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Don't be disappointed! See below for 12 Insider Secrets to enjoying the Festival on Labor Day Weekend!
Weather Update: Saturday is likely to be sunny, but cool and breezy, so be sure to have a sweater or jacket. Sunday and Monday are forecast to be warm, even hot. As usual, the best strategy in Sausalito is to dress in layers.
Quick links:
Music, Musicians and Bands Starring at the 2012 Sausalito Art Festival
Labor Day Weekend Sausalito Ferry and Festival-Direct Ferry Schedules
Best Sausalito Breakfast Restaurants for before the gates open at 10:00
Best Sausalito Dinner Restaurants for after the Festival closes at 6:00
Map of the 2012 Festival and the Map for Parking & Shuttles
Volunteer for the Sausalito Art Festival
Fast Forward SummaryTM: The Sausalito Art Festival, held each Labor Day weekend, is the biggest outdoor art festival in the U.S. Artists come from all over the world to show their work, and there are major musical performances.
Dates and Festival Hours for 2012:
Saturday September 1st 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday September 2nd 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday September 3rd 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Ticket Prices for 2012:
Ticket prices for 2012 are unchanged from 2011.
Gen. Admission (ages 13-61) -- $25.00 per day (The 3-day pass is discontinued for 2012)
Seniors age 62+ -- $15.00 per day
Juniors age 6-12 -- $5.00 per day
Children under 6 -- Free with Adult
You can buy tickets at the event, or pre-purchase them here through EventBrite.
You can also buy combined event tickets and ferry passes on the boats that unload at a pier adjacent to the Festival grounds.
12 Insider Secrets for The 2012 Sausalito Art Festival
There are a number of changes this year, as noted below. The Sausalito Art Festival is all about great art and wonderful music. The event has grown so large that by necessity there are some rules, and some surprises you'll want to avoid.
1. Pets have to stay home: Only service animals like Guide Dogs are allowed on the grounds. It's far too warm for a dog to wait in the car, so please leave them at home.
2. Chairs, food and beverages (see below) are not allowed inside the Festival grounds, but strollers may be OK. It used to be OK to bring food, but that has changed this year. Strollers for young children have historically not been allowed, but this restriction has vanished from this year's list of prohibitions.
Insiders Tip: We called the Festival and the person confirmed strollers were OK, but we have to admit there was some confusion in the office about the right answer when the question was asked. Our advice: If you bring a stroller be prepared for someone to tell you that you have to take it back to the car, since this policy change (if it really is a change) may not have reached everyone in the organization.
3. Parking prices go down if you park farther from the gates, and the parking shuttle buses are comfortable and air conditioned so thye outer lots are a great option. The closer you park to the Festival grounds, the more you'll pay, so pass up the $20 close-in parking and take the bus from the $10 lot. Signs on Bridgeway will point the way and are clearly marked with each lot's prices. (See map below.) Don't park on the street in the nearby neighborhoods: residents have passes and if you're in street parking without a pass your odds on getting an expensive ticket are 100%.
Sausalito Residents: If you live close to the Festival and did not get your residential parking passes email artfestivalparking@hotmail.com or call 415-272-4684.
Sausalito Office Workers: If your office is nearby (as is OurSausalito.com), your building manager will have special parking passes if you need to work that weekend. Our advice as people whose office is very close by: if you have to work that day, come in early so the lot isn;t full when you present your pass.
4. Bikes get free valet parking. It's hosted by the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, and they're waiting to help you just outside the main Festival entry gates, to the left of the entrance area.
5. The Golden Gate Ferry to downtown Sausalito adds extra crossings each year, plus Special ferries sail from San Francisco directly to a pier adjacent to the Festival. The schedule for the expanded service is here. Many people get confused so just remember:
-- Regular Sausalito ferry service from Fisherman's Wharf and from the Ferry Building goes to the same place it always goes, the Sausalito Ferry terminal, which is a pier with no building. Free (comfortable) buses run from 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM each day will to shuttle visitors from the downtown pier to the Festival, and this is a great way to get to the event and save the headaches of driving and parking.
Insiders Tip: If you have a regular ferry ticket and leave the Festival a little early you can take the free shuttle back to downtown Sausalito, but don't immediately board the ferry. You'll have time to eat at one of the many great nearby restaurants, some with great views, before taking a later ferry back to San Francisco. Just check the ferry schedule to make sure you know the time of the last voyage to your destination in San Francisco.
Insiders Tip: On Monday Golden Gate Ferry will be running a shorter schedule since the Festival closes an hour early. Make sure to check the right schedule when planning your trip.
-- The special Art Festival ferries go directly to a pier adjacent to the fairgrounds at Marinship Park. You can buy combined event tickets and ferry passes. This is super convenient, but cuts you off from all the other dining and sightseeing of Sausalito.
6. Golden Gate Transit buses also serve the area. The three closest stops are Bridgeway at Harbor (by Mollie Stone's), Bridgeway at Nevada and Bridgeway at Easterby (by the 7-11).
7. Sausalito's hottest days of the year often come in September. The Festival has seen all sorts of weather over the years (do have a windbreaker as a backup). Even if there's a cool breeze, be sure to use sunscreen on these sunny summer days.
8. Art prices run from a $5 necklace to a $10,000 sculpture. The variety -- and the talent -- are amazing. You can find a list of the 2011 artists here (and the 2010 list is here).
9. Music plays almost all day on two different stages. The main stage and seats are under a large tent, which fills up early for the "big name" performers. As with many music venues, people will stand in front and block the view of those seated in back, so plan where in the big tent you sit (or stand) accordingly. The front tables fill up very early. Lawn chairs are not allowed in the Festival grounds. See our complete list of bands and musicians and th3e schedule here.
10. Be prepared to stand in line for County Fair style food at lunch, you cannot bring in food or beverages, and neither breakfast nor dinner are available on site. Many veteran fair-goers take in a hearty breakfast before they come, and stay in Sausalito to enjoy a great dinner at a local restaurant after the fair closes, avoiding the evening traffic. The food booths are run by local service organizations to support their programs, so the money goes to good causes. Mid-day lines can be long and slow. You're not allowed to bring in food, bottles or cans, and the prohibition on bringing in food is new for 2012.
11. New for 2012: There's a hand stamp for in-and-out visits so you can leave and come back. This handstamp rule is strictly enforced, so make sure you get the stamp vefore leaving. This is the consolation prize for the loss of three-day weekend passes, which have been discontinued.
12. Wear comfortable shoes. You'll be standing in line for drinks and food, and there are not a lot of places to sit down in the art area. There are lots of seats in the main tent for the musical artists, but even those fill up early in the day. Over half the booths are located on the grass of Marinship Park, and any heel thinner than a cowboy boot will be impractical. (One Editor's joke: "How can you tell the difference between the Sausalito Art Festival and the Sausalito Film Festival? At the Film Festival the flip-flops have stiletto heels!")
Insiders Tip: If you're looking for a place to sit down, go to the back area of the music tent just as one act is completing its performance. When they finish some people will get up and leave, freeing a seat for you.
Disabled Seating: Ask Festival staff regarding any special needs and they'll be happy to help you out.
Before and After the Festival: Be prepared for traffic in Sausalito. Although many visitors use mass transit, the influx of cars will clog city streets unless you arrive early in the morning. Take a deep breath and enjoy the beautiful setting. This is not a town where you can ignore the speed limits or parking restrictions and get away with it.
Want to see what the Art Festival area looks like when the event isn't going on? Check out our pages on the Art Festival Construction and on Marinship Park!
Here's the KGO TV preview from last year:
2012 Entertainment and Special Events
For the full lineup, schedule, background information and links, see our article here.
This year's Sausalito Art Festival music lineup features the British Invasion (Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone and the Yardbirds with Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page), the 1990's (Smash Mouth), 1980's (a return appearance by the Fixx), 1970's (America, who recorded in Sausalito), and 1960's San Francisco Rock/Folk/Pop (The Grass Roots and Dan Hicks, although the Hicks video from Conan below uis recent).
Here are videos from some of this year's performers:
Getting to the 2012 Sausalito Art Festival
You can buy a special combined event ticket and ferry ticket. This ferry service from San Francisco goes directly to a pier adjacent to the Festival grounds, not to the Sausalito Ferry landing pier in downtown Sausalito.
You can take a regular Sausalito Ferry from the Ferry Building in San Francisco, or from Pier 41 in Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. Regular free shuttles bring fair visitors from the downtown ferry pier to the Art Festival grounds.
You can take a Golden Gate Transit bus to Sausalito and get off at the Bridgeway at Easterby or Bridgeway at Nevada bus stops.
You can drive to the Festival, taking the Sausalito-Marin City exit off highway 101. Be sure to check out our advice about driving and parking above.
You can ride your bike, since there's free bike valet parking.
You can stay in a Sausalito Hotel downtown, and then take the free shuttle from the ferry pier to the Festival.
Google Map Instructions: Use the "+" and "-" buttons to zoom in and out, the arrow keys to scroll the map, and the SAT button to see the satellite view.
Art Festival Parking
We find the Ferries to be a far easier way of getting to the Festival, but here is a map of the Festival parking lots. The closer the lot to Marinship Park (where the event is held), the more money you'll pay -- click on a blue "stick pin" button on the map below to see the charge for parking in each lot.
Google Map Instructions: Use the "+" and "-" buttons to zoom in and out, the arrow keys to scroll the map, and the SAT button to see the satellite view.
Where Does the Money Go?
