Santa Rosa
Out Loud
The written word gets the microphone (and a little quasi-competition) when Out Loud debuts at The Astro Motel. Curated and hosted by veteran creative impresario Cheryl King, the new variety show blends poetry, spoken word, standup and original monologues into a live showcase where the audience ultimately decides the “winner.” Up to 10 performers will present short original works, with attendees voting through an interactive app for the evening’s standout act. Equal parts literary salon, comedy night and theatrical experiment, the event leans into the pleasures of hearing writing leave the page and survive contact with an audience. A full bar and post-show mingling complete the atmosphere, because creative vulnerability generally improves with cocktails nearby. 6–9pm, Thursday, June 18, at The Astro Motel, 323 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa. More information at stageleftstudio.net.
Larkspur
Arts on Prescription
Can art improve public health? MarinArts and the Lark Theater make the case with Arts on Prescription, a public lecture examining the growing movement to integrate creative participation into models of emotional, cognitive and social care. Led by Marin journalist and researcher Pamela Coddington Samaniego, the evening explores how structured arts programs are increasingly being used to combat isolation and improve wellbeing, particularly as loneliness itself becomes recognized as a public health concern. Drawing on research conducted through Harvard Extension School, Samaniego outlines what successful arts-based health initiatives look like and how a more coordinated system could take shape locally. Consider it part civic conversation, part cultural prescription. 6pm, Wednesday, June 10, at Lark Theater, 549 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur. $25. More information at marinarts.org.
Jenner
Ghost Forests
Redwoods, radical activism and Sonoma County history converge when forest advocate Greg King speaks at the Jenner Community Center on the legacy of logging along the North Coast. Presented by Forest Unlimited, the event centers on King’s environmental history, The Ghost Forest: Racists, Radicals, and Real Estate in the California Redwoods, which traces both the destruction of old-growth forests and the activist movements that emerged in response—including King’s own role pioneering tree-sitting as civil disobedience. The evening also serves as a fundraiser connected to local opposition against a proposed timber harvest plan near Jenner and Sheephouse Creek. Anticipate equal parts ecological history, political urgency and tales from the redwood frontier. 4pm, Friday, June 12, at Jenner Community Center, 10398 Hwy. 1. $35; signed books included with donations of $100 or more. More information at forestunlimited.org.
Glen Ellen
M.F.K. Forever
Before “foodie” became a lifestyle concept, M. F. K. Fisher was busy turning appetites into literature. This summer, the newly launched M.F.K. Fisher Foundation honors the pioneering writer with the inaugural M.F.K. Fisher Month, a nationwide celebration running from June 3 through July 3—what would have been Fisher’s 118th birthday. The festivities begin with an intimate gathering at Fisher’s famed “Last House” in Glen Ellen before extending to restaurants and cultural spaces around the country. Best known for classics like The Art of Eating and How to Cook a Wolf, Fisher transformed food writing into something richer and more philosophical, exploring not simply what we eat, but why. Fittingly, the monthlong celebration invites people to gather around tables, exchange stories and treat meals as acts of culture rather than consumption. Begins Wednesday, June 3, in Glen Ellen, with events continuing through July 3 at participating venues nationwide. A special 2026 M.F.K. Fisher Last House Luncheon goes from noon–2:30pm, Wednesday, June 3, at Bouverie Preserve, 13815 Sonoma Hwy., Glen Ellen. $150. More information at mfkfisher.org.
