Napa is known for wine, of course, but not necessarily for family fun – except, perhaps, when the Lighted Art Festival transforms downtown for a few weeks each winter.
It’s a free, walkable outdoor event that blends sculpture, projection art, interactive exhibits and even giant “Roaming Gnomes” (more about them later) and takes place Jan. 17-Feb. 15.
It’s the eighth time around for an event patterned after light festivals in Europe and elsewhere (see Fête des Lumières in Lyon, France; Berlin Festival of Lights in Germany; and Vivid Sydney in Australia), and it draws both artists and spectators from around the globe.
“This year, we have artists from Australia, Indonesia, Canada, Germany and local artists, too,” says Katrina Gregory, recreation and public art manager for the City of Napa. “We’re proud to bring this to the West Coast. We’re obviously known for wine, but we’re getting more and more on the map for art.”
She adds that the festival also offers respite during the darkest time of year. “It’s free, and a lot of families come multiple nights,” she says.
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This year’s five-week fest features 15 lighted art installations, some of them interactive, all of them wow-inspiring. Elaborate projection artwork will be displayed on the facades of three downtown buildings – the historic courthouse, the Native Sons building and the First Presbyterian Church – for the first nine nights.
What else to see? Stroll along the riverfront promenade and venture into the Trumpet Flowers exhibit, designed to evoke a giant magical garden. Visitors are invited to create their own light show set to a jazz composition.
Then there’s “Anubis,” featuring four giant, colorful sculptures. According to the description, they “glow with dynamic, psychedelic doodle.” (You’ll have to see it to decipher what that means.)
Don’t miss “Crossing Lines,” an installation suspended beneath the Third Street Bridge. It consists of hundreds of neon-colored strings forming intricate patterns. When illuminated with black lights, the installation seems to hover in mid-air.
A block from the river, “Together We Glow,” originally created for Burning Man 2025, invites visitors to view into a cube that opens onto a network of colored strings that sway and pulse with “hypnotic energy.” A similar illusion is created with “Polychroma,” an iridescent rainbow of LED sculpture.
“XOX,” meanwhile, is mural art mounted on giant cutout letters that hide and reveal layered imagery. The nearby “Affinity” exhibit is an immersive light installation made up of glowing orbs activated by touch or proximity. As visitors interact with the 62 interactive points, light ripples through the artwork.
“Most people spend between an hour and half to two hours” cruising the sights, Gregory says.
But that’s hardly enough to see it all. If you’re visiting on Feb. 7 and your senses aren’t overloaded, venture across the river to the Oxbow District, home to the Oxbow Public Market and other landmarks.
That’s where you’ll find the giant “Roaming Gnomes” with many a story to tell. Families can pick up a passport and collect stamps from each of 12 gnomes (actually people dressed in inflatable costumes). The “hunt” includes music, drinks and giveaways. Something memorable, for sure!
If you go
The art installations are open to visitors 6-9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 6-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. Special events include:
- An artist meet-and-greet will be held 4:30-6 p.m. Jan. 18.
- “Storytime at the Napa Bookmine” is set for 5-6 p.m. Feb. 1.
- “The Giant Gnome Hunt” takes place 6-8 p.m. Feb. 7.
- A “Glow Party” will be held 6-8 p.m. Feb. 8.
For more information, be sure to download the map for locations and descriptions of the art installations and associated activities at donapa.com/lighted-art-festival.
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