Napa Valley Events

Running a marathon the length of Napa Valley is such a perfect experience that you almost want the haunting strains of Vangelis music to come down from the skies. For something this good there should be a soundtrack.

The 32nd Annual Napa Valley Marathon course is fast, certified and a Boston qualifier. Racing southward along the fabled Silverado Trail, the terrain rolls gently and mostly feels downhill or flat. The scenery is just gorgeous, past the many wineries amidst wild mustard blooms, with cows and roosters and mist on the hills.

The route is largely closed to traffic and the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. Always brilliantly organized, the race has a mass of volunteers to aid runners. Proceeds support local charities and schools, and sponsors are generous, which makes the goody bag very cool!

To run or volunteer, or watch and cheer, visit the event website for full information. Be sure to check maps carefully.

The 26.2-mile race starts in Calistoga on Saturday, March 7 at 7 AM sharp, and the finish line in Napa means it’s time for a fabulous lunch from one of the valley’s gazillion fine eateries.

Oh yeah? Sez who? It’s fight time again at Rutherford Grange Hall as Napa Valley takes on Sonoma Valley, this time in a battle for the best Cabernet Sauvignon. Twenty select wines from each region will be presented in a blind tasting, and you can join in.

Watch the judges go through their paces too as they guess the county, year, barrel program, blend, price point and AVA of each wine.

Last month in the test of Zinfandels, Napa won by one point, although the public score favored Sonoma. Maybe this time the judges will agree with you.

The event is on Sunday, February 21st from 4-8 PM, in Rutherford’s historic social hall. Cost is $10 per person. Cheese plates are available for $5. Also dinner for $8 (must be pre-ordered by email here).

Call 707-254-9773 or see the Sibling Rivalry website for more information and click here for directions from our hotel.

When you’re 130 years old you get to celebrate in any way you want. If you’re the Napa Valley Opera House you offer a performance by internationally acclaimed soprano Ruth Ann Swenson. And of course you follow it with a party.

Accompanied by Whitney Crist on piano, Ms. Swenson will honor the tradition of Luisa Tatrazzini, the world-famous Italian soprano who graced the Opera House stage in the early 1900’s.

The party in the Café Theatre will offer festivities, dessert, sparkling wine and a display of rarely seen historic photos and memorabilia.

The celebration is January 30 at 7 PM. It’s $75 for the performance only, $130 to include the party. Remember the Opera House has been selling-out crowds since January, 1880, and click here to book your tickets and for more information.

The Napa Valley Opera House is at 1030 Main Street in Napa. It’s just 9 miles from our hotel, click here for directions.

Marvin Hamlisch must be the world’s most awarded composer. He’s had us humming tunes for generations, with his spellbinding movie scores and show songs. He’s written over 600 compositions, a list of classic numbers ranging from Barbra Streisand shows to Matt Damon films.

Celebrate this New Year’s Eve with a Broadway flourish as Marvin Hamlisch entertains at the Napa Valley Opera House. Playing piano and accompanied by two renowned Broadway singers, Hamlisch serves up the perfect musical mix for this special evening.

There’s a festive party in the Café Theatre after the performance, with dancing, dessert and champagne to see in the new year. The Opera House also has deals arranged for dinner before the show at restaurants within strolling distance. Click here for full details on the event.

The Opera House is at 1030 Main Street in Napa. It’s just 9 miles up the road from our hotel, click here for directions.

Hurry, the Wine Train is leaving the station! Catch it if you can for Thanksgiving dinner and you’ll give your whole party an experience they’ll talk about for years to come. It’s almost sold out, but the Gourmet Car is still available at the time of writing.

Don’t cook - in fact don’t even lift a finger for dinner on this special holiday. Sit back and enjoy the wine country’s most unique ride. Let the stewards serve you aboard the luxury Wine Train, and let world-class chef Kelly Macdonald bring his signature flair to Napa Valley’s most mouth-watering ingredients.

The Napa Valley Wine Train leaves Napa at 5 PM and returns at 8:30 PM on November 26th, Thanksgiving Day.

Click here to check availability and reserve your seats (and view the menu). Click here for directions to the station from our hotel.

The Jarvis Conservatory is an elegant little theater in the heart of Napa best know for staging a form of Spanish opera called Zarzuela (picture a Spanish version of Gilbert & Sullivan). The Conservatory hosts a number of other cultural events, including art films.

This Friday and Saturday, the Conservatory will host its 13th Annual Puppet Theater and Workshop. The event features Friday and Saturday performances by Parasol Puppets and Nappys Puppets. Plus, on Saturday puppeteer Debbie Lutzky Allen will host a hands-on workshop giving parents and kids a behind-the-scenes look at how to create and manipulate puppets.

For more info, visit the event page at the Jarvis Conservatory web site.

The “grow local” organic food movement has become a big deal in the culinary world. Fresh, seasonal, local is the mantra behind the entire New American cuisine.

Now you can learn to cook this way while discovering some of the best local produce grown in the Napa Valley.

The Cooking With Julie cooking school will hold a special “Garden To Plate” class beginning September 24. During the 4 1/2 day class, students will tour local farms including Hudson Ranch and Dickson Napa Ranch, plus visit the Napa Farmers Market. Students will receive hands-on instruction in Julie’s home kitchen, including cooking in an Italian wood-burning oven.

Cooking With Julie is located in near-by Napa, CA, just 17 minutes from our hotel (get directions here)

For more information, visit the Cooking with Julie web site.

The Napa Valley Wine Train will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary on Saturday, September 19. The birthday event features a five-course meal by nationally-known Chef Kelly Macdonald and featuring special wines from four of the Valley’s most interesting winemakers:

• Jericho Canyon 2008 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc
• ZD Founder’s Reserve 2007 Carneros Pinot Noir
• Judd’s Hill “Wine Train Cuvee” 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
• Salvestrin “Napa Valley Wine Train 20th Birthday Cuvee” 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

The train, which takes guests daily from Napa to St. Helena in historic Pullman dining and lounge cars, has carried over 2 million passengers over the past two decades.

The event runs from 5:30 - 9:30 PM. Tickets for this event are $165-$195.

The Napa Wine Train web site has more info on this event.

Call it bad programming or call it roots music heaven, but both the Lincoln Theater in Yountville and the Napa Valley Opera House in Napa will host Zydeco bands on the evening of Saturday, September 12.

The Opera House will be hosting a Zydeco Dance with Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys at 8 PM, with dance lessons starting at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $30 and available through the Opera House web site.

The Lincoln Theater in near-by Yountville will host the legendary Buckwheat Zydeco and his band at 8 PM. Tickets are $25-$30 and can be purchased through the Lincoln Theater web site.

There’ll be lots of pickin’ and grinnin’ Saturday, September 12 at the 4th Annual Old Time Bluegrass Festival. The festival features Laurie Lewis & Nina Gerber and Susie Glaze & the Hilonesome Band, plus arts & crafts, kids activities and local food.

The festival runs from 10:00 AM till 6:30 PM at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, 8853 Highway 53 at Anderson Ranch Parkway. Tickets a $15 in advance and $20 at the gate. Kids 12 and under get free admission.

Visit the festival web site for more info.