Joomla

ASHTABULA - The Wine and Walleye Festival, organized by the Lift Bridge Community Association with various sponsors, returns this weekend, Friday, July 26, through Sunday, July 28.

The Wine and Walleye Festival, held on Bridge Street in the Ashtabula Harbor, celebrates local wineries and the Harbor as a foodie destination. It is the largest festival or special event held annually in the historic Harbor section.
While wine is the star of the show, there’s a lot going on during the festival. Guests can enjoy perch or walleye dinners, stop at food trucks or Bridge Street restaurants or take part in the Walley-Eye’d 5k race or Friday evening Street Crawl at local businesses. Shop at the many vendors or at Bridge Street merchants.
For those who want to sample wine, participating wineries include M Cellars, Maple Ridge Vineyard, Laurentia Vineyard and Winery, Laurello Vineyard, Ferrante, Park Avenue Winery, CLE Urban Winery, Buccia and Hundley Cellars.
Wine Garden hours for Saturday, July 27, will be 12-9 p.m. A lighter schedule for Sunday, July 28, will reflect opening at 12 p.m. and closing of the Wine Garden at 6 p.m.
Adults 21 and over are allowed inside the Wine Garden for an entry fee of $20. A wristband will be given to guests, along with multiple tasting tickets for their tasting flights. Admission includes 10 tickets for your tasting flights, and additional tickets will be for sale within the tent.
Designated drivers will be allowed to join their party inside the Wine Garden free of charge and will be given a separate wristband for identification for a non-alcoholic option.
Wine Garden tickets are available for sale via the Wine and Walleye Festival website at www.wineandwalleyefestival.com.
In new additions to the festival, LBCA Steering Committee member Bryce Heinbaugh said the festival is opening Friday night this year for the first time.
“The 5k and Gala Dinner are the big events happening that evening, along with the craft beer tent,” Heinbaugh said.
Registration for the Walley-Eye’d 5K, sponsored by Aqua, will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the race beginning at 8 p.m. on Bridge Street and finishing up at Walnut Beach.
The Craft Beer Tent provides patrons with the option to quench their thirst for great-tasting ales and IPAs. The Beer Tent will be open on 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, July 26, with music. On Saturday, July 27, the Beer Tent is open from 1 p.m. to midnight, with the bands playing from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. On Sunday, July 28, the Beer Tent is open from 1 p.m. to the close of the festival.
The Craft Beer Tent is located between 5th St. Kitchen and the Transient Dock, with prime seating for the lighted boat parade and fireworks on Saturday night.
Proceeds benefit the Ashtabula Rotary Foundation’s local scholarship, youth and outreach programs.
Taste of Bridge Street Gala Dinner, sponsored by the upcoming Riverbend Hotel, will take place from 5-8 p.m. Friday.
“This year, we will be passing heavy hors d’oeuvres rather than the multiple served courses. From previous years’ feedback, we were actually providing too much food and drink,” Heinbaugh said. “Wines will be offered in a fashion similar to the Festival’s Wine Tent redeeming of tickets so that those who prefer dry wines can choose to drink dry rather than being served a sweet or semi-sweet with their food pairing. Attendees can redeem their wine tickets at the winery booths they choose throughout the evening.” Nine restaurants will prepare heavy hors d’oeuvres for guests to taste the flare of Bridge Street’s culinary community. Local wineries will be on hand to meet any wine drinker’s preference
Tickets are $50 per person. To buy tickets, visit http://wineandwalleye. wpengine.com/events/red-carpetgala-dinner/.
A lighted boat parade will take place at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, followed by fireworks. There will be live music and entertainment all weekend.
The Ashtabula Firefighter’s Union is sponsoring the fireworks, as well as the Lift Bridge Community Association, who pitched in to nearly double the display from previous years.