Happy Friday gang.

Really tried leaning into the local theme for this Friday Game Plan and giving you a little more actual insider usefulness this time around.

But first, your Napa Lowdown trivia for the week:

What is the highest point in Napa County?

So obviously this is the heavy hitter, but instead of listing all the different stuff going on, I’m just going to prioritize the good stuff.

But incase you don’t know…

Earth Day Napa is happening Saturday at Oxbow Commons with live music, food, booths, activities, and basically a big community-style setup built around sustainability and local groups.

On the diehard-local to tourist scale, this ranks pretty far on the local side. It feels close to Napa at its best - actual community, actual local organizations, and a lot less of the wine-country polish or tourist-facing version of town.

But let’s talk some details. I have been to a couple but this is also from some of my secondary sources

Best time to go: early.

If you want the less-crowded, more enjoyable version of Earth Day Napa, I’d get there closer to the 11 AM start before the whole Oxbow area gets into full weekend mode - unless you are into that.

This kind of goes for all events at the Commons.

First and foremost, just do not try to park in the actual lot if you can avoid it - total nightmare. Street parking nearby (on the farmer’s market side) is always worth a look, especially if you get lucky around Yajome or some of the side streets.

Otherwise, Pearl Street lot is not bad, and then Calistoga / Seminary are kind of your tier-two options which are a bit further than that garage.

They’re also doing free bike valet if that is realistic for you, and of course Vine Transit drops right there at the Gateway Center too.

If you go, I would actually plan around the entertainment schedule a little.

The day opens with the Suscol Intertribal Council blessing at 11:00, then rolls into youth bands, folklorico, aerial performances, and live music through the afternoon.

So instead of just doing one big loop and leaving, I’d take a lap, grab food, and then make a point to catch one or two of the performances. That feels like the best way to do this one.

And then if you are in some sort of commercial field, home improvement world, or just weirdly into landscaping / house project stuff, I think this is probably more your lane: The Napa Home & Landscape Show

Feels less like a vibes event and more like a place where you’ll run into people who are actually there because they care about the same kinds of projects, products, and practical stuff.

Could honestly be a quieter, more targeted one because of that. Tickets are $10 general admission / $5 seniors at the gate, and the site says they also have online discount tickets.

Free shredding, less clutter, and apparently Toasted Napa bagels on site.

Details

A good one to know about if you like a bargain and do not mind doing a little digging. The Friends of the Napa Library’s big sale starts this weekend.

Details

That’s it for this week.

And by the way, the answer to the trivia was: the Napa County high point is the second-tallest peak on Mount Saint Helena.

One thing I’d actually love some help from you all: It would be great to have more of that local treasure trove type intel over time.

To be honest, I’ve only lived here about 7-10 years, so I know Napa pretty well, but definitely not to the level a lot of you probably do.

So if you’ve got the kind of local intel that makes a weekend better - parking tricks, best time to go, little under-the-radar details, things most people miss - send them my way. That is exactly the kind of thing I’d love to start building more of this into.

Thanks so much 🙂

Callie.