Greetings Napa Kids fam!
Can you feel that June summer energy??
The longest day of the year is almost here and you know what that means: bedtime routines are hitting max confusion near and far. Golden hour lasts approximately forever, the neighborhood smells like jasmine and someone’s BBQ, and the kids have entered that particular end-of-school-year delirium where everything is either the best day ever(!) or a complete injustice.
This can’t just be my family, right? Riiiiight??
Don’t worry if summer isn’t planned. We hear from everyone and fun fact: basically no one’s is! We’ve got some great event highlights to pepper in some summer fun and get that June energy flowing. From Father’s Day to Pride, concerts in the park to reptiles and butterflies, and U-pick spots that are ready and waiting for those little stained fingers — there’s something for everyone!
P.S. Don’t miss the ultimate safe sunscreen resource we unearthed below ☀️
We’ll see you outdoors ✌️💜🍦
June 4th: Napa’s First Thursdays is full of PRIDE this month with DJ Rotten Robbie, Ensamble Folclórico Colibrí, food trucks, vendors, and games. 5-8 pm, Oxbow Commons
June 6th: Happy Pride! Join Napa Kids in partnership as we celebrate PRIDE month. An event built with preschool ages in mind, but ALL families are welcome to join for rainbow crafts, storytime, music, treats and more! 1-3pm, Napa Valley Nursery School
June 6th: Bay Area Rainbow Symphony, a woodwind quintet performance. All are welcome. 3-4 pm. St. Helena Library.
June 6th: Benicia Arts Festival is a fun community event that’s fun for the whole family. 10-5 pm. Downtown Benicia.
June 7th, 14th & 28th: Connolly Ranch’s Self-Guided Open House, Farm-to-Table (“cooking”) Class. This month class features Peach Jam, Pasta Salad with Farm Fresh Favs, Apricot Butter! Free - $45.
June 10th: Summer Library Adventure Kick-Off: Enjoy stories, crafts, and register for the Summer Reading Challenge (with Prizes: Kids, Teen, & Adult Age Groups), Napa Library.
June 10th: The Science Wizard, a professional children’s entertainer and comic! 2:30 pm. Yountville Library. Free.
June 13th: Pet Parade and Block Pawty, music, great food + drinks for you, your fam, and your dog! This is a family event for everyone and your furbaby! Don’t forget to check the schedule. 10am, Deuces Market
June 13th: Inspired by the Land: Art in the Park is part of California State Parks week. 12-4 pm, Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, St. Helena
June 13th: Bubble Fest! Bubbles, bubble science, and live music? This is going to be one poppin’ time! Chabot Space & Science Center, Oakland.
June 14th: Bay Area Butterfly Festival, where beauty and education meet! Check out the kids schedule (including an In Harmony music concert) 10am - 4pm, Free Admission. Mare Island.
June 17th: Lizards, Snakes, and More—Oh My! Children and caregivers invited to see, touch, and learn about reptiles. Napa Library: 9:30-11:30am, Yountville Library: 2:30-3:30pm
June 18th: Calistoga Library 10-11am, American Canyon Library 3-4pm
June 18th: Robert Ferguson Observatory Family Day featuring astronomical presentations, planet walks, solar observing, paper rocket launches. Register with link. Created for families with children 12 and under. Kenwood.
June 19th: Larry’s Produce is opening for the season! Guys, this is a whole event. You’ll be thrilled to see your kids so thrilled to pick out fruits and veggies! Fairfield
June 24th: Where the Forest Meets the Sea, a bilingual theatrical comedy performance presented by “professional silly people.” Napa Library: 9:30-10:45 am, Yountville Library: 2:30-3:30pm
June 25th: Calistoga Library: 10-11am, American Canyon Library: 3-4pm
June 26th: Movies in the Park featuring Disney’s Up. 6:30 pm. Yountville Community Park.
June 28th: Family Summerfest at Tres Sabores! Get the details and ticket info in the link. 10-3 pm, Tres Sabores, St. Helena.
The 5th Annual California State Parks Week is June 10-14th! Check out all the events happening at your favorite local state parks. Happy parking!
Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse! Movies for kids on Wednesdays at 9:30 am. Tickets are $1.75 ea. June 1 - Aug. 13.
Boring Farm is open for Organic Raspberry U-Picking! Pick a Saturday, book your reservation, enjoy a day full of raspberry picking magic Sebastopol style. It’s a fast memory maker and a favorite for even those bigger kids.
Lavender U-pick + June 6-8th: Lavender Trail, June - July weekends
We’re throwing it back. Waaaaaay back! Back to warm summer evenings, little barefoot toes in the lawn, and sharing blanket seats with friends — new and old. Summer, we’re ready for you 🌅
Summer Concert Series, 6-8 pm, June 17 - Aug. 12 | Lyman Park, St. Helena
Music on the Mansion Lawn, 6-8 pm, June 18 - Aug. 13 | Silverado Resort
Concerts in the Park, 6:30-8:30 pm, June 18 - Aug. 20 | Pioneer Park, Calistoga
Napa’s First Thursdays community gathering, 5-8 pm, June 4th | Oxbow Commons
Moonlight Movies, 7:30 pm, June 5 - Sept. 25 | Carneros Resort
Happy Hour + Music at The Coop by Hoopes, 4-6 pm | The Coop, St. Helena
Sunday Socials, 12-3 pm | Deuces Market
Sundays in the Park Music Series, 5-7 pm, June 6, July 12 & 26, Aug. 9 & 23 | Veterans Memorial Park Park, Yountville
Are you hosting a summer series or know of one we missed?! Send us a hot tip on IG or below, and don’t forget to check our events page for updates all summer long!
Kids are natural inclusivity champions and June gives everyone a reason to celebrate that out loud, together. Napa Valley has a slew of great events this month that do exactly that: family-friendly fun for all ages!
Pride at First Thursdays is featuring everyone’s favorite party maker, DJ Rotten Robbie, Ensamble Folklorico Colibri, food trucks, vendors, and games. | June 4th, 5-8 pm, Oxbow Commons
Happy Pride is an event for preschool ages, but ALL families are welcome to join in celebrating diversity, kindness, and the community! Join for rainbow crafts, storytime, music, treats and more! | June 6th, 1-3pm, Napa Valley Nursery School (641 Randolph Street)
Pride Hunt Pick up your game board and stickers at the Community Center, and embark on your journey through downtown Y-ville to spot all 8 Pride Hearts! Once you’ve found them all, head back to claim your prize. | June 8th - 12th, Yountville Community Center
Pride Pet Parade & Block Pawty Napa’s annual parade for pets & kids! Entertainment, costume prizes, plus special guest appearances by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence! No YOU stop! This event is not to be missed. See you there! | June 13th, 10-1 pm, Deuces Market + Parade route
Sunday Socials Deuces Market hosts Sunday Socials for LGBTQ+ community and allies. You know what to do! DJ Nick will be doing what he does best, plus all the great food and drinks you’ve come to crave. | June 14th, 12-1 pm, Deuces Market
Pride in the Park Join the City of Napa for this free, inclusive, and family-friendly event featuring live music & fun performances, food trucks, arts & crafts, and more! | June 14th, 3-6 pm, Veterans Memorial Park
Yountville’s Pride in the Park is a family-friendly affair with live music, performances, arts & crafts, photo booths and more! | June 14th, 3-6 pm, Veterans Memorial Park
Day of Solidarity Napa is serving up Pride themed specials all day long! Napa Farmers Market from 8-12 pm, Pride Pours & Curbside Celebrations all afternoon long at participating merchants, bars, restaurants, and wineries — just follow the rainbow flags! Car Parade starts at 7 pm! | June 20th, 8-11 pm, Downtown Napa area
St. Helena Pride Day A day of inclusive celebration where downtown St. Helena pulls out all the rainbow stops! Bring the family and join the town as they spread the love with vendors, raffle prizes, dancing, wine tasting, and other specials! | June 20th, 10-5 pm
All Month Long Cliff Family Winery is selling Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies for $4.50 with 100% of proceeds going to Napa LGBTQ Connection
![This graphic promotes the Vine Transit Summer Youth Pass for 2026. It features the image of a bus and several dancing cartoon suns. In word bubbles, it reads "Only $20! Unlimited Rides All Summer!"](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NXNQ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa2bf3552-ad90-4189-849d-a634a2ddd572_1024x379.png "This graphic promotes the Vine Transit Summer Youth Pass for 2026. It features the image of a bus and several dancing cartoon suns. In word bubbles, it reads "Only $20! Unlimited Rides All Summer!"")
For just $20 Napa youth can ride The Vine all summer long! This pass includes local routes within Napa, as well as on-demand routes and shuttles up and down the valley.
There are so many reasons to use our local public transportation, and one of those is that it benefits our kids! There has been plenty of research on lasting effects such as:
Builds confidence: Kids learn they can navigate the world successfully on their own.
Develops responsibility: They practice managing time, following plans, and being accountable.
Strengthens problem-solving skills: Real-world situations require thinking and adapting.
Instills a sense of competence: Successfully handling real-world tasks helps children feel capable and trusted.
Encourages independence in other areas of life: Confidence gained through mobility often transfers to school, activities, and social situations.
Teaches environmental stewardship: Kids learn sustainable transportation habits early.
The key to success here is to practice together, follow safety rules and communication rules, and establish a Family Agreement so each kid knows what’s expected of them, when to communicate changes, and how to stay safe. Happy riding!
Napa Kids began as a little passion project to highlight local events, connect families, and grow community 💛 If you’ve been enjoying what we share, we’d be so grateful if you considered supporting us with a small pledge on Substack, it helps us keep the fun (and the info!) coming!
Not all sunscreens are created equal and some of the most popular kids’ brand have ingredients that demand skipping. What that means for parents everywhere: we’re on a constant mission to find better, safer sunscreen options!
We discovered this awesome guide EWG’s 2026 Guide to Sunscreens — it’s science-based and highlight products that meet their strict standards for ingredient safety, transparency and health. Finally, someone that GETS us!
What you can expect to find inside: top-rated kids’ picks this year like Thinkbaby, ATTITUDE Sunly, Babo Botanicals, Mustela, and Stream2Sea — all mineral-based, zinc oxide formulas that scored low on hazard.
Tip: They also have a a free Healthy Living app you can use to scan any sunscreen in the store before you buy it (for our dedicated, eagle-eyed readers — similar to Yuka!)
Father’s Day falls right in the thick of summer-launch energy this year, which makes it easier to celebrate by working it it seamlessly to your soon-to-be existing plans.
Idea Mill
For little kids, consider skipping the gift store, unless it’s supporting a local small biz (you know the drill ;)) — and go experiential. A “yes day” for Dad where he picks the activity. It could be something simple like checking out a new-to-you BBQ spot, or a fishing morning out at Berryessa, or even a family + friends pick-up style wiffle ball tournament at the park!
For tweens and teens, try something that puts them on equal footing with Dad like a cooking class together, a hike they choose, or a slow trip to a bookshop or record store (Folklore, y’all!) where everyone gets to pick one thing. This age group responds SO well to being treated like a co-planner rather than a tagalong. Plus, the day will naturally evolve into enjoying that new record together or sparking conversation about what was spotted on the hike.
And while we love a good reason to celebrate (IFKYK), Father’s Day is really just the commercial holiday name—the meaning is, of course, more expansive than that. It’s about honoring the people who show up in a dad-adjacent role, however that may look in your family 💙
Here are a few ideas for a silly twist?! Stock up on Dads Rootbeer for the big day, have the kids all dress like dad for the day (guaranteed laughs), have the little kids pick out their favorite Bluey episode and pretend dad is Bandit; they’ll be beside themselves in this silly bit of pretend-play.
Tag Napa Kids in your pics, we love to see how you celebrate!
Last but not least… a few local bits of NEW news!
Bienvenido Valencia Cafe! There’s a new taco spot downtown in the former Petit Soleil location.
Napa Yard is getting a family-friendly putt putt glow-up - check it out
The Children’s Museum of Sonoma County is getting a massive upgrade starting this August. The completed project will double its footprint and make way for tons of new exhibits, learning environments, STEM, field trips, and more! Wow!
Did you know about the Children’s Museum of Napa Valley? Maybe YOU have an idea to share and help them grow!
Teacher Cordie is bringing the 🔥 once again! She’s taking orders for her custom hand-painted jean jackets and honestly, they’re too gorgeous for words. Drop her a DM or by pigeon courier at The Art Nest
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