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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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Stomping up some fun
By Brian Craig It’s that time of the year again to get hopping mad. No, it’s not time to do your taxes, but the time is ripe to get your crush on at the 25th annual Lodi Grape Festival’s grape stomp. Mark Armstrong, the festival’s general manager, said the event will include a live band. Hosts will be Frank Johnson, Mike McKay and Doug Holck. Johnson was the master of ceremonies for last year’s event while McKay and Holck have years of stomping experience. The biggest night will be the children’s stomp, but there will also be plenty of competition in the civic and open stomps, Armstrong said. Typical prizes for children include skateboards and CD players. For adults, there are bottles of wine and T-shirts. So what’s the strategy to winning in an event that often leaves you exhausted and drenched in purple juice? If you’ve got shoes and can jump, you’re halfway there. Two people stomp in a barrel for two minutes against others and the team that makes the most juice wins. The key strategy is to keep a continual stomping, steady pace as fast as you can, Armstrong said. For some, the strategy focuses on one person stomping grapes toward the drain while the other works to make sure the drain is unclogged. Since its inception 25 years ago, the crushing competition has seen some fierce rivalry. Holck was known as “The Terror of the ’80s” and was a long-running champion with seven first-place awards with various partners. In the ’90s, Dave Schultz stomped his way to championship status. So get your trusty shoes out and make sure your legs are ready to work because there’s room for hopping fanatics to take the center stage. The stomp is broken down into three categories: • The children•s grape stomp begins at 6 p.m. Sept. 19. • The open stomp kicks off at 6 p.m. Sept. 20. • The civic/service stomp gets crushing at 6 p.m. Sept. 21. Solo jumpers can also enter and will be pared with another individual. The children’s event is limited to children ages 9 to 12 and 13 to 17, while the civic/service class is limited to San Joaquin County civic or service organizations and clubs. Winning teams in the open and civic/service stomps will compete in the championship Sept. 22. Entry forms and rules can be picked up at the Lodi Grape Festival business office, 413 E. Lockeford St. All entries must be turned in on or before 5 p.m. Sept. 20. Home | News | Sports | Business | Features | Opinion | Obituaries |Classifieds | Archives |
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