Media Releases
Festival Napa Valley is celebrating 20 years of music, joy, and generosity, and who better to help mark the milestone than jazz legend Wynton Marsalis? The acclaimed trumpeter, composer, and American cultural ambassador will headline the Arts for All Gala on Sunday, July 12, 2026, at the stunning Oakville estate of Nickel & Nickel, part of Far Niente Wine Estates.
Crowning the opening weekend of the Festival’s 20th Anniversary Summer Season, the Gala is one of the nation's premier fundraisers for education and the arts. Since its founding, the event has raised over $33 million to support youth, seniors, and families through music and wellness programs, free and affordable concerts, and scholarships, bringing the transformative power of music to communities across the region.
“Wynton Marsalis is an extraordinary artist whose work embodies excellence, integrity, and music’s ability to unite,” said Mary Beth Shimmon, Gala Chair, alongside her husband, Festival board member David Shimmon. “Celebrating our 20th Anniversary with Wynton honors the Festival’s legacy, affirms its enduring commitment to artistry with purpose, and promises a Gala our guests will long remember.”
For more than four decades, Marsalis has played a defining role in shaping the global musical landscape. He has released over 130 recordings, composed hundreds of works, and serves as Managing and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Director of Jazz Studies at The Juilliard School, and President of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation.
Gala guests will enjoy an artfully composed multi-course dinner by acclaimed chef Dustin Valette, chef-owner of Valette and The Matheson in Healdsburg. Each course will be paired with exceptional wines from Far Niente Wine Estates, highlighting the elegance and range of the Estates’ celebrated portfolio. The evening continues with the return of celebrity auctioneer Lydia Fenet, who will lead the signature live auction of once-in-a-lifetime travel adventures, bespoke performing arts experiences, highly collectible wines, and more.
Reservations are now open to Festival Passport and Opening Weekend Patron Pass holders, and table sponsors. A limited number of individual passes will be released in spring 2026. For information, visit www.festivalnapavalley.org/calendar/2026-arts-for-all-gala/ or call 707-927-3874.
Festival Napa Valley’s 20th Anniversary Summer Season takes place July 4-19, 2026, at venues throughout Napa Valley.