Callie here. Welcome to the Monday Town Notes for the week of 1/19.

Napa is officially in that stretch where it’s still dark early, but your calendar is full anyways.

Here’s what will actually affect your next 7 days:

Yes. It’s moving at lightning speed - because every month sooner is another month they get to start collecting that sweet hotel-tax money (allegedly $5.2M a year for the City’s General Fund, plus up to $380K a year in sales tax).

Me? I’m just wondering if the operator has a bathroom up there

But in the meantime, you need to know the practical part:

The First St. project is in its structural foundation phase right now. That’s why the street closures feel sudden and constant. Downtown access is going to continue to be a little weird while they push this through.

The move:
- If you’re going downtown at peak times (think farmer’s market, dinner reservations, school pickup chaos, etc.) assume a detour.
- Give yourself an extra 5-10 min
- Your future self will be calmer.

Quick side note on this too: Don Perico isn’t disappearing.

I saw the same rumor spiral you probably did.
Don Perico vacated its old footprint because of contruction, but it’s not goodbye - they’re building a new custom space next door with a target reopening in Summer 2026.

This is the kind of downtown change that feels chaotic up close, but it helps to know what’s actually planned.

Your easiest “leave the house” plan:

If your week is already packed and you still want to feel like you did something, do this.

The Lighted Art Festival is basically a free night loop downtown.
You show up, walk around, get the dopamine, go home.
It’s light installations and projections you can actually see without buying a ticket to anything.

No reservations.
No “we should totally plan a whole night.”
Just put on a jacket and go.

The move:
- Go earlier in the week if you want it calmer.
- Park once, walk it for 60-90 minutes, then bounce.
- Do not turn this into a big production.

Here’s the map and guide:

Personally, I love the projections on the buildings - the courthouse, and the church just down the street from it.

Your water isn’t haunted.

If your tap water suddenly looks a little tinted or your pressure feels weird, don’t spiral (lol pun intended).

It’s probably just hydrant flushing.

The City does this seasonally, and it can stir up sediment and make the water look off for a bit.

Annoying, yes. An emergency, no.

The move:
- Before you run laundry (especially whites), check your water first.
- If it’s discolored, run cold for a couple minutes and let it clear.
- It’s a very avoidable “why is everything beige” situation.

Translation: Napa’s spring pricing just woke up.

Even if you do not care who’s headlining, the lineup drop is the starter pistol. And this year, it feels extra loud - people are actually saying the lineup is good.

It’s the moment Napa flips from “dead winter town” to “events town.”

Here’s what changes first.
- Hotel rates creep.
- Dinner reservations get weird.
- Ubers get scarcer.
- Downtown gets louder.

The move:
- If you have friends who might visit that weekend, tell them to book lodging now or not come. Truly.
- If you live here and you hate crowds, pick your plan early too.
- Either commit to the chaos, or plan a parallel universe weekend that does not involve downtown parking.

Real talk:

BottleRock is not just a festival.
It is a schedule change for the entire town.

See you Friday for the weekend game plan.
Before you go, would love to know…...“useful” or “meh”?

Regardless of your answer, thank’s for being here. It genuinely means a lot.

Callie