We don’t need to say it again, but California’s Napa and Sonoma counties had a challenging 2017. And as we’ve said before, the best way to help rebounding destinations bounce back quicker is to pack a bag and go—eat, drink, and be merry. On Saturday, April 7, the Oxbow School, a single-semester not-for-profit arts academy for high school juniors and seniors, will host NapaMakes, a sprawling “shopping event” featuring the work of some 20 makers and artists from wine country and the Bay Area—including letterpress artisans The Aesthetic Union and Shipwright & Co., Berkeley-based LuvHaus Ceramics, sculpture and textile studio Joy Brace, and timepiece-maker Bespoke Watch Projects—along with vendors supplying a menu of fittingly artisanal edibles.
But the downtown Napa exhibition has a higher purpose than just getting you to fill your suitcase with handmade sandals and skirts from Napa’s Yolotli Studio and fill your face with handmade East Coast-style bagels from Paulie’s: Profits from the event will benefit the Oxbow’s vital Stephen Thomas Scholarship Fund, named for the academy’s founding director and longtime head of school.
NapaMakes runs from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Admission is free, and kids and dogs are welcome. Afterward, make plans to attend a $200-per-person farm-to-table dinner prepared by chef Melissa Fernandez (formerly of Berkeley’s celebrated Chez Panisse) and served family-style with wines from some acclaimed local vinyards, including Ashes & Diamonds, Massican, and Poe.
