Virginia wine festival along Appomattox River: Sample wine, mead, cider, beer

Kristi K. Higgins, The Progress-Index
Updated ·3 min read
At the inaugural Appomattox River Wine Festival, attendees have a good time in Prince George at the Appomattox Boat Harbor on April 13, 2019.
At the inaugural Appomattox River Wine Festival, attendees have a good time in Prince George at the Appomattox Boat Harbor on April 13, 2019.

PRINCE GEORGE — The Appomattox River Wine Festival will be here before you know it. The event takes place on the banks of the Appomattox River.

At the annual festival, local and regional wineries provide samples of wine, mead, cider and beer. They sell their craft by the glass or bottle. If ticket holders find favorites, bottled [corked/sealed] beverages are available to purchase. Food and other beverages will also be available to buy.

Entertainment includes live music, shopping from vendors, raffles and a good time with friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, etc. The Appomattox River Wine Festival is Saturday, April 8 from noon to 5 p.m. Remember to take a blanket and/or chair to use while you enjoy live music and springtime with great wine.

Virginia wineries, meadery, brewery featured

  • Haley's Honey Meadery of Hopewell/Fredericksburg

  • Jolene Family Winery of Quinton

  • Notaviva Farm Brewery & Winery of Hillsboro

  • Shoe Crazy Wine of Petersburg

  • Zoll Vineyards of Dutton

Local art teacher lines up 10 live shows Petersburg music scene hits high note: New concert series

Your support helps keep the lights on at The Progress-Index! We are passionate about telling Petersburg's stories. Stay connected with our articles, enterprise reporting and more by clicking "Subscribe" at the top of the page.

Guitar sensation Zack Artis of Petersburg shares his love of music in Richmond at Vagabond's Rabbit Hole in 2018.
Guitar sensation Zack Artis of Petersburg shares his love of music in Richmond at Vagabond's Rabbit Hole in 2018.

Appomattox River Wine Festival music lineup

At noon, Zack Artis of Petersburg will perform instrumental guitar music for a couple of hours. He arranges smooth jazz, rock and blues cover songs to fit his style of playing. Fingerstyle guitar, when guitarists play the baseline chords and melody simultaneously, is what Artis enjoys.

"I take a song, original or cover, and play it in an improvisational style with an upbeat groove and a strong melody," Artis of Petersburg said. "I played at the Appomattox River Wine Festival last year, and it was such a hit for me. Great crowd… very welcoming and supportive of my music."

Playing guitar since he was 10 years old, Artis believes "music is the language of the heart and the sound of the soul." He has original material, however, Artis plans to play music most people will recognize. He wants to see festivalgoers cut a rug. His goal is to have the audience feel engaged like they're part of the show.

The Game Changers will take the stage after Artis and play a variety of music from The Carpenters to Zeppelin, good time rock and roll and country. The band members include Cat Berlin [lead vocals, harmonica], Charles Long [guitar, keyboards, vocals], John Simpson [bass, vocals] and Steve Bloom [drums, vocals].

The GameChangers band
The GameChangers band

Celebrity fitness guru gives back DB Donamatrix shares breakfast bites, knowledge at 'Athletes Circle'

Prince George: Appomattox Boat Harbor

Tickets may be purchased online at appomattoxriverwinefestival.com or via cash at the gate. Ticket holders must present valid picture ID [21 and up] at the gate. No food, drinks or pets may be brought into the venue. Bags and backpacks are subject to search.

Crista Cato Manieri, Appomattox Boat Harbor owner, announced the Prince George-based James House will receive proceeds from the event. The nonprofit's mission is to provide support, advocacy and education for people in the Tri-Cities area of Virginia affected by sexual violence, domestic violence and stalking and to empower them to become healthy, safe and self-sufficient.

Appomattox Boat Harbor with free parking is located at 1604 Fine Street in Prince George. Please call or text 804-536-1200 in advance for camping, RV or boat slip reservations.

"Ticket holders are welcome to leave their vehicles in the parking lot overnight, but they must pick them up the next day," Manieri said. "We're Uber and taxi-friendly, but we ask that people drink responsibly while they have a good time."

'Forged in Fire' champions make knives Chesterfield: Central Virginia Blacksmith Guild Hammer-In sizzlin' hot event

— Kristi K. Higgins aka The Social Butterfly columnist is the trending topics and food Q&A reporter at The Progress-Index. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Contact Kristi (she, her) at khiggins@progress-index.com, follow @KHiggins_PI on Twitter @socialbutterflykristi on Instagram.

Your support is vital to local journalism. Please subscribe.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Prince George: Appomattox River Wine Festival, live music, vendors