News Flash

Date:            January 8, 2026

Contact:      Samantha Holland, Parks & Recreation Director

                     sholland@yville.com  707-948-2627

Subject:       Yountville’s 2^nd Annual Mardi Gras Parade & Block Party to be held Saturday, February 7, 2026

The Town of Yountville is turning up the joy and the jazz at the 2nd Annual Mardi Gras Parade & Block Party, happening Saturday, February 7, 2026!

“We’re thrilled to bring Mardi Gras back to Yountville for a second year,” said Samantha Holland. “It’s a celebration full of color, music, and festive fun—with a signature Yountville twist!”

The parade and block party are all about bringing the community together during what’s typically a quieter season in town. It’s the perfect time to enjoy Yountville’s mustard blooms, rolling green hills, crisp winter air, and a little extra room to dance in the streets.

Local businesses, community groups, and individuals are invited to join the parade fun. To make participation even easier, Yountville businesses can apply for a $1,000 participation grant, generously sponsored by the Hotels & Inns of Yountville. These grants help offset costs like float supplies, vehicle rentals, or extra staffing and will be awarded to the first 10 approved float applications. Details and applications are available at www.yountvillemardigras.com.

And when we say everyone is invited, we mean it! Walkers, bikers, horse groups, car clubs, marching bands, and traditional floats are all welcome. The more creative, the better! Cash prizes will be awarded to top entries in each category, as chosen by our guest judges. The deadline to apply for the parade is Friday, January 23, 2026.

After the parade, which starts at 1:00 PM from California Drive and travel north up Washington Street, the celebration keeps rolling with a block party in North Yountville until 4:00 PM. Expect live music from The Gumbo Band, children’s activities, tarot card readings, street performers, and plenty of delicious eats including gumbo, po’ boys, crepes and refreshing drinks.

Grab your beads, bring your friends, and let the good times roll! Learn more at www.yountvillemardigras.com.

 King and Queen Float 2025

Jewelz – Street Performer 2025

Enjoying the festivities 2025

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Yountville Arts Presents Photo Finale at the Steve Rogers Gallery

A Vibrant Celebration of Napa Valley’s Mustard Season

Yountville Arts is proud to announce the opening of the 2026 Photo Finale, a photography exhibition that explores Napa Valley’s mustard season through images capturing its color, landscape, and creative expression. The show opens Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the Steve Rogers Gallery, 6516 Washington St., Yountville. The exhibition features striking works from 34 regional photographers who capture the landscape’s radiant yellow blooms in fresh and imaginative ways.

Each year, the valley transforms as fields of mustard blanket dormant vineyards and quiet hillsides in vibrant yellow. Photo Finale brings this seasonal magic indoors, offering visitors a curated selection of images that range from sweeping vistas to delicate close-ups.

Created in 2023 by professional photographer MJ Schaer, the exhibition brings together photographers from Napa Valley and surrounding regions to strengthen community and artistic connections. “Through the lens of talented photographers, Photo Finale captures the beauty and spirit of Napa Valley’s iconic mustard season and celebrates creativity, connection, and the art of photography,” Schaer said.

This year’s exhibition includes three distinct categories: Landscape, Innovative, and Animal/Pet. Awards will be presented at the Jan. 22 opening and selected by jurors Shiva Pakdel, executive director of the Sausalito Center for the Arts; former Town Manager and photography collector Steve Rogers; and Phil Venable, president of the Napa Valley Photographic Society.

An additional People’s Choice Award will be announced at the closing celebration of the three-month exhibition on March 26. Visitors are encouraged to vote throughout the show.

Photo Finale underscores Yountville’s ongoing commitment to the arts, bringing together photographers, residents, and visitors in the welcoming setting of the Steve Rogers Gallery. The exhibition invites the community to slow down, look closely, and engage, whether through thoughtful viewing, conversation, or casting a ballot for the People’s Choice Award.

“This show celebrates not only the beauty of photography, but the shared experience of art in our community,” said Ronda Schaer, chair of the Yountville Arts Commission. “Photo Finale reflects Yountville’s belief that the arts thrive when they are accessible, participatory, and deeply connected to place.”

This year, Photo Finale will be paired with the Yountville Chamber of Commerce’s Art and Mustard Celebration, held in the gallery’s adjoining Heritage Room.

Exhibition:Photo Finale

Description:Photographs will be available for purchase throughout the exhibition.

Location:Steve Rogers Gallery6516 Washington St.Yountville, CA 94558

Important Dates:

• Thursday, Jan. 22: Exhibition opens

• Thursday, March 26: Closing celebration and People’s Choice Award announcement

Admission:There is no charge to attend the Photo Finale opening.Admission to both the Chamber Art and Mustard Celebration and Photo Finale is $25 online or $30 at the door, if available. Tickets are expected to sell out.

For more information about the show and exhibition or upcoming Yountville Arts programs, please visit www.yountvillearts.com or Photo-Finale www.photo-finale.com or email Katelyn Huss at khuss@yville.com.

An example of each category is shown below.

Landscape Category: Fields at Rest by Photographer David Damico

Animal/Pet Category: La Chevre Moutarde by Photographer MJ Schaer

Innovative Category:   Liquid Gold #2 by Photographer Susan Segal

The Town of Yountville has updated its Backflow Tester List, an important resource for residents and businesses working to meet annual testing requirements.

Backflow prevention is a critical part of protecting our shared drinking water system. A backflow condition occurs when water flows in the opposite direction, potentially carrying contaminants into the public water supply. To guard against this, the Town’s Cross Connection Control Program ensures that properties with potential cross connections such as fire sprinklers, swimming pools, irrigation systems, wells, and water softeners have appropriate backflow prevention assemblies installed and tested.

Since 2018, the Town’s Utility Operations Division has overseen this program directly to ensure greater accuracy and transparency. Our certified operators hold credentials in both water treatment and distribution, and are also AWWA-certified Backflow Assembly Testers and Cross Connection Control Specialists. Their expertise, combined with state and federal regulatory requirements, helps safeguard the community’s water system.

By keeping the Backflow Tester List current, we provide the public with confidence that only qualified, approved testers are available to perform the required annual testing and maintenance of backflow prevention assemblies.

View the updated list here: Town of Yountville 2025 Backflow Tester ListMore information about the program is available on our website: Backflow Prevention Program

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact the Public Works Department at (707) 944-8851.

Thank you for your attention to this important update and for helping us maintain a safe and reliable water system for the entire Yountville community.

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