Festival Napa Valley: Getting a Taste of What's to Come!
July 14, 2018
Napa Valley has a reputation for being a top-rated hotspot for wine and food but did you know it's also the ultimate destination for music every summer? If you're looking to experience the best wine, the best food and best music from all over the world, pack up your bags and book your tickets because Festival Napa Valley has it all!
Festival Napa Valley will be uncorking their 13th season this summer from July 20 - 29 that will be jammed packed with concerts, fine dining and wine tours across the valley. This 10-day festival is guaranteed to fill up your 'summer cup of fun' to the brim. I recently met up with Festival Napa Valley's COO, Sonia Tolbert at Kitchen Collective to find out more about this season's line-up and get the inside scoop about a special wrap party that's not to be missed...
Click below to watch!
What I love most about Festival Napa Valley is its intimacy, the variety of music that is presented and the over-the-top settings that are carefully planned for each concert. The concerts are not located in one large concert venue or theater every night. Instead, each concert is held at the at a local winery to create the perfect pairing of wine, music and ambiance!
You might even find yourself sitting underneath the stars for a candlelit dinner while you sway to your favorite jazz combo. It's up to you! You decide what you want to see and have the option to pick and choose your own experience. You can purchase the full 10-day passport that gets you into every experience or you can opt-in for a weekend getaway or even a day-trip to taste delicious wines while celebrating the arts!
For those that can't get away for too long, I've circled three dates that are definitely worth considering:
July 22nd - Arts for All Gala: Broadway superstar and Emmy Award-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth will be joined by Blackburn Music Academy Orchestra to perform a selection of Broadway hits and celestial arias. And to top it off, funds raised at this charity event will support public school arts education programs in Napa County, scholarships for emerging musicians and help Festival Napa Valley fulfill its mission of making the arts accessible to all.
July 26th - The Red Violin (World Premiere!): Joshua Bell will join Festival Orchestra NAPA to play the score of The Red Violin to the film that will be projected above the stage. This Oscar Award-winning film is about the history of a special violin (dating back to 1681) that has a significant impact on everyone that owns it. Psssstt...! Did you know Joshua Bell plays a special violin himself? He plays on 300-year-old Stradivari that's worth MILLIONS! And to top it all off, the composer of The Red Violin's music, John Corigliano will be making an appearance at the performance.
July 28th - Bernstein Centennial: If you're a big fan of West Side Story, this concert is for you! Michael Fabiano & Larisa Martinez will be singing excerpts, including "Maria", "Tonight", "Somewhere" and more! What makes this event so special? This year marks the Centennial of Leonard Bernstein and his incredible contribution to music for movies, symphonies, operas, ballets... and the list goes on and on. The concert will be held at The Lincoln Theater, which is one of Napa Valley's premiere performing arts venues - it's stunning! Afterward, you can head over to Kitchen Collective (where we filmed our above video) for their wrap party and silent disco.
PLUS! Receive our Red Curtain Addict rate (20% off!) when you use promo code: RedCurtain18
We hope you'll join us at Festival Napa Valley for unforgettable concerts and experiences that you can't find anywhere else in the world. What are you most looking forward to during the festival? Do you have questions for thoughts about the programs? Leave a comment for us below!