Embodying a classic small town charm and wide assortment of great activities, Egg Harbor, Wisconsin, is one of the ultimate places for any summer getaway. When staying in world famous Door County, you’ll be treated to picture perfect views, unmatched accommodations and popular community events and festivals.
When it comes to things to do in Egg Harbor and Door County, there is enough here to fill a few of your upcoming vacations. Perched right on the shores of Green Bay, the blue water, pristine beaches and lush vegetation welcome you to the area. The public parks and recreation areas here are second to none. They are clean, well maintained, scenic and ready for all of your outdoor activities. The city’s location right on the water gives you the chance to take boat tours, enjoy a variety of watersports, and so much more. If you're a fan of golf, Egg Harbor and the surrounding communities are home to multiple championship level courses, that are perfect for golfers of all skill levels. You’ll find an assortment of restaurants in town that serve up an impressive selection of culinary delights that will appeal to anyone. Last but not least, the events and festivals here are world class. From holiday themed celebrations to unique community gatherings, Egg Harbor has it all. A new festival gaining popularity locally and nationally is the Door County Wine Fest, which will be held on June 25th.
While this may only be the first year of the Door County Wine Fest, it has already become a highly anticipated event. This adults only festival is intended to showcase all the great wines and winemakers of Door County. You’ll be able sample a variety of great vintages and meet new people. Aside from the wine, there will be some of Wisconsin's finest cheeses to sample, as well as live music and poetry being performed on multiple stages. Kyle Cherek from Wisconsin Public Television will be on hand putting on fun and informative food demonstrations. If all this activity works up a hunger, there will be food at the festival and you’ll find great restaurants in close proximity. Scenery, delicious wine, friendly people...this festival will have it all! Come down and see for yourself at the Door County Wine Fest. ResortsandLodges.com got the opporutnity to speak to Jeff Larson, President of the Egg Harbor Business Association, to talk about this unique festival.
RAL: Tell me a little bit about the event.
JL: 2016 marks the inaugural year of the Door County Wine Fest. Our event is a celebration of high-quality, “Made in Door County” wine products. The Door County Wine Trail Group and Egg Harbor Business Association have partnered to bring you a viticulture and entertainment extravaganza. The event features four musical stages, with an assortment of eight bands performing live. Also, we will feature a poetry stage, where nine poets will be sharing their work during readings that will take place from 2-5:00 pm.
While we don't have any previous numbers to judge attendance, we have pre-sold 2,200 tickets and are expecting more than 4,000 people to attend. This is an alcohol-based festival, so it is a distinctly adult event. Ages cover the full range, from 21 to 81.
RAL: What makes this event unique?
JL: It is centrally-located in Door County, and the festival features the eight wineries from just our county. Plus, our event takes place at the beautiful Harbor View Park that is overlooking the sparkling waters of the Bay of Green Bay. There is not a better setting for an event like ours.
RAL: Take me through what attendees can expect during a day at the event.
JL: You can wander around and meet a lot of fun new people who are also out to have a good time. In addition, you’ll get the opportunity to taste a couple wines, talk to the winemakers, and have a snack or sit down for a gourmet meal. Also, we will have some great live music to listen to while you enjoy the scenic surroundings. The overall atmosphere of the festival will have you thinking, “it doesn’t get any better than this”. Plus, there’s plenty of time to visit a couple more wineries, check out the other bands, visit a few of the unique shops, and just relax.
Overall our activities will include wine tasting, plenty of food at and around the festival, a great variety of music from various genres, unique shopping opportunities, poetry reading and sampling some of Wisconsin's finest cheeses.
RAL: Will there be any guest appearances?
JL: Yes, Kyle Cherek, co-host of Wisconsin Foodie (Wisconsin Public Television show) will conduct two food demonstrations. We will also have some great talks by Wisconsin cheese makers.
RAL: What can an attendee expect to find for local lodging?
JL: Door County offers a full range of lodging options to choose from, including everything from B&B’s to full-service resorts. While we don't have any lodging specials setup for this year, we do know that Egg Harbor lodging fills up quickly this time of year. You may end up booking lodging in other communities in the area such as: Fish Creek, Sturgeon Bay, Ephraim, etc.
RAL: What does the event mean to the community?
JL: Events like ours bring many new people to the area. With online ticket sales so far, we have people coming from at least 22 states, as well as Mexico. This is a great event to get out, see our beautiful community and meet people. The event will also benefit the community by driving extra people to the local businesses. A conservative estimate for this years festival is that it will introduce more than $250,000 into the local economy.
RAL: Does the event support a special cause in the community?
JL: All of our volunteers represent a non-profit. These individuals indicated which non-profit that they wanted to sign up to help, and the non-profits are paid for the number of man hours volunteered. For example, this year we have 10 people coming from the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, there are 16 people from the Friends of Whitefish Dunes, there are seven people from the Door County History Museum, five people from Birch Creek Music Performance Center, and the list goes on. There are a dozen non-profits represented, and the Egg Harbor Business Association (EHBA) will pay out more than $14,000 to these non-profit organizations this year. The event impacts many people in the area.
RAL: Why should people come to your event?
JL: This will be memorable, enjoyable and one large party, held in a completely relaxed environment. Our event is perfect as a vacation destination or a fun day trip, we really have something for everyone. It’s going to be a whole lot of wine lovers getting together to enjoy Door County wines in beautiful Egg Harbor.
For more information about the Door County Wine Fest, please visit their website.