Napa's Music Scene Just Had a Very Bad Month

Two major festivals, gone. No real explanations. Make of that what you will.

First, the Blue Note Jazz Festival: The Black Radio Experience announced it's skipping 2026. The official line is Blue Note is "expanding" — Hollywood Bowl package deals, a London venue opening this summer, big moves ahead. Great for them. Less great for the Napa community that showed up year after year for lineups that were, genuinely, once-in-a-lifetime. Then Festival La Onda quietly followed suit. Full refunds, a hopeful "maybe someday," and not much else.

Neither said the quiet part out loud. But then Coyote Media reported that chefs hired to work the Black Radio Experience were never paid, which has a way of making "we're expanding" sound a little different.

It's hard to look at all of this in isolation. Blue Note (the venue) already shuttered. Now two of the valley's biggest summer music events have evaporated in the same news cycle. Napa has spent years positioning itself as more than just wine country, a place where serious music culture could take root alongside the tasting rooms. That case just got harder to make.

Is this a rough patch or something more structural? Too soon to say. But it's the kind of thing we’ll be watching.

We'll keep you posted as this develops.

07 | Tannery Row Open Studios @ Tannery Row | 12PM–5PM | FREE
The River Club's riverside dream is becoming a real neighborhood and this Saturday you can meet the whole crew. Artists, healers, martial artists, and more open their doors. Bring the dog, bring the grandparents, just show up.

07 | Long Canyon Hike @ Long Canyon Trailhead | FREE
Napa Land Trust is taking you out to the land. Think: mushrooms, protected ridgelines, and the kind of quiet you can't find on First Street. Space is limited, so don't sleep on this one.

06 | Harry Styles Listening Party @ Right On! | 5PM | FREE
Harry's got a new record and Right On Records is throwing a pre-release party for it. Giveaways, dancing, and a room full of people who (somehow already?) know every word. Start your weekend right.

09 | Teach Truth Book Club @ Bookmine | 6PM–730PM | FREE
Graeber and Wengrow's myth-busting deep dive into human history deserves a good argument. Bring your takes.

10 | Poetry Book Club @ Bookmine | 7PM–8PM | FREE
An hour of poetry and good company. Honestly, what else do you need on a Tuesday night?

Mondays
Drop-In Wellness Workshops @ Mentis Wellness Campus | 2PM-5PM

Fridays
Weekly Protest @ Soscol x 3rd | 5PM 

Sundays
Supply Sundays @ Soscol x Kansas | 12PM-2PM 

05 | Corner Pocket @ The Fink | 8PM 

06 | Brett Matthews @ The Mansion | 6PM 
06 | Michelle Lambert @ Jam Cellars | 8PM 
06 | Neko Case @ The Uptown | 8PM 

07 | Silversun Pickups @ The Uptown | 730PM 
07 | TJ Carter Band @ Jam Cellars | 8PM 

08 | Corey Branan @ Tonewood & Courage | 330PM 
08 | Emergency Jazz Responders @ The Fink | 6PM 

10 | Jimmy Duhig @ The Fink | 8PM 
10 | George Thorogood @ The Uptown | 8PM 

11 | Kith and Kin @ The Fink | 7PM 

14 | St. Pittie's Day @ Coal Shed Brewery, Mare Island | 1PM-3PM | FREE to Attend Dogs, Philly pretzels, and a hip waterfront brewery. Honestly this one writes itself. Coal Shed is teaming up with the Humane Society of the North Bay and LovePark Pretzels for a community adoption event that's equal parts feel-good and actually useful. Meet adoptable dogs of all breeds, browse local pet vendors Mugsy's and Powell Bros., and eat a pretzel knowing 15% of it goes straight to finding animals a home. There's also a raffle, because of course there is! Come for the pups, stay for everything else.

20 | An Evening with National Geographic Live: Dr. Chris Schell @ EcoLab Theater at CIA Copia | 6PM | $42
You think wildlife means Yosemite. Dr. Chris Schell is here to tell you it also means the coyote cutting through your neighborhood at 2AM and the fox that's claimed your neighbor's backyard. National Geographic's Explorer-in-residence brings his urban ecology work to the stage; vivid, a little unsettling, and genuinely riveting. Napa doesn't get programming like this every week. Grab your tickets before it sells out.

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Meet Ziggy: a two-year-old miniature pinscher who is, frankly, the best. He walks into a room a little cautious, scopes it out, decides you're worthy, and then absolutely loses it with zoomies and cuddles until further notice. He's smart, he listens, he crate-trained himself like a person with a morning routine, and he gets along with other dogs.

Ziggy needs a home with energy to match his and a couch he's eventually allowed on. He's at Napa County Animal Shelter and he's waiting. Don't make him wait too long!

Keep an eye on the IG feed this week for more features!