Niagara Wine & Culinary Festival returns to Lewiston

by Sarah Dollendorf

Enjoy a taste of all 17 of the Niagara Wine Trail wineries in one convenient setting at the fifth annual Wine & Culinary Festival on Saturday, July 27, and Sunday, July 28.

Located in the heart of the Village of Lewiston at Academy Park, the festival kicks off on Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. with live music by Triad - a group that covers acts such as Coldplay, Pink Floyd, Supertramp and Chicago. That's followed by a cooking demonstration presented by the NCCC Culinary Institute from 2 to 3 p.m. A wine talk will be held from 3 to 4 p.m., followed by an hour-long cheese demonstration.

The Lakeside Blues Band will inspire people to dance the night away through their classic rock and vocal-oriented blues songs as they carry out the last performance of the first day of the festival.

On Sunday, live '60s and '70s-inspired music by Nite Cruise will set the stage for the rest of the day, starting from noon to 2 p.m., with another cooking demonstration by the NCCC Culinary Institute following suit for the following hour.

From 3 to 4 p.m., an Italian pizzelle demo will be presented to all interested, and from 4 to 6 p.m., the Niagara Wine & Culinary Festival will keep the night alive with music from Varuna, presenting their Latin jazz and world music style.

Fare from local vendors such as Spring Lake Café, Hot Off the Press, Casa Antica, Molinaros Ristorante, Wilson House Restaurant and many more food, shop and farm markets will be showcased throughout the festival. This variety of different meals is not included in the wine tasting tickets, but can be purchased for an additional cost.

Buy your $25 advance tickets by July 26 and receive $5 in coupons for wine purchases at the festival. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.niagarawineandculinaryfestival.com.