Last March, Covid-19 forced California to cancel most social gatherings and events through the spring of 2020. Soon after, it was clear that summer 2020 would follow suit as fairs, festivals and other fun events were postponed or called off in the wake of the virus’s continued spread.

Now, autumn 2020 looks to suffer the same fate socially as the last two seasons. Many North Bay–based events and harvest celebrations are postponing their fall gatherings before July even begins, as Covid-19 continues to gain ground in the state and the Bay Area with increasing numbers of new cases each week.

In Sonoma County, fall traditionally begins prior to Labor Day—which is scheduled for Sept. 7 this year—as harvest-related events get rolling in August. One such event, now canceled, is Sebastopol’s popular Gravenstein Apple Fair.

Agricultural organization Farm Trails hosts the fundraising fair that celebrates the locally grown Gravenstein Apple. On the fair’s website, the Farm Trails team writes, “Though we can hardly imagine August in Sebastopol without the Apple Fair, we are fully on board with the County’s decision to cancel large gatherings. We are so grateful for the health care workers and first responders on the front lines and for all of the essential businesses (farmers/producers, nurseries, grocery store workers, postage and parcel services, etc.) who continue to sustain and support our lives during these unprecedented times. We are also appreciative of the sacrifices our entire community is making by staying at home to help flatten the curve.”

The fair organizers also note that Gravenstein apples will still be falling in Sonoma County this fall, and they hope to find ways to mark the occasion with virtual events or DIY activities.

“We’re doing everything we can to make sure that Farm Trails continues to make good on its mission to preserve farms forever in Sonoma County,” says Farm Trails Board President Vince Trotter, in a statement. “With our main fundraiser off the table, we’re certainly facing some financial challenges this year, but our farmers are fighting through this, and so will we. We’re cutting our expenses to the bone and looking at some creative ways to bring in revenue and make the 2021 fair better than ever.”

Other popular harvest and culinary events canceling their 2020 gatherings include the massive Taste of Sonoma wine-tasting extravaganza, the annual Heirloom Expo of food providers and enthusiasts best known for its giant pumpkin contest and the Sonoma County Harvest Fair’s Grand-Tasting and World Championship Grape Stomp Competition—though the Harvest Fair’s professional wine and food competitions will still be held remotely.

In Marin County, the arts are often a major part of the fall season, with festivals and fairs showcase both international and local artists and crafters.

One of Marin’s largest gatherings each fall is the Sausalito Art Festival, taking place on Labor Day weekend for more than 60 years. This year, the Sausalito Art Festival Foundation will pause production of this signature event due to the uncertainty of the pandemic and other current challenges associated with event production. On the festival’s website, the Foundation says it will plan a new iteration of the event “to meet a shifting arts and entertainment landscape.”

In addition to pandemic concerns, the Sausalito Art Festival Foundation writes that restrictions to access of the waterfront venue, competition for headlining musical talent and increased security costs and concerns are also factors in their decision to reimagine the event for 2021.

Another Marin fall staple, the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival, also recently announced its 2020 fest would be canceled due to Covid-19.

“For over sixty years our little festival has been a wonderful celebration of Mill Valley’s unique culture and community,” says festival executive director Steve Bajor, in a statement. “This year the responsibility to act prudently to ensure everyone’s safety is our top priority. Like so much we are missing, we are hopeful that the festival will return next year for us all to enjoy.”

Artists previously juried into the 2020 show will instead be featured on the festival’s website and will be invited to show their work in person at the next event, now scheduled for Sept. 18 and 19, 2021, in Old Mill Park.

Other fall arts events in the North Bay forgoing 2020 include Open Studios Napa Valley’s self-guided art tours, usually planned for two weekends in September, and the Sonoma County Art Trails, normally scheduled for two weekends in October. Still other major events canceled this fall include the Sound Summit music festival that celebrates Mount Tamalpais State Park each September at the historic Mountain Theater, and the Napa Valley Film Festival that was slated to happen in November.

“We appreciate the tremendous support and well wishes from our community during these uncertain times,” said Cinema Napa Valley Chairman Patrick Davila, in a statement. “Rest assured we will use this time to strengthen our commitment to our mission and develop new avenues to fulfill our vision. I look forward to seeing all of you in 2021 for our 10th year anniversary.”

Sonoma-based puppetry team Images In Motion Media Inc. is an Emmy Award–winning company that develops high-quality video content using puppetry to deliver impactful messages in an entertaining way.

Last month, the creative operation—co-owned by professional puppeteers Lee Armstrong, Kamela Portuges and Kieron Robbins—released its latest puppetry project, a funny and action-packed Public Service Announcement video, “Down the Drain With COVID-19,” that educates children on proper hand-washing techniques to fight the spread of the virus.

“Puppets are a powerful visual tool to convey messages in memorable ways,” Armstrong said, in a statement. “And that’s what we strive to achieve. We hope this PSA will have a useful life as the pandemic changes the way we live. The visuals are aimed at children, to help them see why hand washing is so important. However, it has made me more mindful of using soap and doing the full 20 seconds. We hope people will view and share this important PSA message. ”

“Down the Drain With COVID-19 PSA” is available in both English (closed caption) and with Spanish subtitles, and was created for the Sonoma County Safety PALS, part of the Sonoma County Fire Chiefs and Prevention Officers Association. Safety PALS has a long history of educating children on fire and safety topics in the form of live performances and events, though PALS has been largely dormant since the 2017 North Bay wildfires. Now, with the pandemic developments, PALS felt it was time to connect with local youth once again, and sponsored the PSA video in lieu of hosting in-person performances.

The IIM team wrote the PSA script based on CDC hand-washing guidelines, and the plot of the PSA is simple and effective. Kids are introduced to a narcissistic, on-the-loose Covid-19 virus puppet that is ultimately defeated by a clever child at a sink, using soap and water.

The Covid-19 puppet was 3D modeled and printed by IIM before being molded in silicon, cast in pillow foam and painted. With the help of a local videographer, who filmed his daughter washing her hands, the IIM team shot the puppet on green screen and edited it into the hand-washing footage. The film crew that shot the live-action footage observed social distancing, wore masks and gloves and used sanitized equipment.

IIM provides full pre-to-post production, including a shooting studio and experienced TV puppetry crew, with other related services such as 3D design, modeling and printing, sculpting, props and puppet sets.

Lee Armstrong started out as a TV puppeteer for Jim Henson’s “Fraggle Rock”; her credits include the films Being John Malkovich, MonkeyBone and Follow That Bird. Her commercial credits include AXE, Best Buy, Mercedes Benz and Round Table Pizza, and she is the recipient of two Regional Emmys as a producer, writer and puppeteer.

Kamela Portuges started work as a special-effects artist on The Fly 2 before signing on at IIM. Her TV and film credits include James and the Giant Peach, Bicentennial Man and Life Aquatic as well as MonkeyBone and Being John Malkovich.

Kieron Robbins co-designs and builds TV puppet sets for award-winning productions and does sculpture, graphic arts and animation, recently moving into the world of 3D printing. His work has played a key role in videos that have earned awards from the National Ad Council, the Telly Awards, Parent’s Choice, DOVE and KidsFirst.

Currently, a number of North Bay groups including KRCB and the Sonoma County Board of Education are airing “Down the Drain With COVID-19 PSA,” and the video can be viewed now by clicking below.

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It’s been three months since movie theaters have been allowed to let patrons see a movie on the big screen. In the North Bay, cinemas have stayed closed since mid-March as the Covid-19 pandemic has the region under social distancing orders.

Even now, as restaurants, shops and other businesses start reopening to the public, public venues like movie theaters face a challenge in housing people in tight quarters and keeping their spaces sanitized and socially distant enough to meet the state and county orders that are in place to stop the spread of Covid-19.

One way that theaters and event organizers have solved the problem of seeing movies while social distancing is the return of the classic drive-in movies. From Larkspur to St. Helena, makeshift drive-in theaters are becoming all the rage, showing classic blockbusters in spacious outdoor settings.

Drive-in theaters are as old as the automobile, with some form of outdoor car-centric film screenings dating back to the 1910s, though the drive-in had its hey day some sixty years ago when Baby Boomer families flocked to drive-ins in mostly suburban and rural areas.

There were drive-ins in the North Bay back in the day, most notably the Sonomarin (Midway) Drive-In Theatre that opened south of Petaluma in 1968 and ran until 1989. That drive-in famously showed mostly X-rated films after 1983 and was finally demolished in 1991.

Families in 2020 have no fear of coming across such scandalous movies in the new crop of drive-in theaters. Instead, this new wave of distance-conscious screenings is keeping the films family friendly and fun. Find the drive-in theater in your neighborhood with this guide.

In Napa County, the independent Cameo Cinema often presents first-run features and indie-film darlings on its one screen in St. Helena. In addition to offering on-demand at-home film streaming since the Covid-19 pandemic, Cameo Cinema is branching into the drive-in craze with the help of Gott’s Roadside in St. Helena and owner Joel Gott, who agreed to host the Cameo Drive-in Movie Theater in Gott’s back parking lot for a few weeks.

The Cameo Drive-In Theater is also made possible with a grant from the City of St. Helena and the support of the Chamber of Commerce and the Cameo Cinema Foundation.

The drive-in will feature a state-of-the-art, thirty-foot outdoor screen with 4K digital projection, and the family-friendly series opens this weekend and features two alternating films each weekend, Thursdays through Sundays.

For instance, this opening weekend features Jurassic Park screening Thursday and Saturday, June 25 and 27, with the recent Sonic the Hedgehog screening Friday and Sunday, June 26 and 28.

The classic and contemporary movie pairing continues next week, as Cameo Drive-In Theater features Wonder Woman and Jaws. Future weeks will see classics like E.T. and new films such as the Hulu original film Palm Springs playing as well.

Gott’s parking lot opens for the drive-ins at 8pm each night, and the Roadside will be available to serve pre-ordered food. Tickets to the Cameo Drive-In Theater is limited to 45 cars per screening. Tickets are $30 per car and must be purchased in advance.

In Sonoma County, Santa Rosa Cinemas–which operates theaters like the Roxy Stadium 14 and Airport Stadium 12–are collaborating with the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in a new series entitled Carpool Cinema.

The screenings take place at the LBC’s south parking lot, beginning at sunset. For the drive-in experience, the movie’s sound is pumped into the car through a FM signal on the radio. Like other drive-in screenings in the North Bay, the Carpool Cinema series is adhering to the strict social distance guidelines.

This week, Carpool Cinemas presents the classic ‘80s teen comedy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on Saturday, June 27. Next week, Carpool Cinemas plans to screen the Mel Brooks’ parody Spaceballs on Wednesday, July 1. Gates open at 7:45pm. General admission tickets are $30 per car, with a limit of two cars per household. Visit LBC’s website for more information and to purchase your spot in the carpool.

In North Sonoma County, the Alexander Valley Film Society is revisiting the drive-in days with its own outdoor screening series at the Citrus Fairgrounds in Cloverdale.

The society has already hosted throwback drive-in events in previous summers, and they continue the tradition in 2020 with an outdoor screening of Wonder Woman on Friday, July 24 and a presentation of Furious 7 on Saturday, Sep 12. Gates open at 8pm for each screening. Tickets are $30 per car and must be purchased in advance.

In Marin County, the historic Lark Theater and the popular Bon Air Center invite film lovers to Drive-In to the Movies this summer.

The series is free for all, though advance registration is required. The drive-in series next screens the summer movie classic Dirty Dancing on Thursday, July 16, at 8:30pm. Later this summer, the series offers a screening of another ‘80s musical hit, Flashdance, on Thursday, August 20.

After making reservations to the screening, moviegoers can also swing by the Lark Theater near the Bon Air Center before the movie and buy a tub of the theater’s fresh-popped organic popcorn to complete the experience.

It’s been one month since George Floyd’s death on May 25, after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes.

In the weeks that have followed, a nationwide movement of protest against police brutality and social and racial justice has spread to all 50 states.

The North Bay’s ongoing protests and rallies have hit major cities like Santa Rosa and San Rafael, as well as the smaller locales such as Healdsburg and Mill Valley, with events honoring Black lives, celebrations of Pride month and other socially conscious movements.

This month-long wave of protests is not slowing down, and the final week of June is packed with a schedule of peaceful events in Marin, Sonoma and Napa County.

The gatherings get started today, Thursday, June 25, with a Mill Valley Peaceful Protest beginning at 1:30pm. The protest march will kick off at the Safeway parking lot at 1 Camino Alto, and move down Miller Ave near Tamalpais High School, before traveling downtown to Old Mill Park. The event encourages participants to bring Black Lives Matter signs, and guest speakers are slated to appear. Face coverings are required and water and snacks will be provided.

Also today, June 25, the Spahr Center hosts a Rally for LGBTQ+ and Racial Justice at 4:30pm in downtown Fairfax. The Spahr Center is Marin County’s only nonprofit serving the LGBTQ community and everyone in the county living with and affected by HIV. Today’s rally takes a stand against incidents of racism and transphobia that has occurred in Fairfax recently.

Notably, 17-year-old transgender teen Jasper Lauter was verbally harassed last Saturday in Fairfax by a man and a woman who were also harassing a Black Lives Matter bake sale. The incident was caught on video and shows the man and woman mocking and insulting Lauter, who posted the video to his Twitter account.

Today’s Rally for LGBTQ+ and Racial Justice begins at the downtown steps in Fairfax and participants are asked to wear face coverings and follow social distance guidelines. Following the rally in Fairfax, the Spahr Center is leading a caravan of cars to San Rafael, where a peaceful gathering to stop racism is happening at 1050 Court Street.

Other North Bay protests planned for the week include a Black Lives Matter Meet-up on Friday, June 26, at Walnut Park in Petaluma. The protest begins at 1pm and participants are to wear all black. Protest signs are encouraged and face coverings are mandatory.

On Saturday, June 27, Santa Rosa’s Junior College campus once again becomes the scene for a major protest event. The Cycle for Life will be peaceful Critical Mass-style bike protest that plans to ride from the SRJC lawn on Mendocino Avenue through town to Old Courthouse Square in a yet-to-be-determined route of approximately six miles. Non-bikers can also attend, and the event kicks off with a protest sign-making session on the SRJC lawn at noon before the 1pm ride and march.

Once the ride is over, speakers, performers, and vendors will be on hand in Old Courthouse Square to keep the event going strong into the evening. The Cycle for Life will support Black Lives Matter and Pride, and the family-friendly event is also requiring social distancing and face coverings to be mindful of Covid-19.

Also on Saturday, June 27, the Bake Sale for Social Justice is back on in Fairfax, happening at 100 Bolinas Road near the Fairfax Community Farmers Market from 4pm to 6pm. All money raised at the bake sale will be donated to the Equal Justice Institute, The Spahr Center and Trevor Project. Organizers ask that people wear a mask and follow state social distancing guidelines.

Sunday, June 28, begins with Pride Is a Protest, a rally and march in Napa organized by The Peoples Collective for Change. Meeting at Napa’s City Hall at 10:30am, the rally is in honor of LGBTQ demonstrators who essentially founded the gay rights movement with the Stonewall Riots, which took place in New York City beginning on June 28, 1969.

The Napa protest will also stand in solidarity with black, brown and Indigenous people, and PCC Napa hopes to demonstrate that LGBTQ people and their allies are committed to racial and social justice.

Also on Sunday, June 28, Fairfax Parkade is the setting for an afternoon Anti-Racism Rally to reimagine public safety and stop the spread of racism locally. The rally begins at the Parkade lot between Sir Francis Drake Blvd and Broadway Boulevard at Noon with a community discussion and guest speakers and performers.

Sunday, June 28, wraps up with an evening Black Lives Matter Vigil at Mill Valley City Hall. The event begins at 9pm and is followed by a movie screening, and organizers ask participants to bring blankets and sleeping bags in addition to face coverings.

Eighteen years ago, Windsor officially incorporated into a town. What’s in store as it heads into its next decade? At this point, who knows what’s in store for any small American town? What a strange time to be entering your 20s, Windsor—you have my sympathies. And yet, you seem to be doing just fine; perhaps even better than ever.

My month began in Windsor with a guest appearance on your locally produced, nationally syndicated TV show, Creature Features (Crowhaven Productions is your best-kept secret—pssst … vimeo.com/crowhaven) and will likely end with a flurry of letters to the editor about how I know nothing about the place. But I do, just ask your local Rotarians about my Zoom chat with them. They asked me to speak about media at an hour that was both early and ungodly. In my delirium, I claimed to have been conceived in the ’70s during a cocaine-fueled night in a Marin County hot tub (for the record, it was more likely jug wine at Bodega Bay). Their polite reception of my rant was followed by what we in the biz call “crickets.”

To fill my Windsor knowledge gap, I visited it—last night, in fact. At first blush, the suburban idyll might appear as a rogue Disneyland colony, perhaps Stepford, Conn. or a simulacrum of a natural human habitat. Works for me—clean and quiet—a perfectly lovely place, particularly for a jaded Gen Xer who just wants to chill the F out. The electric cars made nary a purr, the wind whispered, even the preponderance of children around the Town Green played in near silence. Kids—so many kids. I had to ask myself, “What did they do to all the adults?” My companion and I finally spied some grownups at nearby Kin Windsor—which looked too adult for my state of mind—so we ventured up the block to Lupe’s Diner. 

Germaphobes like me will be happy to know that Lupe’s seating is properly socially-distanced, the waitstaff wore masks and gloves, and the outdoor seating undergoes thorough spraying and wiping-down between diners. My grilled-chicken burrito was dependable and perfect. My companion’s tilapia tacos, ditto. The guacamole will make you rethink the green substances being eaten elsewhere—good to the last chip. 

Lupe’s Diner, 710 McClelland Drive, Windsor. 707.836.0150. lupesdiner.com.