Mar 09, 2020
Don’t Miss Out on These Wine Festival Day Trips this Spring
By Joanne Colella
Want to enjoy a great festival while getting in the mood for America’s favorite pastime? FirstEnergy Park, home of the Lakewood BlueClaws baseball team, will again be hosting the Jersey Shore Wine Festival, with exciting changes for this year’s event. The BlueClaws were so enthused about the 10th anniversary festival that they decided to move the date up to Saturday, April 25 (rain date April 26) and, for the first time, the event will take place inside FirstEnergy Park, rather than outside on the surrounding grounds. From noon to 5 pm, guests will be able to enjoy a fun afternoon with family and friends against the backdrop of the picturesque ballpark. FirstEnergy Park is located at 2 Stadium Way in Lakewood.
The festival will feature wine tasting samples from a variety of award-winning wineries from throughout the Garden State, including Chestnut Run Farm, DiMatteo’s Vineyards, Plagido’s Winery, Villari Vineyards, Wagonhouse Winery, White Horse Winery, and Valenzano Winery. A special musical highlight this year will be live entertainment from New Jersey’s best American country music group, After the Reign. Guests will also enjoy delicious food truck fare and gourmet foods, unique local crafters and merchandise vendors, and the BlueClaws play area where children can frolic.
Don’t like wine? Beer will also be available for purchase inside the ballpark for those who prefer that beverage. Additionally, discounted tickets are available for non-drinkers who come to enjoy the festival. Each attendee will also receive a souvenir Jersey Shore Wine Festival glass. Please note that no outside food or beverage will be allowed.
Tickets for the 10th annual Jersey Shore Wine Festival and Food Trucks are on sale now for $20 online or $25 on the event day. Tickets for designated drivers are $5 and include festival admission, and children under age 12 are free.
Just one week later, wine aficionados will have the chance to take another festival day trip to the annual Waretown Spring Wine Festival, scheduled for Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3 at the lovely Waretown Lake & Recreation Area, 182 Wells Mills Road in Waretown. Located just a short distance from Long Beach Island, the park offers the perfect setting for guests to enjoy two grape-filled days from noon to 5 pm while getting ready for Jersey Shore summer season.
Festivalgoers will have the chance to sample wines from an inviting variety of award-winning Garden State wineries and vineyards, accompanied by live musical entertainment. There will also be crafters, retail vendors and food vendors to enjoy, all while overlooking a beautiful lake under magnificent shade trees to welcome the month of May.
Tickets for the Waretown Spring Wine Festival are available online for $20 or can be purchased the day of the event for $25. Discounted tickets for $5 are also available for designated drivers and include festival admission. Children under age 12 are free.
To plan your wine festival day trip, look for updates on the Facebook pages for Jersey Shore Wine Festival and Waretown Spring Wine Festival or visit JerseyShoreWineFestival.com and WaretownWineFestival.com.
