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‘Taste of the Festival’ offers glimpse of what’s to come

By Jennifer Snyder
News-Sentinel Staff Writer

Those who can’t wait to go to the Lodi Grape Festival and Harvest Fair can have the exclusive opportunity to preview it the night before it all begins.

A “Taste of the Festival” will give fairgoers a glimpse of what’s to come, including a chance to vote for their favorite grape mural for the People’s Choice Award.

The event will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 17 from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $50. It will include live and silent auctions; a raffle; wine tasting with wine provided by eight wineries; various fair booths and displays, including petting zoo, science experiment and reptiles booths; and other surprises.

Fifteen different food vendors will serve their specialties, which will include tri-tip sandwiches, sausage, cinnamon rolls, corn dogs, hamburgers, hot dogs, ice cream, churros, nachos, Hawaiian shaved ice, corn and Mexican food — a little bit of everything.

Fair entertainment is also in order. Class Act will provide live music, and the Swan Bros. Circus clowns will share their comedy.

Mark Armstrong, general manager of the Grape Festival, said that staff members came up with the idea last year for this preview event. They stood in the Lodi Grape Festival Pavilion on the Wednesday preceding the festival’s opening day and thought about what could be done there. They agreed that a dinner before the festival would be a good opening.

Besides, “The building is so beautiful and ready to go,” Armstrong said.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Lodi Grape Festival scholarship fund and increase payments for the grape mural awards.

The festival staff plan on doing this event every year.

“They put a lot of thought into it and will work hard to make sure it’s successful,” Armstrong said, adding that it’s an exclusive preview to support a great cause. “It’s kind of like your own private party.”

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Lodi Grape Festival business office or call at 369-2771; or go to the Grape Festival Web site at www.grapefestival.com.