Summer in Monte Rio Starts Now
Festivals and civic celebrations dot the summer calendar in Monte Rio from Terrapin Roadshow to Monte Rio Revival to RioFest to the historic Monte Rio Variety Show
Every summer, Monte Rio reminds people why they fell in love with this stretch of the Russian River in the first place. Not because it’s polished or trendy, but because it still feels real. We’re grateful to live in a town where music spills into the open air, neighbors stop to talk to each other, and entire weekends seem built around being outside together. It’s the kind of place that pulls people in slowly. You come for the river or the redwoods, and before long you find yourself volunteering for an event, recognizing familiar faces at Bartlett’s, and staying far longer than you planned.
Memorial Day weekend marks the reopening of Monte Rio Beach and, for many locals, the unofficial beginning of summer. For generations, families have gathered here to swim, rent boats, float in the sun, and spend entire afternoons doing almost nothing at all. The beach remains free and open to the public, with life jackets available and an ADA-accessible beach wheelchair helping make the river more welcoming for everyone. This year also brings an expanded snack shack menu from locals Sharon and Karalynn, featuring items like the Chicago Beef Sandwich, Lava Shore Burger, and Kicken-Chicken Sandwich.
The following weekend, May 30–31, Terrapin Roadshow alights at the Monte Rio Amphitheater. Terrapin Crossroads was a restaurant and live music venue in San Rafael, founded in 2011 by former Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh. It operated as a central hub for the Grateful Dead community until 2021. The concept continues today with the Lesh family’s traveling concert series known as Terrapin Roadshow, which is rooted in the songbook and style of the Grateful Dead. Expect to hear classic tunes from the 60s through today performed by world-class musicians. Get tickets.
On Friday, June 5, from 6 pm to 9 pm, Monte Rio Revival returns to downtown for a free, family-friendly celebration of Monte Rio’s past, present, and future. Inspired by the success of last October’s inaugural event, the evening will once again transform the Park & Ride at the corner of Moscow Road and Main Street into a lively community gathering space filled with live music, local food vendors, art, and large-scale historic photographs displayed throughout downtown. Archival photos and videos will be projected, while the Russian River Historical Society and Monte Rio Fire Station open their doors for tours. Community members will also have opportunities to share ideas about downtown’s future and ongoing revitalization efforts.
“In this time of disconnection and uncertainty, we want to keep the momentum going and continue bringing people together in real life—longtime residents and recent arrivals alike, families, and people from communities along the Russian River and across West County,” said Colin Mutchler, co-organizer and artist in residence at the Russian River Historical Society.
Then on Saturday, June 20, from 12 pm to 6 pm, RioFest returns to the Monte Rio Amphitheater for its sixth year. Hosted by Friends of Monte Rio, the free festival has become one of the lower Russian River’s most beloved summer traditions. This year’s mainstage lineup includes Spike Sikes and His Awesome Hotcakes, The Uninvited, The Okay Ultras, and Battle of the Bands winner Subprime Mortgage, along with local musicians performing throughout the day on the volunteer-built second stage.
Families spread blankets across the grass while nonprofits, artists, food vendors, and local businesses line the amphitheater. Kids can enjoy face painting, games, snow cones, and popcorn at the Kids’ Korner, while hula hoopers drift through the crowd. The celebration continues across the river at RioFest After Dark at the Monte Rio Theatre starting at 6 pm, with more live music and entertainment. More information can be found at https://friendsofmonterio.org/riofest2026.
The season also brings back the Monte Rio Variety Show on July 23 at the Monte Rio Amphitheater, one of the community’s longest-running and most beloved traditions, this year hosted by Livingston Taylor. First created in 1911 to raise funds to build St. Catherine of Siena Church, the show has continued for more than a century. It blends music, comedy, storytelling, raffles, and unexpected performances beneath the redwoods. Over the years, internationally famous performers who are playing at nearby Bohemian Grove have been known to make surprise appearances. Guests begin setting up lawn chairs as early as 7 am, a tradition that speaks to the hometown devotion that makes the event so special. Proceeds support St. Catherine of Siena, the Monte Rio Fire Services Foundation, and the Monte Rio School Foundation. Tickets are available at MonteRioShow.com and are expected to sell out.
Taken together, these aren’t just events on a calendar. They’re reminders that Monte Rio still knows how to gather, celebrate, and build community the old-fashioned way: in person, outdoors, by the river.
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