 9:30–11:30 am
  Run/walk is along Tamalpais Valley bike path and behind community center. Registration is free, but pre-registration is encouraged as space is limited. For more info, visit their website.
• Open House: Marin Mountain School Early Childhood Center
  Corte Madera
  Saturday, 10–11:30 pm
  Come meet our wonderful teachers and experience our cozy classrooms! Indoor play, outdoor play, and puppet show. Children are welcome and no reservation is necessary! Location: 50 El Camino Drive, Alpha Building, Corte Madera. For more info, call 415-924-4661 or visit their website.
• Family Dance Workshops with San Francisco Ballet
  de Young Museum, San Francisco
  Saturday, 10 am–11 am and 11 am–noon
  Instructors of the San Francisco Ballet Center for Dance Education will lead participants through an introductory dance experience. Designed for children age 5–14 and their parents or guardians, these dance workshops explore the basics of ballet and creative movement experience, inspired by the ballet The Nutcracker. Pre-registration is required. Cost: $3 FAMSF members, $5 non-members; museum admission not required. For more information and registration, visit their website.
• Let Your Hair Down, Rapunzel
  Cowell Theater at Fort Mason Center
  Saturday, 10:30 am & 1 pm
  The Children's Theatre Association of San Francisco (CTASF) presents a holiday musical for the entire family. Tickets: $12. For more info, call (415) 248-2677 or visit their website.
  
• World on Stage: Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Carlos Moreno
  Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito
  Saturday, 11 am
  Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Carlos Moreno will perform dances from across Mexico. Enjoy the rich culture of Mexico through dance, music and fabulous costumes ranging from the tropical port of Veracruz to the rancheros of Jalisco. For ages 6 months and up. Cost: Members $7; General $17 Includes Museum admission. For more info, visit their website.
• Experience Elephant Seals
  Elephant Seal Overlook, Chimney Rock, Point Reyes National Seashore
  Weekends, 11 am–4 pm
  Weekends and holidays, late December through April. View an elephant seal colony through binoculars and scopes. A special 30-minute slide program about elephant seals may be available at the Lifeboat Station at Chimney Rock, depending on staffing availability. Check at one of the Visitor Centers for whether the slide program is being offered. Visitors will need to take the winter shuttle bus from Drake's Beach. For moore info, call (415) 669-1534 or visit their website.
• Mochitsuki! Mochi Pounding Ceremony
  Asian Art Museum, San Francisco
  Saturday, noon–4 pm
  Celebrate the Japanese New Year with Kagami Kai as they present the colorful and exciting New Year tradition of pounding mochi (delectably sweet rice cakes) along with music, dance, and costumes. Afterward, stick around and listen to members of Kagami Kai talk about mochi pounding's Shinto roots in the Japan galleries, and make an art project inspired by food. Artist Shioh Kato, a Kagami Kai member, will also commemorate the ceremony and the New Year with a calligraphy demonstration of the letter for "snake". Free with museum admission (kids 12 and under always admitted free). For more info, call (415) 581-3500 or visit their website.
• Lobos Dunes Adventures!
  Presidio of San Francisco
  Saturday, 2–3:30 pm
  The Lobos Dunes are a hidden treasure, a place of natural diversity used and valued in different ways by different cultures throughout time. Learn how the rich resources of this diverse ecosystem healed the sick, fed the hungry, and quenched the thirst of thousands—and continue to do so today. For families and all ages. Free. Reservations required as space is limited; call (415) 561-4323. Meet at the Lobos Dunes parking lot off Lincoln Boulevard near the 25th Avenue Gate. For more info, visit their website.
• Jay Alexander Magic
  Showcase Theater, Marin Center, San Rafael
  Saturday, 2 pm & 5 pm
  Step right up and see world-renown Master Illusionist Jay Alexander in an amazing, funny and unique magic show that will entertain children and adults alike. This is a hilarious comedy magic show that is regularly requested across the nation by celebrities from Robin Williams to the Rolling Stones. See why Newsweek called it, "the funniest show in town!" and John Cleese said, "Tremendous... you are mind-blowing!" Tickets: $20 per person. Purchase tickets here. For more info, visit their website.
  
• Love2Dance - Stars of the Stage
  Marin Veterans' Memorial Auditorium
  Saturday, 6 pm
  Love2Dance hosts a special 10-year anniversary performance and tribute to celebrate the success of their last 18 shows. Recent show themes include Broadway & Beyond, Mixin’ it Motown, A Red Carpet Affair, and Dancing Around the World. The Love2Dance All-Stars, the studio’s competitive dance team, will also perform their award-winning routines. Tickets: $18 and $24. Visit their website for more info or to purchase tickets.

Sunday, January 13

• Civic Center Farmers' Market
  Marin Civic Center, San Rafael
  Sunday, 8 am–1 pm
  There's lots of organically grown produce, breads, eggs, and fresh cut flowers, as well as live music, bounce houses, and more. This farmers' market is a great one to take the kids to. It’s located in the main Civic Center parking lot. For more info, visit their website.
  
• Preschool Gallery Hour: Alison Faith Levy
  Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco
  Sunday, 10–11:30 am (doors open at 9:45 am)
  On second Sundays, the CJM opens early just for preschoolers and their families. Activities include gallery explorations of the exhibition The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats, hands-on art-making fun, and a musical performance by Alison Faith Levy’s Big Time Tot Rock. Doors open at 9:45 am. Free with museum admission; Adults must be accompanied by a preschooler for entry; youth 18 and under always free. For more info, call (415) 655-7800 or visit their website.
• Marine Science Sunday: Animals of the Arctic
  Marin Mammal Center, Sausalito
  Sunday, 10 am–5 pm
  Join The Marine Mammal Center's monthly free educational series, Marine Science Sundays, on the second Sunday of each month. This month we talk about the amazing animals of the cold, like walruses, narwhals, seals, and whales! Location: 2000 Bunker Road Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito. For more info, call (650) 255-4985 or visit their website.
  
• Sunday Special: Pacific Boychoir Concert
  Mill Valley Public Library
  Sunday, 11 am–noon
  The Grammy award-winning Pacific Boychoir presents The Troubadors in a repertory program that will delight ears of all ages. Location: 375 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley. For more info, call (415) 389-4292 x4741 or visit their website.
  
• Storytime with Christopher Smith
  Book Passage Corte Madera
  Sunday at 11 am
  Acoustic multi-instrumentalist Smith crafts story songs that aim for the heart. He is especially popular with toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners. However, all ages (including adults) love him. Book Passage is located at 51 Tamal Vista Blvd. in Corte Madera. For more info, call (415) 927-0960 or visit www.bookpassage.com/kids-books-fairs.
  
• The Greg Frisbee Show: Escape Artistry, Magic and Juggling
  The Osher Marin JCC, San Rafael
  Sunday, 1–2 pm
  Greg Frisbee is an original—his seemingly bottomless trunk of props will be sure to have you laughing out loud! The award-winning Greg Frisbee Show includes juggling knives, mind reading, extreme balancing, and audience participation. He has performed all across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, and England. Don't miss this hilarious and special performer! Tickets: $7 members, $8 general (under 2 years old free). Open seating. Tickets are available at the door or call (510) 236-7469. For more info, visit their website.
• Whale Watching at Point Reyes Lighthouse (see Saturday for details).
• Experience Elephant Seals at Point Reyes National Seashore (see Saturday for details).