Get ready to start making your weekend plans to attend the 26th Annual Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival taking place September 27th and 28th. Known as Smith Mountain Lake’s biggest event of the year, this annual event drew 12,000 people last year alone. Over 85 juried craft and food vendors will be on site to provide delicious food and wonderful shopping opportunities. In addition 27, Virginia wineries will be on hand to provide wine tasting experiences. If you enjoy live music then make plans to attend as Saturday will feature music by Fuzzy Logic and Tim Martin. On Sunday, the Harwell-Grice Band will entertain festival-goers with their Bluegrass sound.
You can pre-purchase tickets before September 26th at a variety of ticket outlet locations around the lake, including the Smith Mountain Lake Visitors Center. A taster ticket is $20, and a designated driver is only $12 when purchased in advance. At the event, tickets are $25 for a taster and $15 for a designated driver. Children 12 and under are free. Take the Booker T. Washington Highway, Route 122 three miles north of the Westlake Town Center to the LakeWatch Plantation, parking is free.
Sponsored by the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce this is an event not to be missed and something that I look forward to attending each and every year. All proceeds from the event go to support tourism development and area business programs by the SML Chamber. Wine lover or not, you are in for a great time. If you are a wine lover then, I am sure that you will find a new favorite wine. Hope to see you at the wine festival this weekend, as the motto goes “It’s your chance to enjoy a “grape” day the Smith Mountain Lake way!”