BERKELEY – A wine festival featured local companies’ newest flavors while a neighboring car show brought out vehicles of a much older vintage.
Seven wineries were listed as having booths at the Sip In Autumn Wine Festival held in Veterans Park. Patrons paid at a booth near the entrance if they wanted to sample, and then they were able to make the rounds.
There was only a charge if you wanted to taste the wines. It was free to wander around the field to check out the vendors. Many of them sold hand-made crafts like birdhouses or jewelry. People were also selling clothes and collectables.
Several booths had good things to eat at the festival – or take home. There were also food trucks. As it was a fall day, there were also warm drinks that could be purchased. The Goldenseal band played classic rock songs and other hits. People brought chairs to listen.
The wine festival took up most of the field in front of the bandshell at Veterans Park. Behind the row of wineries was a car show. There were dozens of cars from various decades stretched out in two long rows.
Al Dompieri, who ran the car show as part of Jersey Shore Car Shows, said that every event like this serves a lot of purposes. It’s a social occasion, where fans of cars can gather, and it’s a contest, but it’s also a fundraiser. This particular one helped Vetworks in Lacey.
Tom Kiselow, executive director of Vetworks, said events like this are crucial for spreading the word about what the group does.
A car show is fitting, since one of the things they do is give free transportation for veterans who have to go to medical appointments. They also help veterans with services related to housing, shelter, disability claims, acquisition of records, and referrals. They also have a food pantry just for veterans. Their building is located at 103 North Main Street in Lacey, and the building is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For information, visit Vetwork.org or call 609-971-7613.
