The weekend of September 9th will mark our annual Art & Wine Festival that is held at the Garrett County Fairgrounds near Deep Creek Lake. The festival kicks off the evening before where participants will be able to dine in local participating restaurants for wine pairing dinners. Saturday, however, is the big hoopla. The festival runs from noon until 6pm. For a mere $25 per person (21 years and older), you can purchase a ticket into the festival. This covers your entry fee, wine tastings, and access to activities and entertainment found throughout the festival. National distributors and Maryland wineries will be there with a variety of over 200 different kinds of wine for guests to sample. Many local artisans and craftsman will be on hand to sell their art, crafts, homemade jewelry, and other assorted goods. There will also several different food artisans present giving you the opportunity to purchase some locally made goods. (I heard a rumor that there will fudge from Gourmet to Go…can you say “Yum”?) Mix in a wine shop, silent auction, and musical entertainment throughout the day, and you have a guaranteed good time. For those that would like to attend the festival but do not want to participate in the wine tasting can enter the festival for a $5 fee. This includes the entrance fee, festivities, and musical entertainment. You can even bring the kiddies as they will enjoy face painting, balloon art, wine bottle decorating, a moon bounce and much more. Held this year in the newly built exhibition hall, there will more than ample room for everyone to spread out and enjoy themselves. Many local lodging partners are offering some fantastic package deals which include the ticket to the festival and a $25 certificate towards the wine pairing dinners held Friday evening. If you still haven’t had your fill, many area restaurants are also offering a Sunday brunch. For a complete list of these restaurants or more complete details of the festival, please check out the Art & Wine Festival webpage (see attached link). This festival is quickly becoming an annual tradition among locals and visitors alike. We welcome you to come out and enjoy the afternoon with us. (You may even recognize some of the guest pourers!) Otherwise, see you at the lake!