Springfield, Missouri, may not be the obvious choice for your next winter vacation, but the city stands ready to deliver a great vacation experience with a multitude of activities and events. Commonly known as the “Heart of the Ozarks”, Springfield is a warm and welcoming community with over 450,000 residents. The surrounding area is postcard-like and provides a great backdrop for your getaway with rolling hills, plentiful wildlife, lush woodlands, lakes, and streams. The arts and culture of Springfield are on display for everyone to enjoy, with bright murals that accent local buildings, to the various galleries, live performances, and museums. Another highlight of this great city is its fine dining and culinary scene. You’ll find restaurants of all different styles and price ranges, ensuring that there is the perfect dining option for you. Missouri is also known far and wide for its brewing, and Springfield has a variety of wineries, breweries and distilleries for you to enjoy. One of the best ways to enjoy a unique selection of what this city has to offer is at the Beer, Wine, Cheese, and Chocolate Festival at the Ozark Empire Fair.
While Beer, Wine, Cheese, and Chocolate has only been held for four years now, it is fast becoming one of the most popular events for adult groups and couples in the state. The event is held at the Ozark Empire Fair, giving you plenty of room to mingle and sample. At the event, you’ll have the opportunity to sample the libations and adult beverages from many of the region's finest producers. The festival features some of the top chefs in the region. Their culinary creations will make your mouth water and are perfectly paired with the appropriate drinks to give you a fantastic culinary experience. In addition to the food and drink, live music will be played for all to enjoy, and you’ll even get the opportunity to participate in demonstrations from many of the chefs and brewers. This is the perfect event to get rid of cabin fever and sample some of the finest food and drink in Missouri. Grab your better half and call your friends because it's hard to find a event with this much to offer! We got the opportunity to talk to Stephanie Inglett of the Ozark Empire Fair to talk about this great event.
RAL: Tell me a little bit about the event.
SI: This is the fourth year we have had this event. Every year we see the event grow and hope to continue it for many more years. Every year we see between 1,500 and 1,800 participants. However, as the years go one we plan to bring in more connoisseurs to help boost the event. Typically, you will see a lot of couples or groups of friends. Since there is alcohol being served, it is not exactly a family-friendly event.
RAL: What makes this event unique?
SI: What makes the Beer, Wine, Cheese, and Chocolate Festival unique is the vendors that come as well as the people who attend. We see people from all over Missouri, and on occasion other states, creating a diverse group of people that come together to enjoy a wonderful festival. Also, the vendors are mostly local, so it is really interesting to see some people you may know and get to support their business.
RAL: Take me through the activities of a typical day at the event.
SI: Walking through the festival you will experience and have the opportunity to taste many different kinds of craft beer, wine, cheese and chocolate from over 65 vendors. Guests can also shop at the festival for a variety of products, helping local businesses grow. We will also have live entertainment, seminars on beer, wine, and cheese, and cooking demonstrations from some of Springfield’s top chefs.
RAL: What can attendees expect to find for local lodging?
SI: One of our event sponsors is the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Oasis Convention Center. This is a beautiful property that includes an indoor and outdoor pool, free hot breakfast, free wireless internet, free shuttle service (shuttles must be arranged ahead of time), and newly renovated rooms. It is also conveniently located 10 minutes away from the fairgrounds. Most of our guests are local, so there is no need for hotel rooms, but a lot of guests that need accommodations lean towards the Ramada Plaza Hotel.
RAL: What does the event mean to the community?
SI: This event is great for the local economy. Since a majority of our vendors are local, this event gives them a place to market and sell their products. It also helps them create lifelong customers because you can actually meet with the brew masters or wineries and talk to them about their product and how it is made.
Our event also donates a portion of proceeds to the American Cancer Society. This organization is one that is near and dear to many of us and we are more than happy to donate in the fight against cancer!
RAL: Why should people come to your festival?
SI: This event is a great way to really learn about beer, wine, cheese, and chocolate. Many events host tastings, but here you can talk to the people actually making the product and learn from them as you taste. It is a great event, filled with people who have a common love for the four categories, and it is a great way to make new memories with loved ones or friends.
For more information about the event, please visit their website.