Disclaimer: I did receive free general admission tickets in return for this post. All opinions are my own.
In the past, I’ve been a huge fan of the events in Gvine, Texas but this one has got to be my number one favorite! GrapeFest is an annual festival that exemplifies the wine industry in this area. Whether you are looking for a family friendly, couples getaway, girls weekend or even if you live in the area, this is a great event to check out!
Obviously, this event is for wine lovers (hence “GrapeFest”) but it incorporates so much more! An amusement park for the kids, live music, beer tent, champagne tent, an immense amount of food, vendors, unique stores and restaurants and it is situated right down Main Street in one of my favorite towns in the country. (To provide perspective, have you ever seen those Hallmark movies where it seems like these people are from the coziest, small town ever where everyone is incredibly nice and you think to yourself, “I want to go there!”… this is how I describe Grapevine!)
Throughout GrapeFest, magnifying glasses were placed on street lights. This was actually a scavenger hunt for the festival! If you completed the hunt (via cell phones), you would be entered to win a prize after GrapeFest. Pretty fun! You can also see the (people) traffic at the festival Saturday afternoon. Perfect weather and just the right amount of folks! It was amazing!
GrapeFest also had a ton of exhibits going on throughout town. One of my favorite and most interesting spots to check out is Vetro. This is a glass blowing studio where they make a ton of beautiful art pieces. They held an open house where visitors could walk in and check out their craft. Pretty interesting!
The Wine!
As mentioned, Grapevine is known for being a wine destination. With a ton of different wineries and tasting rooms situated throughout town, you will have a difficult time running out of options!
GrapeFest hosted a free bus for wine tours to three different. Amy and I took this option up as one of our “must’s” for the day. Cross Timbers Winery was our first stop (below). What was even more interesting is that this winery is located at a historical site in town and is also apparently haunted. Mixing all things into one!
Although there are wine tasting options set up throughout the festival, the real tasting happens at the People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic. I later referred to this as “Speed Dating with Wine”…. and it was the greatest event ever!
If coming to GrapeFest, this is an absolute must! For an additional $20, be sure to put the ultimate wine tent on your to do list! With various hour and a half time slots set up throughout the weekend, your mission is to explore various wines from throughout the state. You will be given a commemorative glass and a booklet describing the wines available from the wineries (each set up at a different booth). At the end of your time slot, fill out a form and select your favorite wines from throughout the day!
A list of the winners can be found, here.
At first, I was a little discouraged that I had an allotted schedule of time to try out what was available but it’s really a smart move. There’s plenty of time. Amy and I (arrived a little late) but ended up trying 60 wines in about an hour and fifteen minutes (30 each, we tried each others). The lines move quickly and it’s a great experience chatting with those around you to compare what you liked best!
Next up, was a little old fashion grape stomping! (Yes, we moved from the wine tent to the grape stomp contest!) We learned there is a trick to this, but I’m not going to share it considering – what fun would that be?! It’s unfortunate that we don’t have a video of ourselves doing this but it was a lot of fun! Be sure to sign up early, it’s a popular event!
The festival proceeds well into the evening, where the crowds pick up and things really get interesting. With five different stages set up throughout the entire day, entertainment is always plentiful. The headlining band on Saturday was Le Freak, a local cover band who really captured the crowd!
GrapeFest is an incredible festival for all ages and groups of folks. There’s so many events that go on throughout the weekend, I didn’t come close to listing them all (so be sure to check out their website)! This was perhaps the most fun I’ve ever had at a festival. If you have an opportunity to check out the event, I highly suggest it. You can’t go wrong!
Have you ever attended GrapeFest? I’d love to hear what you thought of the event!
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Saturday, May 17th, the annual Texas Steak Cookoff and Wine Festival in Hico, Texas is taking place. Here is your reminder and a few details about this great event! Mark your calendars!
