Festival of Grapes and Hops draws thousands to Old Towne: View gallery

Kristi K. Higgins, Petersburg Progress-Index
Updated ·2 min read

PETERSBURG — The annual Festival of Grapes and Hops held at Old Towne Petersburg Harbor Festival Park on the final day of September had a great turnout.

"Indulging in a fusion of flavors and melodies, the Festival of Grapes and Hops mesmerized 3700 attendees with an exquisite blend of expanded wineries, breweries, ciders and meads," John Brandt, Southern Virginia Regional Chamber of Commerce executive director, said.

I popped into the event for the first time 90 minutes before the event ended at 6 p.m. Festivalgoers sampled beverages, shopped, threw axes, smoked cigars, danced and mingled. I spotted my hairdresser Bethany Morris having a good time.

Darius Christian of Suffolk totes a variety of craft beer, cider, mead and wine he purchased at the 2023 Festival of Grapes and Hops in Petersburg.
Darius Christian of Suffolk totes a variety of craft beer, cider, mead and wine he purchased at the 2023 Festival of Grapes and Hops in Petersburg.

Dr. Nicole Brown of Chester of The Nurse Dolls attended Festival of Grapes and Hops for the fourth or fifth time.

"I really liked the new location. It's very enjoyable and with lots of vendors and lots of wine," Brown said. "It’s almost the end of the program, and we’re still enjoying wine and beer and all the good stuff as it’s 'wine-ding' down."

Meka Smith, a Festival of Grapes and Hops fan, is happy the event takes place in her hometown.

"It was a great time with great wineries and great beers. We tried mead for the first time, and we're fans. Nice selection of vendors and food trucks," Smith said. "We met people that were strangers but ended up friends. We need this in Petersburg."

"Local artist Carrie Brockwell and Soul Unlimited added an extra touch of magic, leaving the crowd enthralled and yearning for more," Brandt said. "It was a celebration that truly tantalized the senses."

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— Kristi K. Higgins aka The Social Butterfly, an award-winning columnist, is the trending topics and food Q&A reporter at The Progress-Index voted the 2022 Tri-Cities Best of the Best Social Media Personality. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Contact Kristi (she, her) at khiggins@progress-index.com, follow @KHiggins_PI on Twitter @socialbutterflykristi on Instagram.

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This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Petersburg: Festival of Grapes and Hops draws thousands, view gallery