Health & Fitness
Our Summer ArtsCrush: Napa's July/Aug Outdoor Art Activities!
Come summer, the arts head outdoors, and we happily follow. From picnics in art gardens, to rock concerts on some fabulous front porches, Napa knows how to do arts and culture, al fresco style!
Arts Council Napa Valley has a whole lot of love for Napa’s art scene. We spend our days distracted and daydreaming, besotted by our huge, massive, undeniable obsession with art in Napa Valley, and we want you to share the love. Welcome to ACNV's ArtsCrush Blog-- A monthly digest of likeable art activities and happenings sure to strike your fancy. Want more? See the whole lineup at NVArts.org.
NAPA COUNTY FAIR & FIREWORKS
Wed. July 4
Come up to downtown Calistoga for the annual 4th of July Parade! See floats, decorated cars, live bands, and Sam Brannan, then make your way over to the fairgorunds for a day full of games, fun, and fireworks. Pies, prizes, and music will be abound all afternoon. The fairgrounds will end the night with a 4th of July celebration and self-proclaimed Fireworks Spectacular. Sit in the infield under the stars and enjoy the show. | napacountyfair.org
ROBERT MONDAVI CONCERT SERIES
Sat. June 30 - Sat. July 14
For more than four decades, Robert Mondavi Winery has hosted legendary artists for its annual summer concert series. This year will feature the likes of O.A.R., The Plain White T's, Natasha Bedingfield, Five for Fighting, and Josh Groban! Let the fantastic music begin. | robertmondavi.com
SLACK COLLECTIVE STUDIOS CRAFT FAIR
Sat. July 21 & Sat. August 18
Slack Collective Studios (SCS), an independent artist collective in Downtown Napa, feature artwork, and host community related events and exhibitions in affordable studio spaces. All artists in the collective are invited to exhibit in the adjacent gallery for group shows, including their summer Handmade Arts & Crafts Fair. From 10-2pm, SCS’s artists will be selling their crafty creations to passersby. It’s a perfect excuse to take a stroll downtown, grab a coffee, and feed a starving artist or two. | slackcollective.com
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DI ROSA ANNUAL MEMBERS PICNIC
Sun. July 22, 2012
Find out what's happening in Napa Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Di Rosa, set into the Carneros hills, is one of the largest collections of regional art available anywhere in the country—and its in your backyard! Entirely surrounded by vineyards, di Rosa sits on 217 protected acres, and has gorgeous views, both from its vineyard landscape, and its 2000+ amassed assortment of contemporary art.
Every year, di Rosa’s members enjoy a beautiful day of hiking, music, art, food, and creativity at the Annual Members Picnic. Galleries are open with interactive projects while guests spend the day exploring the grounds and enjoying a picnic lunch. Live music plays in the Olive Grove, and beer and water are a plenty. Don’t say we didn’t warn you: Space is limited and fills extremely quickly! So just in case you miss out on the picnic, keep in mind that di Rosa is open to the public Wednesday-Sunday. Tours are $12-15 for the general public, and free for members. | Dirosaart.org
VINE VILLAGE A DAY IN THE COUNTRY
Sun. July 22
Hidden in the Carneros hills alongside Old Sonoma Road, Vine Village residents—ranging in age from adolescent to senior—are actively painting, crafting, and learning, thanks to the love and sweat of George and Grace Kerson and Dante Bagnani, two local families who founded the non-profit community for special needs adults in 1972. Vine Village rests on a 25-acre ranch and vineyard, and offers people with developmental disabilities a rich, meaningful life that supports individuality and independence as much as possible.
Each year, the village hosts an annual Live Auction fundraiser. This year’s casual and fun event, “In the Country,” will feature auctions of rare wines, and exotic vacations, with guests noshing on BBQ, small plate tastings, dessert, and wine from some of Napa’s finest while enjoying the gardens, flowers, and wildlife of the great outdoors. Some of our favorite artists are residents of Vine Village, and will be selling their fine art and crafts on site that same day. Wine, BBQ, art, and farm animals? How could you say no? | Vinevillage.org
A DAY AT THE PARK- NAPA’S NEW RIVERFRONT GREEN
Park Hours: Sunrise to Sunset all summer
Affectionately deemed a “pocket park,” Napa’s newest public park on the corner of Third and Soscol streets is a perfect summer afternoon relaxation zone. Designed by local landscape architect Gretchen Stranzl McCann, the Riverfront Green features concrete walking paths, stone veneer retaining walls, landscaping, seating and a site-specific sculpture designed by artist Roger Berry called “Moonrise.” The roughly half-acre, triangular park gives great views of the Napa River, and features grass cozy enough to rest on while reading a good book. | Cityofnapa.org
SHAKESPEARE NAPA VALLEY
Fri. July 20- Sun. July 29
Started back in 2009, Shakespeare Napa Valley began at Napa Valley College under the leadership of Jennifer King. In 2010, SNV partnered with the City of Napa to bring The Taming of the Shrew to Veteran’s Memorial Park for two weekends in August. The group came back by popular demand in 2011 to perform Much Ado About Nothing and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). This summer, SNV will present Twelfth Night on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 7 P.M. Free to attend-- Bard dictionary voluntary. | shakespearenapavalley.org
NAPA PORCHFEST
Sun. July 29
In 2011, almost 30 houses in historic downtown Napa hosted various musicians for a 3-hour musical extravaganza on porches, driveways or front lawns. As Napa Patch contributor Jim Gunther pointed out, “No one got paid. It was all volunteer. People came on bicycles, drove around in cars, skateboards, roller skates, and some, like us, just walked around with canine friends!” This year’s set to be a repeat success, though the performance roster has doubled. This year’s free event, in partnership with Napa County Landmarks, features local bands —67, to be exact— who serve up an afternoon of music from porches in historic Downtown Napa neighborhoods. | napaporchfest.org
MUSIC IN THE VINEYARDS
Wed. Aug. 1 – Sun. Aug. 19
A Napa Valley chamber music festival now in its 18th season, Music in the Vineyards takes classical music out of Carnegie Hall and into wine caves. Featuring world-renowned players like the Pacific Quartet and Joshua Roman, this three-week festival is hosted by wineries up and down the valley, including Robert Mondavi, Provenance Vineyards, and the Hess Collection. Concerts run around two hours in length, and feature the host winery’s own libations and intermission. Reserve early, as these one-of-a-kind performances never have empty seats. | musicinthevineyards.org
About Arts Council Napa Valley: Arts Council Napa Valley is a non-profit arts organization that supports and connects the local creative community in Napa County. Since it was founded in 1980, ACNV has grown into an important stakeholder and industry partner in Napa Valley. For more information and to become a member, please visit www.artscouncilnapavalley.org.
