By Darlene Brace
The Village of Westfield is excited to announce its 4th Annual Grape and Wine Festival, which will take place this Friday and Saturday, September 18-19. Most of the festival activities will be held in Moore Park, located at the intersection of Main Street and Portage Street. Additionally, the Grape Discovery Center, about a mile away, and the Patterson Library, situated directly across from the park, will also host several events.
The planning committee, co-chaired by Don McCord and Andy Campbell, has been working for months to organize this wonderful community event, which celebrates the grape-growing and wine industries while providing family-friendly activities. This year’s festival will feature a variety of activities for children, live music, vineyard tours, and tastings of wine, grapes, and craft beverages. Attendees can also enjoy a selection of delicious food and craft vendors.
There will be designated area in Moore Park for local wine and craft beverage vendors to be set up and there will be tastings on Friday and Saturday. For a $10 admittance fee, guests will receive a wristband that allows them to enjoy several tastings of their choice. A valid ID proving that you are at least 21 years old is required to participate.
The festival starts on Friday at 3pm in Moore Park, with all vendors set up and ready for business. The kids’ bounce house will be open, along with other activities for children. From 4:30-5pm, there will be a teacher grape stomping contest, followed by a student grape stomping contest from 5-6pm. Additionally, live music will be provided by DTO from 5-8pm.
Patterson Library will host several kids’ activities throughout the festival. On Friday from 3-6pm, there will be a kids art show. The library will also be showing Lilo and Stitch starting at 4pm. Be sure to visit the Great Discovery Center for wine tastings and other engaging activities.
On Saturday morning, the festival will kick off with a 5K walk/run, with packet pick-up and registration beginning at 7am in Welch Field. Moore Park will be bustling all day with a farmers’ market opening at 9am as well as kids’ activities, including a bounce house, grape stomping, a kids’ pie-eating contest, a kids’ baking class, and much more. There will also be a petting zoo at Patterson Library.
Moore Park will continue to be the location for live music on Saturday. Jamie Luli will perform from 10am-12pm followed by Ronald Fitch from 12-2pm. Dan Siracuse will close out the day’s live music playing from 2-3:30pm.
On Saturday, check out the Grape Discovery Center. There will be wine tastings, vineyard tours, a kids’ train ride, a bounce house, and live music by Michael Nowak on the patio from 2-5pm.
When you and your family work up an appetite, you’ll find a variety of food vendors ready to satisfy your cravings. Some of the food vendors include the Over the Rainbow Food Truck, Kiwani’s Club Food Trailer, Knights of Columbus Food Trailer, 3Cs Catering, Knot Right Bites, and Krolick’s Chicken BBQ. For those with a sweet tooth, you can enjoy cinnamon rolls, pies, and doughnuts, along with a pierogi booth. At the Purple Cow booth, where you can enjoy Concord grape concentrate over vanilla ice cream.
Beyond the food, there will also be craft and artisan vendors selling an array of handmade and specialty items, including jewelry, home décor, clothing, accessories, candles, hats, and much more. You might just find something special for yourself or the perfect gift for a loved one.
Don McCord stated that he wants to emphasize that this is “not your typical wine fest.” He explained that although there are wine tastings, this festival really focuses on being a family-oriented community gathering designed for family fun, with activities suitable for all ages.
So, make sure to head out to Westfield for the Grape and Wine Festival on September 18th and 19th. You can join the Westfield community where there will be plenty of activities for kids and adults, ensuring there’s something for everyone. This is one festival you don’t want to miss. For a complete detailed schedule of all the events, visit westfieldny.com.