This is it.

The last weekend before the chaos.

I would say hit the farmers market for sure if that is not an every-week thing for you, because next weekend will be a lost cause.

Anything in downtown Napa is going to get swallowed by BottleRock traffic, so consider this our second-to-last friendly reminder before the Monday Notes warning.

That said, BottleRock is not the focus of this Weekend Game Plan.

This weekend, we still have plenty of things with that strong local flair and a few good reasons to leave the house before the valley gets taken over.

Napa trivia of the day:
Before BottleRock makes downtown feel like the population tripled, about how many people actually live in Napa County?

A. 93,000
B. 133,000
C. 184,000
D. 241,000

CIA at Copia always has nice film events, and this one particularly caught my eye for the Lowdown because it is literally a Napa history story.

Here’s the one-liner from the website:

“An underdog story set in 1970s Napa Valley, where long-haired dreamers and stubborn visionaries dare to believe their scrappy California wines can stand toe-to-toe with the mighty French.”

Which feels about right - Napa history, but like a sports movie with better scenery.

If you want to start the weekend with a nice, chill, homey tale, this is one to consider

Details

Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bottle-shock-movie-screening-tickets-1985408213412

Comic-con is coming to Napa with Geek Out Napa Valley at the Napa County Library.

And yes, it is probably not going to be the same scale as something you would see in a major city.

But I actually think that is what makes it cool. It is very nice to have niche events like this in Napa that are not so focused on the major industry here, sports, or the usual weekend stuff.

It is free. It is local. And you can expect the general comic-con mix: fandom, creativity, costumes, vendors, activities, and kid-friendly chaos.

Just a little more tame and maybe a little nicer-feeling because of the local library vibe.

Details:

I have been waiting to shout out Lil Sista’s Goody’s for a while, and this feels like the right one: Saturday Brunch: R&B at Lil Sista’s Goody’s

This is that newish spot on Main Street. I really like this pick because it feels different from the usual Napa formula.

They do soul food, the vibe feels rooted in Black food and music culture, and the whole place seems to bring a different kind of energy downtown.

Not everything needs to be a vineyard, a prix fixe menu, or someone explaining tasting notes to you in a barn.

File this under: Napa can be more interesting when it lets itself be a little less Napa.

Details:

This feels like a good Sunday night pick because it is social, low-pressure, and gives the weekend one last actual activity before everyone starts pretending they are emotionally ready for Monday.

To clarify: this one does not look free. Tickets are around $25.

But I have seen it come across my feed a few times, and it looks like one of those lovely things where everyone looks a little ridiculous together.

Which is nice. Very democratic.

The event is run by Rachel, who looks like a single owner-operator with a great little thing going.

The format seems pretty straightforward: you show up, learn the steps, follow along, probably mess up a few times, and eventually get just confident enough to think maybe you are good at line dancing now.

Honestly, that sounds like a pretty nice Sunday night.

Details

That’s it for this week.

A nice little pre-chaos weekend before BottleRock starts swallowing downtown next week.

So hit the farmers market, go watch Napa history get the Hollywood treatment, support something local, or go line dance badly with strangers on Sunday night.

The answer to today’s trivia: B. About 133,000. The Census Bureau’s July 1, 2024 estimate for Napa County was 132,727.

And on that note, thank you for reading.

Have a good weekend, Napa.