Ferry Welcomes Cape May Wine Festival

CAPE MAY – On Columbus Day weekend, the Garden State Wine Growers Association will sponsor the Cape May Wine Festival at the Cape May Terminal of the Cape May – Lewes Ferry, overlooking the Cape May Canal and Delaware Bay for the 7th consecutive year. Festival attendees can take advantage of the warm autumnal weather to sample more than 300 award-winning wines from New Jersey, listen to live music, stroll through crafters and visit The Kids Zone which has activities geared for younger attendees. The two day event is set for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12-13 from 12 noon to 5:00 p.m. each day.
“The Cape May Wine Festival, which features 22 New Jersey wineries, is the premiere wine festival in South Jersey,” said Heath Gehrke, Director of Ferry Operations for the Cape May – Lewes Ferry. “Not only does it feature a variety of fine wines from all over New Jersey, the festival takes place on a grassy field adjacent to the Cape May terminal overlooking the Delaware Bay. It is a truly special Fall event where guests may enjoy great wine; walk along our waterfront boardwalk; or simply relax and watch the ferries arrive and depart. We are happy that the Garden State Wine Growers Association has continued to choose our facility for this event.”
Artisan vendors and crafters will be selling hand made products, wine related items and other quality goods. The Kid’s Zone will feature arts & crafts, face painting, and much more. Live music will also be provided each day.
Tickets for each of the festivals are $25 a person at the gate. Advance tickets for all the wine festivals can be purchased only at the association web site for $20 a person. Discounted pricing is available for bus groups and group sales of 15 or more. Large groups and bus groups can call the Association “Wine Line” at (609) 588-0085 for more information. Two day ticket sales are available at a discount. For those guests coming from Delaware and the Maryland Eastern Shore, a special Festival & Ferry ticket package is available by contacting Ferry’s Guest Services Center at 800.643.3779.
Limited parking is available at the Ferry Terminal. Attendees are encouraged to use alternate parking at the corner of Ferry Road/Lincoln Blvd. & Shun Pike Road. The alternate parking lot and shuttle service are both free. The free shuttle – operated by the Winer Grower’s Association – will run between the alternate parking area and the Ferry Terminal from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day.
Authority police will be screening coolers, backpacks, and handbags. To save time, police recommend leaving these items at home or in vehicles as much as possible.
Garden State Wine Growers Association wineries participating at the event include the following: Amalthea Cellars, Atco; Auburn Road Winery and Vineyard, Pilesgrove; Bellview Winery, Landisville; Cape May Winery, Cape May; Cava Winery, Hamburg; Cedarvale Winery, Logan Township; Chestnut Run Farms, Pilesgrove; Coda Rossa Winery, Franklinville; Cream Ridge Winery, Cream Ridge; DiBella Winery, Woolwich Twp.; DiMatteo Vineyards, Hammonton; Four Sisters Winery at Mattarazzo Farms, Belvidere; Hawk Haven Vineyards, Rio Grande; Heritage Vineyards, Mullica Hill; Monroeville Vineyard , Monroeville; Natali Vineyards, Cape May Courthouse; Plagido’s Winery, Hammonton; Renault Winery, Egg Harbor; Sharrott Winery, Blue Anchor; Tomasello Winery, Hammonton; Valenzano Winery, Shamong; and Wagonhouse Winery, Swedesboro.
For more information on the Cape May – Lewes Ferry wine festival package, please call our Guest Services Center at 800-643-3779. For more information or to purchase advance tickets from the GSWA to the Wine Festival, please visit www.newjerseywines.com