Find Out Which Haute Napa Valley Event Is Changing Its Name

Photo Credit: Robert McClenahan

There’s Auction Napa Valley, BottleRock Napa Valley and the Napa Valley Film Festival, all of which proudly state the locale where their event happens. Add Festival Napa Valley to the mix. That’s the new name for what has been called the Festival del Sole, the Napa Valley event you should never miss, for the last decade. Napa Valley Festival Association, the nonprofit organization that produces Festival del Sole, announced the new name for the internationally-acclaimed summer celebration. Recognized as Napa Valley’s flagship festival, the annual performing arts, wine and culinary extravaganza will continue to showcase the world’s best artists staged in iconic Napa Valley settings. The 11th annual Festival Napa Valley will take place July 15-24, 2016.

“For the past decade, the festival has been a catalyst in transforming Napa Valley into a cultural destination. Arts lovers from around the globe return year after year for an extraordinary experience that only Napa Valley delivers,” commented President & CEO Rick Walker. “The new name reflects the vital role the festival now plays in the life of the community.”

Over the course of its  10-year history, the festival has made the arts accessible to all through the presentation of free performances and the donation of tickets to veterans, seniors and students. It has become a leading funder of arts education in Napa County schools. In 2015, Festival Napa Valley awarded $275,000 to community arts organizations, including a grant to underwrite the first-ever arts education master plan for Napa Valley Unified School District.

The 2016 festival is dedicated to founding board member and Napa Valley doyenne, Margrit Mondavi. “No one better represents and exemplifies the philanthropic spirit and the passion for art, music, food and wine that Margrit and the festival share,” stated Board Chairman Timothy Blackburn. Several special events in Margrit Mondavi’s honor will take place at Festival Napa Valley this summer.

The 2016 festival schedule will be announced in early March. For more information, visit www.festivalnapavalley.org.