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CONTENTS General information and schedule of events Lodi Grape Festival honors nation with patriotic theme, ‘America the Beautiful’ Mural captures festival’s patriotic theme Fair talent guaranteed to rock Lodi with funk, alternative, blues Don and Jean Phillips head this year’s parade as grand marshals Festival parade comes from months of planning, effort Patriotic festival theme turns Grape Pavilion into a hall of flags Festival presents chance to taste fine local wines Good eats, from snacks to desserts, can be found at the festival Bobbie Norton: Invaluable behind-the-scenes person Answers to Grape Festival trivia questions Butler Amusements brings fun, games to Grape Festival Step right up and win a stuffed bulldog! Talented people make murals with grapes Hewlett-Packard brings technology exhibit to town Swan Brothers bring comedy circus to festival once again Don’t forget to visit the petting zoo Grape Festival features tobacco-free zones for fair-goers Festival Web site tells what to see, do 2002 president Caroline Lange has years of festival experience Board of directors plans for four-day event all year 2001 Grape Festival carried on despite terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C. From Tokay to today: Evolution of the Grape Festival |
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Talented people make murals with grapes
By Julie Z. Giese Tokays, chardonnays, Italias, Emerald Reislings, lady fingers, palo minos and black prince grapes offer a palette of colors. Well, that’s if you’re making grape murals, which have been a long-standing feature of the Lodi Grape Festival and Harvest Fair. About a dozen community groups and organizations compete each year to create the best murals using wood panels, glue and lots of grapes. Grape murals began as a way of highlighting the locally grown fruit, said Kathryn Inman, who was involved in mural-making for nearly 40 years. The murals have been a unique feature at the fair since 1950, said Inman, who has since retired from creating the artwork. Some community members saw murals with tissue-wrapped citrus fruits at another festival and lobbied to have similar murals using Lodi-area grapes, she said. Since then, the artwork has taken off. Organizers are excited about this year’s grape murals. “We’re going to have some very beautiful murals this year,” said Mark Armstrong, festival manager. The festival’s theme this year is “America the Beautiful,” which will spark some patriotic creations, he said. It might seem difficult to create artwork with grapes, but the spectrum of colors and other techniques have allowed muralists to transform the fruit into creative displays, ranging from teddy bears to Ferris wheels. The murals are made by attaching grapes to carved wood pieces, lined with aluminum foil, and spaced with special borders. The process has evolved over time from attaching grapes with hat pins to using rubber cement. Grapes are often coated in oil to achieve a shiny look or aerosol deodorant to replace the bloom, the dust naturally covering grapes which is worn off when the fruit is handled. Most of the murals must contain grapes, though a small percent of byproducts such as raisins and vines can be used. Linda McCay, a Mokelumne River School parent club member, has been involved with mural-making for the last 12 years. “It’s a great community project,” she said. “It gives schools and different groups recognition.” Some members of Mokelumne River’s parent teacher club talked about not making a mural this year, but support continues for the project. McCay estimates the school club spends about 300 hours to craft the grape mural which she called a dying art form. “You either love it or you hate it,” McCay said. “If you get the bug, you’re stuck. It’s fun.” The Grape Pavilion will showcase 10 large murals and two special 16 feet by 8 feet murals — one featuring a United States map and the other featuring the Statue of Liberty. The two special murals will be created using both grapes and agricultural products grown in San Joaquin County, Armstrong said. The festival will also have 20 small murals showcasing county commodities, he added. Groups participating in the grape murals include: Live Oak 4H, Century Christian School, Adult Day Services at Hutchins Street Square, Lodi Garden Club, Omega Nu, Pacific Bell Pioneers, Mokelumne River School PTC, Lodi High FFA, Victor School PTC and Alpine Victor 4-H. Home | News | Sports | Business | Features | Opinion | Obituaries |Classifieds | Archives |
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