Festival co-founder Mary Tobash notes the new additions to this year’s festival. “For 2015, we’ve added new food vendors including One Smart Cookie from Coal Township. We also have new product vendors including Hegins-area Eclectic Creations. One new winery, Fieldwood Winery from Schuylkill Haven, will be attending this year’s festival. Our live entertainment has also added a new performer. Remi St. Martin from New Jersey will be performing Jimmy Buffet cover songs in addition to the 60’s Boys and DJ Dan Poletti and TJ Fitzpatrick. We are very excited about the growth of the festival!”
The festival in the park provides a relaxing way to enjoy the local wines. Participants are encouraged to bring canopy tents and chairs for their day in the park. Admission includes a festival wine glass and access to the wine tasting events. Tobash adds “There is plenty of space in the park under the shade trees where people can just sit back and relax. The festival has a little bit of everything and it’s a great way for families to enjoy time together. We do hope people will support our food vendors and not bring meals into the park. The committee is also excited about this year’s table decorating contest. It’s fascinating to see what people come up with and create.”
The table decorating contest is an annual event. Attendees create their space based on a theme with each table being judged on a number of criteria. This year’s theme is ‘Fall Fantasy’. There are five prizes awarded to the top tables as determined by an independent group of judges. “We post the winning tables on our Facebook page so people can get an idea of how incredibly creative and fun the contest is from previous years.” says Tobash.
Advanced tickets by mail are available at a discounted price of $12 until August 22. Tickets at the gate are $15. Group tickets of 10 or more are also available for $10. Designated drivers 16 and older are admitted for $5. Mail-in orders are accepted at Tobash Insurance Agency, PO BOX 437. Hegins PA 17938 and can also be purchased at various locations around the county. A full list of ticket locations is available at www.schuylkillwinefestival.com.
