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GRAPEFEST FULL OF OPPORTUNITIES TO RAISE GLASSES AND TOAST 20th ANNIVERSARYEdited by Madelyn Miller, the Travellady
With humble beginnings as a weekend wine-tasting event to promote and showcase Grapevine and its historic downtown area, GrapeFest has blossomed into an event that draws nearly a quarter of a million patrons annually. To help commemorate this year’s anniversary, festival officials have organized a number of very special events and activities for an unforgettable Sparkling Celebration. GRAND OPENING CEREMONIES – CELEBRITY CHAMPAGNE CORK SHOOT-OFF
Patrons can watch a group of local celebrities –including Miss Texas, Adriana Salazar, a member of the Dallas Cowboys’ Ring of Honor, and Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate – compete against one another in a champagne cork shoot-off. Spectators and participants alike will then toast GrapeFest’s 20th with champagne from a giant bottle of Nicolas Feuillatte Brut. COUPLES CELEBRATING THEIR 20th INVITED TO JOIN IN WITH GRAPEFEST
Couples that bring a valid copy of their marriage license to one of the admission booths at GrapeFest, will be entered into a drawing to win a Grapevine Weekend Getaway including hotel accommodations, dinner and more. In addition, every couple who registers for the drawing will receive complimentary admission for two to one session of the People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic, the largest consumer-judged wine tasting competition in the nation, along with tickets for two aboard one run of the GrapeFest Express Railroad excursions. PERFORMANCE PAINTER ‘FRENCHY’ COMMISSIONED TO COMMEMORATE 20th
For GrapeFest, Frenchy will paint the festival’s Grand Opening Celebration “live” and put the painting up for bid at the charitable Vintner’s Auction (Friday, Sept. 8 at the Grapevine Convention Center), with 100 percent of proceeds going toward auction charitable causes. He will also provide a Spirit of GrapeFest piece to be auctioned at the Texas Wine Tribute Dinner on Sept. 9 at the Hilton Lakes DFW. Both auction events require advance ticket purchase, see www.GrapevineTexasUSA.com for ticket information. TOAST GRAPEFEST’S ANNIVERSARY AT THE NEW CHAMPAGNE TERRACEAs part of GrapeFest’s 20th Annual Sparkling Celebration, a new wine area – the Champagne Terrace – will be introduced for 2006. Festival patrons can toast GrapeFest’s 20th and enjoy hors d’oeuvres while sipping bubbly in this brand new area. Madelyn Miller is a wine, food and travelwriter who contributes to seven online publications that get over 5 million hits a month. Read her stories on www.travellady.com, www.chocolateatklas.com, www.cocktailatlas.com and www.carladynews.com IF YOU ARE A COUCH POTATO WINE DRINKER, YOU WILL ENJOY READING THESEPICK A PERFECT WINE IN NO TIME THE DOWNTOWN GIRL’S GUIDE TO WINE OLDMAN’S GUIDE TO OUTSMARTING WINE: 108 Ingenious
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GrapeFest is turning 20 and festival officials are
commemorating this very special anniversary with a celebration that is fit for
the largest wine festival in the Southwest. Wine lovers and connoisseurs from
across the nation will sample award-winning Texas wines during GrapeFest: A
Sparkling Celebration on Sept. 7, 8, 9 and 10 in Historic Downtown Grapevine. 
GrapeFest will kick off Sept. 7 with Grand Opening
festivities at 11:30 a.m. that include live music and entertainment at the Main
Street Gazebo area. Artists, musicians, stilt walkers, jugglers and other
entertainers will set the scene for a very special champagne cork shoot off and
toast.
As another means of commemorating GrapeFest’s 20th
Anniversary, festival officials are inviting all couples who were married in
1986 to mark their 20th anniversary during the Sparkling Celebration.
Renowned performance painter Randy Leo Frechette – aka
“Frenchy” – has been commissioned to commemorate the 20th Anniversary GrapeFest
with a series of live acrylic paintings on canvas to be created throughout the
festival. Frenchy has been featured on CNN, MTV and ESPN for his flamboyant,
dance-like brush strokes that result in real-time documentation of special
events that include festivals, concerts and sporting events.