The Napa Valley Dance Center presents “The Art of Dance” this weekend at St. Helena High School. Dancers will be performing ballet, jazz and tap routines at 1 and 7 p.m., under the direction of Sandy Nugent and her son, Scott Nugent.

Volakis Gallery opened “Echoes of Surrealism,” Saturday. The stunning show features 12 contemporary and master artists from around the world and will be at the Yountville gallery through July 31.

Johnny Smith and Friends (Chris Justin and Joe Livoti) perform a Father’s Day concert at Compadres Bar and Grill in Yountville, Sunday 5-8 p.m.

For years Berkeley Repertory Theatre has stored its costumes and props in a huge warehouse across the street from its stage, but now it has to relocate its inventory, so it’s time for a clearance sale. Theater folks, bargain hunters, and anyone who loves wacky stuff won’t want to miss this two-day sale at Berkeley Rep’s Stadium Garage, directly across from the theater at 2020 Addison St. Berkeley.

For more than 40 years, mandolinist and composer David Grisman has been busy creating “dawg” music, a blend of swing, bluegrass, Latin, jazz and gypsy. In doing so he inspired a new genre of acoustic string instrumental music — and created a  niche for himself in the world of contemporary music. In addition to his own renowned groups like Old and In the Way and the David Grisman Quintet, Grisman has recorded with such bluegrass greats as Earl Scruggs, Tony Rice and Doc Watson, as well as jazz artist Stephane Grapelli, and the Grateful Dead.

A parade of Shakespeare’s greatest hits opens at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival on the outdoor Elizabethan Stage this weekend.

In “The Art of Suicide,” Napa author Jurgen Dalluge tells the story of an assassin who tries to kill a powerful drug lord with the aid of a beautiful woman.

There is a music trade magazine that publishes an annual poll of its readers and professional critics. One of the categories is, “Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition.”

Downtown Napa’s historical murals will soon have a younger sibling on the north side of the city. Students at Valley Oak Career and Arts Academy painted a group self-portrait on the once-drab side wall of their classroom building on Myrtle Street.

It’s a double header of Baroque entertainment at Copia Friday night, when Violet Grgich will perform a mini concert of harpsichord music before the Friday Night Flick, Jean Renoir’s 1952 classic, “The Golden Coach.”

From Register staff

Vintage grad joins Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Local man graduates from Naval Academy

City kids don't usually get a chance to milk a goat, collect eggs from a chicken coop or dig through a compost heap in search of earthworms.

Julia’s Kitchen has a new locals’ night — Wednesdays, with dinner served from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. (Formerly the popular event was on Thursday and the restaurant was closed Wednesday.)

For the first three years of my life I lived in an aging brownstone apartment building in the Bronx. Eighty times a year, our neighbor, Yankee Stadium, would blast music through the speaker system.

Thirty Jewish vintners and winemakers from Napa Valley will gather for the second L’Chaim Weekend, a celebration of a return to their agricultural roots, June 29-July 1.

Boris Champy steps down as winemaker at Dominus Estate Dec. 15.

About 100 fun loving wine enthusiasts each brought a 375ml bottle of their favorite wine to the annual Half-Bottle Party June 6, an unofficial — very unofficial — kickoff for the big auction week.

Living in Napa Valley, it is easy to think that the world of American wine revolves around us, so it’s sobering to think that the colonists under Capt. John Smith at Jamestown in Virginia planted grapes and made wine soon after they arrived on May 13, 1607.

After public hearings in April and May, the Napa County Board of Supervisors adopted a weed abatement ordinance for unincorporated Napa County (with the exception of unincorporated land within the American Canyon Fire Protection District).

When Terry and Sioux Elledge, creators and owners of Sioux Z Wow gourmet marinade, relocated their residence and business to Napa from Southern California, they bought a new home.

Queen of the Valley

BERNAL GUTIERREZ-VERDIN LOPEZ -- Jose Bernal Gutierrez, 38, Garfield Avenue, Glendale, to Maria Silvana Verdin Lopez, 38, Brown Street, Napa.

Gina Marie Budde and Jason Richard Bishop, formerly of Napa, will be married on Aug. 12, 2007, at the Yountville Community Church in Yountville.

Melinda Carmichael and Matt Swallow, both of Vallejo, are proud to announce their engagement at Matt's parents' home in Napa Christmas evening.

Relatives from Nevada, Idaho, both ends of California and some local friends joined together to help Robert and Marielore Hippenstiel celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on May 26. A limousine took them to a wonderful dinner at La Strada Restaurant. This was followed by a cake and a Champagne toast at their home with friends. The evening was capped by the surprise of a wonderful DVD on the story of their lives, produced by their son-in-law, David Anderson. Catherine McLarand, their little flower girl of 60 years ago, was in attendance.

Don and Ruth (Martin) Crawford of Napa celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary Saturday at their home. Family and friends joined the Crawfords at an open house to offer congratulations, enjoy refreshments and share memories.