Wine festival Kicks off Saturday Sept. 27
When some people think about fall and Smith Mountain Lake, the first thing that comes to their minds is the Wine Festival. The SML Wine Festival, hosted by the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce, has become an annual rite of autumn for thousands of festivalgoers. This year will mark the 20th anniversary of this “must attend” rapidly growing vintner event, which is traditionally held on the last Saturday and Sunday in September. The event this year will be held on September 27th and 28th and is expected to be the largest and best ever. Steadily growing in popularity, the event saw an attendance of more than nine thousand in 2007. This ever-increasing attendance is expected to continue and has required the selection of a new venue
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The popularity of the SML Wine Festival caused event organizers to seek out a new location that would offer more venue space. After careful consideration of possible locations, the Wine Festival has been relocated this year to a quiet ridge that features large pastoral fields in a relatively new undeveloped site within the Lake Watch Plantation in Franklin County. The land was previously owned by the Hancock family and has excellent views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This is a significant difference from the former lake front site at Bernard’s Landing Resort and Conference Center. It is approximately two miles south of Hales Ford Bridge directly off Route 122. This will afford excellent accessibility that was formerly lacking. Parking will be adjacent to the venue site and offer a short, convenient walk to the larger venue site where the event will take place. There will be no need for shuttle buses this year.
Over the years, as the success of the SML Wine Festival grew, the venue grounds attempted to expand to meet the increase in participating vintners, crafters, food vendors and participants. However, there was a limit to what Bernard’s Landing could effectively support. Generous in size, all vendors will have more space for their wares. This new site is twenty-five percent larger than its previous location. However, the lake front views will likely be missed by many that had grown accustomed to the event taking place at Bernard’s Landing
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“We have been receiving calls asking why the Wine Festival is not at Bernard’s Landing this year,” said Vicki Gardner, Chamber of Commerce executive director. “The change is not an issue with Bernard’s Landing or the property owners there. We continue to have a great working relationship with Bernard’s and are grateful for the use of their property for many years,” she said. “The decision to move the Wine Festival was cooperative, respectful and in the best interest of all involved. “
Entertainment will be provided on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s entertainment will feature The Part Time – Party Time Band who has opened for top name bands such as The Four Tops, The Tams, Delbert McClinton and The Beach Boys. The band came together in the 1980s. They play a wide variety of music that is sure to entertain any crowd. Also on Saturday, The Domino Band, which specializes in classic R&B, Soul, and Old-School Funk, will perform. They have performed with The Stylistics, Sister Sledge, The Temptations, Tower of Power, Chicago, and The Doobie Brothers.
On Sunday, the Backstreet Band will take to the stage to entertain the crowd with new Rock and Roll and Blues. In the Richmond area, they are known for their Folk Rock renditions. They have been together for more than 15 years. The Embers will also perform on Sunday. Their sound is soulful with a message of peace, harmony, love, and inspiration. Their career features over seventeen albums and numerous singles. The Embers name has survived nearly fifty years, transitioning their music to become one of the most entertaining bands to ever perform.
Wineries from all around the region will be present to provide samples of all of their available wines and eighty-five food and craft vendors are currently signed up to participate in this year’s Wine Festival. With all of this planned, the 20th Annual SML Wine Festival is destined to be the best ever. So make your plans right away to attend this event.
Tickets can be purchased online by visiting http://www.visitsmithmountainlake.com or at participating outlets. It is strongly recommended to purchase your tickets in advance. The lines at the gate have been long in years past and ticket purchases carry a surcharge of $3.00 to $5.00. Two types of tickets are available, Taster and Designated Driver. The Taster ticket allows holders to receive free samples from any of the vintners. This is a real bonus when you consider that most of these vintners charge a fee to enter their tasting rooms. The Designated Driver ticket holder is not allowed to partake of any spirits at the event but everything else is fully accessible. Saturday’s Taster ticket sells for $20.00 and is good for Saturday or Sunday. Sunday’s Taster ticket sells for $15.00 and is good for Sunday only. If a Sunday Taster ticket holder’s plans change and they find themselves at the festival on Saturday, they will have to pay an additional $10.00 fee for admission. The Designated Driver ticket is $12.00 each day.
The gates will open on Saturday, September 27, 2008 at 11:00 AM and close at 6:00 PM. On Sunday, September 28, 2008, the gates will also open at 11:00 AM but will close one hour earlier at 5:00 PM. To get to the new location, take Route 122, Booker T. Washington Hwy, south from Hales Ford Bridge approximately 2.2 miles and turn left into Lake Watch Plantation. And remember, No Pets, No Coolers, No Refunds and come Rain or Shine.
