06/09/2021
The social scene in West Marin is picking up steam as Covid-19 restrictions wind down and bars open up. The Old Western joined Papermill Creek and Smiley’s Schooner Saloons in reopening last week, and bartenders are excited to be back. Customers are returning to improved venues, with better lighting, fresh paint and new pool tables. They’re drinking a lot and tipping well. All eyes are on June 15, when capacity limits and mask requirements are set to fall away. Live music acts are booked, and people are ready to party.
“When we finally got the go-ahead, it was exuberant,” said Freda Keltner, a bartender at the Western for the last six years. “It couldn’t have been more of a love fest.”