Make the Most of Your Wine & Food Festival Experience with These Tips and Tidbits

PHOTO COURTESY South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival

The 2018 South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival takes place April 26-29 in Grand Boulevard’s Town Center. We’ve put together festival tips to help make your festival experience easy, safe and fun.

Plan ahead! With more than 800 wines being poured (and dozens of spirits!) to taste, plan for your “can’t miss” tents. You can see all the wines and their locations within the festival updated on the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival website about a month before the event.

Speaking of planning ahead – be sure to dress for the outdoors and that means hats, sunscreen and comfortable shoes. Dress up or dress down and keep it beach chic or resort casual.

Be sure to check out the tasting seminar schedule before the festival so that you can arrive in time to get a seat. They are part of the Saturday and Sunday Grand Tasting ticket and seating is first come, first serve. Attendees not only learn about the wines and spirits; they get to be the only ones to taste them since they are not usually poured anywhere else at the festival. VIP ticket holders will have some reserved seating, also first come, first serve.

Chase your wine with water! Hydrate is our mantra!

Bring your ID please. If you don’t have an ID, we can’t put a wristband on you and if you don’t have a wristband you cannot enter any tasting tents. ☹

SPONGE. As in eat before you taste and snack throughout on delicious festival food. An empty stomach is not your friend.

Parking will be at a premium during the festival. The smartest thing to do is to taxi, uber, call 654-LIMO (our sponsor!) or have someone drop you off. Car sharing is encouraged! VIP ticket holders have reserved parking.

Heads up – new VIP 3-day tickets replace the previous individual VIP Tasting tickets. The new 3-day tickets get you in every festival event, except Thursday’s Winemakers & Shakers. Swag bags, Riedels, VIP air-conditioned lounge, reserved parking and seminar seating will make your VIP festival experience convenient and easy.

Stay cool and enjoy the misters at the Silver Sands Premium Outlet Cool Down Zones!

Grand Boulevard’s Town Center is 100% open during the festival for shoppers and diners. Streets are open to pedestrian traffic only over the weekend. Festival wristbands must be worn to enter any tent or taste any food or drinks.

Service animals only in the Savor South Walton Culinary Village, thanks!

Ladies, carry a cross body purse and keep your hands free for holding your wine glass.

Be sure to ask and learn from the wonderful people pouring for you – they are knowledgeable wine and spirits industry professionals!

Follow us on social media for breaking news about the festival. www.facebook.com/sowalwine.com; www.instagram.com/sowalwine.com; www.twitter.com/sowalwine.com.
The festival takes place rain or shine.

VIP 3-day tickets, Friday night and Saturday Grand Tasting tickets are selling briskly so don’t wait until the last minute.

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