Grapevine to Host 36th Annual GrapeFest—A Texas Wine Experience

Tickets for the 36th Annual GrapeFest—A Texas Wine Experience, presented by Bank of the West, are now available. GrapeFest is the largest wine festival of the Southwest and boasts the largest consumer-judged wine competition in the nation. This year's festival will be held September 15, 16, 17 and 18, 2022, in historic Grapevine, featuring the very best of Texas-grown wines as well as exquisite selections from guest wineries in the California Sonoma Valley and Italian Sicily region. Visitors won't want to miss signature events People's Choice Wine Tasting Classic, the Liberty Park Plaza Wine Experience and Champagne Terrace, as well as the area wine pavilions and award-winning winery tasting rooms on Grapevine's Urban Wine Trail. Fruit of the vine not your thing? Alternative adult beverages such as craft brews, hard seltzers, and ciders will also be available at booths throughout the festival. In addition to tasting experiences, the four-day event will offer nonstop live entertainment including country crooner Jack Ingram and pop diva Taylor Dayne, a carnival, Kid Zone, artisan marketplace, and more—all on Grapevine's Historic Main Street.

A Celebration of Texas Wines

GrapeFest is a celebration of Texas wines. Home to over 470 wineries and over 4,500 acres of vineyards producing nearly 3 million gallons of Texas wine each year, Texas is the fifth largest wine-producing state in the U.S. And Grapevine has earned its reputation as the headquarters of Texas' wine industry, home to a vibrant Urban Wine Trail along Historic Main Street that offers daily wine tastings and special events throughout the year.

VIP Tasting Experiences

All new for 2022, exclusive VIP tasting sessions will provide festival-goers additional comforts and amenities such as a private tent with limited capacity for a more intimate tasting experience, deluxe seating, gourmet charcuterie boards, live entertainment and more. The VIP Tasting Experience will be available at both the People's Choice Wine Tasting Classic and Liberty Park Plaza Wine Experience (both $50).

Charcuterie Workshops

Also new is the addition of educational opportunities such as Charcuterie Workshops in which participants will be able to explore the flavors of a classic charcuterie board. In this hour-long class led by YaYaYum Boards owner Ayesha Patel, participants will pair savory bites from a perfectly crafted charcuterie board with a souvenir festival glass of wine, and then have a chance to make their own 6 by 6” grab-and-go charcuterie box that they can take outside to enjoy throughout the festival. Workshops will be held in the Grand Hall at the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau and are limited to 40 participants to ensure more personalized interaction between the instructor and participants.

Live Art Demonstrations

This year's festival will highlight the talent of local artists who will be creating art during live demonstrations at the People's Choice VIP Sessions. Artists include RTown Studio + Showroom owner Rachel Townsend as well as gallery artists Julie Wende and Donna Palmersheim.

Signature Events

The 36th Annual GrapeFest will again host the People's Choice Wine Tasting Classic, sponsored by Classic Chevrolet, a competition of more than 35 Texas wineries in which festival-goers will have the chance to sample over 100 of Texas' finest wines and vote for their favorites. This signature event, located in the Historic Cotton Belt Railroad District, is one of the most popular at GrapeFest and is the largest consumer-judged wine competition in the nation. Guests will receive a wine reference guide describing featured wines along with a ballot. Wine is judged across 10 categories (White: Dry, Semi Sweet, Sweet, Blends, Blush/ Rose; Red: Light, Medium, Bold, Sweet and Red Blends), and winners will be announced on Sun., Sept. 18 at 5 p.m. People's Choice will host eight 90-minute Tasting Sessions Thursday through Sunday and three VIP Tasting Sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tasting Sessions ($25 in advance or $28 at the festival) include light hors d'oeuvres along with a souvenir wine glass. VIP Tasting Sessions ($50) will offer a limited capacity tasting experience and include live music as well as gourmet charcuterie and a souvenir wine glass. All guests must be 21+ to enter.

The Liberty Park Plaza Wine Experience, sponsored by Gaylord Texan Resort, will offer an international wine tasting experience featuring Sicily, Italy and Sonoma County, California, with a backdrop of live music. Guests may purchase a wine flight Tasting Card of six one-ounce pours from a selection of 12 wines from the two featured wine regions. Additional flights will be available for purchase along with wines by the glass. Tasting Cards ($18 in advance or $20 at the festival) include a souvenir wine glass. VIP Tasting Cards ($50) include premiere seating in the Gaylord Texan Lounge (first come, first served), light snacks and a souvenir wine glass, as well as two glasses of special wines from the private bar. Tasting Cards will be required upon entry to Liberty Park Plaza.

Champagne Terrace, sponsored by Hilton DFW Lakes, returns to the shade of the oak trees in Weems Alley, located between the historic Palace Theatre and Grapevine City Hall. Guests will enjoy a beautiful garden-like setting and sophisticated ambience of classical music under the porte cochere as they sip sparkling mimosas, poinsettias by the glass and a variety of champagnes. Table seating will be available on a first come, first served basis. For some wine-themed festival fun, GrapeFest will host a Champagne Cork Shoot-Off, sponsored by Texas Gun Experience. This ticketed event will take place near the Grapevine Mills Main Stage at Franklin St. by Tolbert's. Champagne bottles will be placed on a stand and participants will push the cork out of the bottle towards a target. Shots will be measured on accuracy, and prizes (including cash prizes!) will be awarded to daily shoot-off winners and the Grand Shoot-Off Champion. Tickets are $5 per person for a single shot or $20 for five shots.

The nearby Grapevine Wine Pavilion will offer wines from Grapevine's Urban Wine Trail, featuring the finest selections from Main Street's local winery tasting rooms. Guests can also sign up to compete in the popular GrapeStomp competition located between the Ole Grapevine Cigar Shop and City Hall. Two-person teams will swap turns at stomping approximately 18 pounds of grapes for two minutes, and officials will measure the extracted juice. Prizes for the champions are awarded hourly. Scores are kept for the entire weekend with a Grand Champion Stomp-Off on Sunday, in which the winners will be awarded the coveted Purple Foot, a glass sculpture from Grapevine's Vetro Glassblowing Studio. The entry fee is $10 per team (contestants must be over 13 to compete).

Nonstop Live Entertainment

New this year, GrapeFest attendees will encounter an exciting lineup of musical acts that will have all members of the family rockin' and rollin' from the People's Choice Wine Tasting Classic and Liberty Park Plaza Wine Experience, as well as the Town Square Gazebo Stage and Grapevine Mills Main Stage.Headliners include Grammy Award-nominated singer songwriter Taylor Dayne, playing beloved singles like Love Will Lead You Back, I'll Be Your Shelter and I'll Always Love You, and Academy of Country Music award winner Jack Ingram with hits like Measure of a Man, Barefoot and Crazy and Wherever You Are, in addition to the following talented musical guests: Squeezebox Bandits, Zack King Band, Mojo Brothers, Escape, Jon Christopher Davis, Battle of Evermore, Kerri Lick, The Rich Girls, Fleetwood X, King George, Kay and Kent Ellingson, Cameron Taylor, Lady Diamond, Jerry Serrano, Joshua Ingram, Blaze of Glory, Wyatt Martin, InstruMusic Solutions, Jay Cober and the Back Line, Justin Mason, Nikki Heath, Olga Louque, Cassidy Bostick, The Furious Band, and the Daniel Henson Duo.

Family-Friendly Activities

GrapeFest caters to family-friendly fun! This year's festival will offer plenty of parent- and kid-friendly activities, with tons of fun to discover along the Carnival midway, a Kid Zone and all along Historic Main Street. Guests can take a spin on the giant Ferris wheel, catch thrills on the many carnival rides and try their luck along the midway games. After working up an appetite, they can top off their winnings with ice-cold drinks and classic festival bites like corn dogs, turkey legs, nachos, funnel cakes, snow cones and popcorn. In a new location, the Kid Zone will offer interactive activities from LEGOLAND Discovery Center, SEA LIFE Aquarium and Peppa Pig, as well as arts and crafts provided by 121 Community Church, inspiring educational experiences with House of Shine, face painting and more. Festival-goers can then walk across the Grapevine Vintage Railroad train platform to European-style food hall Harvest Hall, and for $3 visit the observation level of the Tower at Grapevine Main Station, located at 815 S. Main St., for a 150-foot-high bird's eye view of festival grounds from the south end of Historic Main Street.

Shopping and Dining

Each year, GrapeFest brings in artisans and marketplace vendors from all over the metroplex, and beyond. Attendees can stroll to the north end of Historic Main Street to find a marketplace of handmade treasures and unique gifts, as well as gourmet goodies highlighting all things Texas—from local honey to barbecue sauces, salsas, baked goods, candy, craft sodas and more. The flavors of the festival aren't limited to street vendors though—guests can sit down and relax at any one of Historic Main Street's famous restaurants, from Piaf Kitchen's Mediterranean coastal cuisine to Farina's Winery & Café (try the spaghetti pizza) to the Chicago-style Weinberger's Deli, with over 120 sandwiches—and many more. Additionally, the boutiques, galleries, jewelry stores and other shops lining Main Street will be open, offering special deals and incentives.

The 36th Annual GrapeFest®—A Texas Wine Experience, presented by Bank of the West, opens September 15 at 11 a.m.

HOURS & ADMISSION
Thursday, September 15: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. | free admission all day
Friday, September 16: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. | paid admission after 5 p.m.
Saturday, September 17: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. | paid admission
Sunday, September 18: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | paid admission

DAILY ADMISSION
Adults: $10 Seniors (62+): $5
Children (6-12): $5
Children 5 and under: FREE

WEEKEND PASS
$20 good for Friday, Saturday and Sunday admission

For more information, please call 817-410-3185 or email VisitorInfo@GrapevineTexasUSA.com.

See additional information below or visit:
GrapeFest