Electrical Service
Staff is responsible for all electrical service. Special panels are available for hookups at $35 per panel plus Stage Technician labor fees. Arrangements need to be made in advance of the event with the Technical Coordinator Tony Taubert at (415) 473-6399 or ttaubert@marincounty.org.
Decorative Materials and Signage
Signs or decorations of any kind may not be attached to any Marin Center building, kiosk, light pole, trees or bushes with nails, tacks, pins, staples or tape. If signs are taped on any fairgrounds kiosk, light pole or building the producer will be charged a minimum fee of $75 per area damaged to re-paint and restore Marin Center’s facilities.
Tenting
Placement and material of tenting must be approved prior to installation by the Technical Coordinator and the San Rafael Fire Marshall at (415) 485-3304. The San Rafael Fire Department requires a formal inspection permit and fee fourteen (14) working days in advance of tent installation. Any damage to the Fairgrounds, Lagoon Park, planting, subterranean water or electrical lines caused by tent installation will be the charged to and paid for by the producer.
Dumpster Services
Producers will provide a ten (10) yard dumpster from Marin Sanitary Service at (415) 456-2601, to be placed at a site approved by the Operations Supervisor Dick Daley at (415) 473-5034 or ddaley@marincounty.org. The producer is responsible for ordering the dumpster and paying Marin Sanitary Service directly.
Larger or multiple dumpsters may be required for major or multiple day events and will be located at sites approved by the Operations Supervisor.
Exhibit Plans
Exhibit or staging plans, including layouts of all booths, displays, staging, registration, tables, etc., must be discussed with the Operations Supervisor at (415) 473-5034 or ddaley@marincounty.org and Technical Coordinator at (415) 473-6399 or ttaubert@marincounty.org prior to submitting plans. All plans must be finalized twenty-one (21) days prior to event.
Equipment Inventory
Equipment must be requested at least twenty-one (21) days in advance of the event date, and is available on a first-requested, first-served basis.
Number |
Description |
Fee |
50 |
50-gallon Trash Barrels |
No charge |
1 |
Portable Stage, per day |
$230 |
1 |
Portable Public Address System, per day |
$170 |
NOTE: Stage technician labor fees are not included.
Parking
There are three (3) main parking lots serving Marin Center and additional parking is available on Civic Center Drive and nearby streets. Parking is free to event attendees and the general public. Producers may not charge a parking fee to event attendees or the public.
Exhibitors and/or loading vehicles parked within twenty-five (25) feet of the Exhibit Hall or Showcase Theater doors will be towed at the vehicle owner’s expense.
Since events are often scheduled concurrently in the buildings and fairgrounds, event attendees may share the parking lots with patrons from other events.
Overnight Parking
A limited area of the fairgrounds is available for overnight parking by exhibitors or staff of producers who have rented the Exhibit Hall and/or Fairgrounds.
Overnight parking: The producer will be charged $20 per each vehicle per night.
Producers are responsible for making arrangements with the Marin Center office to obtain overnight parking permits and dispersing the permits to their vendors. Please be sure to put the last date on which you plan to stay overnight on the line, "Void After". The permit must be visible to Sheriff’s deputies in the front windshield of the vehicle.
Recreational vehicles, trailers and exhibitor trucks may only be parked on the grounds during setup and event days. Limited electrical hookups are provided on the grounds; fresh water, sewage and trash dumping facilities are not provided.
All parking fees will be invoiced to the producer or deducted from the producer's financial settlement. Unused permits should be turned into the Operations Supervisor at the Marin Center office on the last day of the event.
Food and Beverage Concession Sales
Fairgrounds
Bartenders Unlimited offers concession services for events at Marin Center. Bartenders Unlimited has been operating and serving our community for 37 years and is committed to providing excellent service to each and every guest attending events at Marin Center. Their hours of operation are the time period when the show is open to the public. If you would like concessionaire services for your event, please call Deputy Director Marion Boyd at 415.473.6397 or mboyd@marincounty.org.
Lagoon Park
Producers may provide their own food and beverage concessionaire(s) by paying fees of fifteen percent (15%) of the event’s admission fees, deductible from the box office receipts at the time of settlement. Catering is permitted by users and qualified catering firms for non-public events. Such events are defined as those where food and beverages are served, not sold.
Beverages may not be sold in glass containers or in cans at any time.
Show Equipment Delivery and Removal
The delivery and removal of show equipment is to be completed within the specified rental time periods for the Fairgrounds and Lagoon Park. Special requests for delivery and/or pickup of show equipment and/or rental equipment must be approved in advance by the Deputy Director or the Technical Coordinator.
Security of Equipment
Marin Center is not responsible for theft or damage to any equipment, merchandise, displays or similar items left on the Fairgrounds or Lagoon Park. There is a $150 per night fee to keep overhead parking lot lights or Fairgrounds lights on for security and/or parking purposes after 12 midnight. Additional fees may also be required for any other special, overnight exterior lighting on the Fairgrounds.
Overtime
The rental time period for the Fairgrounds and/or Lagoon Park runs from 8am-8pm. If the producer needs to set up prior to 8am the fee is $215 per half hour, or any fraction thereof. Overtime fees will be included in the license agreement with the producer for their event or billed after the event.
Signage and Placement
All signs and posters placed on the Fairgrounds or Lagoon Park must be approved in advance by the Operations Supervisor. All signs need must be removed by the producer immediately following the event. A network of signs that directs patrons to available parking in area lots may be required of producers. Plans for the size, lettering and placement of directional signs will be reviewed and approved by the Operations Supervisor.
Parking Lot Availability - Lagoon Park
The parking area adjacent to the Lagoon Park has 380 spaces. This lot is only available for the public events from Monday through Friday after 5pm and all day on weekends.
Sound Systems
Amplified sound levels may not exceed a level that intrudes upon the surrounding community. Sound systems must be set-up and designed so that sound is directed north or northwest and away from the adjacent National Guard Armory. Sound baffles may be required to be placed around the speakers to reduce backflow of sound to nearby residences.
Amplified sound is permitted from 11am - 6pm only. Amplification levels of all portable sound systems may not exceed 80 decibels and are subject to the approval of the Technical Coordinator.
Damage Deposit
Marin Center may withhold three thousand dollars ($3,000) from the Box Office settlement of the producer in order to insure that the property is restored and cleaned at the conclusion of the event.
Marin Center may require that a performance bond in the amount of three thousand dollars ($3,000) be posted if the event is free to the public. This performance bond shall be in the form of a cashier’s check payable to the County of Marin. The performance bond shall be returned after the event as soon as it is determined that every area has been cleaned and restored to the same or equivalent condition that existed immediately prior to the event.
Portable Restrooms
The producer is required to provide an ample number of portable restrooms consistent with the size of the crowd expected at the event. All events need to provide restrooms for persons with disabilities; at least fifteen percent (15%) of the portable restrooms need to be accessible for persons with disabilities to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
Turf Protection
Standard scheduling policy is to allow at least ten (10) working days between each major event. Spacing of events is required to allow for recovery of the turf.
No stake, post, rod or other such item may be driven, dug or placed in the ground without the prior written approval of Marin Center or Landscape Services staff.
Any producer, vendor, contractor or their agents, in violation of this policy, will be responsible for all costs related to repairing damage resulting from their activities.
Grounds Maintenance and Custodial Service
Marin Center will provide a maximum of fifty (50) trash barrels and two (2) staff persons to remove trash from the cans to the dumpsters only during public event hours. The producer needs to provide any additional barrels and staff for trash removal.
The producer is responsible for the removal of litter and trash from the grounds to the barrels or dumpsters prior to, during and after the event. The producer is also responsible for the cleaning and restoring of the grounds and Lagoon Park in the same or equivalent condition that existed immediately prior to the event.
Site Capacity
Ticket sales or event attendance may not exceed 6,000. The site only has sufficient parking spaces for this number of attendees.
Transportation Management
For concert events with an anticipated attendance of 5,000 or more, staff may consult with the San Rafael Police Department regarding traffic control on Civic Center Drive. Marin Center reserves the right to require the hiring of officers from the San Rafael Police Department or the Marin County Sheriff’s Department to direct traffic prior to, during, and following major outdoor concerts in the Lagoon Park. The producer will be completely responsible for the costs incurred in the hiring these officers.
On Site Concert Security
Marin Center will review all plans for the hiring of event security guards. Marin Center reserves the right to require the hiring of deputies from the Marin County Sheriff’s Department for security for major, outdoor events. The producer will be completely responsible for the costs incurred in the hiring of these deputies.
Exclusion Period
Due to the set-up and construction of the Marin County Fair held over the July 4th weekend, the Fairgrounds and Lagoon Park are not ordinarily available from mid-June until three (3) weeks following the conclusion of the Fair. Please consult with the Deputy Director to determine the exact six (6) week closure period in each calendar year.
Carnival and Mechanical Rides
Producers are not permitted to install and operate any portable carnival, mechanical rides or amusement devices on any lawn area of the Fairgrounds or Lagoon Park.
Event Staffing
In order to insure public comfort, safety and convenience, Marin Center requires the producer to furnish and pay for the following staffing for any event, to include:
- Stage technicians are hired from Local #16, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees I.A.T.S.E. Contact the Technical Coordinator at (415) 473-6399 to review stage labor costs and services.
- Gate and crowd security guards.
- First Aid staff and services.
- Gate attendants, ticket takers, and ushers.
Box Office Services
All ticketed events are required to use the services of the Marin Center Box Office. Regular Box Office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11am - 4pm and one (1) hour before the start of events. The main Box Office is located on the South side of the Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium. Ticket kiosks for outdoor events are located next to the Auditorium and at the main entrance to the Lagoon Park, off Civic Center Drive. Call the Box Office manager at (415) 473-6800, to review fees and services. If needed, a portable box office kiosk is available at an additional fee.
Gate Policy
In order to insure the safety, comfort, convenience, and welfare of those attending events at the Fairgrounds or Lagoon Park, Marin Center will require of its rental clients reasonable conditions for gate policies.
These policies may include, but are not limited to, restrictions on pets, bicycles, cans, bottles, coolers, lawn chairs, foods and beverages brought onto the Marin Center grounds.
Multiple Events
Since Marin Center is a multi-use facility, several events are often scheduled concurrently. Entryways, roads, parking lots and other public areas of the facility may have to be shared by patrons of more than one event.
Additional Fees
Any violations of the rules and regulations noted above will result in additional fees to the producer.
Telephone Numbers – Marin Center
Return to Top