Robert Mondavi Winery is the epitome of time-honored traditions, thanks to the late Robert Mondavi and his wife Margrit’s dedicated patronage to the arts and culture of Napa Valley. They are so revered both inside and out of the industry, that we deemed it necessary to feature “The First Lady of Napa Valley” on the cover of our September/October issue of Haute Living San Francisco.
Mondavi’s revered winery, along with the Napa Valley Opera House, will be hosting one of the summer’s most anticipated events, the 2010 Summer Concert Series, which will kick off July 3, marking an unofficial start to summer.
This year’s lineup can be described as well-rounded, with such names as Ziggy Marley, son of iconic artist Bob Marley; Afro-Cuban All Stars with bandleader Juan De Marcos, bent on bringing Cuban music to the mainstage; the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, complete with fireworks bursting to the tunes of their inspiring music; and the Courtyard Hounds, featuring the harmonizing vocals of sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison. Ticket prices come in three tiers: general admission lawn seats; reserved lawn seats; and for our haute audience attendees, a limited number of Dinner Seats, in which prices depend on the concert one plans to attend.
The Summer Concert Series is a long-standing cultural event running on its 41st year of production, getting its start back in 1969. As is expected, it didn’t start out with the glamour and anticipation it now receives. Ticket prices were a mere $3 and chairs were borrowed from a nearby church; even then, however, it managed to draw a rather large crowd of about 400. The Festival’s first featured acts were a Napa Valley symphony, a guitar soloist, and the Xoregos Dance Company.
The festival has expanded quite a bit to include world-renowned artists and boasts an attendance of thousands per year. It is safe to say the Festival has come a long way to the cultural icon it is today. Mondavi also firmly believed in philanthropy, donating more than $2 million in festival proceeds to support the Napa Valley Symphony and Napa Valley Unified School District. Everybody wants to be a part of history. Well, here’s your chance. Visit www.nvoh.org for more information and tickets.
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