Wine on the Beach, the beloved annual summer festival celebrating the regional industry, will be returning to the Ocean City Inlet September 6-7. As always, the festival will feature unique artisans and crafters, popular Delmarva food specialties and flip flop favorites performing on the oceanfront stage.
What to Expect
2024 sees the return of St. Michael’s Winery after an absence of several years. The Eastern Shore vineyard is a particular favorite due to the many varieties they offer.
Broken Spoke, from Earleville Maryland, who will be dispensing samples from their vintage horse drawn cart.
Picnicking in the sand, with bottles of wines and a group of friends and family, has always been a major attraction of this festival. Listening to music, dancing and singing are two natural extensions of the merriment.
This year, perennial favorites Bird Dog and the Road Kings will bring back their rockabilly rolling to the beach festival both days. They will be followed Friday by misspent youth, a popular party rock band that energizes docks and piers throughout Maryland and the mid-Atlantic. Saturday, Salisbury classic rock band Tranzfusion will provide the stage entertainment after Bird Dog.
Dress Up and Party!
First time Wine on the Beach guests quickly pick up on their fellow revelers, who are frequently in coordinated outfits, even costumes. They travel in clusters, sometimes as large as twenty. They are all ages (yes, non-drinking children are welcome with adults) and all focused. They carry beach towels, pull carts and pack coolers for the beach.
As these good times have evolved, Wine of the Beach has become an annual reunion or special occasion for numerous groups. You can expect to see at least one bachelorette procession of bridesmaids, families with matching t-shirts, ladies of a certain age in outrageous hats and pink tutus and a girlfriends weekend in progress. Some frat boys and long lost sorority sisters, and friends and neighbors who get together for final weekend at the beach.
Will Call and Purchase
The beach atmosphere features picnic tables, benches and chairs, clustered around the stage and vendor areas. Guests are welcome to bring their own umbrellas, chairs, tables and wagons.
As before, wine purchases may be stored in Will-Call and picked up at nearby exit station.
” Wine on the Beach is fun and educational for wine-loving couples or individuals, ” said Chris Nokes, festival coordinator for over 29 years. “We’ve found the comradery enjoyed by our groups to be quite rewarding. Having unlimited samples available, they share notes, identify favorites, buy bottles to enjoy on the beach and cases to take home for future festivities.”
Ms. Nokes continued, “We see some of the same groups year after year. They like to dance.”Live entertainment will run both days, so there will be plenty of opportunities to dance and sing. “It wouldn’t be Wine of the Beach without it,” noted Ms. Nokes .
“We are delighted with our music lineup for this year’s Wine on the Beach,” Ms Nokes added. “We offer an array of music styles and tastes, with something for everyone to enjoy as they picnic on the beach.”
For further information about Wine of the Beach, Contact Chris Nokes at (410) 280-3306. Visit website at www.winefest.com
