The largest wine festival in the Southwest will offer the best of Texas wines, as well as selections from regions such as Sonoma Valley in California and Sicily.
The four-day event offers a variety of ways to experience Texas wine. In addition to general admission, there are a few different wine experiences such as People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic ($25 in advance), which is the largest consumer-judged wine competition in the U.S., and the Liberty Park Plaza Wine Experience ($18 in advance), which will offer a taste of 12 wines from two featured wine regions, Sicily and Sonoma County.
There is also a Champagne Terrace if you prefer bubbles, along with a variety of tasting rooms and pavilions.
GrapeFest has added a few new events this year, including VIP tasting experiences and workshops on how to create your own charcuterie board, which will be led by YaYaYum Boards owner Ayesha Patel.
And be sure to check out the GrapeStomp competition, where two-person teams take turns stomping 18 pounds of grapes for two minutes and officials measure the extracted juice. It goes on all weekend, and at the end, a grand champion is awarded a purple foot glass sculpture from Grapevines's Vetro Glass Blowing studio. The entry fee is $10 per team.
For those who aren’t “wine-os” (yet), other beverages such as craft beer, hard seltzers and ciders will also be available during the festival.
The musical lineup includes two headliners: Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Taylor Dayne and Academy of Country Music award-winner Jack Ingram.
For those who aren’t of legal drinking age, there will be a carnival and KidZone for kids and families to enjoy as well as interactive activities from LEGOLAND Discovery Center, SEA LIFE Aquarium and Peppa Pig. There's also face painting, train rides and carnival foods like corn dogs and funnel cakes.
HOURS & ADMISSION:
Thursday, Sept. 15: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., free admission all-day
Friday, Sept. 16: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., paid admission ($10) after 5 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 17: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., paid admission ($10)
Sunday, Sept. 18: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., paid admission ($10)
Or get a weekend pass, you wine-o, for $20, which is good for Friday, Saturday and Sunday admission. Children under 5 are free.
