Every January, Downtown Napa starts the year with a unique art festival that features large-scale light installations throughout the downtown. The month-long festival features several major installations and events, including an artist meet-and-greet. The festival will run from January 17 through February 15 and is free to attend.
Some installations to look for are Affinity, an immersive piece that is inspired by the human brain. You can wander through a series of interconnected orbs, and touching one will trigger a connected light. Plus, look out for a series of Roaming Gnomes placed throughout the downtown, and each charming gnome is unique. You can also see glowing flowers along the Napa River and large-scale light projections. We recommend referencing the map to the festival here to help guide you on your walking tour.
Aside from the installations, visitors can attend the artist meet-and-greet at the beginning of the festival on January 17, from 4:30 to 6 pm. Aerena Gallery will host the event, and you will have the opportunity to talk to the artists and learn about the pieces in the festival. For kids, you can attend the Bookmine Story Time for children eight and under. On Saturday, February 6, the Oxbow Gnome Hunt invites families to find all the glowing gnomes in the downtown area, with stamps for each gnome along the journey.
While you’re in the area, we recommend exploring one of the many wineries in the area, or exploring some of the other charming downtowns nearby, such as St. Helena and Calistoga.
You can learn more about the Napa Lighted Art Festival here.