On the normally serene south bank of the Napa River Oxbow, a startling transformation has taken place.

The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats performed twice at the Napa Valley Opera House last weekend, and if you missed it —  well, maybe next year.

Five talented finalists will each perform their very best 15 to 20 minutes of original material in the hopes of winning big prize money and perhaps catching the eye of a Hollywood talent scout during a final round of 32nd Annual San Francisco International Stand-Up Comedy Competition at the Napa Valley Opera House on Friday, Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35. 

Rich in culture, music, heritage and dance, Mexico City’s “Ballet Gran Folklorico de Mexico” will stop for one-night at Yountville’s Lincoln Theater, Friday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 to $50 per person.

This year 400 students are involved in choir at Napa High, and one of the activities that makes this popular program possible is the weekly bingo game at the Napa Valley Expo.

The Calistoga Arts Center may lack a physical headquarters, but its vitality as an organization was evident last Monday when about 30 people in Napa County’s northernmost city joined a “town hall” discussion aimed at drafting a county-wide cultural plan.

The Napa Valley Symphony Orchestra opens its 75th anniversary season this weekend by welcoming acclaimed 19-year-old violinist Chloë Hanslip for a performance of the popular first Paganini violin concerto and performing a pair of audience favorites associated with the Halloween season.