The 39th annual Swiss Wine Festival is will take place August 27 – 29 at Paul Ogle Riverfront Park, in Vevay, Indiana (Switzerland County).
I had the great honor to participate as a celebrity stomper at last year’s celebrity grape stomp, although I only placed a dismal 11th place. However, they invited me back this year, so I’ll be there, stomping away on Saturday, August 28th at noon, competing against on-air personalities from TV and radio, as well as several newspaper and magazine writers from Indianapolis, Madison, and Vevay, Indiana Cincinnati, and Louisville.
Last year, I also got to visit the Wine Pavilion, a Swiss Wine Festival mainstay, and try several of Indiana’s different wines. I didn’t have a chance to buy any bottles, but did have a couple favorites that I wish I had the chance to take home. I wasn’t really aware of how big the wine industry is in Indiana until I saw the Pavilion, and learned about several wineries I had never even heard of.
The festival will also have food for sale (I had an awesome pork tenderloin last year), arts and crafts, rides, fireworks, a parade, live entertainment, a beer garden, and riverboat cruises. My friend, Kendal Miller, PR Director for Switzerland County Tourism, told me they will also have canoe races, corn hole tournaments, cheerleader competitions, steintossen (whatever that is), basketball jamborees, a poker run, and a road rally.
Admission to the Swiss Wine Festival is $2 on the 27th and $3 on the 28th and 29th. Children ages 5 – 12 are $1 per day, and ages 4 and under are free. Admission to the Wine Tasting Pavilion is $13.00 or two for $25 per day and includes a souvenir etched wine glass. Festival times are 3:00pm-2:00am on Friday; 10:30am-2:00am on Saturday; and 10:30am-6:30pm on Sunday.
Photo credit: Erik Deckers (Picasa)
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