Great Grapes, in Symphony Park, is a great event that happens every year. Tons of folks come from all over to sample NC wines, enjoy some great local music, and enjoy a day in the park. Had the pleasure of spending the day at this event this past weekend. Here's my take:
Pros:
The wine selection is fun. I'm not the biggest wine connoisseur in the world, but it is fun to go around to the different wineries representing and sample some of their products.
Food is definitely worth getting if you intend to spend a gratuitous amount of time at the park. This year, Southern Cake Queen and Roaming Fork were there. Also, they had the epitomized "fried food stands" that seem to make it out to every festival in town.
Symphony Park is such a fun spot. Glad they have it here. It had a lot more character, and shade, than some of the other grounds around Charlotte.
Cons:
Security. These guys seem to only be "warm bodies" at times. So many people were walking around hammered and some were even tampering with vendors' stations. Not exactly a good mix.
Hours of the festival are a bit long. I think a 5-hour festival is the max it should run. 8 hours allows people to get a little sloppy.
All in all, I'm glad this festival is in Charlotte. Hope it gets better next year!