Every July, Napa Valley is on the center stage during wine country’s premier summer event, Festival Napa Valley. For ten days, top talent in the musical and art worlds deliver breathtaking performances in iconic winery settings paired with Napa Valley’s unparalleled food, wine and hospitality. Each program is designed to inspire and attract artists and audiences from around the world, and in turn has put Napa Valley on the map as a top cultural destination.
The greatest aspect of Festival Napa Valley is its philanthropic roots. The Festival is committed to enriching the Napa Valley community through innovative performances and inspiring education programs throughout the year. The impact of Festival Napa Valley certainly extends beyond the month of July. As California public schools remove performing arts education from the classroom, Festival Napa Valley works with the Napa school system to add it back in for the students. Each festival ticket purchase assists a child in art education, over $1 million has been invested in Napa County public school’s arts education thus far.
As a Board of Director and Co-chair of this incredible organization, Leslie Frank loves to take part in the hard work that goes into making Festival Napa Valley a success year after year. This year, Leslie was the master of ceremonies for the preeminent event, Arts for All Gala, hosted at Hall Winery which raised a record-setting $2.6 million. Proceeds from the event provide free and affordable access to Festival concerts, arts education programs for thousands of public-school children, and scholarships for emerging musicians.
“Thanks to the spirited generosity of the donors and sponsors who supported the Arts for All Gala, Festival Napa Valley is having a profound impact in improving the quality of life in our beloved Napa Valley. We are providing funding for public school arts education, and ensuring concerts are accessible by offering free and affordable programs that everyone in our community can enjoy” says Leslie Frank.
The memorable Arts for All Gala was concluded by a performance from four-time Grammy Award-winner SEAL who sang for the 400 guests under a grand blue draped tent with St. Helena vineyards as a backdrop. The Arts for All Gala 2020 will be held on Sunday, July 19. A limited number of passes are available as part of the Festival Napa Valley 2020 pre-sale through August 15, 2019.
