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Sunday, January 10, 2010

Oregon Wine, Brew & Food Festival Musings

Posted by KandN
Here's a slideshow from our night at the wine, brew and food fest.

N and I arrived sometime around 6 PM.  The parking lot across the street from the "Americraft" building was about two thirds full.  We hadn't purchased tickets in advance and were disappointed to see the VIP packages were all sold out.  It hadn't occurred to us that we might need cash for admission.  So after depleting the dollars we did have (to get in) we had to visit the $2.50 fee ATM.
Overall, I'd say the Ingalls are on the right track.  The booths that were added to the mix were more along the line of what you'd expect to see at the Greens Show or Holiday Market.  After toting our food the length of the building to enjoy the live music while we ate, I wondered if the food booths would be better placed at the same end.  It was nice to see so many tables set-up with table cloths for eating.
Yay for Pale Horse, Seven Brides and Gilgamesh for joining the festival!  Great addition!
Now to get the word out.  We'll be back next year and hope a few more Salem wineries will give the festival a chance, too.
Did you go?  If so what did you think?
at 11:08 AM
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5 comments:

  1. I'd love to hear from someone who had the VIP tickets. Some friends and I were debating whether to go or not but couldn't quite figure out how much it was going to cost us. The details on the website were unclear. Did the $25 VIP tix include unlimited tastings? I mean... beer, and wine? With those tickets did you get to try wines from each vendor, or was there some limit?

    And for those of you with $10 tickets, how much did you pay for tastings, and for food? I'm curious because we'd love to go next year if it won't break the bank. Times are a lot leaner for a lot of us, still!

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  2. N and I paid anywhere from 3 tastes for a dollar to a dollar a taste. One winery didn't charge and none of the breweries charged.
    Our meals from Canby Asparagus Farms cost $6.50 and $7.50 apiece (if I remember correctly). For the two of us, we probably went through $50 total for 3+ hours of entertainment.

    Last year tickets cost $12 with no VIP package available. And it seems like we had to pay for parking.
    In comparison, the 2009 Brew Festival at Oregon Gardens charged $15 admission and $5 for parking (admission included glass mug and 6 tasting tickets).
    How much admission do you think is fair? Would you like to see other admission options? I'm sure the Ingalls are interested in hearing.

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  3. We attended this year, kind of giving it one last chance. We had a great time, enjoyed the variety, there was plenty of food, plenty of live music. We did the $10 ticket price, but may look into the VIP for next year.
    The new organizers did a good job and I hope it was a good experience for the vendors.

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  4. I think the admission price is very fair; I just really wanted details on what exactly the admission price provides. The website and any other information from the Statesman or other sources just weren't completely clear. For example, I dont know if it's kosher or not but maybe having the wineries, breweries and creameries state on the website what they might be charging for tastes so you know ahead of time. I don't know. Like you said some didn't charge at all. That would have been awesome to know -- that with the $10 we could still taste some without an extra cost.

    The meals sound very fairly priced, and the tastings seem like a good price too. I was just curious what you could get included in the VIP ticket. I think of a Sunday visit to some wineries, which some friends and I love to do, and generally we'll pay $5 admission per person and that gets anywhere from 3 - 12 tastings, depending. Some charge $10 and give you a glass. I was trying to gauge from that perspective the relative cost. I don't care as much for the hokey art or musical groups; we just love getting more familiar with northwestern wine country! We'd love to go next year. Thanks for the details.

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  5. Wow - we so appreciate the great ideas and suggestions and support. Thanks and keep those ideas coming - we'll keep working at it! We know it took a few years to bring it down - we're in for the long run to bring it back! Thank you!
    Jill Ingalls

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