Love wine? This is the event for you.
Rundown of what you need to know:
-This is an event that IMO the VIP is not worth it. You don't really get all that much more. Some access to a VIP tent that has some cheese and samples of a few other wines. $25-26 for general admission is a great deal to enjoy a day of sips.
-Bring chairs, blankets, etc and enjoy the day. This is a day long festival and Symphony Park is a great place to spend an afternoon. There's live music, food options for purchase and some different craft type tents to explore.
-Parking is free. However, it's hard to find a spot if you don't get there early. The restaurants block off their parking areas and the mall is just busy in general. This is a drinking event. Take a cab or Uber.
-I know it says you can bring kids, make it a family day and what not. However, people get super drunk. Wine drunk. Holy people watching drunk.
-The crowds are not very good at the whole concept of making a line to get a sample after hours of consuming wine. You're going to get a little annoyed. Good thing you brought that blanket, right?
-Seriously, drunk should be in 72 pt font here.
I had a good time meeting all the different vineyards and vendors. I don't know a lot about wine. I buy based on what the label looks like. So, it was good to learn a little bit along the way.
Just like Beer, Bourbon and BBQ (the same people put this on), I think this is a festival that gets a little bit better each year.