Napa Valley Festival del Sole's 5th Anniversary Gala To Celebrate The Best In Music, Art, Food, Wine - And Croquet

New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Shore Fire Media) - Five years ago, Festival del Sole set out to create a festival combining the best in music, art, food and wine. Today, Napa Valley Festival del Sole, which this year runs July 16-25, has become one of the country's leading summer music festivals, and a gala on July 18 will celebrate its success. The theme for this evening harkens back to the golden days of Hollywood when men and women donned white attire to play croquet, sip Champagne and listen to music on warm summer nights.

Beginning at 6:30 p.m., the evening will unfold at Meadowood, a center of social, cultural and viticultural life in Napa Valley, and will feature a performance by the Russian National Orchestra (RNO) Brass Quintet, a sparkling wine tasting, the first-ever Artists vs. Vintners croquet match, an exclusive auction, and dinner under the stars featuring an elegant, golden era meal accompanied by a dazzling array of fine Napa Valley wines.

The evening's auction features a selection of exclusive gifts including a Tiffany & Co. multi-colored cabochon gemstone necklace, a collection of special bottles from the festival's partner wineries, and dinner at Michelin-starred The Restaurant at Meadowood.

The RNO Brass Quintet, featuring musicians from the world-renowned RNO, (returning as Festival del Sole's orchestra in residence), has delighted audiences around the world with its broad repertoire and will perform Tin Roof Blues for the evening's festivities. The Quintet recently collaborated with the United States Army Brass Quintet on a program including works by Copland and Ellington.

And that Artists vs. Vintners croquet match? It will be played in regulation white attire on one of Meadowood's famed tournament lawns, but the identity of the players is a well-guarded secret as of now. Nonetheless, says Festival del Sole director Richard Walker, "We encourage gala attendees to cheer on their favorite artists and vintners. It will be a unique part of this year's Festival del Sole festivities."

This year's 10-day Festival del Sole schedule is packed with events for every taste and budget- from classical music to tango and jazz, from exclusive gourmet meals to free family-friendly concerts, from wellness programs to wine tastings and after-parties.

Among the artists appearing this season are tenor Francesco Demuro, mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor, violinist Joshua Bell, pianists Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Conrad Tao, cellist Nina Kotova, jazz trumpeter Chris Botti, dancers Maxim Beloserkovsky and Irina Dvorovenko, conductors Carlo Ponti and Omer Wellber, jazz/pop singer Nikki Yanofsky and the Russian National Orchestra (RNO).