HAPPENING UPON ART IN A CITY, a city you're visiting for a day or two, as you're walking back to your hotel after dinner? It can be a delight, a surprise, and you can feel a little elevated, or even inspired, by a sudden sighting of a sculpture or some tile or a mural. What, though, would you do if you encountered several illuminated pieces, the sort of art that shines by night? You'd surely pull out your camera, for one. And you'd want to bask in the incandescent experience, for a few minutes, while thinking about how seeing art by moonlight has a different feel than in the daytime. If this rings your personal bell, best find your way to...
DOWNTOWN NAPA, where 13 around-town spots will shimmer with original artworks during the Napa Lighted Art Festival. The 2020 dates are Jan. 11-19, giving you room to wing by the wine country destination for an evening or three. Where to go, though, to see the glowful sculptures, which have been fashioned by both artists of the region as well as international creators? The Oxbow District is one area to visit, but you'll find fanciful works to behold in a number of Napa locations. And if you're there on the evening of Jan. 17? Make for Veterans Park, where a Lantern Parade will take place. The light-up pieces are all free to see, and you can go at your own pace. More on this whimsy-filled wintertime fantasy? Follow the shimmer to Downtown Napa now.