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I love, love, love farmers’ markets (click back there on that to find one near you).

The easygoing summer mornings, the happy, eco-conscious folks, and of course, the bounty of produce and handmade goods…

Part of the community since 1986, the Saint Helena Farmers’ Market is a fine one.

Just as one would expect, naturally.

Who: All ages

What: Stand after stand of jaw-droppingly, lusciously gorgeous local fruits & veggies, as well as neat items for kitchen, home & family (psst…last time I went with the kiddo, there was a tutu stand….yep, we got a tutu, see below)

Where: Crane Park, Saint Helena

When: Fridays 7:30am-noon, May-October

Why: To soak in the ambience, to munch on kettle corn, to support local agriculture & the community and to fill your pantry

If you’re going to be in the Napa Valley this upcoming Independence Day weekend, we recommend taking the family to the Silverado July 4th parade in Calistoga.

A small-town, old-fashion parade at its finest, festivities begin at 11am. Get there early though–and bring lots of water. Due to its northernmost location in the valley, Calistoga is always several degrees hotter than the town of Napa, and even than Saint Helena.

Be sure to stay afterwards and walk along the very Old West-ish downtown streets. There are several wonderful restaurants, or you can purchase lunch items at the grocery store and head to the park or one of the nearby wineries to picnic.

Then plan to spend the day; calistogavisitors.com offers this great guide for more family activities.

Who: All ages

What: A most traditional parade

Where: Downtown Calistoga

When: July 4th at 11am

Why: To celebrate and honor the wonderful country in which we live

Up to now, much of the content for this month’s theme of kid-friendly activities in the Napa Valley has been focused Upvalley (the term used by locals to connote the northern part of the valley).

And the fact that, so far, I’ve mainly highlighted activities in Saint Helena is natural as that is where we live and spend most of our time.

But we do occasionally wander down valley. And one of our favorite spots is Michael Chiarello’s flagship NapaStyle store and Paninoteca in Yountville.

While the store itself isn’t necessarily kid-friendly (with all the fancy glassware and whatnot), it isn’t un-kid-friendly and it’s totally worth it to take the time to browse and shop. Plus, you might also see Michael himself–sometimes even with his family too.

The Paninoteca is located towards the rear of the store. Just place your order at the register back there and take a seat at one of the several tables inside, or as we prefer, on the pretty patio outside. You’ll enjoy a casual courtyard with dappled shade along with the freshly-prepared, delicious salads and sandwiches. There is also a nice selection of wine and non-alcoholic beverages.

Who: All ages, but I am not sure if they offer highchairs–note: kids need to be closely supervised when inside the store, but there’s a lot of freedom out on the patio

What: Wonderful, eclectic NapaStyle goods in a beautiful retail space; but for families we really like the Paninoteca–especially the patio dining

Where: NapaStyle, V Marketplace, 6525 Washington Street in Yountville

When: Lunch, particularly on a nice day so you can sit outside

Why: To bring home something special for your home, kitchen or garden and to delight in upscale-casual lunchfare in a kid-safe, easy outdoor setting

Piggyback

The olive grove of the Paninoteca patio

Playing on the patio

An aside: I was very impressed when I saw this clever use of a champagne riddling rack at NapaStyle.

Perhaps these racks aren’t common where you live, but you see them all over the place in the Napa Valley. In our home, we have one Tom gave me for a birthday present; we use it simply for decoration.

Here, they purposed one to grow herbs, greens, and even tomatoes. I think this is an awesome idea for anyone with limited space who wishes to grow at least a bit of their own food.

Riddling rack as garden

Check out how much the vines at the Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard in Saint Helena have grown since the last update.

Taken June 21st:

Taylor’s Automatic Refresher is an institution.

In business since 1949 (and not much has changed since then), the place is your classic burgers-and-fries type of joint, albeit Napa Valley-fied.

We regularly visit the original Saint Helena location on what has come to be called “French Frydays” (in the past few years, they’ve also opened locations in San Francisco and the town of Napa).

And while it definitely is not cheap, Taylor’s serves excellent food and drinks. But, we particularly enjoy the outdoor ambience.

It is hands down the most kid-friendly AND adult-friendly* eating place in town.

Who: All ages

What: Yummy food & drinks served in a super-casual, yet upscale setting

Where: St Helena: 933 Main St; SF: 1 Ferry Building, #6; Napa: Oxbow Public Market, 644 First St

When: Lunch/Dinner; St Helena location is best when it’s warm and sunny

Why: To eat decently while the kids play

* adult-friendly = they serve wine & beer AND the food is good

Last night, I made the decision to spend time with my family rather than to write a blog post.

We are visiting my parents, and we were having such a lovely time that I just did not want to pull myself away.

And as I am not about to cheat and backdate–and I wasn’t happy with the lame posts of the past two Fridays anyway–I am officially out of NaBloPoMo this month.

While I am disappointed that I won’t be accomplishing this goal, I am happy to know that I have my priorities in line.

Plus, with everything else we have going on this month, it’s quite a relief to have the pressure off.

I am going to continue with the kid-friendly activities theme this month (and beyond), but the posting won’t be everyday.

Cheers!

So, as any parent can relate, it’s Friday night and it is late. I am not about to write anything.

But, heh, I’ve posted. AND IT COUNTS.

The Napa Valley Vintners have a great website that’s just chock-full of information on everything from events and history, to grape varietals, and of course, wineries.

They even have this nifty little Winery Finder tool. An option on which is Family Friendly.

While there aren’t necessarily reviews posted, there are a lot of great details on each winery.


Who: The trip planners; Napa aficionados

What: An excellent resource on many things Napa Valley

Where: http://napavintners.com

When: 24/7

Why: To learn, discover and narrow down the overwhelming number of wineries to a list that suits you