[drink] Midwest Winefest Walkabout
The fourth Thursday in April is my favorite holiday – it’s like Christmas, Fourth of July and St. Patrick’s Day all rolled into one. No, it’s not my birthday, or some obscure religious celebration. This is the date of the Midwest Winefest Walkabout, or WINEFEST, as my friends and I refer to it.
April 22, 2010 will be my seventh year in a row of attending the event, which is a fundraiser for the Guadalupe Clinic and the first of the two-day Midwest Winefest. Although I’ve heard great things about the Saturday of the fest (a wine tasting at Century II), the Walkabout will always hold a special place in my heart. Here are my top five favorite things about the event.
1. Bang for your buck – This year, tickets were $35 and although the price has increased a little over the years, the event is still an really good deal. When you check in at 5 p.m., you receive a small wine tasting glass, a map of all Old Town businesses participating in the Walkabout and 20 tickets, which get you one wine tasting a piece. At each participating location, there is usually one white and one red wine to try, as well as several appetizers to sample. So, for a bargain price, you can taste up to 20 wines and get a very satisfied belly.
2. Experiencing new spots in Old Town – When I go to Old Town on a typical Friday or Saturday night, I rarely stray from my favorite bar, Mort’s. However, the Walkabout forces me outside of my comfort zone, and over the years I’ve discovered great places that I might not have tried otherwise, like Playa Azul.
3. (Usually) gorgeous weather – Generally, the fourth Thursday in April is a beautiful day, which makes the event all the more enjoyable. It only rained one year of the past seven, but even that didn’t stop us from having a great time.
4. Live music – You can hear everything from jam bands to blues to banjos as you walk around Old Town, and it definitely adds to the spirit of the event. I’ve seen more than one Walkabout attendee break into the some spontaneous dancing in Old Town square.
5. Helps a good cause - Finally, and probably most importantly, the event benefits the Guadalupe Clinic, which is a free clinic that serves the working poor in Wichita. I don’t know about you, but if I can channel my love for vino into helping a deserving organization, I’ll gladly do it.
Unfortunately, the Walkabout is already sold out for this year (there are only 900 tickets available and they go FAST), but you can still buy tickets for the tasting at Century II on Saturday, April 24. Also, you might try hanging around Old Town on the 22nd – you never know who might have a ticket or two to get rid of. Check back for pictures from the Walkabout, and if you missed out this year, be sure to mark your calendars for 2011. See you there!
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Reading this makes me sad. I wasn’t one of the lucky ones this year, and I’m so jealous of all 900 of you.
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