Wine Festival to broaden its appeal

By: J. Leslie Riseden

Special Contributor to

The Steel Country Bee

As the organizers of the Avinger Wine Festival count down to their fourth annual event, they are taking steps to reach a wider audience.

The Avinger Wine Festival will be held Saturday, Sep. 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., at the corner of Church and Pine, just off Texas Hwy 49, in the heart of Avinger. The festival is an annual fundraiser put on by the CRESS Community Foundation. “This is our second year in the new location,“ said CRESS Executive Director Elaine Moulton. “One of the distinct advantages of this site is that we have plenty of parking and open space. This is a perfect venue to expand the number and variety of attract tions.”

Admission to the festival is free. Visitors can stroll the grounds and visit over two dozen vendor booths featuring artisan foods and crafts. Local emcee Mike Gilmore will provide music throughout the day, and there will be live performances by local entertainers. The Wine Garden (admission $5) will feature 14 Texas wineries, with selections available for purchase by the taste, by the glass or by the bottle. Seating is available both in the vendor area and within the Wine Garden.

A rather eclectic group of food artisans will feature such varied delectables as funnel cakes and fried pickles, homemade ice cream and sugar-free cotton candy, rotisserie chicken, shrimp, steak bites and artisan goat cheese. Craft vendors include offerings in jewelry, wood crafts, stained glass and candles as well as more uncommon items like Amish furniture, leather works, salsa and preserves, mosaics, herb-infused olive oils and antler objets d’art.

CRESS Community Foundation is a non-profit 503c organization serving the Avinger area. Its mission is to raise money for projects that will make a difference in the community. “Everything we do is a fundraiser,“ said CRESS Director Ronnie Politi. “One of the things people are often surprised to learn, though, is that every cent we raise stays right here in the Avinger area.” CRESS developed Avinger’s Little Free Library program, and assisted the 1936 Study Club on its project to upgrade the Avinger Community Park. “We also have an annual scholarship program,“ said Moulton, “which we call ‘In the Arts.’ Every year, we make donations to students who show promise in some aspect of the arts -- dance, theater, art, music, etc. We also offer assistance throughout the year with purchasing supplies, equipment, and even dedicated training classes.”

With their combined years of experience in marketing, management, event planning and accounting, the CRESS team takes their mission seriously. As each festival closes, with barely a chance to catch their breath, they begin working on next year’s event. They pore over comments from vendors and visitors alike, making changes for the next year. In recent years, such input has led to improvements in parking, signage, seating, festival layout and advertising.

Acceptance has come slowly from the citizens of Avinger, though. It has been primarily through persistence that CRESS has finally convinced long-time residents of their commitment to making a difference. Now, not only are some of those residents on board, they have accepted the organizers’ annual invitation to play an active role in the planning and promoting of the festival. “Avinger is our home,“ as Politi put it, “and we want to help the city grow and prosper. So many people tell us what a charming, familyfriendly city we have, and we want local residents and business owners alike to reap the benefits of that reputation by drawing more visitors to events like the annual Avinger Wine Festival.”

“We have so many ideas for the future,“ said Director Shelby Trimble. “We would like to attract a wider audience to the Wine Festival, and we are constantly thinking about additional vendors and activities that would appeal to a broader crosssection of visitors.” Director Sue Maxinoski would like to add speakers on wine pairings, for example, and cooking/ vendor demonstrations. Moulton and Politi are also in communication with northeast Texas car show enthusiasts, and are hopeful this will be added to the list of attractions at the festival this year.

“We think we have an exceptional event here,“ said Moulton. “We take pride in the special services we provide to our vendors, as well as the effort we expend to create a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. This is our biggest single fundraiser every year, and it permits us to continue making positive contributions to the Avinger area. We invite everyone to come join us Sep.17 for this annual celebration of wine, food, art and music.” For more information, visit www.avingerwinefestival.com.