Sausalito Art Festival
Sausalito Waterfront · Art / Waterfront / Music
The Sausalito Art Festival - America's Premier Waterfront Fine Art Festival, A Marin County Cultural Icon Since 1952
Every Labor Day Weekend for more than six decades, something remarkable happened on the Sausalito waterfront. More than 270 award-winning artists from around the country and some 30,000 patrons flocked to the waterfront village of Sausalito, California for the annual Sausalito Art Festival - one of the oldest, most prestigious, and most anticipated open-air art events in the country. Painters, sculptors, photographers, collectors, music lovers, wine enthusiasts, and curious visitors of every kind converged on the bay for three days of what can only be described as a genuine cultural celebration.
A Legacy Rooted in the Soul of Sausalito
The story of the Sausalito Art Festival begins long before the festival itself. Since before the Gold Rush, Sausalito has been a haven for writers, artists, poets, and creative souls, and in the decade after World War II, the town experienced a major influx of artists. Art shows held in different local spaces evolved into an annual festival where established artists mingled with newcomers, and many notable Bay Area creatives emerged from the Sausalito art colony of the 1950s.
Since its founding in 1952, the Sausalito Art Festival stood as an anchor of the city's cultural identity. What began as a modest gathering of local artists grew into a landmark waterfront event featuring fine art, live music, wine, food, and a palpable spirit of community. Over the decades, it has been recognized as one of America's premier outdoor art festivals and earned countless industry honors.
270+ Artists, 14 Disciplines, 25,000 Works of Art
At its peak, the scope of the Sausalito Art Festival was genuinely staggering. More than 270 artists in 14 disciplines exhibited and sold 25,000 works of art, drawing tens of thousands of collectors and visitors annually. The art on display spanned painting, sculpture, drawing, ceramics, glass, fiber arts and fashion, wood, photography, and mixed media - a breadth of artistic expression that rivaled major museum-level variety in one spectacular waterfront setting.
The event also built a huge following for its celebrated lineup of rock, pop, and jazz performances, special exhibitions, and exceptional food, beer, and wine. First-time attendees expecting a small craft fair often left amazed by the scale, quality, and energy of what was truly a world-class cultural festival.