Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival 2026

Welcome to the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival's 69th year of presenting this incredible show!
The beauty of this show's venue is unparalleled❤️ This venerated art festival held in a gorgeous redwood grove in downtown Mill Valley, showcases the work of 135 fine art and fine craft artists. Only original artist-made work is acceptable.  September is a wonderful time to come together and celebrate art and community! The show has 68 years of experience and remains dedicated to producing a unique, high-end show for both artists and patrons alike. The Golden Gate Bridge connects Marin County to San Francisco and the show draws visitors from both of these affluent communities.

The early application fee is $45 through April 15th . A late fee of $10 will be added to applications received between April 16th and May 15th.  Mark your calendar, and get your applications in by April 15th to save $10.

Please read through the entire application for details that may have changed or new policies.

For 68 years The Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival has been recognized as a fine art and craft show of high-quality original artwork. It is one of the most well-loved shows both by artists and by patrons alike! The Festival draws buyers from nearby wealthy neighborhoods including the immediate Mill Valley and Marin Communities as well as the greater San Francisco Bay Area. The event provides an exceptional opportunity for the sale of unique, creative and high-end work.

Artist notified of Jury Results by May 22, 2026.

Here's what a few of our artists have to say:

• "An excellent art festival- very well organized, and I really appreciated all the help and volunteers that you provided. OUTSTANDING!!!!"-- Brent Nilson
• "Thank you so much for the warm welcome I received in participating at the MVFAF. The site was beautiful, the staff amazing and the patrons so delightful. They received my work with great appreciation. I love the show and hope to be accepted next year.  It was an exceptional experience and I’ve been in the festival circuit for over 25 years. Many thanks!”--Rebecca Love
• "It was our first time with Mill Valley and we really loved the sense of community you have cultivated with the artists and the patrons.  We also enjoyed the reception you hosted. It was  delightful”-- Peter Buchan

FESTIVAL FEATURES
• A wonderful line up of local musical entertainment on the mainstage
• An entire grove of hands-on art & activities for kids.
• A festive Saturday evening wine and cheese award ceremony for the Artists.
• Free parking for Artists and a free shuttle bus service to bring customers from parking lots to the show.
• Tasty food and wine sold by both local non-profits and commercial vendors.
• A bountiful group of volunteers to assist with booth sitting, set-up and take down.
• A stunning outdoor redwood grove setting. NOTE: As you might expect from a redwood grove, there are some areas with uneven terrain and variable lighting. Look on the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival website (www.MVFAF.org) for photos of some of our booth layouts.  Tiered booth pricing starting at $385 and up.

BOOTH FEES
This year we are continuing our tiered pricing system to address the wide variety of booth spaces we have available. There are "premium" spaces where artists can drive up to their booths for the easiest setup, as well as our standard booths which vary in size, shape, and placement. We are also offering an affordable alternative for artists who can work with the slope in this outdoor park setting.

APPLICATION FEES
There is an application fee of $45 which will go up to $55 on April 15th.

AWARDS
• We offer 4 - $500 Awards of Excellence to outstanding artists who are chosen by a panel of 3 well qualified, independent Judges.
• In addition, the award winners are invited back to participate in the show the following year, foregoing the jury process.

THE JURY
• We will again have a panel of six highly qualified local jurors who will select the work of 130 artists to participate in this year's show.  A panel of 6 new Jurors is selected each year, so don't be discouraged if the competition in your category had you waitlisted or declined in the past.

CATEGORIES
• Choose the category that best defines your work. If your art clearly includes work from two categories, please apply separately in each. You may not apply twice in the same category unless you have two significantly different bodies of work within the category.  ****If you plan to sell ANY jewelry you must apply separately in the jewelry category!!!!!

CALIFORNIA SALES PERMIT
• Artists are responsible for obtaining a valid California resale permit, including out-of-state artists. To obtain a resale permit, contact the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/ or call 1-800-400-7115.

EXHIBIT GUIDELINES

• Exhibited work must be the original creation of the applicant(s). Co-artists may only show collaborative work. No production work is allowed.

• Artists applying in multiple categories must submit an application for each category they apply in and may ONLY exhibit work in the categories in which they are accepted. The artwork displayed must be similar in type and style to the images submitted. If you intend to sell ANY jewelry you must apply in the jewelry category!

• Images should represent the full range of work you intend to show.

• Artists must be present both Saturday and Sunday during Festival hours. Commercial agents cannot substitute for an artist at their booth.

 *It is the responsibility of the artist to read the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival guidelines before submitting an application. If an artist applies with work that does not fit into our specified criteria, the work will not be juried and the application fee will be forfeited.

STANDARDS

 The Standards Committee of the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival will review exhibits during the Festival for compatibility with images presented to the jurying process. All artwork exhibited must be consistent with that originally submitted for jurying, and must also meet the eligibility requirements stated in the application information package. Any work that differs from that shown in the images must clearly be an outgrowth or evolution of the juried work, and of the same quality. All items exhibited, in whatever price range, must be of consistent quality.

The Standards Committee reserves the right to remove from the Festival any work it considers unsuitable. If the work you show at the Festival does not represent your photos, you will be asked to remove that work. Continuing to show and sell unacceptable items will result in disqualification from future Festivals.

• To maintain a high-quality show, the MVFAF requests that the art shown meet the following standards: No kits, commercial molds, tumbled stones, embellished objects, strung beads, ivory, edible art, plants, flowers, T-shirts,  manufactured cards, manufactured clothing, or any other manufactured items.

•All exhibited work must be original and produced solely by the applicant. All the work you intend to exhibit must be represented in your application images. You may apply separately in more than one category, but you must exhibit only in those categories for which you have been juried/accepted.

• Only limited edition, signed, and numbered high-quality "giclee" reproductions of artwork are allowed. Artist must disclose their process to the buyer and editions must be limited to 450 or less. Original framed art must occupy at least 70% of the applicant’s booth space. Photographs must also be signed and in limited editions. No commercially produced postcards, books, note-cards, posters, T-shirts, or any other manufactured items are permitted.

We are continuing to have a tiered pricing system to address the wide variety of booth spaces and locations we have available. There are a limited number of "premium" spaces, where artists are able to drive to their booth for set up, and many other standard booths which vary in size, shape, and placement. We are also offering an affordable alternative for artists who are able to work with the slope in this outdoor park setting. 

Booth spaces for this year's show will go live on June 4, 2026  and the purchase deadline will be June 11, 2026. Waitlist artists will be invited after this purchase deadline.


SPACE TYPE, SIZE, & FEE 2026:
Premium 10x10: $910.00
Premium 10x8: $860.00
Premium 8x8: $735.00
Premium long and narrow 12x5: $760.00
Premium Oversized 10x15: $1,135.00
Primary Path 10x10: $635.00
Primary Path 10x8: $560.00
Primary Path 8x8 : $510.00
Primary Path Oversized 10x15: $885.00
Primary Path Oversized Triangle: $885.00
Primary Path, long and narrow 12x5: $535.00
Standard Path 10x10: $510.00
Standard Path 10x8: $490.00
Standard Path 8x8: $445.00
Sloped down long and narrow 12x5: $410.00
Sloped up 10x10: $385.00
Sloped up Oversized 10x15: $400.00


Note: After accepting and paying, the deadline for a full refund minus a $50 processing fee is July 12th.  Sorry, no refunds after July 12th, 2026.

The Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival is in a beautiful redwood grove in downtown Mill Valley and we do our best to select spaces that will accommodate our artists in this charming natural environment. Still, this is a natural park and no part is perfectly flat or free of dust.  We do not have accessible electricity for artist's booths, however, the use of quiet battery-operated generators is OK. NOTE: only 30 premium drive up spaces.  All other spaces require load in from the street.  Dollies and shims are a must!