Locals cash in as tens of thousands flock to Napa's BottleRock music festival
Tens of thousands of music fans are pouring into Napa this weekend for the popular BottleRock Napa Valley music festival, a three-day event headlined by chart-topping acts like Justin Timberlake and Green Day.
While an estimated 120,000 attendees are expected to arrive from across the country, many Napa residents are finding ways to benefit from the crowds, turning the annual event into a profitable side hustle.
Just two blocks from the main stage at the Napa Valley Expo, local resident Marlene Wynn has embraced the festival's presence with open arms and an entrepreneurial spirit.
"Make lemonade out of lemons," Wynn said. "I mean, some people hate this. I say, 'It's gonna stay, you might as well enjoy it.'"
For the past 12 years, Wynn has been selling parking spots in front of her corner house and driveway to concertgoers. Depending on vehicle size, she can accommodate 10 to 12 cars each day, at $60 per spot.
That nets her at least $600 daily during the festival, but she said some drivers do push back.
"They say, 'You don't own the street,'" Wynn recounted. "And I said, 'It's true, I don't. But you know what? I'm going to watch your car the whole time you're gone, so $60 is nothing out of your pocket.'"
She's far from alone. Many neighbors near the venue are renting out parking spots ranging from $40 to $100 — a convenient alternative to the official BottleRock lots, which were sold out for Friday and Saturday.
Deassa Binstock, who runs Ripple Effect Animal Project, is one of them.
"This year, we're charging $70, and we can fit about 25 cars in this lot," Binstock said.
The money supports her animal rescue, which specializes in caring for pets that are older and harder to place, including Esther, a dog who lost two legs.
"I take some of the proceeds from parking cars here and help animals in the community. I do a lot of spay and neuter," Binstock explained.
Beyond parking, the festival weekend has inspired a cottage industry of sorts. Residents are selling food and drinks in front of their homes, and some are even renting out rooms to out-of-town concertgoers.
"It's great if people can make a few bucks off of it, too," said Janet Montague, another neighbor who hosted a BottleRock backyard party for friends and family. "A few neighbors have rented out their cottages. And you can get $400, $500 a night — that's what the hotels are charging."
As for Wynn, the music is just an added perk.
"I'll put it toward a scholarship for my son who passed away," she said. "So I put part of the money toward that."
And the hustle doesn't stop with BottleRock. Another music festival is slated for next weekend at the Napa Valley Expo, offering neighbors another opportunity to keep the local cash flow going strong.
