The two-day open house series is part of the Mustard Festival. Nobody dyes the Napa River green for St. Patrick's Day, but the folks at Kolbe Academy do a fine job of celebrating from 2 to 5 PM on an afternoon near the holiday. Food, including wine and ales, is inside the school. This is the academy's one major fundraiser each year. Lest your springtime excursions begin to convince you that mustard is merely a treat for the eyes, here is an evening that pits Napa Valley's best chefs in a spread-off.
Guests get to taste the entries, along with food and wine.
There is live music as well. It is coordinated by Barry Levenson of the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum in Wisconsin. This is the Mustard Festival's signature event. Net proceeds benefit a wide range of nonprofit groups. Local merchants get into the act with fashion shows, tours, furniture restoration displays and even tips on table setting.