Sausalito Holiday by the Bay
Sausalito Holiday Events Calendar 2021
Sausalito is hosting its first “Holiday by the Bay” event this year, with more Holiday activities in 2021 than in any other modern December on record. You can check out all of the different events below. If you have a non-profit event in Sausalito or Marin City that you’d like to see on this page, please let us know!
Click here to jump to Fireworks and Lighted Boat Parade
Looking for Sausalito’s year-round Christmas Store? Click here!
December 1 — Sausalito Holiday Tree Lighting and Special Events
On Wednesday evening December 1, come down to Vina del Mar Park in Sausalito from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM to take part in the second annual Sausalito Holiday Tree Lighting, which kicks off Sausalito Holiday by the Bay each year. The tree lighting ceremony, with coffee, treats and more from Sausalito Equator Coffee, will crown the activities at 6:00 PM. The tree was the generous donation of Inn Above Tide. This is a unique edition of Sausalito’s new Wednesday Night Live program, which takes place on the first Wednesday of each month. To kick off Holiday by the Bay music and art will be featured on Caledonia Street, at the Cascais Plaza (the former Bank of America Building in downtown Sausalito), the Chamber of Commerce Sausalito Visitor Center, and at the Golden Gate Market in Sausalito’s Old Town. The Little Willow Strummers, the Sausalito Woman’s Club Ukulele Group, performs Sausalito Christmas music at the Cascais Plaza as part of the event.
The Gingerbread Houses in the competition are located in stores and businesses all over Sausalito during December, so hunting for them is a fun activity. (The signs in the front windows will guide your quest and we have a list of participants below on the page in the link above) This program is a long-running centerpiece of Sausalito Holiday by the Bay, with many area residents coming downtown each year to visit all the stops on the Gingerbread House Trail.
For those who like Where’s Waldo the Chamber has Gingerbread House tour maps available at the downtown visitor center by the Ferry plaza. We are proud to once again serve as one of the sponsors of this event in 2021, joining the all-star team of Sausalito’s Kimber Communications.
One word of warning: If you see giant Gingerbread People like the ones above strolling around town and spreading Sausalito Holidays cheer, do not be alarmed. Do not alter your levels of alcohol consumption nor increase your dosage of any medication. This is normal here and you’re gonna be just fine. (But if the oversized cookies are snickerdoodles instead of gingerbread, we advise that you consult a professional.)
December 1-2 — Muir Beach Holiday Art Fair — Appears to not be happening this year due to Covid. Please keep it on your radar for 2022, because it’s a great event and there are talented artists in Muir Beach. This annual event showcases the work of more than 25 local artists and chefs, with everything from fine art to crafts to yummy food. Saturday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Sunday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Muir Beach Community Center. The event website is here.
December 4 — Annual Sausalito Breakfast with Santa event at the Sausalito Yacht Club,
There are two seatings in the morning for pancakes, sausage and good cheer, and Santa is a wonderful host for all the kids. Be sure to have your phone powered up to take pictures! The guests at the first seating get to welcome Santa as he arrives in Sausalito. Those at the second seating get to cheer him as he sets off to continue preparing for the Holidays! Click here for more details.
December 4 — Green Holiday Home and Garden Workshop from Sausalito Beautiful & the Sausalito Woman’s Club
You can RSVP here. At 2:00 PM on December 4 at the Sausalito Woman’s Club at 120 Central Avenue in Sausalito, you can learn to make beautiful organic wreaths for your front door or as wall décor. Participants may take their wreathes home, or provide them as a gift to someone in the community who could use some extra holiday cheer. Materials cost will be $20 per person. Everyone is welcome, but seats are limited. You will need to show your vaccination card to enter the building.
December 4-5 — Winter Artists’ Open Studios at the ICB Building & Varda Landing
The ICB Building — Free admission! The group of artists who have studios at the ICB Building. makes it one of the largest art centers of its kind in the United States. For 2021 (for 2021 they’re skipping the usual Friday evening artists’ reception, but the full open studios event will take place 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM Saturday, December 4, and again on Sunday, December 5.
Varda Landing — Free admission! The Sausalito Working Waterfront Coalition will also open their studios nearby at 247 Gate 5 Road, Varda Landing on Saturday 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday 12:00 noon to 4:00 PM.
December 4-5 — Heath Ceramics Holiday Make Good Market
Come to the Heath Ceramics factory and showroom for the 2021 edition of their annual Make Good Market (click here for RSVP link), which will be celebrated outdoors at their facility at 400 Gate Five Road. Items for sale by local makers include glassware, clothing, furniture, jewelry and a variety of fine hand-made items. Artists who are expected to exhibit include Aesthetic Union, Llane Alexis, Aplat, Julie Cristello, Fryn, Kirsten Muenster and Julia Turner.
December 5 — Sausalito Presbyterian Choir Annual Christmas Vespers Concert
From 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Sausalito Presbyterian Church, 112 Bulkley Ave, Sausalito: Enjoy holiday carols and poetry with Alfred Burt, David Conte, Morten Laurisden, Cecilia McDowall, John Rutter, and Eric Whitacre, with Music Director Ralph Hooper and Poetry Presenter Julie Carlson. (Free Will Offering in lieu of ticket sales.) Attendees over 12 years of age must show proof of full vaccination to enter. Masks will be required at all times during the program.
December 5 — The 12 Zaniest Days of Christmas EVER
Come down to Cascais Plaza at 750 Bridgeway in Sausalito from 3:00 to 5:00 PM on December 5 to enjoy comedy, music and fun with this twisted version of the 12 Days of Christmas, with Andy Dudnick, Juli Stewart and The Blonde Sided. The festivities are being produced by Ciji Ware and members of the Sausalito Woman’s Club.
December 10 — Caledonia Street Candy Cane Lane
This opening night of Candy Cane Lane will celebrate the special oversized holiday character decorations in Sausalito’s neighborhood-centered Caledonia Street area. From 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM Santa and some of his elves will be there, so be ready for some spontaneous photos with the kids. At 4:00 PM the band Harmonic Means will perform at the corner of Pine and Caledonia (near the row of restaurants in the Caledonia St. neighborhood). Shops will be open extended hours, and some stores and restaurants will be offering special treats and/or special deals.
December 11-12 — Sausalito Winterfest
Click here for our dedicated page with events, links, ticket information and maps for Sausalito’s classic small town Holiday celebration.
- December 11 — Sausalito Lighted Boat Parade and Fireworks. Click here for our dedicated page with Insider Tips to help you enjoy the parade and fireworks and avoid disappointment.
- December 12 — Sausalito Jingle Bell Fun Run 5K for adults and kids follows a route along the Sausalito waterfront and is followed by a pancake breakfast for runners.
December 12 — Marin City Voices of Praise, Directed by Florence Williams
Join Marin Women’s Hall of Fame inductee Florence Williams, R&B keyboard artist and vocalist Reed Fromer and the Marin City Voices of Praise at Cascais Plaza for a joyful celebration at 4:00 PM on December 12. You’ll walk away feeling uplifted and energized!
December 13 — Downtown Sausalito 2021 Holiday Shopping Night Out
Come down to the Downtown & Ferry Pier neighborhood and the Bridgeway Promenade neighborhood, 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, with shops open extended hours. Some will be offering special treats and/or special deals.
December 15 — Sausalito Woman’s Club Performance
Sausalito Woman’s Club Joy & Light Holiday Event, 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM, Sausalito Woman’s Club, 120 Central Avenue.
December 17 — Princess St. Merchants 2021 Holiday Celebration
From 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, come on down for holiday shopping along unique and charming Princess Street in Sausalito. With holiday lights, decorations and festive music it will be a great time for everyone! Princess Street is located directly on the boundary between the Downtown & Ferry Pier neighborhood and the Bridgeway Promenade neighborhood,
December 17 — Holiday Carolers Stroll through Sausalito
Holiday carolers from Sausalito Presbyterian Church will be sharing the spirit of the season from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM in the Downtown & Ferry Pier neighborhood and the Bridgeway Promenade neighborhood,
December 18 — Marin City West Coast Blues Society Christmas Concert
The West Coast Blues Society Caravan of All Stars will celebrate the music of the Holidays with R&B, blues and jazz. This concert is a special treat for locals, with a powerful lineup of prominent local musicians, and will take place from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Cascais Plaza.
December 18-19 — 2021 Sausalito Makers Faire and Santa’s Workshop (with photos!)
Shopping is more personal when you can meet the artists, jewelers and craftspeople who create unique gifts. Come on down to the former Bank of America building at Cascais Plaza to meet the Sausalito “Makers” during the Makers Faire. The event runs from Noon to 6:00 PM each day.
From 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on both Saturday and Sunday, Santa himself will come by for socially distanced photos and listening eagerly to hear what you want for Christmas. (This may also be your last chance to explain to Santa what really happened that night in Vegas in 2013 that put your name on the Naughty List!)
December 22 — Holiday Sing-Along with Jan & Andy
Jan & Andy Dudnick are the stars for the Grand Finale of the 1st Annual Sausalito Holiday by the Bay. From 4:00 PM to 6:00 Pm they’ll lead a community sing-along at Cascais Plaza. Everyone from kids to those age 192 is invited to come down and join in the singing. Especially those who hit sour notes here and there, since I’ll need someone to disguise the imperfections of my attempts at singing!
December 31 — New Years Eve San Francisco Fireworks Viewing from Sausalito — You can skip the traffic and parking hassles and watch from a view restaurant in Sausalito! Yes, we’re farther away, but you can see both barges at once and you skip all the hassles from the crowds.
Getting all these “small town America” Sausalito Christmas and Holiday season events coordinated represents a lot of clever (and hard) work by people at the City of Sausalito, the Sausalito Chamber of Commerce, the Sausalito Woman’s Club, Sausalito On the Waterfront, the Sausalito Economic Development Committee (EDAC), Performing Stars of Marin and more. Bravo to everyone at these and other groups who do so much to enrich our local Holidays!
