Largest Wine Festival of the Southwest Happening in September
GRAPEVINE, TEXAS (July 7, 2022) – Tickets for the 36th Annual GrapeFest® – A Texas Wine Experience, presented by Bank of the West, are now on sale. GrapeFest is the largest wine festival of the Southwest and boasts the largest consumer-judged wine competition in the nation.
This year’s festival will be held September 15, 16, 17 and 18, 2022, in historic Grapevine, featuring the very best of Texas-grown wines as well as exquisite selections from guest wineries in the California Sonoma Valley and the Italian Sicily region. Visitors won’t want to miss signature events People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic, the Liberty Park Plaza Wine Experience and Champagne Terrace, as well as area wine pavilions and award-winning winery tasting rooms on Grapevine’s Urban Wine Trail. Not a lover of wine? Alternative adult beverages such as craft brews, hard seltzers and ciders will also be available at booths throughout the festival.
All New for GrapeFest 2022
New to GrapeFest this year is the addition of VIP Experiences— exclusive tasting sessions and offerings—that will provide festival-goers additional comforts and amenities such as a private tent with limited capacity for a more intimate tasting experience, deluxe seating, gourmet charcuterie boards, live entertainment and more. VIP offerings will be available at both the People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic and Liberty Park Plaza Wine Experience.
A Celebration of Texas Wines
GrapeFest is a celebration of Texas wines. Home to more than 400 wineries and over 4,400 acres of vineyards producing nearly three million gallons of Texas wine each year, Texas is the fifth largest wine-producing state in the United States. Grapevine has earned its reputation as the headquarters of Texas’ wine industry, home to a vibrant Urban Wine Trail along Historic Main Street that offers daily wine tastings and special events throughout the year.
The 36th Annual GrapeFest will again host the People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic, a competition of more than 30 Texas wineries in which festival-goers will have the chance to sample over 100 of Texas’ finest wines and vote for their favorites. This signature event, located in the Historic Cotton Belt Railroad District, is one of the most popular at GrapeFest and is the largest consumer-judged wine competition in the nation.
Guests will receive a wine reference guide describing featured wines along with a ballot. Wine is judged across 10 categories (White: Dry, Semi Sweet, Sweet, Blends, Blush/ Rose; Red: Light, Medium, Bold, Sweet and Red Blends), and winners will be announced on Sunday, September 18 at 5 p.m.
People’s Choice will host eight 90-minute Tasting Sessions Thursday through Sunday and three VIP Tasting Sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tasting Sessions ($25 in advance or $28 at the festival) include light hors d’oeuvres along with a souvenir wine glass. VIP Tasting Sessions ($50) will offer a limited-capacity tasting experience and include live music as well as gourmet charcuterie and a souvenir wine glass. All guests must be 21+ to enter.
The Liberty Park Plaza Wine Experience, sponsored by Gaylord Texan Resort, will offer an international wine tasting experience featuring Sicily, Italy and Sonoma County, California, with a backdrop of live music. Guests may purchase a wine flight Tasting Card of six one-ounce pours from a selection of 12 wines from the two featured wine regions. Additional flights will be available for purchase along with wines by the glass. Tasting Cards ($18 in advance or $20 at the festival) include a souvenir wine glass. VIP Tasting Cards ($50) include premiere seating in the Gaylord Texan Lounge (first come, first served), light snacks and a souvenir wine glass, as well as two glasses of special wines from the private bar. Tasting Cards will be required upon entry to Liberty Park Plaza.
Champagne Terrace, sponsored by Hilton DFW Lakes, returns to the shade of the oak trees in Weems Alley, located between the historic Palace Theatre and Grapevine City Hall. Guests will enjoy a beautiful garden-like setting and sophisticated ambience of classical music under the porte cochère as they sip sparkling mimosas, poinsettias by the glass and a variety of champagnes. Table seating will be available on a first come, first served basis.
For some wine-themed festival fun, GrapeFest will host a Champagne Cork Shoot-Off, sponsored by Texas Gun Experience. This ticketed event will take place near the Grapevine Mills Main Stage at Franklin St. by Tolbert’s. Champagne bottles will be placed on a stand and participants will push the cork out of the bottle towards a target. Shots will be measured on accuracy, and prizes (including cash prizes!) will be awarded to daily shoot-off winners and the Grand Shoot-Off Champion. Tickets are $5 per person for a single shot or $20 for five shots.
The nearby Grapevine Wine Pavilion will offer wines from Grapevine’s Urban Wine Trail, featuring selections from Main Street’s local winery tasting rooms.
Guests can also sign up to compete in the popular GrapeStomp competition located between the Ole Grapevine Cigar Shop and City Hall. Two-person teams swap turns at stomping approximately 18 pounds of grapes for two minutes, and officials measure the extracted juice. Prizes for the champions are awarded hourly. Scores are kept for the entire weekend with a Grand Champion Stomp-Off on Sunday, in which the winners will be awarded the coveted “Purple Foot,” a glass sculpture from Grapevine’s Vetro Glass Blowing Studio. The entry fee is $10 per team (contestants must be over 13 to compete).
Family-Friendly Events and Activities
GrapeFest caters to family-friendly fun! This year’s festival will offer plenty of parent- and kid-friendly activities, with tons of fun to discover along the Carnival midway, a Kid Zone and all along Historic Main Street. Guests can take a spin on the giant Ferris wheel, catch thrills on the many carnival rides and try their luck along the midway games. After working up an appetite, they can top off their winnings with ice-cold drinks and classic festival bites like corn dogs, turkey legs, nachos, funnel cakes, snow cones and popcorn.
In a new location, the Kid Zone will offer interactive activities from LEGOLAND Discovery Center, SEA LIFE Aquarium and Peppa Pig, as well as arts and crafts provided by 121 Community Church, inspiring educational experiences with House of Shine, face painting and more. Festival-goers can then walk across the Grapevine Vintage Railroad train platform to European-style food hall Harvest Hall, and for $3 visit the observation level of the Tower at Grapevine Main Station, located at 815 S. Main St., for a 150-foot-high bird’s eye view of festival grounds from the south end of Historic Main Street.
Shopping and Dining Along Historic Main Street
Each year, GrapeFest brings in artisans and marketplace vendors from all over the metroplex, and beyond. Attendees can stroll to the north end of Historic Main Street to find a marketplace of handmade treasures and unique gifts, as well as gourmet goodies highlighting all things Texas—from local honey to barbecue sauces, salsas, baked goods, candy, craft sodas and more. The flavors of the festival aren’t limited to street vendors though—guests can sit down and relax at any one of Historic Main Street’s famous restaurants, from Piaf Kitchen’s Mediterranean coastal cuisine to Farina’s Winery & Café (try the spaghetti pizza) to the Chicago-style Weinberger’s Deli, with over 120 sandwiches—and many more. Additionally, the boutiques, galleries, jewelry stores and other shops lining Main Street will be open, offering special deals and incentives.
The 36th Annual GrapeFest® – A Texas Wine Experience, presented by Bank of the West, opens Thursday, September 15 at 11 a.m.
HOURS & ADMISSION
Thursday, September 15: 11 a.m.–10 p.m. – free admission all day
Friday, September 16: 11 a.m.–11 p.m. – paid admission after 5 p.m.
Saturday, September 17: 11 a.m.–11 p.m. – paid admission
Sunday, September 18: 11 a.m.–6 p.m. – paid admission
DAILY ADMISSION
Adults: $10
Seniors (62+): $5
Children (6-12): $5
Children 5 and under: FREE
WEEKEND PASS
$20 good for Friday, Saturday and Sunday admission
For more information, please call 817.410.3185 or email VisitorInfo@GrapevineTexasUSA.com. Also visit GrapeFest.com for more information and schedules.
How to Get There
GrapeFest is proud to partner with Trinity Metro TEXRail to offer festival goers a hassle-free way to get to and from the festival. Attendees are encouraged to park at a TEXRail station and ride the train to the Grapevine / Main Street Station, which stops right in front of the festival entrance. Riders can park for free at a TEXRail station and ride right up to the festival, and avoid the hassle of finding parking. What’s more, patrons who use GoPass to purchase a TEXRail ticket will receive a 50 percent discount on their roundtrip ticket, plus $2 off festival admission with proof of ridership.
For those who wish to drive, there will be two complimentary parking locations with complimentary shuttles. Lot 1 is located at Grapevine Mills, and will drop off at admission gate #2 (E. Texas and Smith Street). Lot 2 is located at the Grapevine Public Library and will drop off at the front entrance of Hotel Vin. Shuttles for these lots will run from 10 a.m.–11 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m.–Midnight on Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m.–7 p.m. on Sunday.
Where to Stay
Guests can book a getaway and save as area hotels and resorts offer various seasonal packages and promotions. Enjoy a range of lodging options, including resort-style, boutique and budget-friendly hotels. With more than 20 lodging options to choose from, there is a place for every type of vacation experience and every budget. Visit GrapevineTexasUSA.com/ hotels/deals-and-packages/ for details.
