The blend of culinary and oenophile pursuits are showcased opening weekend: Taste of Napa, on Saturday, July 15 at the Napa Valley Expo is the festival’s signature wine and food event, and this year feature’s 70 wineries, restaurants and artisan food purveyors for guests to sample. Local musicians will take the stage to provide the soundtrack and, for the first time this year, the event boasts a beer garden.
The artistic collaboration that resulted in “Seasons of Cuba” at Far Niente began in 2016 when Bell traveled to Havana as part of the U.S. government’s inaugural cultural mission to Cuba under President Obama. The resulting show has only been performed once before, live at New York’s Lincoln Center, and was filmed for a PBS special. The extraordinary musicians coming to Napa from Cuba to play with Bell will also be featured in other festival performances. Notably, piano sensation Aldo Lopéz-Gavilián will play an intimate set at Napa’s new jazz cafe, Blue Note Napa.
Festival Napa Valley strives to bring the transformative power of the arts to all, and their mission is supported by ticket sales, Patron events, donations and the festival’s partners. “Festival Napa Valley has helped put the arts back into our schools and is transforming education in Napa County,” says Barbara Nemko, Superintendent, Napa County Office of Education.
In 2015 the festival awarded a $50,000 grant to create Napa County’s first-ever Arts Education Master Plan, a roadmap for a comprehensive curriculum for arts education from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
And, during the annual ten days of Festival Napa Valley, Arts for All will provide local families, seniors, and students with free and affordable access to world-class performances at one of the world’s top music and arts festivals.
Photos:
Bill Murray (Peggy Sirota)
Joshua Bell (Linda Hsieh)
Far Niente and Children Playing Music (Festival Napa Valley)