On Saturday, Nov. 7, two celebrations in downtown Napa share a two-hour overlap. First Street Napa's Harvest Hoedown runs from 12:30 to 5 p.m. at 1300 First St. Napa Día de los Muertos runs from 3 to 8 p.m. at Veterans Park on Brown Street. The Hoedown takes the afternoon, and Veterans Park takes the evening. The same day also kicks off the grand opening of a new First Street store, and the month around it is quieter than a Napa November usually is.
The overlap runs from 3 to 5 p.m.
The posted lineups make it possible to plan the whole day by the clock. Here is how the two events stack up, based on the Harvest Hoedown listing at Visit Napa Valley and the Día de los Muertos listing on Do Napa:
- 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Billy Williams Band plays and Wine Country Aerials performs at First Street Napa.
- 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. Line dancing at the Hoedown.
- 3 p.m. Día de los Muertos opens at Veterans Park.
- 3 to 5 p.m. North Forty closes out the Hoedown.
- 5 to 8 p.m. The Hoedown after-show moves to Tonewood & Courage, with live music by New Rivertown Ramblers, drinks, and pizza. Veterans Park keeps going until 8.
Between 3 and 5 p.m., you have a choice to make. Stay for North Forty, or walk over to Veterans Park while it's still light out. After 5, the day splits into two evening options: the after-show at Tonewood & Courage or the rest of the Día de los Muertos program. Families who want both events can take the Hoedown's activity hours early and get to the park by late afternoon. The face painting, flower crowns, bouquets, and photo booth are all part of the afternoon program.
The Hoedown is listed as free and all ages. The Día de los Muertos listing calls the event a family celebration of art, tradition, music, dance, and food.
A new storefront is the reason for the Hoedown
The Hoedown is also a store opening. First Street Napa built the afternoon around the grand opening of Lucchese Bootmaker, the brand's first store in California. The store is in Suite 202 at 1300 First St., according to the City of Napa's July business overview, which listed it for fall 2026.
Its neighbor is a familiar name. Don Perico Mexican Restaurant reopened July 15 in Suite 201 after a 10-month closure, the Napa Valley Register reported. For the Hoedown, Don Perico is serving Lucchese margaritas made for the occasion. The event also has a community side. Anyone can enter the First Street Napa Harvest Raffle for a $1,000 Lucchese gift card, and all raffle proceeds go to Community Action of Napa Valley.
Lucchese is the latest in a year of changes at First Street. The city's overview counts several 2026 arrivals in the district:
- Napa Fragrance, a home-fragrance shop at 1252 First St., opened in February.
- Flora Springs Wine Lounge at 1142 First St. opened in February.
- Hopscotch & Bark, a boutique for children and pets in Suite 335, opened in June.
- BACI, a home and design studio in Suite 221, opened in mid-to-late July.
The district is losing a shop too. Riza Plants, which opened at First Street Napa in October 2020, will close its Suite 355 storefront on Friday, Nov. 13. That's six days after the Hoedown. A closing sale started Oct. 14. The business is staying in Napa Valley. It's becoming Riza Indoor Plant Maintenance and Design Studio and will focus on plant design, installation, and care. Founder Alyssa Piombo told the Napa Valley Register that the commercial side "has grown so much that we are putting all of our energy into it." She called it "an exciting new chapter rather than a goodbye." Workshops and event rentals will continue. If you've been meaning to pick up a plant there, Hoedown afternoon is one of the last Saturdays the shop will be open.
The evening belongs to the city's own celebration
Veterans Park takes over as the Hoedown winds down. The City of Napa presents Día de los Muertos, and City of Napa Parks and Recreation hosts it. The 2026 listing describes a family celebration of art, tradition, music, dance, and food. It doesn't post a detailed lineup yet, so check the Visit Napa Valley event page closer to the date.
Last year gives some idea of the scale. The Press Democrat reported that the 2025 celebration was held from 3 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at Veterans Park, with altars, live music, art vendors, and food, in what was then the event's fourth year. The same report covered a new community banner project, with 15 designs chosen. The 2026 date falls on the Saturday after Nov. 2 rather than before it. That puts the celebration on the same day as First Street's harvest party, so this year it becomes the evening half of the day.
November without the film festival
Two downtown events can carry a Saturday partly because nothing bigger is competing for it. The Napa Valley Film Festival is not running a full festival this November. The Cinema Napa Valley site says the festival returns in 2027. A relaunch event is labeled "2026/27 Fall/Winter," with no date posted yet. The Napa Lighted Art Festival, the next big downtown draw, starts in mid-January.
That leaves the season to local events with set times:
| Date | Event | Where | Hours | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Hometown Halloween | Downtown Napa | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | More than 100 participating businesses. Boys & Girls Clubs activities at First Street Napa run 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Harvest Hoedown | First Street Napa, 1300 First St. | 12:30 to 5 p.m. | Lucchese grand-opening kickoff. After-show 5 to 8 p.m. at Tonewood & Courage |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Napa Día de los Muertos | Veterans Park, Brown Street | 3 to 8 p.m. | Presented by the City of Napa |
| Fri., Nov. 13 | Riza Plants storefront's last day | 1300 First St., Suite 355 | Store hours | Closing sale started Oct. 14 |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Merry Meritage Tree Lighting | The Meritage Resort & Spa | 4 to 8 p.m. | Free with RSVP. Complimentary parking and shuttle |
| Tuesdays through Dec. 22 | Napa Farmers Market | 1100 West St. | 8 a.m. to noon | The Saturday market runs year-round |
| Jan. 16 to Feb. 14, 2027 | Napa Lighted Art Festival | Downtown Napa | Evenings | Free walking route |
A few details in that table are easy to miss. Hometown Halloween, posted on Do Napa, lasts only two hours for trick-or-treating at downtown businesses. The Boys & Girls Clubs activities at First Street Napa run two hours longer. The tree lighting is at The Meritage, not downtown. Its listing offers 20% off ice skating when you bring a new toy for Toys for Tots. The Napa Farmers Market Tuesday season runs from April 7 to Dec. 22 this year. The Tuesday morning market at 1100 West St. keeps going through November and most of December. The Lighted Art Festival walk runs from 6 to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
On the calendar above, Oct. 31 and Nov. 21 each have one event anchored at a single address, and no ticketed festival is pulling crowds elsewhere in the valley. Nov. 7 is the only Saturday where two events share the afternoon. You can start at First Street with the Billy Williams Band, stay through line dancing, and walk to Veterans Park during North Forty's set. You'll arrive while the celebration there still has three hours to go.
If November's openings and closings on First Street have you thinking about your own place downtown, Candis is happy to talk through what nearby changes mean for your home's value, with no pressure and on your schedule. Reach out to Candis A Tyrrell to request your free home valuation.