Auction Napa Valley is canceled again because of coronavirus; organizers plan ‘new chapter’

BottleRock Napa Valley rescheduled again

The popular three-day festival — which has already been rescheduled two times due to safety concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic — will now move from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend.

So fans should again revise their calendars and make plans to spend Sept. 3-5 rocking at the Napa Valley Expo in downtown Napa.

The festival was originally scheduled for Memorial Day weekend of 2020 then was pushed back to early October, before being rescheduled for Memorial Day weekend of 2021. The latest postponement news comes as COVID-19 cases are spiking throughout California, including in Napa County, which has just been dropped from the orange to purple tier due to an increase in cases.

BottleRock organizers say this latest rescheduling "is out of an abundance of caution and in coordination with local and state authorities," according to a news release sent out on Tuesday.

"We are looking forward to presenting BottleRock during such a beautiful time of the year in the Napa Valley," says Dave Graham, one of the partners of BottleRock Napa Valley. "We're excited to bring back some joy to the Napa Valley through live music, with the health and safety of our patrons, artists, vendors, staff and surrounding communities front of mind."

—San Jose Mercury News

Auction Napa Valley, a 4-decade springtime tradition that brought out the who’s who of Wine Country, Hollywood and beyond to raise money for local causes, has had its final curtain call in its typical form, as the prospects for large public gatherings next spring grow dimmer amid the continuing coronavirus pandemic.

Napa Valley Vintners, a nonprofit winery trade group with 550 members, announced on Tuesday it will switch gears for major fundraising, after earlier this year rescheduling the event to June 2021 with statewide shelter-in-place orders in effect. The organization and the event’s boards of directors plan to work on a “new chapter” for the auction and “redefine” how the region raises money.

“Pausing our Auction due to the global pandemic allowed us time to reflect on all we have achieved and gave us the space to envision what our future might look like.” said Robin Baggett, chairman of the trade association’s board, in the announcement.

Organizers plan to take a year to come up with a replacement for the even that has resulted in donations of more than $200 million to health care, education and other local efforts. Reserve funds from the even will be used for more giving to local groups in 2021, the organizers said.

“Auction Napa Valley set the standard for world-class wine events, and we’re humbled to have inspired others to create countless events that have raised funds for many other worthy causes,” said Jack Bittner, vice chairman of the association board.

BottleRock Napa Valley rescheduled again

The popular three-day festival — which has already been rescheduled two times due to safety concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic — will now move from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend.

So fans should again revise their calendars and make plans to spend Sept. 3-5 rocking at the Napa Valley Expo in downtown Napa.

The festival was originally scheduled for Memorial Day weekend of 2020 then was pushed back to early October, before being rescheduled for Memorial Day weekend of 2021. The latest postponement news comes as COVID-19 cases are spiking throughout California, including in Napa County, which has just been dropped from the orange to purple tier due to an increase in cases.

BottleRock organizers say this latest rescheduling "is out of an abundance of caution and in coordination with local and state authorities," according to a news release sent out on Tuesday.

"We are looking forward to presenting BottleRock during such a beautiful time of the year in the Napa Valley," says Dave Graham, one of the partners of BottleRock Napa Valley. "We're excited to bring back some joy to the Napa Valley through live music, with the health and safety of our patrons, artists, vendors, staff and surrounding communities front of mind."

—San Jose Mercury News

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