Festival-goers enjoy the rides at the Lodi Grape Festival. (News-Sentinel file photo)

Great grapes!

Lodi Grape Festival and Harvest Fair 'a whole bunch of fun'

A showcase of the fruits and vegetables of San Joaquin County, the Lodi Grape Festival and Harvest Fair is the king of annual area events.

Each year in September since 1934, Lodi-area residents have gathered to celebrate the agricultural efforts of their community, showcase Lodi's talent and just have "A Whole Bunch of Fun," the ongoing theme of the festival.

This year promises to offer the same level of entertainment, food and fanfare exhibited in previous years.

For those who have never been, Mark Armstrong, executive director of the festival, describes it as a "hometown county fair." And for seasoned Grape Festival-goers, Armstrong said the fair provides the opportunity to run into that old friend from way back when.

"I think a lot of people see people they haven't seen in a while," Armstrong said.

The Grape Festival kicks off this year on Sept. 11 and will last until Sept. 14.

Packed into those four days is a slew of entertainment events on several different stages, including classic-rock band Foghat, magician, comedian and ventriloquist Regan and illusionist John Shaw.

Between shows, visitors can grab a bite to eat at what seems to be the festival's endless number of concession stands, featuring everything from classic fair food to tempura vegetables and prawns.

Festival-goers can also swing by the many carnival rides.

Grape Festival at a glance

Riders go for a spin on the swing at the Lodi Grape Festival. (News-Sentinel file photo)

When: Thursday, Sept. 11, from 4 to 11 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 12, and Saturday, Sept. 13, from noon to midnight; Sunday, Sept. 14, from noon to 11 p.m.

Where: The Lodi Grape Festival Grounds, 413 E. Lockeford St.

How much

Children five and under: Free

Youths six to 12: $4 (Free on Thursday)

Adults: $8

Advance sale book of five admission tickets: $20

Advance sale of an unlimited carnival ride wristband: $20.

What to see and do

Live entertainment

Carnival rides

Food and craft vendors

Wine 101 and wine tasting

Grape murals

Other exhibitions and contests

The Grape Festival history museum

Source: http://www.grapefestival.com.

Others may want to wander through the craft vendors while they wait for their food to settle.

No matter what, though, most attendees end up at the festival's grape murals.

Made entirely from grapes, these murals usually stem from an annual theme. This year's theme is "A Night at the Movies."

According to Armstrong, the murals have been a long-standing attraction for visitors and sometimes include as many as 10,000 grapes.

"I think they're amazed at what (the murals) are," Armstrong said.

Along with the grape murals go place-setting, rose and the other art exhibits, and competitions dot the festival.

Not only are they fun to look at, but they show off work from local artists and hobbyists.

Those interested in wine, but who may not know how to appreciate the area's most famous beverage, tend to find themselves at the Wine 101 room. There, your average know-nothing can be turned into a connoisseur, or at least pad their wine knowledge just a little bit.

Of course, there's wine tasting and sales for everybody, from those newly formed connoisseurs to those who have already earned their wine chops.

But no matter who comes to the festival, Armstrong says there's something for everyone.

"The family atmosphere, more than anything, is what people are going to feel."

Contact reporter Amanda Dyer at amandad@lodinews.com.