Top restaurants, how to ball on a budget, and other news 🪙
Issue 54
NEWS (TO US)
All the latest scoops
SF Chronicle. Wine Country's Top 25 Restaurants List
Shout-out to so many of our fav local restaurants, including Contimo, Valley, Carabao, Stateline, Spread Kitchen, El Molino, and many more! There’s even a tasting event at Copia in Nov. Check it out!
Ghost Pony. New vintage store
A fresh face in the world of old stuff.
True Nature Healing Arts. Now open
Because Napa can never have too many ways to breathe deeply, stretch gently, and convince ourselves we’re “working on balance.”
Lighthouse Dance Napa. New late night dance spot in downtown
Move over Morimoto Asia, now there’s another place to bust a move past 9 p.m.
Vintage High School. Print Shop
We didn’t even know this existed, but now we do ((thanks, Theda’s!). Suddenly we’re dreaming up all kinds of Villager swag. Support the kids and look cool doing it. Win-win.
Yountville Arts Commission. 9th Annual Youth Art Exhibition
Submissions now open! A great excuse to clean finger paint off the walls and redirect it to a gallery.
Sunshine Foods. St. Helena institution is for sale!
Villager Foods has a nice ring to it.
Napa Library (various locations). Bow-Wow for Books.
How cool is this? A recurring event that invites young readers to practice their reading skills by reading to certified listening dogs.
Starbucks. Three Napa cafes closing
Which means we’re down to ten. How will we survive?? (Pro tip: there are over a dozen local coffee shops that will be very happy to see you.)
Napa Community Animal Response Team. Helping your animals in emergencies
No jokes here. This crew helps keep Napa animals and their families prepped for emergencies. File under “things we’re glad exist.” Maybe we can stop by to see what the pups think of our one-liners…
Flow (Calistoga). Closing
Flown! Sad!
Huckleberry’s. Closed
Goodbye waffles, goodbye bottomless coffee refills.
Barnes & Noble. The signage is up
…and while we didn’t actually leave a bag of poop on their porch, we definitely thought about it. Welcome to the neighborhood?
Over the Hill
Sonoma Valley Next 100 Organization seeks to plan Sonoma’s next 100 years
Meanwhile, I can’t plan next week! I mean, honestly!
Small is Beautiful. Doc about Glen Ellen
Screenings listed at the link above.
BALLIN’ ON A BUDGET
Tips for keeping it frugal around town
Uptown Theatre. Buy from the Box Office
Remember the days when you interacted with a real human instead of a screen? They still exist, at Uptown’s box office, Monday through Friday, 10–5:30. And here’s the kicker: you actually save money. Rick Springfield through Ticketmaster: $89.25 (yes, really, for Rick Springfield). Same ticket, box office direct: $74.50 (which includes a $5 restoration fee — so you’re basically funding art). Kate Baer, NYT bestselling author: $73.80 through Ticketmaster vs $60 direct. Both include the paperback. Do the math, buy direct, and maybe consider stopping by just to say hi. The least you can do is give the box office staff some company.
COMING IN HOT
Events and happenings
NEW: Sep 30: Free Film Class: The Artist (2011). Cameo Cinema, free
NEW: Sep 30: Eugene’s 1 year Anniversary Party. Dos’ Bar (Sonoma), prices vary
NEW: Oct 1: Blossom the Opossum Meet-and-Greet (w/ Napa Wildlife Rescue). Napa Library, free
NEW: Oct 3: Owl Prowl & Family Night Hike. Alston Park, $5
NEW: Oct 3: Taylor Swift Album Release Party (with DJ Rotten Robbie). The Garden, $10 at the door
Oct 3-13: Zoppé: An Italian Family Circus. Napa Valley Expo, $28+
Oct 3: Harvest Movie Nights: Troop Beverly Hills. Gundlach Bunschu, $25
NEW: Oct 4: Makers Market Local Artist Fair. First Street Napa, free to attend
NEW: Oct 4: Oktoberfest. Napa Yard, free admission/prices vary
NEW: Oct 4: Whole Pig Butchery Workshop. Under-Study (St. Helena), $290
NEW: Oct 4: Oak Hill Farm Pumpkin Day. Oak Hill Farm (Sonoma), free to attend
Oct 4: Grand Opening - Community Open House. Brannan Center (St. Helena), $20
Oct 4: Story Pirates: The Amazing Adventure Tour (kids sketch comedy). Uptown Theatre, $46+
Oct 4: Vallejo Fest. Mare Island, free
NEW: Oct 5: Tomgirl Farms Sunday Pop-Ups. Juniper Station, prices vary (recurring, Sundays in October)
Oct 5: Clos du Val Harvest Farmers Market. Clos du Val, $125
Oct 5: Athletic Feat: Napa Half Marathon. Skyline Park, $96+
NEW: Oct 8: Reading with a Cat (storytime, craft & adoption event). Calistoga Public Library, free (and free adoption fees)
NEW Oct 11: Palm Tree Music Festival. Meritage Resort, waitlist only
Oct 11: Makers Market. Di Rosa, $15
NEW Oct 12: Napa Day Against Hate (community gathering). Veterans Park, free
Oct 12: DJ Brunch Bites: Clif Family Morning Marmalade (brunch party). Clif Family Tasting Room, $35
NEW: Oct 13: Dos’ Cookbook Book Club (and Potluck). Dos’ Bar (Sonoma), $TBD
NEW: Oct 15: Dine & Donate for Napa Humane Society. The Garden, prices vary
NEW: Oct 15: Halloween Creature Class. Covet Ceramics, $30
NEW: Oct 16: Oktoberfest Celebration. Contimo, prices vary
NEW: Oct 17: Free Play with Clay Hand-building Workshop + Pizza Dinner. Covet Home Studio, $105
Oct 17: Twin Peaks: A Conversation with the Stars. Uptown Theatre, $61+
NEW: Oct 18: Youth Mental Health “Fall” Festival. Mentis Wellness Campus, free
NEW: Oct 18: St. Helena Harvest Festival. St. Adams Street & Library Lane (St. Helena), free to attend
Oct 18: CraftSwap (with the Craft Yard). Juniper Station, free
NEW Oct 19: Peanuts 75th Anniversary (with Snoopy!). Folklore, free admission
NEW: Oct 19: 3-piece Breakfast Set Clay Hand-building Workshop. Covet Home Studio, $135
NEW: Oct 19: 1 Year Anniversary & Oktoberfest Bash. Decant, prices vary
Oct 19: Larry Vuckovich All Star Quartet. Brannan Center (St. Helena), $20
NEW: Oct 21: Cristy (Screening). Sebastiani Theatre, tickets not yet on sale
Advance Notice:
Oct 22: Community Open House with City of Napa. Las Flores Community Center, free
Oct 23: Spooky Napa (a reading of vintage Napa Valley ghost stories). Napa Library, free
Oct 25: Pumpkin Carving. Ballentine Vineyards, $50
Oct 25-Nov 2: Day of the Dead Altar. Napa Library, free (bring copies of photos, written stories, and memories to honor and celebrate loved ones).
Oct 27: Coco Movie Screening and Craft. Calistoga Library, free
NEW: Oct 27: Blue Velvet (Screening). Sebastiani x Sonoma Film Club, tickets not yet for sale
Oct 29: Encanto Movie Screening. Calistoga Library, free
Oct 30: Country Line Dancing Halloween Party. The Garden, $23
Oct 31: Halloween Open House. Napa Library, free
Oct 31: Halloween at the Garden of Good and Evil. The Garden, $23
Nov 1: Tour de Calistoga (Bike Race). Calistoga, $295+
Nov 9: SF Chronicle: Wine Country's Top 25 Restaurants Celebration and Tasting. CIA Copia, $125+
Nov 9: Hamlet (the finger-puppet musical). Folklore, free cover
Dec 4: 9th Annual Youth Art Exhibition Opening Reception. Steve Rogers Gallery at the Community Center, $TBD
Dec 6: Visits with Santa. Yountville Community Center, free
Dec 6-7: Yountville Holiday Artisan Faire. Yountville Community Center, free
Jan 24, 2026: Napa Valley Crab Feed (Boys & Girls Club). Napa Valley Expo, $150+