Twenty years of music, generosity, and community, and Festival Napa Valley is marking the milestone with one of jazz’s greatest living figures. Wynton Marsalis headlines the Arts for All Gala on July 12, 2026, at the 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, having raised over $33 million since its founding for programs serving youth, seniors, and families across the region. Marsalis brings four decades of defining influence to the evening: 130 recordings, hundreds of original compositions, performances in 858 cities across 65 countries, and roles 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.
The evening includes a multi-course dinner by acclaimed chef Dustin Valette, chef-owner of Michelin-recognized Valette and The Matheson in Healdsburg, with each course paired with wines from Far Niente Wine Estates. Celebrity auctioneer Lydia Fenet returns to lead the signature live auction. Reservations are open now to Festival Passport and Opening Weekend Patron Pass holders, with individual passes releasing in spring 2026. Festival Napa Valley’s 20th Anniversary Summer Season runs July 4-19, 2026.