Mill Valley Music Festival Kicks Off And More In SF This Month

Spring rolls on with exceptional options for discovery, including a music fest, engaging exhibitions and wellness fixes.

Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals.

HEAR

The new one-day Mill Valley Music Festival kicks off May 7. A celebration of diversity, the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce presents this event filled with great food, drinks and art. Don’t miss performances by eclectic Grammy-nominated singer Ben Harper and his band The Innocent Criminals, funk band Lettuce, psychedelic folk singer Liz Cooper, Latin Grammy Award-winning band Los Amigos Invisibles and the Bay Area’s own Caribbean-inspired La Doña. 180 Camino Alto, Friend Field, Mill Valley, 415.388.9700

Inside The Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa.

STAY

Revamped and reopened, The Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa welcomes visitors once again. Once known as Park Central Hotel, the newly minted space features updates in every inch of the 686-guest room hotel, including in the fitness studio, which offers state-of-the-art equipment and five Peloton bikes, in addition to a grab-and-go marketplace and coffee bar. Academy of Art University alumni and student artworks are showcased throughout the property. 50 Third St., 415.974.6400

REST

On Post Street downtown, luxury sleep brand Saatva recently opened a new immersive 5,900-square-foot space conceptualized by renowned interior designer Vicente Wolf. Designed to be more than a mattress showroom, Saatva’s new viewing room is the ultimate destination for an integrated mattress exploration, education and modern retail technology experience. 128 Post St., 877.597.0583

Britt-Marie Alm

DECORATE

Establishing its first brick-and-mortar, e-commerce brand Love Fest Fibers has opened its doors in San Francisco. The brand’s fibers are produced through a partnership with artisan women in Nepal and Tibet. “Love Fest has become part of a tremendous reimagining of what yarn can be made from,” says founder Britt-Marie Alm. “People are excited to explore fibers they’ve never seen, or even heard of, before—everything from handspun yak down to recycled plastic bottle fiber.” Alm’s large-scale woven threaded art installations will also be displayed. The designs are handwoven and use a traditional Tibetan technique with Himalayan strips. Workshops by guest fiber artists will also be on offer. 3300 Judah St., 510.545.9049

Alter Interiors’ newest storage solutions

STYLE

For those who want a more decoratively sublime spot to keep their cannabis products, Jenny Magdol and Steffi Oehm, founders of San Francisco-based Alter Interiors, recently introduced the cannabis high bar. The functional piece, which was handmade by woodworker Valerie Alt, beautifully displays spirits and buds.

SUPPORT

Join Wender Weis Foundation this month for an afternoon of charitable fun during Children’s Champions. The event includes sports drills, clinics, demonstrations and a chance to meet Stanford athletes. Also on tap: arts and crafts, face-painting and photo-ops with professional team athletes and mascots. Proceeds go toward atrisk kids in the Bay Area. May 22, 3-5pm

Shiva Ahmadi, “Marooned” (2021)

DISCOVER

A new installation at Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art explores social inequity, racism and failures of democracy. From Moment to Movement: Picturing Protest showcases works from Bay Area-based art collectors Pamela and Dick Kramlich’s Kramlich Collection. Patrons will discover international contemporary artists, such as Shiva Ahmadi, Kota Ezawa and Theaster Gates, plus more than 30 years of new media work. This large-scale exhibition features six video and film installations, which are rooted in real world events taking place in the United States, China, India and South Africa. Through June 19, 254 Old Davis Road, Davis, 530.752.8500

Julie Mehretu, “Stadia I” (2004)

SEE

Featuring works by 32 women artists, the SFMOMA presents Shifting the Silence. This exhibition showcases the radical and experimental abstract designs of creators like Firelei Báez, Nairy Baghramian, Liz Hernández and more through various mediums, such as sculpture, photography, textile, video and paintings. 151 Third St., Floor 7, 415.357.4000

RELAX

With the reopening of its famous mud baths, Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs is once again ready to continue wellness offerings. Over the past 70 years, Dr. Wilkinson’s has evolved mud-bath techniques and has a newly remodeled wellness spa, which features four mud baths, seven indoor and two outdoor mineral baths and other massage and therapy options. Apart from the wellness features, this resort offers rooms in the newly renovated cottages and Victorian House. There are 50 newly improved guest rooms that still offer a nostalgic, midcentury vibe. The Victorian House, established in 1924, hosts 15 sleeping rooms along with spaces to hold gatherings and events and a private porch with views of Napa Valley. 1507 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga, 707.942.4102

Redmint’s new space on Fillmore Street

SOOTHE

With the opening of its second location, Redmint, an urban wellness sanctuary, offers fitness practices rooted in traditional Chinese medicine. San Francisco-based founder Helina Fan combines her 18 years of business experience with a passion for TCM to bring a holistic skincare collection, remedies and restorative health treatments to patrons. An herbal bar offers lattes, shots and teas. Other services include face and body acupuncture, lymphatic drainage, LED therapy and more. With 5,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, this location is designed with a mix of modern and old-world inspiration with Chinese elm wood doors, a charred wood ceiling and large outdoor courtyard deck, which is available for event bookings. 2044 Fillmore St., 415.888.8368

Shin Li from Pomet

DINE

Known for its premium fruits and nuts, which are served at over 150 high-end restaurants, K&J Orchards has recently opened its owners’ first restaurant, Pomet, in Oakland. Helmed by Aomboon Deasy, the second-generation co-owner of K&J Orchards, this new endeavor dishes California-inspired fare. Executive chef Alan Hsu runs the kitchen and allows the seasons to dictate what’s featured on the a la carte menu, featuring ingredients from K&J Orchards. Early favorites include aged Stemple Creek Ranch short rib and lamb-neck noodles. Sommelier Paul Einbund’s wine menu, showcasing outstanding regional vineyards, offers perfect pairings. 4029 Piedmont Ave., Oakland, 510.450.2541

Guest rooms at Stanford Court Hotel offer incredible views.

STAY

After a two-year hiatus and major renovation, the Stanford Court Hotel has reopened its doors. The property unveils a revamped lobby, guest room and suite upgrades, and 24-hour fitness studio along with the modernization of gathering spaces. In addition to upgrades throughout the hotel, new amenities include a library, music room and digitally curated art gallery, which changes monthly. The SC Bar & Lounge is open for dinner, desserts and drinks, offering an extensive list of exclusively brewed and popular ales along with an equally extensive wine list featuring Bay Area favorites. 905 California St., 415.989.3500

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