And the winner is . . .

FINAL RESULTS

1. Rockin' Around (benefit for Napa Valley Food Bank and Shelter Program on December 20) - 50%
2. eat/drink/dance/walk! (benefit for Napa Valley AIDS Walk on October 16) - 22%
3. Panchas of Yountville (two separate events on May 1 and October 31) - 17%
4. Bardessono (June 19) and Characters at the Napa Valley Marriott (September 18) - tied at 5.5%

Vote today for your favorite Napa Guerilla Gay Bar mission of 2009.

Look for the poll in the right-hand margin of our blog/website.

The polls will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, January 15, 2010

Use the comments section of this post to share your thoughts about the 2009 missions and your ideas for 2010.

Let's Be Careful Out There!

Dog Tired on Christmas Evening? This Will Perk You Up!

Sometimes we can do too much leading up to Christmas.  Between shopping, baking, wrapping, attending holiday parties (like the amazing "Rockin' Around"), visiting family, eating (and drinking) too much and such, we are usually exhausted on the evening of December 25.

Well - perk up!  Stop by Starbucks for a Gingerbread Latte or Peppermint Mocha then join the Napa Guerilla Gay Bar when we hold Christmas maneuvers on Friday December 25, 2009 at Bank Café and Bar in the lobby of The Westin Verasa (1314 McKinstry in Napa) starting at 7 p.m.

One more note - this event will have limited publicity.  There will be no e-mail blast.  We'll be doing this occasionally to encourage troops to follow us via one of the following methods:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• This website
• Quite possibly via our favorite blog - The Valley's Other Fruit

So, take a break from family and come have a drink with "family" on Christmas night!

Rockin' Around Raises $2253.80!

You guys ROCK!

Yesterday we raised $2,253.80 to help the hungry and homeless in Napa County!  That means that we'll be issuing checks to both the Napa Valley Food Bank and the Napa Valley Shelter Program in the amount of $1,126.90.  Whoo-Hoo!

Special thanks to:

• Kinyon Gordon and the folks at Kinyon! Culinary Services and The Centre Cafe at the Made in Napa Valley Culinary Center.  Leilani was absolutely amazing.
• DJ Rotten Robbie - the man sure knows how to "pump up the volume" so we can "dance, dance, dance"!
• The volunteers - Rob Meason, Renee Babcock, Juli Sanchez, Tom Roberts, Josie Jenkins, Janice Morrish, Robbie Hayes, Jim Estep, Randy Martinsen, Annie "the" Baker, TJ Danser, Jorge Contreras and Eric Oesterle.
• The wineries and tasting rooms that donated wine that was served at the event and sold at the silent auction.  Thanks to White Cottage Vineyard, Herb Lamb Vineyard, Napa Valley Wine Train Wine Store, Beringer Vineyards, Silverado Trail Wine Studio (Bighorn Cellars, Expression and Tetra), Ascentia Wine Estates (Gary Farrell, Buena Vista Carneros, Geyser Peak and Atlas Peak Winery) and, of course, Poem Cellars.
• Everyone who attended!  I think it's safe to say that "a good time was had by all"!

Here are a few financial facts:

• your bids in the Silent Auction raised more than $500
• your song requests to the "Human Jukebox" raised over $400
• you tossed more than $100 into the "Friends don't let friends dance with change in their pockets" donation buckets
• local businesses made more than $4,100 of "in-kind" donations (food, wine, space rental) in support of the event

Again, thank you for your support of the Napa Guerilla Gay Bar and your community.  There will be folks this holiday season with a roof over their heads and food in their bellies because of you!

Rockin' Around* - a Holiday Party

* the Christmas Tree, Chanukah Menorah, Kwanzaa Mishumaa Saba and/or Festivus Pole

Celebrate the holidays (all of them) with the Napa Guerilla Gay Bar!

UPDATE: Discounted advance tickets are no longer available.  A limited number of tickets will be available at the door.  See you there!

It all takes place Sunday, December 20 from 3:00 to 8:00 pm at The Centre Café at the Made in Napa Valley Culinary Centre (388 Devlin Road in Napa).

DJ Rotten Robbie will be spinning for your listening and dancing enjoyment. Festive fare will be prepared and presented by Kinyon! Culinary Catering and The Centre Café. Think of it as eat/drink/dance/walk! with mistletoe!

Net proceeds from this event will be split between two very worthy local causes:

• 50% will be donated to the Napa Valley Shelter Project – an organization that provides “safe and humane temporary shelter to Napa County homeless individuals and families and coordinates resources to assist them in acquiring the skills and assets necessary to obtain and maintain permanent housing and self-sufficiency”.
• 50% will be donated to the Napa Valley Food Bank which “assists people to become (or remain) self-sufficient by lessening the stress of meeting their basic need for food. (They) provide food to low-income individuals, families, seniors and to other organizations serving those less fortunate through unique partnerships that maximize the foodstuffs (they) are able to supply to Napa County’s low-income people.”

Once again, The Human Jukebox will be available to play your requests. For $1, your song will be added to DJ Rotten Robbie’s mix – $5 (or more) bumps your request to the top of the list. 100% of these funds will go to the beneficiaries of this event.

VIP tickets will feature access to a dessert bar known as “Kinyon’s Chocolate Wonderland”. Tickets purchased on line after December 15 and at the door are $30 for general admission and $35 for VIP.

This event, like all Napa Guerilla Gay Bar events, is for EVERYONE! It doesn’t matter if you’re gay or straight, male or female, single or coupled, owner of a cat or a dog, a Raider fan or a 49-er fan, wearer of boxer or briefs, a coffee or tea or Coke or Pepsi drinker. EVERYONE is welcome – just be 21 years of age or older.

Can't Make It? You Can Still Help!

Don't be sad!

Even if you can't make it to "Rockin' Around - a Holiday Party" on Sunday, December 20 you can still participate!

Help the Napa Valley Food Bank and Napa Valley Shelter Project by making a donation. Use the PayPal Donation on the right-hand side of this window. We'll pass the money we collect along with your contact information to the charities so they can send you a tax receipt.

Every little bit makes a difference to the homeless and hungry of Napa County!

DJ Rotten Robbie's 2009 Holiday Mixes

We at the Napa Guerilla Gay Bar organization hold a very special place in our hearts for DJ Rotten Robbie.

After all, the "Beringer Twilight T-Dance" during Napa Valley Pride 2009 wouldn't have been the same without him.

Likewise, "eat/drink/dance/walk!" wouldn't have raised over $2,000 for the Napa Valley AIDS Walk this year without his help.

And we can't even begin to imagine a party as big and fabulous as "Rockin' Around - a Holiday Party" without him at the turntables.

Well, one of your first gifts of the holiday season has arrived! DJ Rotten Robbie has released his set of five fabulous Holiday Mixes for 2009 . . . and they're yours to download and enjoy!

To download, visit http://www.box.net/djrrxmas09. You can download them all at once by clicking on "Download Folder" or you can download them one mix at a time by clicking on the individual links within the folder. Your choice. You can also choose the "Play" option if you'd like to listen to it on your computer without downloading them.

You can download and print the artwork and set lists in PDF format right here.

And don't forget - you can see DJ Rotten Robbie work his magic in person at "Rockin' Around - a Holiday Party" on Sunday, December 20 at The Center Cafe in Napa.

Sleep With the Guerillas in December

In honor of "Rockin' Around - a Holiday Party", the good folks at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel and Spa (3425 Solano Avenue in Napa) are offering a special "Guerilla Rate" of just $89 a night!

The rate is good from Friday night, December 18 through Monday morning, December 21. Stay one night, two nights or the entire weekend. The rate is still just $89 per night (plus appropriate taxes).

Make your reservations by calling (800) 266-9432 and ask for the "Guerilla Rate". You can also visit https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=1540937 to make your reservation on-line.

While you're there, check out Chef Brian Whitmer's outstanding Kansas City Barbeque at Characters Bar & Grill inside the Marriott.

If enough folks take advantage of this offer we'll look into providing shuttle service to and from the Rockin' Around venue. How cool is that?!

How do you receive your mission details?

How do you hear about future Napa Guerilla Gay Bar missions?

It's probably not the way the fellow in this picture does . . . but then again, who knows?

Many folks receive mission details through e-mail. Others hear about them from their friends. Still more make it a point to visit this blog on a regular basis either directly or through something called an "RSS" feed or reader.

Want to know the best ways to keep up to date?

• Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/napagaybar
• Become a friend of the Napa Guerilla Gay Bar on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=61875757266.

Why? We announce our maneuvers via tweets and Facebook events first.

Want another reason? Starting soon we'll have "covert" missions that will only be announced via Facebook and Twitter.

Don't miss out! Become a LEADER by FOLLOWING us today!

The Unity League Sure Knows How to Celebrate!

Our good friends at the Napa Valley Unity League have announced the details about their annual "Holiday Soiree" and it sounds like a great way to get into the holiday spirit!

The event takes place on Monday, December 7, 2009 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at RiverPointe Napa Valley (500 Lincoln Avenue in Napa)

The festivities include:

• a "wine & cosmo reception" from 6:00 to 6:30 pm
• complimentary dinner hosted by the Unity League
• an awards ceremony to thank folks for their support in the past
• two fun opportunities to give AND receive:

Help the Unity League support VOICES Napa Valley - a great group of folks that help young people transition from foster care to independent living

• GIVE - donate one or more $10 gift cards from Target or Wal-Mart. They'll be donated to VOICES Napa Valley to give to their clients. Just make sure that the gift cards are in $10 denominations
• RECEIVE - receive one entry to win an amazing Napa Valley dining and entertainment gift package for each $10 gift card you donate!

The group will also be hosting the ever-present and always fun white elephant gift exchange. Bring a wrapped item that you received in the past and "regift" it.

The Napa Valley Unity League is asking everyone to RSVP for event at http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/BYKORPEGXODQSIASGYVI/NVULHolidayParty09

One more thing - you'll be able to purchase your tickets for "Rockin' Around - a Holiday Party"

from Mission Commander Rick at the event.

When the going gets tough . . .

. . . the TOUGH go SHOPPING!

This year you'll need to take a "disco" nap after your Thanksgiving supper!

In case you didn't know, the Napa Premium Outlets (just west of Hwy 29 and south of First in Napa) open at midnight on Friday, November 27. In the past, it's been a very active, very social event. So what the heck, let's join in the fun!

Join the troops as we:

• take advantage of some great "door buster" sales
• get a jump on our holiday shopping
• walk off a bit of the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and pumpkin pie
• socialize and kick off the holiday season

Ketel One & Cole's Chop House

How can we pass this up?

On Sunday, November 15, 2009 we'll assemble starting at 5:00 pm. The target? $5.00 cocktails made with Ketel One Vodka in the bar at Cole's Chop House (1122 Main Street) in downtown Napa.

If you're crazy for Cosmopolitans, batty for Bloody Marys, mad for Martinis, silly for Screwdrivers, a fan of Fuzzy Navels then you'll love this event. Folks that love Sex on the Beach, Kamikazis, Cape Cod, Moscow Mules, Lemon Drops and our old friend Harvey Wallbanger will love this mission.

Of course, non-imbibing troops are ALWAYS WELCOME.

Team Guerilla Conquers Napa Valley AIDS Walk!

Napa Valley AIDS Walk 2009 was a HUGE success! According to event organizers, more than $20,000 was raised (twice as much as last year) to benefit HIV/AIDS services provided by the CARE Network at Queen of the Valley Medical Center.

And TEAM GUERILLA kicked butt and took names! We earned the title of "Number One Team" in fundraising - and took home the piece of "bling" that you see in the photo. Way to go, Guerillas! We raised more than $5,700 - and the donations are still coming in! (it's not to late to contribute if you haven't already - just follow this link)

Thanks to everyone who helped make this such an amazing event. Special shout-outs to Chris Edwards, Scott Butler & TJ Danser, this year's co-chairmen. Thanks also to Michael Muir of Access Adventure for providing the horses and carriage for the event.

Following the victory, about 50 tired troops showed up at Panchas of Yountville for a little rest and relaxation (as well as Rose's amazing margaritas). Fortunately, the taco truck was in the parking lot so that we could hit the "mess tent" before imbibing.

Again, thanks to everyone. Your Mission Commander is SO proud of his troops!

Our Team

Less than a week to go before the Napa Valley AIDS Walk. We've got quite a crew of folks on Team Guerilla. Want to make a donation on their behalf? You can do it right here!

To make a donation simply click on the name of the member. You'll be taken to a PayPal page where you can enter the amount you'd like to donate. We'll make sure they get credit for the donation.

Here's Team Guerilla!

• Rick Turko
• Rob Meason
• Melody Harris
• Lara Cornell
• Rob Doughty (aka DJ Rotten Robbie)
• Renee Fannin
• Pam Hones
• Kenneth Fish (aka Fish)
• Ryan Graham
• Joe Sottile
• Randy Martinsen
• Floyd McGregor
• Cindy Nelson
• Robbie Hayes
• Elizabeth Naylor
• Ashley Michaels
• Team Guerilla with DeFur
• Carolyn DeFur
• Denning DeFur
• Davis DeFur
• Joe DeFur

All donations will support HIV/AIDS services provided by the CARE Network at Queen of the Valley Medical Center. For all you bean-counters out there - their tax ID is 94-1243669.

There is still time to join TEAM GUERILLA! Just send an e-mail to us and we'll send you the details.

Since We'll Be In The Neighborhood Anyway . . .

Let's go to Panchas!

This year, the Napa Valley AIDS Walk will wind it's way through the streets of lovely Yountille 94599. It's been months since we paid a visit to Rose - so, since we're in the 'hood, lets drop in!

Immediately following the Napa Valley AIDS Walk on Saturday, October 31, the troops, in all their regalia (well, probably green t-shirts) will descend upon Panchas (6764 Washington Street) in Y-town for a little R and R.

By the way - there's still time to participate in the AIDS Walk as part of Team Guerilla . . . just drop us a line and we'll send you the details.

The place opens at noon - we'll see you there!

EAT / DRINK / DANCE / WALK!

UPDATE: This event was attended by almost 100 people

and raised over $2,000

for the Napa Valley AIDS Walk . . . thank you!

Eat / Drink / Dance / Walk!

to benefit

AIDS Walk Napa Valley 2009

Friday, October 16, 2009

6:00 - 10:00 pm

The Centre Cafe at the Made in Napa Valley Culinary Centre

388 Devlin Road in Napa

• Food and beverages provided by The Centre Cafe and Kinyon! Culinary Services
• Music provided by DJ Rotten Robbie (and featuring "The Human Juke Box")

This event is for EVERYONE (21 and over)

Tickets are $25.00 at the door

(discounted advance tickets are no longer available)

COME OUT!

UPDATE: Three Twins Organic Ice Cream and Ritual Coffee Roasters raised $170 for the Napa Valley AIDS Walk. Please thank the employees for donating their tips!

UPDATE: Special thanks to Josh Longsdorf and Regina Tsasis from Ritual Roasters and Kaitlin Williams from Three Twins . . . and special thanks to Amanda Profitt from Three Twins for setting all this up!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

is

National "Coming Out" Day!

In honor of this annual event

Three Twins Organic Ice Cream

at the Oxbow Public Market

(644 First Street in Napa)

is offering:

Free RAINBOW Sprinkles

All Day!

AND

All tips will be generously donated

by the employees to

Napa Valley AIDS Walk 2009

on behalf of

Team Guerilla!

Thanks to Amanda and all the folks at Three Twins!

Pizza, Pasta & Amoré to Fight AIDS

UPDATE: This event raised over $340.00 for AIDS Walk Napa Valley! Thanks to everyone who participated!

Another fun(d)raiser at Mary's Pizza Shack (3085 Jefferson Street in Napa) all day TODAY!

Mary's will donate 20% of your check to AIDS Walk Napa Valley on behalf of Team Guerilla if you present THIS FLYER when you pay your check:

http://attachments.wetpaintserv.us/tfN3Ujkro549XEjSx7FpIw%3D%3D681206

REMEMBER - This is good for:

• Dine-In
• Take-Out
• Delivery
• Gift Card Purchases

Join the troops starting at 6:00 pm for an official Napa Guerilla Gay Bar mission. We'll try to reserve the back alcove of the restaurant for our maneuvers. See you there!

A Mission Isn't Over Until The Paperwork Is Finished!

A way to thank the targets of our missions (or to provide actionable feedback) is to post a review of their food, drinks, service & facility on one of the many "ePinion" sites on the web.

Please consider posting your thoughts on one of the following websites:

• Yelp
• UrbanSpoon
• Open Table
• Dine.com
• BooRah
• MyCity.com
• Trip Advisor

Also feel free to submit comments to our blog or on our Facebook page