Welcome back, everyone.

This week’s Game Plan is mostly staying in Napa, because I do try to keep this thing focused on what is happening right here in town.

And honestly, there is plenty. Local theater. A recurring open mic. A small downtown arts venue I probably should have shouted out earlier.

But we are also very lucky to live where we live. Think about it…

Realistically, within 90 minutes, you can get to world-class beaches, camping, mountains, cities, state parks, concerts, food, weird little towns, and about a thousand other things.

You all know this. I do not need to oversell the Bay Area to people who live near the Bay Area.

So this week, we are doing both.

A few things inside Napa, and then a worth-leaving-Napa-for options, because summer is definitely here, and with it comes fair season, park season, outside season, and the general feeling that you should probably get out of the house before the real heat starts yelling at us.

Let’s get into it.

Napa Lowdown trivia of the day:

Since we are talking about fair season: what year was the first Napa County Fair held?

A. 1876
B. 1888
C. 1904
D. 1921

Answer later in the issue.

Lucky Penny has the final weekend of The Drowsy Chaperone, and I think this is a good moment to say…local theater is one of those things that is very easy to forget about until someone reminds you.

Think about it: a small group of people putting on full productions, with actual people in the community showing up, rehearsing, building the thing, learning the lines, making the sets, and trying to create something in a room.

It is one of those hobbies, or passions, or slightly insane community projects, that a lot of people pour real time into outside of their normal lives.

No different than a sports league, or a local band, or an online news media group ;)

Not naming names.

I know theater is not everyone’s default weekend plan. Unless you are already a theater person, you probably do not casually wake up and think, “You know what I should do tonight? Local musical farce.”

But maybe that is exactly why it is worth including here.

Because this is the final weekend, and if you have been meaning to do something a little different this is a pretty good option.

Details

This one is a trade.

I am going to deliver on a promise I made a long, long time ago, and you are going to help hold me to it.

I still owe you all that calendar of recurring events around town.

The one that looks nice, is easy to navigate, and makes it simple to find the stuff that is somehow always happening but weirdly hard to track down. Open mics. Karaoke. Live music. Trivia. Community events. Prices. Times. All of it.

So, yes, consider this a reminder.

And also a request: if you know of a recurring thing happening around Napa that should be on there, send it my way.

But here is one that is definitely making the list: Open Mic with Brandon Tagle at DECANT.

This is a recurring open mic on third Saturdays, and DECANT describes it as poetry, music, comedy, stories, and “zero pretension.”

You can perform if that is your thing. Or, more realistically for many of us, you can go stand around with a drink and appreciate the fact that other people are willing to be more vulnerable in public than you are.

That is community service, in a way.

Details

Link: https://decantnapa.com/pages/events-at-decant-napa

Next up, we have Shall We Dance? at the Jarvis Conservatory.

And I do not think I have really highlighted Jarvis before, which is probably a miss.

Similar to Lucky Penny, this feels like one of those smaller local arts places that is just quietly sitting there in Napa, doing real work, and waiting for the rest of us to remember it exists.

Jarvis has been operating in Napa since 1995, providing training and support for artists, with a focus on serious art forms that are not always easy to find elsewhere. They also note that their work includes art forms connected to Napa’s large Hispanic community, which is a pretty meaningful thing to have downtown.

So honestly, this is less about this specific film and more about shouting out a great local venue.

But the event itself is Shall We Dance?, the Japanese comedy-drama about an overworked accountant who secretly starts taking ballroom dance lessons.

So yes, technically this is a movie recommendation.

But mostly, it is a reminder that Napa has a small downtown conservatory showing international films in what they describe as a jewel of a theater and an acoustic marvel.

That is very much the kind of thing worth knowing about.

Details

Link: https://jarvisconservatory.ticketspice.com/shallwedance

Now let’s leave Napa for a second.

I know. Scary.

But one of the nice things about living here is that we are not actually on an island, even if Napa can sometimes feel like its own little contained universe.

There is a lot happening around us, and this weekend, one of the bigger nearby options is the Solano County Fair in Vallejo.

And honestly, fair season deserves its own little mention, because we are rolling into that time of year.

The best time. County fair time.

Which, yes, does bring a very specific kind of nostalgia: That younger chaos in the best way: rides, food, animals, games, live entertainment, and people walking around with snacks that were not meant to be structurally possible.

If you have kids, this is an obvious one.

But even if you do not, there is something kind of nice about going somewhere that is just fully committed to being a wholesome fair.

Details

Link: https://scfair.org/2026-solano-county-fair/

There you have it.

A little local theater, a recurring open mic, a downtown conservatory, a county fair, and one very good reason to go wander around a state park.

Not a bad early-summer lineup.

The answer to today’s trivia: B. 1888.

The first Napa County Fair was held August 6 through 12, 1888, which means Napa has been doing fair season for a very long time.

So yes, funnel cake and questionable ride decisions are basically local history.

And before I go, one more reminder: please send me your recurring events.

Open mics. Karaoke nights. Trivia nights. Weekly live music. Dance nights. Community classes. Club meetups. Anything that happens regularly and is open to the public.

Especially if you own one of these businesses, work at one, perform at one, or are friends with someone who runs one.

Because at the end of the day, these places are providing real entertainment and giving people actual reasons to leave the house. I want to make that stuff easier to find, and I would love to help more people show up.

So if there is a recurring thing around Napa that should be on the future calendar, send it my way.

Have a good weekend, Napa.

Callie