Bouquet Of Music, Hint Of History, Lots Of Vino At Swiss Wine Festival

The 48th Swiss Wine Festival is happening in Vevay Thursday through Sunday.

Swiss Wine Festival photo

(Vevay, Ind.) - The Swiss Wine Festival begins its four-day run, August 22-25, at Paul Ogle Riverfront Park in Vevay today.

Wine has been a part of Switzerland County since before the county was officially established in 1814. John James Dufour immigrated from Vevey (yes, spelled differently), Switzerland and settled in Indiana. The Dufours planted a vineyard and began producing wine in 1806 or 1807. Local historians call it the first successful commercial winery in the United States.

The Dufours ceased producing win in the 1850s. But, a celebration of Vevay’s sesquicentennial in 1963 led to the creation of the Swiss Wine Festival five years later.

Now in its 48th year, the popular festival includes 100 varieties of wine from a dozen Indiana wineries. They include Best Vineyards, Buck Creek, Carousel, Cedar Creek, Ertel Cellars, French Lick, Harmony, Holtkamp, Indian Creek, The Ridge, Windy Knoll, and Winzerwald. Winemakers will be present to showcase their wines and answer questions.

Tickets to the wine tasting pavilion – open Friday through Sunday – are $20 for guests 21 and older. The price includes wine and cheese samples, plus a souvenir wine glass.

A fun tradition of grape stomping is a signature part of the festival. In fact, the Swiss Wine Festival brags the Midwest Championship Grape Stomp.

Gate admission to the festival is free on Thursday. Friday and Saturday admission is $7 per adult, $3 for kids ages five to 12, and kids under five are free. Sunday’s admission cost lowers to $5 for adults and $2 for kids five to 12.

Guests of all ages can enjoy food vendors, crafts, festival rides, riverboat cruises, and a variety of shows. Eagle Country 99.3 will be broadcasting live from the festival on Saturday, August 24 from noon until 2:00 p.m. A full list of features and schedule of events can be found on the official website at www.swisswinefestival.org.

There’s a heck of a county music concert lineup on Friday night with Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye and Aaron Tippin. Saturday’s featured musical act will be Thunderstruck, an AC/DC tribute band. Concerts are free with festival admission.

Folks who normally travel State Road 56 from the south to Vevay for the Swiss Wine Festival won’t have to use a detour. The Indiana Department of Transportation says State Road 56 reopened Wednesday, August 21 with completion of construction of a new bridge at Green Valley Creek in Lamb. The highway had been shut down there the past few months for the bridge project.

S.R. 56 is still restricted to just one lane at Tucker Run. An INDOT spokesperson says a temporary traffic signal remains in place until the project is complete in mid-September or early-October. Motorists should watch for slowed or stopped traffic at that location.