Grant County festival brings music, fine wine

MOSES LAKE - Grant County's Food and Wine Festival took place on the nights of Friday and Saturday with dining and sampling in McCosh Park and live entertainment in the Centennial Amphitheater.

The event's organizer, Bill Burke, said this year's event was better than ever with "more customers, new wines, and great food."

Catered by Michael's on the Lake, the food and wine sampling cost $15 for a single guest or $25 for a couple. The menu featured stuffed mushrooms, meatballs, cucumber shrimp appetizers, fresh fruit, and iced princess potatoes, which were artfully arranged for guests to enjoy.

The event, Burke said, needed a lot of planning to pull off.

"There's the permitting, the licensing, recruiting the wineries, the site," he said, counting off the responsibilities on his fingers. "But the biggest thing was public safety. From the way we put the tent up, to the way we serve the wine, it had to be very focused on the comfort and security of the guests."

Representatives from four area wineries attended the festival in person, while the wares of four more were showcased by the event's organizers. A variety of wines were available for guests to the festival to both sample and purchase.

Besides the delicious food and wine, the main draw to the event was the live entertainment in the amphitheater, as part of the free summer concert series. On Friday at 5 p.m. the Gear Jammers, a bluegrass band, performed, followed by the country tunes of Hiawatha at 6 p.m. Peter Rivera, the lead singer and drummer of Rare Earth, finished out the night starting at 8 p.m. On Saturday the Gear Jammers performed once more at 5 p.m. and local classic jazz group Swingshift took the stage at 6 p.m.

"We always get the biggest crowds for the evening acts," Burke said. "Tonight (Saturday) we've got The Four Tops (Dave Revel's Tribute to The Four Tops) but I'll let you know. We'll see if Moses Lake is into Motown."

They certainly were.

In the time leading up to the band's stage entrance the crowd in the amphitheater tripled. Guests pulled out lawn chairs, spread quilts, and simply lay in the grass in anticipation until the area facing the stage was almost completely full.

When the band took the stage, kids who had previously been somersaulting down the hill and playing tag in the shade of the trees gathered around the stage to dance. Older guests showed off their moves as well. The crowd sang along and shouted for their favorite songs.

"What's your favorite Four Tops song?" Revels asked the crowd.

"All of 'em!" someone called back enthusiastically.

The band gave an interactive show for the audience, often leaving the stage to dance through the crowd and at one point, inviting a guest onstage to sing the famous Temptations hit "My Girl."

Burke considered the event a success.

"The goal with all of this is to offer an attractive price and a convenient location so that people can come out, have a good time, and really see what's available in the area," he said.