Your Insider’s Guide to BottleRock Weekend

The BottleRock 2024 lineup brings headliners like Pearl Jam, Ed Sheeran, Stevie Nicks, Mana, Kali Uchis, Megan Thee Stallion and more. Go ahead and read on for our best tips for navigating the weekend beyond the fairgrounds.   

BottleRock brings all kinds of diversions from the music to the wine and all the afterparties in between. When you’re ready for a break from the excitement, take a short stroll from the fairgrounds over to Downtown Napa to recharge and refresh.  

Unlike formal up-valley wineries, many downtown tasting rooms welcome walk-ins and don’t require reservations. If you need it, the Napa Valley Welcome Center, located right next to the Archer Hotel, can help with same-day reservations and direct you to the tasting rooms with availability. During BottleRock, lots of tasting rooms shift their hours to stay open late and offer by-the-glass instead of a full traditional tasting.  


 

Start Off With Brunch

If you’re doing BottleRock right, then you’re out late and sleeping in, which makes brunch a perfect fit. Get fueled up for the day with a hearty breakfast before walking over to the festival.  

Photo Cred: @TheMeritage

Meritage Weekend Brunch 

Over on their Village Lawn, Meritage has a full brunch spread complete with a breakfast corner, omelet and avocado toast stations, and a mimosa and bloody mary bar. It’s just $35 and is open from 8:30 am – 1 pm, May 27-29 with live music on all three days. Meritage also offers shuttle service on the hour to Downtown Napa!  

Downtown Farmers Market 

Happening every Saturday from 8 am–noon, the Napa Farmers Market is a feast of fresh produce, baked goods, food trucks, and more. Fill up and grab some snacks for later before heading into the festival. 

Photo:@waterfrontgrillcafe

Waterfront Seafood Grill 

This brunch spot is right on the Napa Riverfront and serves favorites like their Main Lobster Omelet and the Surf and Turf Quiche. It’s served from 10 am – 2:30 pm for late risers.  


Napkins Bar & Grill 

If Banana Foster French Toast sounds as good to you as it does to us, then head over to Napkins. Their Chorizo Omelet is excellent, as is their bright and flavorful Citrus Habanero Organic Chicken. 

VisitCA – Downtown Napa – Napa General Store

Napa General Store 

The trifecta of Downtown Napa, the Napa General Store is equal parts store/café/wine bar. They serve an incredible brunch from 8 am to 3 pm with dishes like nuevos huevos rancheros and chocolate-filled beignets. It’s also a great spot to grab snacks for the festival. 

 

This is just the beginning of brunch choices in Downtown Napa. Check out more of our brunch picks here. 

Getting Around During the Festival

Walking is the most common choice since everything is so close between the fairgrounds and Downtown Napa. You can also rent a bike from Fat Tire Bike Rentals for even more convenience. They’ll deliver right to your hotel or B&B, or you can leave from one of the trailheads on the Napa Valley Vine Trail. Whether you walk or ride, we highly recommend hopping on the Vine Trail to see all the murals in the Rail Arts District. 

Party & Pedal  

Downtown Napa’s newest attraction, the Napa Pedal Crusher, is a 15-person pedal cruiser that will take you and your festival pals on a bar tour, wine tasting tour, or custom tour of your own creation. Perfect for a mid-day festival retreat!  

Explore the Napa ArtWalk

Take a break from the tunes and head out to explore the Napa ArtWalk, a rotating exhibit of public art scattered around Downtown. The theme for the seventh Napa Art Walk Exhibition is ‘Play!’.  Using kinetic art, movement and/ or light to define dimensions and interaction in space, these 10 sculptures from Western artists feature symbolic movement or require motion for their effects.  

Shop Around

Downtown Napa is the perfect place for some retail therapy. Our suggestion is to head to First Street Napa, where you can find all kinds of treasures. There are other colorful spots around town, too.

Grab a Drink After the Festival

Although much of Downtown Napa closes down at 10 pm, there are a handful of bars that stay open late. Downtown Joe’s Brewery is one of those. They’re big on creating their own craft brew with six of their own recipes and they create seasonal brews too. Napkins Bar & Grill stays open to roughly 2 am and offers a special late-night menu as well. And over at Sky & Vine rooftop bar atop Archer Hotel, snag a firepit spot and enjoy delicious craft cocktails paired with killer views of Downtown Napa.  

All About the After Shows

Grab a seat for more from your favorite bands at these official after shows. Be sure to grab tickets for the closest one in Downtown Napa:  

BottleRock Afterdark @ JaM Cellars Ballroom 

  • Thurs. May 23: Miike Snow with Akira Galaxy
  • Thurs. May 23: Chris Shiflett with Grace Bowers
  • Fri. May 24: The Record Company with Forrest Day
  • Fri. May 24: Cold War Kids with Mondo Cozmo
  • Sat. May 25: Norah Jones
  • Sat. May 25: Con Brio with The Takes
  • Sat. May 25: Chevy Metal with The Alive
  • Sun. May 26: The Wailers
  • Sun. May 26: St. Vincent with Momma

 

Make Time to Recharge

It’s best to come in early and stay late for the BottleRock Festival. You’ll enjoy a more relaxed pace and it’ll give you a chance to explore all the things to do in Downtown Napa.   

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