Festival Napa Valley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Festival Napa Valley |
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| Genre | Festival |
| Location(s) | Napa Valley, California |
| Coordinates | 38°23′12″N 122°21′00″W / 38.3867°N 122.3500°W |
| Country | U.S. |
| Inaugurated | 2006 |
| Founder | Richard Walker, Barrett Wissman |
| Attendance | 10,000 |
Festival Napa Valley is a fun festival in Napa Valley, California. It celebrates music, delicious food, and the local lifestyle. A special group called the Napa Valley Festival Association runs it. This group works to support the arts in the community.
Every year, over 200 musicians, wineries, restaurants, and chefs join in. The main festival happens each July. Sometimes, there are also events in the spring and fall. You can enjoy performances at theaters, wineries, and beautiful outdoor spots all over Napa Valley. The festival also helps schools by funding arts education programs. It is a big supporter of arts learning in Napa County public schools.
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Exciting Festival Events
The Festival Napa Valley offers many cool events for everyone to enjoy. These events bring together music, food, and fun activities.
Taste of Napa
One popular event is "Taste of Napa." Here, you can try amazing wines and foods from about 80 local wineries and restaurants. Many of these wineries are usually closed to the public, so it's a special chance to visit them!
Wellness Activities
The festival also cares about health and wellness. They have talks led by health experts. There's even a 5K or 10K "Sun Run" where you can run or walk. The money raised from this run helps support arts education in Napa County.
Arts for All Gala
The "Arts for All Gala" is a big party held every July. It features an outdoor dinner, live music, and special guests. A highlight is a charity auction where people bid on unique experiences. The money raised helps more people attend festival performances for free or at a low cost. It also supports arts education in schools and helps young musicians with scholarships.
Special Tributes and Guests
Over the years, the festival has honored many famous people.
- In 2014, they honored actress Sophia Loren. Her son, Carlo Ponti, brought his orchestra to perform. Famous guests like Whoopi Goldberg, Robert Redford, and Francis Ford Coppola attended.
- In 2016, the festival honored Margrit Mondavi, who was a big supporter of the arts. Jazz musician Dave Koz performed. Many well-known people, including Sophia Loren, came to celebrate her.
- In 2018, the festival honored its founder, Darioush Khaledi, and his wife Shahpar. This celebration included a private concert with famous musicians.
In 2021, the festival returned with a full schedule of live performances.
Supporting Arts Education
Festival Napa Valley has given over $1 million to support arts programs in Napa County public schools. They help schools get the supplies they need for art classes. They also helped create a plan for arts education across the county. The festival works to make sure all students have access to quality arts education.
They have funded a special coordinator for visual and performing arts in schools. They also helped hire a music teacher for the biggest middle schools. The festival even helps teachers learn how to include art in all their lessons. They also support arts education for students at Camille Creek Community School. This includes weekly art classes and an annual "Concert on the Green."
Young Artist Series
The festival has a "Bouchaine Young Artists Series." These are free concerts that feature talented young musicians who are just starting their careers. It's a great way to see future stars perform!
Summer Camps
In 2018, the festival funded two free summer camps for kids aged 6-18. These camps were for the Boys & Girls Clubs in Napa and American Canyon. The camps had fun art activities, daily music experiences, and a chance to attend the festival's "Concert for Kids."
Music Academy
The "Blackburn Music Academy" offers a special program for 80 young musicians from all over the world. It's free to attend and gives them intense training and performance experience. Many students apply to join this academy each year.
Vocal Arts Series
With support from generous donors, the festival presents amazing singers. You can hear leading vocalists and new talents perform in different places across Napa Valley.
Dance Series
The festival also has a dance series. It features dancers from famous ballet companies around the world. Local young dance groups also get to perform through this series.
Festival History
Festival Napa Valley was started in 2006. It was founded by Richard Walker and Barrett Wissman, along with Charles Letourneau. They wanted to make Napa Valley a well-known place for culture and arts. Many people and wineries helped support the festival when it first began.
