Spend the Winter Holidays in Napa

The holiday season has officially kicked off in the City of Napa with many festive events and activities for all ages to enjoy taking place throughout November and December. So forget traveling over the hills and through the woods to grandma’s house, hit the road and head to wine country where you’ll find all of the trimmings of the season and more.

Join Napa locals the night before Thanksgiving in Veterans Park to enjoy the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, Wednesday, November 23 at 6 p.m. Hot chocolate from Downtown Joe’s and cupcakes from Kara’s Cupcakes will be provided while the mayor lights the 29 foot tall Christmas Tree. This celebration is free and open to the public.

The 54^th Annual Christmas Parade will bring holiday cheer to historic downtown on Saturday, November 26 at 5 p.m. The parade begins and ends at First and School Streets. Since becoming an evening parade, Napans have creatively decorated any parade entry – cars, horses or even children – with bright, festive lights.

Take a ride through the streets of downtown Napa in a horse drawn carriage. This fun holiday activity is free for the whole family and one of the best ways to enjoy the holiday lights strung on the buildings and decorated storefronts throughout town. Carriages depart from the Historic Napa Mill on Thursday, December 8, 15 and 22 and run from 4:40 to 7:30 p.m.

If the horse drawn carriages are busy, plan to take the Holiday Trolley instead.  Rides through Downtown Napa are free and run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from December 2 through 24, from 3 to 6 p.m. The decked out trolley plays music of the season and travels between the Oxbow Market, Historic Napa Mill, First Street at Dwight Murray Plaza and Main and Pearl Streets. Riders can hop on and off as they wish or enjoy the entire loop at one time.

Walk, Taste and Sip all while wearing your ugliest holiday sweater during the Downtown Napa “Ugly Sweater” Culinary Crawl on December 15. The Culinary Crawl is the perfect way to experience Downtown Napa’s wine tasting rooms and restaurants while strolling the beautiful town. Contests and prizes will make this a memorable holiday experience. The crawl kicks off at 5 p.m. at the Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin’ BBQ and include stops at Ca’Momi and Angele Restaurant + Bar. Advance tickets are $30 each, $45 at the door, and includes specially prepared bites at each stop paired with exclusive drink specials. Guests will also have the chance to win a variety of gift cards, bottles of wine and other raffle prizes throughout the night.

Use our online tools to plan your holiday visit to Downtown Napa! Click here to get started.