And Now for Something a Bit Different: 2020 Winterfest Presents a COVID- & Family-Friendly Holiday Scavenger Hunt & Film Featuring Performances, Santa & Much More!

Like all of Mill Valley's landmark events, Winterfest, the 94941's annual holiday celebration, will look a little bit different in 2020.

In lieu of the event's usual "live" slate – rides down a massive slide, a visit from Santa, a full day of live entertainment and music, children's activities, amazing local food and Tree and Menorah Lighting ceremonies – this year will be both virtual and dispersed.

The festivities kick off Nov. 27 with the Winterfest Holiday Hunt, a three-week, scavenger hunt-style contest at more than 30 businesses throughout Mill Valley, from Nov. 27 through Dec. 18. The contest centers around Silver Stars, which business owners will place in storefront windows or inside their businesses. Kids accompanied by a parent will take photos of silver stars, as selfies in front of the stars they choose, in at least eight participating businesses, including some amazing local restaurants and retail shops.

Holiday Hunters who email at least eight of their photos as attachments to info@millvalley.org, with their name and age in the body of the email, will be entered into a raffle for one of 20 $40 gift cards to participating businesses (one gift card per raffle winner). We'll be posting a series of clues about participating businesses for Holiday Hunters on the EMV Blog.

The other half of this COVID-friendly Winterfest is a film that highlights the spirit of this landmark event, featuring local arts organizations, a pre-recorded tree lighting and, of course, appearances by Santa Claus at locations around town, including the Mill Valley Fire Department, as seen above.

​Marin filmmaker Norm Hunter, who has spearheaded our ongoing EMV Films series highlighting some of the myriad creative businesses, organizations and people in Mill Valley, is helming the Winterfest film.

We'll be debuting this Winterfest film on the EMV Blog via YouTube on Sunday, Dec. 6, the usual arrival of Winterfest.