ASHTABULA —
Music, wine and fish were all featured equally Saturday as the Wine and Walleye Fest kicked into full gear along Bridge Street.
“This is awesome ... It’s good to see something different going on here,” said Jeff Taylor who lives in Ashtabula Harbor. He said he was enjoying the wine and shopping at a variety of businesses and vending tents that lined Bridge Street and Goodwill Drive.
“Things are going well,” said Kathy Brewer who coordinated 95 volunteers to help make the event a reality. She said each person receives their exact job expectation by email prior to the event.
“After so many years it almost runs itself,” she said of the fourth Wine and Walleye Fest.
Brewer said a car show was a real boon to the event on Friday evening.
Car show coordinator Keith Bartlett said there were more than 200 cars on Bridge Street. “Antiques to brand new mustangs,” he said of the car show.
Bartlett said the show was scheduled to open at 6 p.m. and some cars arrived as early as mid afternoon. He said he coordinated the show to help support local vendors.
Saturday morning’s activities got rolling with a 5k run and a Guppie Race (half mile) for children. “It was very successful. We didn’t have any delays,” said Chris Stasny who coordinated the event that started on Bridge Street and ended at the Walnut Beach Concession Stand.
Amy Housel was busy selling merchandise to support the event and reported a brisk business.
Lynne Humphreys said she had a successful shopping trip. (I found) something I’ve been looking for a while,” she said of a kaleidoscope she found at a beach glass booth.
The event continues today with fish, music and a variety of other activities including $25 tours of the Ashtabula Lighthouse. Lighthouse committee member Debbie Santiana said people can buy tickets at their booth on Bridge Street and then be escorted to a boat and transported to the historic lighthouse.
Cheri Brown, and her daughter Jamie Stevens, both of Ashtabula, said the event was the perfect place to celebrate birthdays. Brown was celebrating her birthday and Stevens was getting the festivities going a few days early.
The pair were waiting in line at a fish vendor and hoping the wait was worth the time. “We ate here last year and it was good,” Brown said.
Mike DeFina, who runs a business on Bridge Street, said business was going well and the car show helped kick things off right Friday evening. He said many people that had never been to Ashtabula had nice things to say about the event and the area.
Alan Cordell, a transplanted Ashtabula area resident now living in Lakewood, said things were going well as he enjoyed music and a glass of wine.
“It seems like it gets bigger each year,” he said.
Numerous are wineries had space in a wine tent where people could try a variety of wines. John Emerine Jr., of Emerine Winery in the Jefferson area, was busy sampling a glass of wine from Old Mill Winery from the Geneva area.
“I have 55 wineries in my GPS and I patronize them all,” he said of the cooperative nature of wineries. He said the wineries are located in New York, Pennsylvania as well as Ohio.
The fun continues today with the fish fry and beer tents opening at noon and the entertainment gets rolling at 1 p.m. with Good Question featuring music from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s.
The boat parade awards ceremony will occur at 3 p.m. followed by the Ernest T. Band also featuring music from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.
Local News
Related Photos
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RON GREEN (left) and Al Bonnis of Miles Beyond play at the Wine and Walleye Fest Saturday on Ashtabula's Bridge Street. WARREN DILLAWAY
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THE WINE and Walleye Fest has taken over much of Ashtabula Harbor for the weekend. WARREN DILLAWAY
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LIZZ KALIL (far right) and Jeff Taylor (second from right) make the rounds at the Wine and Walleye Fest on Bridge Street in Ashtabula Saturday. WARREN DILLAWAY
Discussion
Harbor a bustle with Wine and Walleye fun
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