Downtown Crown Point bustled on Saturday, September 14, as hundreds descended on Bulldog Park for the city’s inaugural Wine Fest. The event featured live entertainment, local food, and wines, spirits, and other beverages from wineries and breweries across Indiana and beyond.
Crown Point has no shortage of festivals – particularly those celebrating the local brewery culture. One dedicated to wine, however, was not on the schedule until this year. By popular demand, the City got to work inviting local wineries, such as Aftermath, Running Vines, and Easley, as well as those from further out such as St. Julian, to the inaugural Wine Fest. They also secured live music by Frank Ruvoli, and Elton Jeff & The Honky Cats.
“We have had people asking for this type of event for a couple of years, especially since Bulldog Park is the host site for a local mead and brew fest,” Diana Bosse, Crown Point Special Events director, said. “We’re thrilled to offer this event for the first time this year, and we’re expecting a great turnout.”
The city sold nearly 600 tickets during its presale period, and attendees enjoyed more than 200 varietals to choose from. Each winery and beverage vendor set up their own table with an array of options, with 27 tables in total. Restaurants such as Tavern on Main, Provecho Latin Provisions, and Prime Steakhouse also offered their own fare.
“We love collaborating with our local business community any chance we can,” Bosse said. “Being able to include local Crown Point restaurants and breweries, as well as Northwest Indiana-based wineries is really exciting. We’re always looking for new ways to support our small business community, and we hope Wine Fest can be another great event they can add to their schedule every year.”
Bulldog Park and its flexible space have played a big role in allowing the city to run more events like the Wine Fest. Crown Point Mayor Pete Land hopes to continue adding to the event schedule.
“Over the past five years, Bulldog Park has become a hub of activity in Crown Point,” he said. “Every year, we try to add at least one new event for our community, and we see requests for new events every year. We take those suggestions to heart when planning for the next season. Bulldog Park’s growth symbolizes our growth as a community, and we look forward to seeing how Crown Point continues to grow.”
Off Square Brewing, one of Crown Point’s most popular breweries, rarely misses an event at Bulldog Park – and the Wine Fest was no exception. Rob Obringer, friend of Off Square’s owner, pours for the brewery at events.
“Something like this is great. It lets people get to know their favorite winery, brewery, or restaurant,” Obringer said. “We have our own festival – Beer, Bacon, and Bourbon – out here in August, but we come out here whenever the city asks because they’re great to partner with and always have been.”
His favorite part is the interactions with attendees, especially when they fall in love with a sample.
“It’s the best feeling when I get to go back and tell our brewers about the reactions,” Obringer said. “They know this stuff so well and put a lot of heart and care into it.”
With summer beginning to wind down, Crown Point’s upcoming schedule is still packed with events such as Oktoberfest on October 5. To learn more about the city and to keep up with all of its events, visit crownpoint.in.gov.
