What's New in the Legendary Napa Valley: Winter/Spring 2011

NAPA VALLEY, Calif., Jan. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Napa Valley's world-class wineries, Michelin-starred restaurants, inspiring art installations and galleries, engaging nightlife, and miles of nature preserves give visitors plenty of reasons to stay longer and return time and again.  And in 2011, there are even more innovative options that make the legendary Napa Valley a must-do experience.  

Below are highlights, organized from south to north, and more information on events and special offers can be found at www.legendarynapavalley.com:

Downtown Napa –

OFFICIAL NAPA VALLEY VISITOR WELCOME CENTER MOVES TO NEW LOCATION:

The official Napa Valley Visitor Welcome Center is scheduled to open in its new location at 600 Main Street in the exciting Riverfront area of Downtown Napa in March of 2011.  The new center is designed to be a must-stop introduction to guests who want to make the most of their Napa Valley experience.  Multiple information-service options will be available, including volunteer Napa Valley Ambassadors and staff who will offer tips and guidance, and self-serve areas that incorporate the latest technology.  Other features include a lodging desk and a Napa Valley Mercantile retail area with Napa Valley artisan-crafted products.  Updates will be available at www.legendarynapavalley.com. The current Napa Valley Visitor Information Center will continue to operate in the Napa Town Center until the new location is completed.

FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS AT OXBOW PUBLIC MARKET:

Oxbow Public Market teams up with gourmet food trucks from throughout Napa and the Bay Area to offer roadside dining from 5 p.m. to midnight on the first Friday of every month.  Gathered in one spot at the corner of First and McKinstry streets in Napa, the participants include Cochon Volant (The Flying Pig), Go French Food, Dim Sum Charlie's, Karma Karma Thai Food, Street-eatz, Chicago Style Hot Dogs, Phat Salads and Wraps, Rotisserie Chicken and Mark's the Spot.  For more information, visit www.OxbowPublicMarket.com, or call 707.226.6529.

UPTOWN THEATRE:

The City of Napa's historic and recently renovated Uptown Theatre, the glittering art-deco entertainment palace that opened in 1937 and was host to Hollywood legends such as Clarke Gable and Carole Lombard, is set to host a diverse selection of artists this year including: Boz Scaggs on Jan. 28; Railroad Earth on Jan. 29; Taj Mahal on March 27; Lisa Lampanelli on April 1; George Thorogood & The Destroyers on April 7; and Leo Kottke on April 15. For show times and complete performance information, visit www.uptowntheatrenapa.com or call 707.259.0123.

NAPA VALLEY OPERA HOUSE:  

Located in the heart of downtown Napa, this national historic landmark offers an eclectic array of performing arts including theatre, dance, comedy, jazz, blues, world music, and family programming in a world-class setting.  A full roster of acts and events is planned in the coming months, including The Callaway Sisters in "Boom" on Jan. 28; Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas on Feb. 4; Paul Taylor Dance Company on March 25; Will Durst on April 1; Arlo Guthrie on April 14; and Randy Newman on April 21.  For more information, visit www.nvoh.org, or call 707-226-7372.

"ART ON FIRST" ENHANCES ARTSY VIBE IN DOWNTOWN NAPA:  

Up-and-coming First Street connects the three thriving areas of Downtown Napa – the Oxbow District, Riverfront, and the West End – with several blocks of historic buildings.  Beginning in February 2011, "Art on First" will fill the area with one-of-a-kind art installations that will infuse it with a fun, artsy vibe.  The eight-month project, sponsored by a partnership of local property owners and lodging businesses, will give 20 Bay Area artists the opportunity to create one-of-a-kind contemporary art exhibits, and an ongoing calendar of events will give residents and guests another reason to step out on the town and cruise the fresh and growing local arts scene.

Events will include monthly "First Fridays," when a work of art will be the subject of a social-media-driven scavenger hunt to locate it.  After the hunt, a casual reception will be hosted with the artist of the work.  A reception to kick off Art on First will be hosted with participating artists on Friday, February 25 at the Gordon Huether Gallery, 1465 First Street, Napa, CA 94559. For information, visit www.artscouncilnapavalley.org.

GORDON HUETHER GALLERY OPEN IN NAPA:

The new Gordon Huether Gallery is downtown Napa's first venue dedicated to contemporary art. After a twenty-five-year career as a Napa Valley-based artist, Gordon Huether's gallery is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to share his art with both locals and visitors to Napa. The new 1,600-square-foot exhibition space, complete with concrete floors, steel beams, soaring ceilings, and expansive glass windows, is located at 1465 First Street, across from the AVIA Hotel. Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday 11 AM – 5 PM, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11 AM – 8 PM; closed Mondays.  For more information, visit www.gordonhuether.com, or call 707.255.2133.

NAPA RIVER INN OFFERS DELICIOUS PACKAGES WITH STAR RESTAURANTS:

Just when you thought downtown Napa couldn't get any more delicious, the Napa River Inn, at the historic Napa Mill, has cooked up a special night on the town for foodies with their "Dinner's on Us" package (starting at $249/night).  Stay and receive a $100 dining credit at any one of four dining spots on Restaurant Row: Angele, Fish Story, Tyler Florence's Rotisserie and Wine, or Morimoto Napa. Stay for two nights and receive $100 in dining credits each night. As with every stay at the Napa River Inn, guests will enjoy complimentary breakfast-in-bed delivered each day to their room from Sweetie Pie's Bakery. Guests may also take advantage of evening wine tastings featuring local wineries, nightly turndown service, wireless high speed internet access in all guest rooms, on-site shopping, live jazz music at SILO's Jazz Club, and rejuvenating spa treatments at La Pelle Skin Spa & Boutique.  For more information, visit www.NapaRiverInn.com or 877.251.8500.

Yountville –

VILLAGIO INN & SPA SETS NEW STANDARDS IN THE SCRUB AND SOAK ARENA:  

The Villagio Inn & Spa is offering exciting packages for winter/spring, 2011 at the new Scrub Bar. The $75 Scrub Bar Experience allows spa enthusiasts to choose from four sets of ingredients that a therapist custom blends and applies to guests' skin in the Spa's Vichy Room.  Blends include choices of a custom exfoliant (French sea salts, Himalayan salts, Dead Sea salts or organic sugar, oats or ground coffee), a moisture base (wild honey, grape seed oil or olive oil), a scent (Neroli, lavender, sandalwood, rose, lemon eucalyptus, peppermint or jasmine) and one enhancement ingredient (peppermint leaf, green tea, spearmint leaf or lavender flower).  Each guest also takes a "to go" container of their custom scrub to enjoy at home.

Four new $75 "Soak n' a Cocktail" 45-minute water therapy rituals are also making a splash at Spa Villagio by soothing away stress through bathing rituals designed to embrace the senses. Spa Villagio's four distinctive bath elixir soaks, each paired to a specialty cocktail, are: Herbal Bath (Mojito), Mineral Bath paired to a Cabernet or Chardonnay (Wine), Milk Bath (White Russian), and Mud Bath (Chocolate Martini).  For more information, visit www.villagio.com, or call 800.351.1133.

Calistoga –

ARTIST CARLO MARCHIORI OFFERS TOURS OF ENCHANTING VILLA CA'TOGA:

Tours of Villa Ca'toga, artist Carlo Marchiori's home, take place only on Saturdays at 11 AM, from May through October, and are led by the artist himself. Known for his period-style murals, Marchiori has created an enchanting villa of whimsy and visual delight that sings the tune of Palladio, Veronese and Venetian Culture. Cost is $25 per person; no children under 12 please. Reservation required by calling 707.942.3900 or email at [email protected].

MUSTARD, MUD & MUSIC FESTIVAL TRANSFORMS TOWN INTO BIG JAZZ CLUB:  

On March 5 & 6, 2011, the relaxed, walkable Napa Valley town of Calistoga turns into one big jazz club with live music, wine tasting, an art show, and mustard-inspired dishes prepared by local chefs.  For information, ticket prices, lodging reservations and event details, go to www.CalistogaVisitors.com, or call toll free 866-306-5588.

CALISTOGA'S HEALING WATERS GIVE GROUNDSWELL OF SPA ENTICEMENTS:

With its long history as a wellness destination, Calistoga is the ideal place to relax, rejuvenate and de-stress, and during the winter and early springtime, special offers are an added incentive to enhance your own personal wellness. Many geothermal hot-spring spas that dot this friendly, scenic small town at the top of Napa Valley, offer special rates on spa treatments, famous mud & mineral baths, massages and couples treatments.  Several offers are listed below, and many more can be found at www.CalistogaVisitors.com.

• Baths at Roman Spa - $99 for 2 Mud or Mineral Baths where couples and individuals can relax and soak in the mineral-rich hot springs pools; 707.942.2122, www.BathsAtRomanSpa.com.
• Golden Haven Hot Springs - 2 for 1 Mud Baths and complimentary day use of hot springs pool with any spa treatment. Private treatment rooms available for couples.  Please check the manager's specials online; 707.942.8000, www.goldenhaven.com.
• Lavender Hill Spa - All Spa Packages are buy-one, get-one half off. Romantic and Private Couples Packages 20 percent off.  Volcanic Ash Bath 2 for $99. Restrictions may apply; 707.942.4495, www.lavenderhillspa.com.
• Mount View Spa - New Year, New You Special – Restore balance & wellness with a 25-minute hydrotherapy bath and 25-minute reflexology for just $100; add a mini-facial for just $60. Check the website for additional specials; 800.816.6877, www.mountviewhotel.com.
• EuroSpa – 10 percent off any spa treatment (excluding specials). Good through 4/30/11; 707.942.4056, www.eurospa.com.

About The Napa Valley

The Napa Valley is home to the founders of America's fine wine industry – legendary entrepreneurs who showed the world that the art of winemaking had crossed continents – and is prized for its natural beauty, phenomenal culinary scene, world-class hotel accommodations, robust arts community, charming small towns, and one-of-a-kind wellness experiences including the region's famed spas, mud baths and healing geo-thermal hot springs. The word Napa means 'land of plenty' in the language of its first known inhabitants, the Wappo Indians, and the Valley itself is one of the most precious agricultural preserves on earth - a place that moves in perfect synchrony with the seasons. Internationally recognized as one of only nine "Great Wine Capitals," the Napa Valley was voted the World's #1 Food & Wine Destination in 2010 TripAdvisor® Travelers' Choice® Awards, and boasts 14 Michelin Restaurant Stars – the most per capita of any wine region in the world. Visit www.LegendaryNapaValley.com for more information, download the new VisitNapaValley iPhone App, and join The Napa Valley community on Facebook and Legendary Napa on YouTube.

SOURCE The Napa Valley Destination Council