The ninth annual Great Northwest Wine Fest will be September 22, 2018, at North Griffith Park in Mound City, Missouri. Plans are all coming together nicely for this annual event, to be held from 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the north end of Mound City next to Mound City Development Corporation’s lavish vineyards.

Several award-winning wines will be featured amongst the participating wineries at the event.

Once again this year great entertainment will keep the crowd in tune to the day’s activities. Music will fill the air on stage located close to the beautiful vineyards to include: Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra a/k/a Ben Johnson, Stanberry (an Elvis and Sinatra impersonator); Halle Kearnes, Kansas City; Esther Laurie Rardon & Trent, Gladstone; Devon and Mikaela Sons, Rock Port; The Saranades from Mound City; an Atchison County Gals Quartet; and Mike Goff Broken Spoke Band, Burlington Junction. Tables and chairs will be available close to the stage, or bring your own lawn chair.

This is Northwest Missouri Enterprise Facilitation’s biggest fundraiser and the committee is pleased with the increase in new wines and wineries featured, additional new vendor booths, the variety of foods being offered, and some more outstanding talent to be shared throughout the day.

Wineries scheduled to be present are: Baltimore Bend Winery, Waverly; Grindstone Valley Winery, Osborn; Jowler Creek Winery, Platte City; Ladoga Ridge Winery, Smithville; Terre Beau Winery, Dover; Tipple Hill Winery, Easton; Top Hat Winery, Independence; Weston Wine Company, Weston; Windy Wine Company, Osborn; and VOX Winery of Kansas City. Each winery has their own unique tastes and grape varieties, specialty wines, and some are made with Mound City’s grapes.

The food booths that will be presenting their delights are: The Enchilada Lady, Oregon, Mexican goodies; the Grillers of Savannah’s Knights of Columbus, burgers, brats and dogs; Hy-Vee, Maryville, cheese plates, fruit and soups; and Smokin’ Hawgs BBQ, Helena, and S & S BBQ, St Joseph, brisket, baby back ribs, and pulled pork. The Klub, Mound City, will have a full bar in the shelter house.

A large variety of artisan booths will be distributed around the park. Several new vendors will be on hand this year, offering items such as clothing, handcrafted jewelry, wine and home decorative items, fall flowers, pumpkins, yard art, health products, purses and bags, photography, artwork, baked goods, jams, jellies, honey, candles, and much more.

Northwest Missouri Enterprise Facilitation (NWMI) board members are also offering a large raffle giveaway of a “Wine Cellar Basket,” a large basket of wines furnished by the wineries. A 50/50 raffle is also being held with the winner taking half of the proceeds. The winners of either raffle need not be present to win.

Entry fee this year is $25 a person for all adults and minors, and $5 for children 10 and under. Adults 21 and older will receive an etched glass and unlimited samplings. Everyone will show photo ID/drivers license and wear a wristband.

Proceeds from the Wine Fest event go toward the continuation of NWMI’s business coaching in Atchison, Andrew, Gentry, Holt, Nodaway, and Worth counties. Keli Morris, facilitator, assists in starting up new businesses and entrepreneurships. Over 130 businesses have been started and most retained in the last 12 years in Northwest Missouri.

For more information or questions concerning this event, contact Marilyn Alldredge, Wine Event coordinator, 660-744-3146. Pre-sale tickets are available online at www.nwmef.org and will provide a quicker entry to the event. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate.