Sausalito Herring Festival

Long before wartime ship-building, flower children, and tourists, Sausalito had herring. As one of the more important fisheries in the world, and the last commercial fishery left on San Francisco Bay, herring draw fishermen from up and down the coast to the Bay for a short-but-productive two-month season. Herring boats can be seen scooping up the oily little baitfish in Richardson Bay at all hours as flocks of seabirds and hoards of marine mammals fight for the leftovers. And tomorrow you’ll have the chance to celebrate the shiny little fish at the inaugural Sausalito Herring Festival.

The festival runs 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Gabrielson Park (near the ferry landing) in downtown Sausalito. Several local restaurants and chefs will feature culinary delights (not all herring-based!) and demos on preparing seafood, while experts educate attendees on threats to the fishery’s sustainability. A kids’ activity area will keep Junior entertained while adults enjoy the musical stylings of several groups, including the Waterfront Pickers which features Latitude‘s own ‘Banjo Andy’ Turpin, Tom and Hans List, Jody Boyle, Tom Funkhouser, John Skoriak, ‘Diver Dave’ Gissendaner, and other working maritime tradespeople. The event is free to attend, but donations for the Sausalito Community Boating Center are welcome (and encouraged)!