Sat., Oct. 26th | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Downtown Napa If you wonder if Napa still puts locals first, all you need to do is look at the yearly community events calendar, and you’ll see that locals are front and center. Nothing exemplifies this better than Hometown Halloween, when Napans are invited to dress their kids (and themselves, if they wish) in their Halloween costumes, and come downtown to Trick or Treat. Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 26, the sidewalks

July 12–21 Napa Valley Becomes a Cultural Destination There’s Bottlerock. And there’s Festival Napa Valley with world-class performances in another genre, in the category of culture. Perhaps more highbrow? Now in it’s 14th season, Festival Napa Valley has turned Napa Valley into a cultural destination. More than 200 artists, wineries, resorts, theaters, restaurants, chefs and vintners participate each year. People come from far and wide. True story. This season there are 60

Wednesday Evenings | 5:30 to 8:30pm | June 12 - July 31 Inside First Street Napa Napa’s new summer series takes outdoor events into a whole new level, and makes locals part of the fun. Each week features a mixology competition, in which three of Napa’s favorite bartenders will participate. And the judges? The first two hundred attendees who are interested will be ID’d, given a wristband, and tickets to taste. They will sample all three of the cocktails and pick their favo

El Niño, Atmospheric Rivers, Pineapple Express – residents of Napa County are emerging from a wet winter. What better way to celebrate the return of sunny days than heading outdoors to enjoy the Napa River? One of the defining natural features of Napa Valley, the Napa River winds through forested mountain slopes, vineyards, urban areas, open pasture, grasslands, industrial zones, and marshes on its 50-mile journey from Mt. St. Helena to the San Pablo Bay. From river trails

This group of hungry locals was back at it with a downtown favorite, Tarla Mediterranean Bar + Grill. Full disclosure . . . we are not strangers to this place. We’ve enjoyed the flavorful, Turkish inspired cuisine since it opened on Christmas Eve of 2011. We wouldn’t be able to count the meals we have enjoyed at Tarla, or the happy hours spent with friends at the bar. Late night––it is not unusual to find us schmoozing with the staff and owners of other establishments, who sh

Downtown Napa and the Oxbow District are changing, with lots of new locally oriented shops opening up. In 2018 alone, twenty-eight new businesses opened. 2019 is off to a roaring start, with six businesses opening their doors already. Here’s a look at three that opened in the first week of January this year. Monday Bakery 1412 Second Street 699-2960 or mondaybakery.com Open every day except Wednesday It all started with Rice Krispie treats, baked in a microwave oven, in her

For most people, Christmas means food, family, and friends. It means staying close to home with the people you love, and keeping it local. With that spirit in mind, we hope that you will take advantage of all that downtown Napa has to offer. This season, when it’s time to visit a restaurant, do some Holiday shopping, or treat yourself to a wine tasting adventure, we hope you’ll keep it local. Small business owners tend to live in the town in which they do business, and they h

Napa’s 2018 Christmas Parade Saturday, Nov. 24th, 5pm 2nd & 3rd Streets | Downtown Napa Grand Marshal – Tom Finch, owner Filippi’s Pizza Grotto The theme of this year’s Christmas parade should get participants creative juices flowing. If that’s not enough, three cash awards of $500 each will be given to the parade judges’ choices in three categories: Best Use of Lights, Best Theme-Oriented, and Best Use of Music. Anyone can enter the parade, and it’s free to do so. “Although

Diane Bishofberger, Bank of Marin Market Manager for the Napa area, is a diehard Disney fan. Little wonder then that fifteen years ago, when the Downtown Napa Association decided to go all out for Halloween, she volunteered to lead the charge, and make sure that the day was one that children would love (and that Mickey would be proud of)! ​Thanks to the Bank of Marin staff, characters from Disney and other movies that conjour up the Halloween spirit have shown up over the yea

These Hungry Locals are at it again. With a hint of spice in our step, we decided it was time to go for some Latin, French, or Asian food. We asked ourselves, “Can we really please everyone’s taste in one place?” A friend suggested we try Las Palmas on Yajome Street, across from New Tech High School. We found the unassuming restaurant tucked behind a flowering trellis of vines, with plentiful seating indoors or out. The atmosphere is casual, come as you are, you will feel at

If you don’t frequent Downtown Napa and it’s been a while since you’ve visited for a stroll or for dinner – run, don’t walk – to see what’s happening. Downtown Napa’s “hang out” desirability is off-the-charts and is now arguably the best spot to head to for fun in Napa Valley. Crowning the transformation in recent years has been the re-development of First Street Napa. With the goal of adding shopping, dining and a spot to connect as a community, First Street Napa has emerged

Last year, Main Street Reunion moved a couple of blocks to Third and Main Streets. After all those years on First, the show organizers worried about how the new footprint would be received. They needn’t have worried. “People loved the new layout,” said Napa Valley Cruisers president Mike Phillips. “We used the big parking lot across the street from the County building as well, and it meant the cars were closer together. People said it looked more impressive, and saved them a

August 25 is the 10th anniversary of Blues, Brews & BBQ, so it has to be something special. One new aspect will be heard on the Randolph Street Stage, which, for the first time at this event, will be all Zydeco music. “We’ve done Zydeco in the past at other events, and everyone loves it,” said Morales. “People have been asking us to please bring it back, and this is the perfect year to do that.” The Beer Garden stage will also get a facelift. “The stage there has traditionall

Kindness is in season. This is never a false statement, however, here in Napa Valley, summer is the time to really celebrate this invaluable quality. August 18 marks the 2nd Annual Kindness Day celebration in Yountville. Once again, led by sisters Talulah (11) and Ruby (8) Finkelstein, it will be a day spotlighting the power of kindness to strengthen community. Through speaking engagements at schools across the country, the gifting of their iconic “Be Kind” buttons, and the f

Napa Valley is home to more restaurants than we can count. Who hasn’t spent too much time wondering where to go when you’re hungry? Anyone can go online, read restaurant reviews and then make a decision based on what someone else thought. This bunch of friends has decided to go in person. We’re going to eat our way to the answers––that suit our tastes––cook up an experience and serve it to you, through this series. Take the trip with us! Our first excursion brought us to Napa

Napa’s 2017 Christmas Parade Saturday, Nov. 25th, 5pm 2nd & 3rd Streets | Downtown Napa Grand Marshal – Greg Cole and Beth Fairbairn, Founders, Celadon & Cole’s Chop House The theme of this year’s Christmas parade should get participants creative juices flowing. If that’s not enough, three cash awards of $500 each will be given to the parade judges’ choices in three categories: Best Use of Lights, Best Theme-Oriented, and Best Use of Music. Anyone can enter the parade, and

While it is difficult to believe, it is October. I have one word for the onslaught of this month, “Seriously?” Time is passing far too quickly. However, with the hometown “Friday night lights” football games, harvest activities that are wrapping up, evenings that are typically a bit cooler and crisp, and vineyards morphing into an explosion of fall colors all around us, October remains one of my very favorite months of the year. There are plenty of super fun things to get out