Napa's BottleRock announces La Onda, a new Latin music festival
By Sasha Paulsen
Editor’s note: The unveiling of La Onda, a Latin music festival in Napa County, serves as the initial report in a series that will explore the ascent of Latin music locally, what appears to be a growing rivalry among festivals and Napa Valley’s rise as a premier music festival locale.
NAPA VALLEY, Calif. — BottleRock will launch its inaugural La Onda Latin music festival at the Napa Valley Expo on June 1 and 2, 2024.
La Onda will offer “top Latin musical acts spanning several genres, including regional Mexican, Latin pop, Spanish rock, reggaetón, banda, mariachi, rap, norteño, cumbia and bolero,” according to the BottleRock announcement.
The lineup, still being finalized, will be announced on Monday, Dec. 4, and tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 8 at LaOndaFest.com.
“We’re excited to be kicking off Festival La Onda next June,” said Dave Graham, a partner in BottleRock, the three-day rock music festival that takes place in Napa every Memorial Day weekend.
“We have a wonderfully diverse population in Northern California, but up until now, our Latin communities, and those who enjoy Latin music, have had to travel to Southern California or out of state to enjoy a two-day festival devoted to Latin music. We are happy to be able to offer this experience in NorCal with La Onda.”
The first BottleRock took place in 2013 and continued the following year under new owners. Since then, it has expanded into a major music event, with Northern California wineries, restaurants and food trucks participating. Music is presented on three stages and performers and chefs also appear together on a culinary stage. Chefs José Andrés and Masaharu Morimoto are among those who have appeared on this stage; Morimoto notably cooked with Snoop Dogg. This year an estimated 50,000 people attended BottleRock on each of the three days, May 26-28 (the population of Napa as of 2021 was 78,880).
La Onda is scheduled for the weekend following BottleRock because of the extensive, month-long set-up required to transform Napa’s fairgrounds into a venue for a music festival.
The new festival will follow the same format as BottleRock, although the first event will be smaller with two full days of music “featuring major Latin touring artists.” It will also include DJ sets and cultural celebrations with a choice of viewing options. Local and regional Latin cuisine, specialty beverages and shaded lounges will be available along with a spa, dance club and silent disco.
BottleRock scheduled a town meeting on Tuesday night to discuss plans with the neighbors living near the Napa Valley Expo, a 33-acre site on the eastern side of town.
More information and updates will be posted at www.laondafest.com.
Sasha Paulsen is a Napa Valley-based novelist and journalist.
I wonder how this may affect the Latin festival that was held at Silverado this year.
Thank you for this timely and informative article that sheds light on our music scene.