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Festival’s Web site tells what to see, do

By News-Sentinel staff

As long as you have access to the Internet, you can find out anything you need to know about the 2003 Lodi Grape Festival and Harvest Fair.

From ticket prices and event dates to historical data and past pictures, the festival’s Web site is a wealth of information.

Similar to previous years — the first time the newly designed Web site was viewed by the public was in 2001 — those who access the main page are greeted with a tremendous amount of information regarding Lodi’s annual fair which is held “in the heart of beautiful San Joaquin County ... the home of the Grape festival for over 60 years.”

And from the main page, visitors are linked to the festival’s hours of operations, entertainment schedule — complete with pictures of each performer — and gate admission prices. Visitors can even download a map of the festival grounds or get directions to the place where Lodians will be “California Dreamin’ — this year’s festival theme — from Thursday, Sept., 18 through Sunday, Sept. 21.

Through organized “jump pages,” similar to a book’s table of contents, you can sign up for a grape stomp time slot or get information on competitive exhibit entries.

It also includes a printable form to purchase pre-sale tickets.

Additionally, the Web site’s main page has links to such other events as the “Taste of the Festival” (the new pre-festival event which will be held on the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 17), as well as the festival’s competitive exhibits, the Butler Amusements carnival and the always popular Grape Stomp. There is also a link to information regarding the Lodi Spring Wine Show.

The site also contains a detailed description of each venue in the Grape Festival Grounds as well as the price for overnight RV parking.

Check out the Web site for parade information, including times and categories.

Not only does the Web site change year after year, sometimes it’s daily. Check this year for a thought of the day. There are also links to the online version of the News-Sentinel's annual Grape Festival special section, sponsoring radio stations and a list of all sponsors.

“It’s our information center,” Grape Festival General Manager Mark Armstrong said. “We know people are using it because we get feedback.”

The site is provided and sponsored by Lodinet, a local Internet service provider. The festival staff is responsible for the design and daily updates.

“It’s rare to find someone who doesn’t have access to the Internet,” Armstrong said.

Go to www.grapefestival.com for more information.