Throughout Napa Valley – April 5 – April 28, 2018
The Napa Valley is known for offering the best wine country vacations and tours to visitors from all over the world—whether they’re sipping in tasting salons, enjoying a world-class meal, or kicking back to enjoy the boundless natural beauty of northern California. But Napa Valley has even more to offer!
One of our favorite things to share with our Napa Valley wine tours is the vibrant arts scene in and around Napa Valley. It’s grown so big, we need a whole month to celebrate it!
This well-kept secret about Napa Valley wine country started in 1963, when the Arts Council Napa Valley (ACNV) was formed to support the area’s burgeoning arts community. For several years, the Council has organized Arts in April as a month-long event to highlight Napa Valley’s art and artists, and this year’s is bound to be the best yet!
Below, you’ll find a complete guide for Arts in April events. We’d love to help you add these to your Napa Valley wine tour, whether you want to visit specific Napa Valley wine country hot-spots like the towns of St. Helena and Calistoga, or any of the other participating wineries. We hope to see you there!
Kick-off Event – The ENGAGE Art Fair – April 6 – 8
Napa County Fairgrounds
1435 N Oak St
Calistoga, CA 94515
Kick things off with the ENGAGE Art Fair, where 11,000 square feet are turned into a blank canvas for local artists of all kinds—musicians, painters, sculptors, craft-artists, multimedia creators, and more—to present their work and share interactive experiences with guests. One highlight is the Preview Party: snag tickets here for the white-attired, “multimedia mashup” to be among the first to see the work of this year’s ENGAGE artists!
Calistoga
SARAFONIA (ART | MUSIC | FOOD | WINE) – April 5 – 8, 2018
On the northern end of Napa Valley, Calistoga offers wine-country guests idyllic vistas of redwood trees and the sweet seclusion of hot springs, as well as some of our favorite wineries for Napa Valley wine tours. But it also harbors a booming arts scene, on display in the SARAFORNIA festival of art, music, food, and wine – the first major event in the Arts in April calendar! While ENGAGE (see above) is the anchor event of SARAFORNIA, several other major offerings are available:
“Flower Bomb” at the Sofie Contemporary Arts gallery shows off contemporary artworks paired with floral arrangements, while the “Storytelling Speakeasy” at the Tank Garage Winery
Features storytellers and writers sharing their experiences of the area. The “Creativity Crawl” features local artists and “light bites” that take place at a number of galleries, shops, and tasting rooms in Calistoga’s downtown area. And don’t miss the Calistoga Art Center’s “Art in Bloom,” with creative family-friendly activities for all ages. Learn more about all these events here.
St Helena
Arts in the Streets – April 15 (12 – 3 PM)
Lyman Park
1498 Main St
St Helena, CA 94574
To celebrate the rich diversity of historic St. Helena, Arts in the Streets brings together performers, musicians, and artists to demonstrate their work. Hear poetry from the Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, enjoy interactive work from Nimbus Arts, sample delicious treats from the Napa Valley Cooking School, enjoy student art, and hear from a number of local musicians, like the Bluewind Jazz Band and the New Era Beats Brigade! And while you’re in the area, we can build your Napa Valley wine tour around these gorgeous, can’t-miss wineries in St. Helena!
Yountville
Art, Sip, & Stroll – April 28 (11 AM – 5 PM)
This free event brings together more than 45 artists as well as live music and specialty craft beer purveyors to the beautiful streets of Yountville, which also offers some of Napa Valley wine country’s best shopping and dining. Purchase a tasting pass for local wineries (or let us create a Napa Valley wine tour from some of our favorite tasting rooms in the area!), and stop at the gourmet food trucks brought in for the event.
Napa
First Street Napa Artist Alley – April 21 ( 2 – 6 PM)
The newest in this year’s Arts in April offerings, First Street Napa is home to some of the town’s best new restaurants and wine tasting, as well as the new boutique Archer hotel! The event will include murals, art installations, live music, face painting, chalk art, and live painting, all as a stunning introduction to this brand new addition to the Napa Valley wine country arts community. (Think European-style street fair!) While you’re there, we can even create a Napa Valley wine tour from our our best picks for wine bars in downtown Napa!
Other Featured Events
For a complete list of other events happening all over Napa Valley wine country, check out the Art Council’s site here. Below you’ll find a few of our favorites:
Flora Springs Presents the Contemporary Artist at Work
Flora Springs – The Room
677 S St Helena Hwy
St Helena, CA 94574
Every Saturday in April, the tasting room will invite a different artist to work in their medium of choice to create a live demonstration of their process. Each Saturday will also include live music and, of course, a chance to taste the winery’s great line-up of Napa Valley wines.
Vineyard Panorama at Acumen Wine Gallery – April 21
Acumen Wine Gallery
1315 First St
Napa, CA 94559
Join Acumen Wines all month long to celebrate artist Kurt-Inge Eklund’s photographs of local scenery. On April 21, come by for a special Arts in April tasting and a chance to purchase autographed prints of Eklund’s work.
Robert Louis Stevenson Poetry Night – April 26 at 6:30 PM
St Helena Public Library
1492 Library Ln
St Helena, CA 94574
Sponsored by The Grade Cellars, this celebration of Robert Louis Stevenson’s poetry and the new work of local poets offers locals and visitors alike a chance to enjoy gorgeous Napa Valley wine country through language. Admission is free, and light refreshments will be served.
We can’t wait to share Arts in April with all our guests, and our full service luxury vehicles are ready and waiting to take you to any of these wonderful events! Let us help you create your best art and wine tour of Napa Valley wine country. Contact our reservations team here and let us help you.
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