Mary Bellando of Wines by Joe is always happy to share her knowledge of wineIf you like wine, or if you like seafood (I happen to love both), there is only one place to be next weekend: The 33rd Annual Newport Seafood and Wine Festival.
The Oregon coast will be buzzing with activity next weekend for one of Newport’s busiest weekends of the year. The Newport Seafood and Wine Festival is one of the biggest and most well attended festivals of its kind in the Northwest taking place the last weekend of every February.
The festival is produced by the Newport Chamber of Commerce and will have a multitude of craft vendors selling anything from pottery to jewelry, art to wine accessories. Even if you’re not a fan of seafood and wine the people watching and craft vendors might make it worth your while.
The food at the festival is about as fresh as it comes, from the crab dinners, freshly shucked Yaquina Bay Oysters, to the fabulous and famous clam chowder from Newport Café. There are also vendors selling products like the garlic stuffed olives from the Garlic Gourmay, and packaged smoked salmon that you can take home with you.
Perhaps the biggest draw though is the wine; the festival has over 60 wineries with the chance to taste hundreds of wines from all across the state. It’s the opportunity to sample Pinot Noirs (Oregon’s premier grape) from different regions, side by side. Don’t like red wine? That’s ok, the festival has Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris and some sparkling wines for those who like their bubbly. Rogue Brewery will also be pouring beer for those who aren’t interested in wine, and there is even a booth serving Sake.
Tickets can be purchased for $25 for the three day pass, or you can buy tickets for each day, Sunday’s price is as low as five dollars. Tickets can be purchased on-line at http://www.newportchamber.org/, or purchased at the event, just be expected to wait in a long line if purchasing tickets at the door.
According to a volunteer they are expecting around 15,000 people for this year’s event.
Shuttle service runs frequently from many locations which is recommended as parking can be a nightmare. Some things you might want to consider; take plenty of cash, last year there were only two ATM’s and people were waiting in line for hours to take cash out, drink plenty of water, it can get a little muggy in the tents and you’ve got a full day of drinking in front of you. Expect large crowds, this is a very busy event and the tents will be packed and the atmosphere is just short of a frenzy. Every time a glass hits the ground the crowd erupts in cheers, this is standard practice.
So if you’re looking for something to do next weekend take a trip down to the Oregon coast and try out some local flavors, do some people watching and maybe try out some new wine, and don’t forget about the chowder.
The Oregon coast will be buzzing with activity next weekend for one of Newport’s busiest weekends of the year. The Newport Seafood and Wine Festival is one of the biggest and most well attended festivals of its kind in the Northwest taking place the last weekend of every February.
The festival is produced by the Newport Chamber of Commerce and will have a multitude of craft vendors selling anything from pottery to jewelry, art to wine accessories. Even if you’re not a fan of seafood and wine the people watching and craft vendors might make it worth your while.
The food at the festival is about as fresh as it comes, from the crab dinners, freshly shucked Yaquina Bay Oysters, to the fabulous and famous clam chowder from Newport Café. There are also vendors selling products like the garlic stuffed olives from the Garlic Gourmay, and packaged smoked salmon that you can take home with you.
Perhaps the biggest draw though is the wine; the festival has over 60 wineries with the chance to taste hundreds of wines from all across the state. It’s the opportunity to sample Pinot Noirs (Oregon’s premier grape) from different regions, side by side. Don’t like red wine? That’s ok, the festival has Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris and some sparkling wines for those who like their bubbly. Rogue Brewery will also be pouring beer for those who aren’t interested in wine, and there is even a booth serving Sake.
Tickets can be purchased for $25 for the three day pass, or you can buy tickets for each day, Sunday’s price is as low as five dollars. Tickets can be purchased on-line at http://www.newportchamber.org/, or purchased at the event, just be expected to wait in a long line if purchasing tickets at the door.
According to a volunteer they are expecting around 15,000 people for this year’s event.
Shuttle service runs frequently from many locations which is recommended as parking can be a nightmare. Some things you might want to consider; take plenty of cash, last year there were only two ATM’s and people were waiting in line for hours to take cash out, drink plenty of water, it can get a little muggy in the tents and you’ve got a full day of drinking in front of you. Expect large crowds, this is a very busy event and the tents will be packed and the atmosphere is just short of a frenzy. Every time a glass hits the ground the crowd erupts in cheers, this is standard practice.
So if you’re looking for something to do next weekend take a trip down to the Oregon coast and try out some local flavors, do some people watching and maybe try out some new wine, and don’t forget about the chowder.
Newport Cafe's famous Clam Chowder
At a glance:
What: Newport Seafood and Wine Festival
When: Feb. 26,27,28
Where:The South Beach Marina Parking Lot, near the Rogue Ales Warehouse, 2320 OSU Drive, just south of downtown Newport.
21 and over only
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