The year was 1976, and a relative newcomer to Napa Valley, Nancy Garden, had schemed up a show with composer/lyricist Ken Long observing the nation’s bicentennial and St. Helena’s centennial, featuring dozens of local musicians and actors. They called it “Valley Pie Jubilee.” Twenty years later, in an instance of art imitating life, the mockumentary “Waiting for Guffman” appeared on movie screens and surprised locals with its uncanny parallels that brought “Valley Pie” to fruition. To honor Nancy and Ken’s achievement and celebrate St. Helena’s sesquicentennial, the White Barn will present an outdoor screening of “Guffman,” featuring a tune or two from the “Valley Pie Jubilee” album along with refreshments including a selection of “Valley” pies.

Saturday, September 12, 7:30 p.m.
Ticket price: $10.00
(Grounds open at 6 p.m. for picnics. Seating is unreserved, but early birds will not be admitted before 6.)

Saturday, September 26, 11:30 a.m.
FREE (with donation of a canned good for the St. Helena Community Food Pantry)

Science fiction often reflects the political mood of an era. A case in point: “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” the 1956 sci-fi movie starring Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter about a town besieged by extraterrestrial pods that make robotic duplicates of the citizenry. Shot in B&W film-noir style, the film presented an allegory of Americans' complacency during the Red Scare of the Cold War. Critic Michael Dodd wrote that “it may be the clearest window into the American psyche that horror cinema has ever provided.” Fast forward 70 years, and “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” still reverberates. See it again or for the first time at the Barn in a pre-Halloween screening. Pod-people popcorn and potables will be served.

Saturday, October 24, 7:30 p.m.
Ticket price: $10.00

Poetry matched with music is the theme of this original program, inspired by and adapted from a recent experience with jazz improvisation in Ukiah. Poet Theresa Whitehill will perform a selection of her work in collaboration with musicians David Smith on piano and Ann Gilleran on fiddle and mandolin. Theresa Whitehill is a former poet laureate of Ukiah who has performed in a number of poetry programs at the White Barn over the years. David Smith is a contemporary music composer from Ukiah. Multi-instrumentalist Ann Gilleran is known to local audiences as a member of Kith & Kin, the Napa-based Celtic band.
Don't miss this opportunity to hear Whitehill’s soulful poetry accompanied by spontaneous compositions from these two accomplished musical artists.

Saturday, November 14, 4:00 p.m.
Ticket price: $35.00