Happy Friday, gang - and happy May.

May 1st falling on a Friday feels almost too clean. New month, weekend right away, and, of course, a very full Napa calendar waiting for us.

As always, we have the Friday Game Plan to get into. And this is a good weekend to pay attention, because May is one of those months where Napa starts moving fast.

We have a packed Oxbow this weekend, and of course looming at the end of the month, the big one: BottleRock.

So yeah. No better time to get locked in on what’s happening around town.

And if you’re reading this, you’re already well on your way. As always, I appreciate you taking the journey with me.

For your trivia question this week:

Who was the headliner at the very first BottleRock?

Hold that thought.

This is the big event this weekend.
Napa Bikefest - Sunday May 3rd, 9AM-3PM

If you love biking as a hobby, I do not need to sell you on this.

The case for everyone else is that Napa Bikefest looks less like a hardcore cycling event and more like a really solid Sunday at Oxbow.

It’s free, family-friendly, and they’re packing in music, food, kids activities, games, a rodeo course, mechanic help, and a big bike swap - so even if you have zero interest in being a serious bike person, there is enough going on here to make it feel like more of a community day than a niche hobby meetup.

So don’t worry - no need to suit up in spandex, have a paid Strava membership, or pretend you are training for anything.

You can just go hang out, let your kids screw around a little, eat something good, listen to music, and maybe explore becoming a bike-curious person.

I’m probably going to swing by, and I have not ridden a bike in a while. But looking at the activity list, here are the things I’m keeping my eyes on.

Music-wise, Napa High Jazz Band plays at 10:30 AM. Then DJ Rotten Robbie is on at 2 PM. Food-wise, you will have plenty of options, here are some of the serving restaurants:

So yes, bring a bike if you have one.

But if not, I still think you can show up, grab tacos, let the kids burn some energy, browse the bike swap, listen to jazz, and watch bike limbo like a normal Napa citizen.

Oxbow is having a busy, busy weekend.

Between Napa Bikefest on Sunday and this on Saturday, it might be the weekend’s unofficial community headquarters.

Another good family stop is Kids Day / Día del Niño, happening at Oxbow Commons on Saturday from 11 AM to 2 PM. And the whole thing is free.

The event is hosted by the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Napa County and Cope Family Center, which are both the kind of organizations you are generally happy to see attached to a parent-and-kid event.

I did not see a hyper-specific activity schedule, but the listing includes activities, parent resources, entertainment, art, performances, games, food, fun, and more.

Which is broad - but also, if you have little kids, “free stuff at Oxbow with games, art, food, and people who actually know how to organize family resources” is probably enough of a pitch.

Details:

And rounding out what has become a very busy Oxbow weekend, NEWS’ Walk-A-Mile Napa Valley is happening Sunday at 2 PM at Napa Yard at Oxbow Gardens.

The walk supports NEWS - Domestic Violence & Sexual Abuse Services, which provides free and confidential services across Napa County for survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse. That includes crisis support, emergency housing, youth services, prevention education, court advocacy, and 24/7 emergency response.

This year’s theme is “WE BELIEVE.”

And it looks like Napa is showing up for it.

As of now, the campaign has raised $30,525, with 182 supporters already involved.

Registration is $15, and the event includes live music from Papa Joe & The New Deal, food and drinks available at The Napa Yard, information about NEWS resources and survivor support services, and kids’ activities by Guild Napa.

If you do plan to go - they are encouraging teams to wear bold colors, decorate shoes, bring signs, megaphones, instruments, bongos, boomboxes - basically, make the message impossible to miss.

Details:

So that’s what we’ve got.

A very Oxbow-heavy weekend, a full downtown stretch, Bikefest, Kids Day, Walk-A-Mile, and a lot more in the pipeline as May gets rolling.

So I hope you have a great weekend, get outside a little, find something fun, and I’ll see you back here Monday.

Oh - almost forgot. Trivia answer.

The very first BottleRock was back in 2013, and honestly, if you were there, shoutout to you.

For the headliner answer, I would accept Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, or Zac Brown Band.

Those were the days.

Callie