From Dallas Express · Dallas Express · · 1m 30s
GrapeFest turns 40 on Grapevine's Main Street
Four days of Texas wine, blind tastings and carnival rides, with free admission if you show up early.
In brief
Four days of Texas wine, blind tastings and carnival rides, with free admission if you show up early. Go Thursday or before 5 p.m. Friday and general admission costs nothing, but wine tastings are always a separate ticket. Originally reported by Dallas Express.
Forty years on Main Street
The 40th annual GrapeFest runs Thursday, September 17 through Sunday, September 20 on Grapevine's Historic Main Street, which closes to cars for the whole four days.
Get in free if you're early
General admission is free all day Thursday and until 5 p.m. Friday. After that it's $12 for adults, $6 for kids 6 to 12 and seniors 62 and up, or $25 for a weekend pass.
Doors at 11, closing varies
Gates open at 11 a.m. daily. Closing is 10 p.m. Thursday, 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 6 p.m. Sunday. Free entry does not cover wine tastings or carnival rides.
You judge the Texas wines
The People's Choice Wine Tasting Classic hands guests a reference guide and a ballot to score Texas wines across 10 categories at 705 S. Main St.
“The People's Choice Wine Tasting Classic gives visitors a chance to sample Texas wines and vote for their favorites.”
What a tasting session costs
Seven regular 90-minute sessions run $28 in advance, $32 once the festival starts. Three VIP sessions cost $55 or $60. You must be 21. Winners are announced Sunday at 5 p.m.
France versus Napa, again
The International Wine Experience pours from France, Napa Valley and Grapevine's sister cities, with a blind tasting marking 50 years since Napa beat France in the 1976 Judgment of Paris.
The takeaway
Go Thursday or before 5 p.m. Friday and general admission costs nothing, but wine tastings are always a separate ticket.
