When this reporter was assigned to review Los Lobos at the Napa Valley Opera House Saturday night, the unofficial word was it would be acoustic instruments only. Poor old wolves, I thought, reduced to playing lullaby music, watered-down versions of the old rowdy rock-blues-Tex/Mex mixture that is uniquely theirs.

After seven public meetings and scores of surveys and in-depth interviews, some 700 people have had a hand in drafting a four-year plan for the arts in Napa County.

The first Nimbus Arts Market takes place Sunday, Feb. 10, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in St. Helena. Nimbus artists/instructors will display their work in a market setting.Wares include sumptuous paintings and prints, beautiful ceramic vessels, exquisite hand blown glass, creative cards, colorful knitted hats, stellar jewelry, BEE-wear and much more. Participating artists include Ed Breed, Christine Willamson, Rob Keller, David Garden, Katie Roberts, Nikki Ballere,Will Callnan III, Eleanor Crebs, Ruben Godinez, Nancy Willis and Anne Pentland.

The third Festival del Sole is set to return to the Napa Valley July 12-20. The 10-day schedule includes concerts,  visual art exhibitions, free community concerts and family events.

If I hadn’t seen and heard it myself I might not have believed it.

On Friday evening at the Napa Valley Opera House a large audience was about to be transported back in time to a simpler age, circa 19l0 to 1929. In those years, more than 20,000 cinemas operated across the U.S. and each “Nickelodeon” brought us the silent movies of early film legends, thanks to the genius of Thomas Edison and others who quickly followed.

The Comets, formed in 1952 together with front man Bill Haley, were arguably the first rock ’n’ roll band. Among the pioneers who fused country and western with rhythm and blues to create rock ’n’ roll, they were leading musicians of the day and changed the face of music in the 1950s with hits like “Rock Around The Clock” and “Shake, Rattle and Roll.”

Kicking off this weekend with a lavish food and wine pairing, auction and dance, the 15th annual Napa Valley Mustard Festival  takes place from Feb. 2 to March 29 throughout wine country.

For the first stop on his “Day Trip” album tour, Pat Metheny returns to the Opera House with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Antonio Sanchez for an evening of jazz.

Since the reopening of the District Auditorium in 2004, Vintage and Napa high schools have resumed the tradition of presenting a musical for the community, each school in alternate years. And the community has responded by routinely selling out the house for the shows.

The four Napa musicians who make up OM-i will bring their funk-inflected world-beat sound back to Copia on Feb. 9.

The national touring company of one of America’s most highly-acclaimed operatic performance groups is on the road to the Napa Valley this week. Opera A La Carte will stage three performances of the crowd-pleasing Gilbert and Sullivan classic “The Mikado” Friday, Saturday and  Sunday at Lincoln Theater.

Sometimes your fate can be decided by a haircut. This was the case of Arturo Delgadillo, who had been working as a chef at Compadres in Yountville for 20 years when he learned the restaurant would be closing at that location.

Taste of the Valley: Party like it's 4706

Camellia Show today

Trading Spaces

Daughter of Napans makes Dean's List

Marriage dissolutions

Marriage licenses

Funeral for a Gangster

Taste at Oxbow

From First Love to Seduction, romantic wines are appearing in February

Toast of the Valley

Napa library opens wine section