With the first Wine on the Beach festival beginning Saturday on the sand in Seaside Heights, what better way to kick off the festivities than a spirited round of grape-stomping?
Seaside Heights Mayor Anthony Vaz, alongside a woman with a striking resemblance to a young Lucille Ball, took the plunge Thursday and stomped some grapes on the boardwalk to get the party started.
Wine on the Beach will feature more than 200 New Jersey wines. The festival, which will take place Sept. 12 and 13 from 12 noon to 5 p.m., includes samples from 10 New Jersey wineries, arts and crafts on the sand, local restaurants and other activities designed for families. It will take place at Blaine Avenue and the boardwalk.
Participating wineries include:
Coda Rossa Winery
DiMatteo Vineyard
Monroeville Vineyard & Winery
Plagido’s Winery
Renault Winery
Tomasello Winery
Valenzano Winery
Ventimiglia Vineyard
Villari Vineyards
Wagonhouse Winery
Eateries include:
Shake Shoppe Arcade
Park Seafood
Chop Shop
Hemingway’s Cafe
Bubba’s Dog House
Ryan’s Catering
PJ’s Place
Bands performing include Tympanic Plexus (Saturday, 12:30 p.m.), the Garden State Philharmonic (Saturday, 3 p.m.), Strumberry Pie (Sunday, 12:30 p.m.) and Jimmy Buffet tribute band Parrotbeach (Sunday, 3 p.m.).
Visitors will also be able to do their own “Grape Stomping” with Lucy at 12 noon on Saturday.
Tickets are $15 if booked online before the event, and $20 the day of. Military members and first responders can purchase tickets for $10. Those under 21 are free, though wine samples can only be drank by those 21 and over.
