Sunday E-dition: The First La Onda Festival Was a Smash Hit
By Sasha Paulsen
NAPA VALLEY, Calif. — The vestiges of La Onda are nearly gone now. The grand stages have been dismantled, the colorful flags and food stalls taken down and carted away. But what’s left from the first Latin music festival that took place at the Napa Expo on June 1 and 2 is a feeling, a message that still resonates like a dusting of glitter in the air: Something grand happened here.
I am not a fan of festivals. In the 11 years since BottleRock burst onto the Napa scene, I have picked up media credentials, ventured in and 15 minutes later ducked out, declining offers of people on the sidewalk to buy my wristband and gain entrance. It was too hot, too crowded, too ear-piercingly noisy. I left it to others to enjoy the three days of glorious good fun.
La Onda was announced last summer by the same Napa trio — Dave Graham, Justin Dragoo and Jason Scoggins — who formed Latitude 38 Entertainment and acquired the BottleRock brand, that rescued BottleRock after its first wild year and steadfastly built it into a festival that both respects its neighbors and delights its guests.
Remembering the first year that BottleRock was announced, it’s entertaining to recall the panic that ensued in parts of Napa at the idea of being invaded by rock fans. The stormy community meetings – people did everything but show up with pitchforks, one colleague recalled. A downtown business owner considered boarding up her windows. Many people fled for the weekend (possibly first renting out rooms). As the festival began, downtown was deserted, and at the newspaper we were getting calls from local merchants: “Can you write something to say that we are open?”
Napa survived and the music thrived, opening a door to more genres of music in the valley, such as Blue Note’s Jazz Festival Black Radio Experience. When they called a community meeting to announce La Onda would take place on the weekend following BottleRock, nary a pitchfork turned up at the meeting, just interested neighbors. It was a tribute to the efforts of the Latitude 38 trio to work with the community in addressing complaints about the noise, the garbage and the people parking on their streets.
La Onda translates to “the wave.” The Latitude 38 people said they were inspired to create a Latin music festival in part by requests from BottleRock attendees and in part by a concert by Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican rapper, singer and record producer. Why shouldn’t great Latin performers have a festival of their music in a county where 42 percent of the population identifies as Hispanic?
“It’s time,” the Latitude trio said.
So a week after I’d wished friends and colleagues heading off to BottleRock well and stayed home to work on a novel, I ventured into the first day of La Onda. I had read the lineup, but I didn’t recognize any of the names of the performers. Each year I’d read the BottleRock lineup and maybe recognized Neil Young or The Silverado Pickups, Mama Said and the Napa Valley Youth Symphony. For La Onda the list included Maná, Junior H, Fuerza Regida and Alejandro Fernández. A friend told me that the lineup was “nine out of 10.” It lacked only Bad Bunny to be 10, she said.
I could hear the music as I approached the media booth. Loud yes, but lively. It sounded like fun. Inside, I was most struck by the color: canopies of colorful patterns and wine barrels painted as a community project. The biggest crowd was the line of people waiting to take a photo in front of the giant letters that spelled out La Onda.
On the Verizon Stage a strikingly handsome singer in a sky-blue suit emblazoned with silver buttons was speaking Spanish to the crowd: “Hello, Napa.” The crowd called back a welcome.
“Who is he?” I asked a security guard.
He was Alex Fernández, carrying on a family tradition. He’s the grandson of a famous singer, Vicente Fernández, and the son of another, Alejandro Fernández, one of La Onda’s headliners. He was captivating.
When he had finished singing, I wandered into a food court to explore the food stands. Organized by Napa chef Alex Soto, famous for his Napa tacos, the focus was on Latin cuisine, but beyond tacos and burritos its sweep was broad – El Sabor Serrano, Uruapan Style was next to Gary’s Paella. Local restaurants mingled with regional — empanadas from Cocina Milonga in Napa, inspired empanadas from Mayahuel in Sacramento, Korean bulgogi, Osha Thai, bubble tea, Ohm coffee, Cha-Cha Sweets. I began to feel like I was at a celebration of everything.
I sat down at a picnic table to listen to a mariachi band and watch the crowd. There were groups, couples and parents with strollers, all ages and sizes. And there was something nearly palpable in the air: joy.
A couple sat down next to me with a carafe of rosé and offered me a glass.
“We love this wine,” Jackie Martinez said to me. “And it was made by a woman; she’s in business with her mother and her daughter. Is that wonderful?” And while her husband went to buy food, she told me the story of Vanessa Robledo, founder of Vintner’s Diary in Napa.
Martinez said she and her husband had come from Seattle.
“I bought my husband tickets as a Christmas gift, and we left our children and came to Napa for the weekend. It is so beautiful to be with people who look like me.”
A couple from Salinas had brought their children, ages 2 and 3, along with their parents and a niece.
“We wanted this to be a family thing,” Bianco Soda said. “Now we want it to be a family tradition.”
I asked a young security guard, Angela Villasenor, what she thought. She had come from Fresno to work at the festival.
“This is our culture,” she said. “Finally, this is our culture. These are people I have been listening to all of my life.”
Clearly the festival had drawn people from far away, but how about near? Even as I was thinking this, I turned around and saw my neighbor, Roberto Salinas.
“Well,” I asked. “What do you think?”
“Good. Really good,” he replied, grinning.
And before I knew it, four hours had gone by. I’d listened to music by people I’d never heard of in a language I know, at best, poorly. But back at home I had a deadline awaiting me. I slipped out as more and more people were pouring in. In all, the two days drew some 65,000 people to the festival.
That evening, deadline met, I did something I’d never done before: I went back. I wanted to hear the legendary Alejandro Fernández. First, I listened to Junior H, my first rap star in any language. Then I crossed over to the second stage, where a huge crowd was waiting for Fernández. The lawn in front of the stage was filled, the stands were packed. People roared when Fernández came onstage. And then, as he began to sing a song I had never heard, the crowd began to sing along.
That was when I began to understand the power of this festival. In this, my hometown, at the Napa Expo, which some of us still call the fairgrounds, I was the visitor in a culture with which I’d lived side by side for much of my life. It was their festival, but I was invited in. I loved it.
“We are very pleased with the inaugural Festival La Onda, and the overall fan response has been overwhelmingly positive," said Graham of Latitude 38 and now La Buena Onda Presents. "Our team worked hard to create an experience that represented the Latino culture for the 65,000 fans that came from Northern California and beyond, and it showed. We are always striving to be better and are looking forward to the 2025 festival.”
A longer way of saying: Something grand happened here.
If today’s story captured your interest, explore these related articles:
Three Napa Valley women champion arts and community projects
Echoes of wisdom: The enduring legacy of Napa Valley's inspirational educators
Sasha Paulsen is a Napa Valley-based novelist and journalist.
Levity Corner
Caption contest: Pick your favorite caption or add your own in the comments below.
Vote for your favorite in the poll below (there’s not enough room in the polls for the complete answers).
"I told you humans were weird."
"I wonder if they can land on their feet."
"And they say cats are the graceful ones."
"Humans... always so dramatic."
"This is nothing compared to our midnight zoomies."
Last week’s winner
"I'm sorry, Fabio, but your shirt is more dramatic than this storm."
"Do you think we should discuss the storm, or just keep staring?"
"Darling, do you think love can survive with these dramatic special effects?"
"Quick, strike a pose! The romance novel cover artist is watching."
"Your hair, my shirt and this view—we're definitely going viral."
The winning caption, with 33% of the votes was, "Do you think we should discuss the storm, or just keep staring?”
Last Week
Tim Carl examined Napa County's economic dependence on the wine industry in "Under the Hood: Napa Valley's Growing Reliance on the Wine Industry." He highlighted the region's extraordinarily high Location Quotient (LQ) of 75, emphasizing the economic benefits and significant vulnerabilities of this reliance. Carl discussed the historical shift toward a wine-centric economy, the risks of market saturation and climate change, alongside the rising cost of living and housing. Despite recent budget surpluses, the declining Transient Occupancy Tax revenues and lower per capita GDP growth underscore the need for strategic planning to ensure Napa's long-term economic stability.
Napa Valley Features reported on two wildfires in Napa County. The article "Napa County Fire Update: Cove Brush Fire 65% Contained and Crystal Fire Containment at 75%" detailed that the Cove Fire burned near California Highway 128, while the Crystal Fire, affected more than 60 acres near Deer Park. Firefighting efforts included multiple air tankers and crews working to protect structures and halt the fires' progress. The cause of the fires remains under investigation.
Dan Berger discussed the impact of wine packaging on its quality in his article "Dan Berger’s Wine Chronicles: How Wine Is Packaged Can Affect Its Quality." Berger explained that screwcaps, while convenient, can lead to reductive states in young white wines, necessitating aeration before serving. He also noted that wines served too cold lose their aromatic qualities, advising specific temperature ranges for optimal enjoyment. Additionally, Berger highlighted the importance of protecting wines from light exposure, particularly those in clear glass bottles, to avoid skunky aromas.
Penny Pawl explained the importance of bonsai potting soils in her article "Everything You Need to Know About Bonsai Potting Soils." Pawl detailed how bonsai soils, which often contain sharp rocks and pebbles, promote healthy root growth and better moisture retention compared to peat moss-heavy mixes. She recommended ingredients such as akadama, pumice and red lava rock for optimal soil performance. Pawl also advised against using garden soil for potted plants due to poor drainage and discussed methods for reusing and sterilizing bonsai soil. Additionally, she emphasized the benefits of worm compost as a nutrient-rich additive.
Rebecca Yerger recounted the 1800s transcontinental love story of Elodie Hogan and Hilaire Belloc in "Sunday E-dition: Elodie Hogan and Hilaire Belloc — A Transcontinental Love in the 1800s." Their romance began in London, faced internal and external challenges, and saw Hilaire trek across the United States to find Elodie in California. Despite Elodie's internal struggle and her mother's disapproval, they married in 1896 in Napa. The couple had five children and remained devoted until Elodie’s death in 1913, with Hilaire mourning her for the rest of his life.
Next Week
Next week we have more interesting articles from a host of Napa Valley Features contributors. Berger will explore Napa Valley wines, while Sweeney will provide insights into Hawaii connections between the Napa Valley. On Wednesday, the Master Gardener series will continue to explore timely gardening tips for our region. The Weekender will explore events around the valley, and the Weekender Encore will be written by Rosemarie Kempton. Virginie Boone, in the "Under the Hood" series, will dive deep into BottleRock. There will be lots more, too. Stay tuned.
Sasha write exactly what I experienced being there. Joy- pure joy. Cultural safety to dress and sing and celebrate. I did not know any performers, nor am I Latino but I love Mexico and this knocked it out for a HOMERUN as in a place to celebrate our diversity at home in Napa.
What a delightful read! I teared up at this part ⬇️ Thanks for moving me this morning.
"I began to feel like I was at a celebration of everything...And there was something nearly palpable in the air: joy."