Muscadine Festival celebrates 20 years

The annual Muscadine Festival in Kenansville is scheduled for September 28.

The day of wine that honors the special grape is being held at the Duplin Events Center located at 195 Fairgrounds Drive in Kenansville.

Being in its twentieth year, the Muscadine Festival is one of the largest festivals in Duplin County and brings crowds from not only the surrounding towns, but from all up and down the east coast. It was started in the early 2000s and has been running strong ever since.

The festival is more than just a haven for grape lovers. Each year organizers provide a full line up of entertainment for the attendees. This year three bands will take the stage. The Main Event Band will get the party started with their ‘80s and ‘90s party sound from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Next up you have Carolina Beach Music Award winning and South Carolina Beach Music Hall of fame group, The Embers, known for their classic beach music. They will be on at 1:15 p.m.

Last but certainly not least, The Tams will close out the festival starting at 4:00 p.m. They have been entertaining fans for over 50 years. The Tams, known for their platinum single “What Kind of Fool,” have several gold records and have earned spots on the Billboard and R&B charts. Most live music lovers would say, the organizers did a great job with the lineup.

Outside of live music, last year there were wineries, food trucks, and businesses that made up the over 50 vendors in attendance.

This year, there are 10 food vendors including: The Bistro at Duplin Winery, The Sweet Shack, Five Star Grilled Chicken, The Darling Doughnut Boutique, Montana Macs Snacks, The Donut Hut, Golden Kernels, Flounders Seafood Shack, Serving and Swerving, and Myrna’s Fil-Am Food. There are 39 vendors that will be selling clothing jewelry, wood crafts, and more.

Attendees are also able to purchase tailgate spaces available for $300. To make it fun, they even offer prizes for the tailgater decorating contest. It’s a great way for people to “wine” down and have fun with friends and family.

Each year an amateur winemaking competition takes place. Wineries and wine makers alike are able to enter a competition. The four categories include: Fruit and other Wines, Blush Wines, Red Wines, and White Wines. They compete for a chance to win first, second, or third place. Winners get tickets for the next festival and a ribbon. For those that do not consume alcohol but would like to just attend for the music and fellowship, last year there was a non-alcoholic wine vendor on site.

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Military tickets are $15, and tickets for children ages 6-20 are $5, and free for those under 5. People can buy tickets in advance at the Duplin Events Center. Although spots are closed for vendors and sponsors purchasing a hospitality package is possible. For questions or more information about the festival visit the website for more information www.ncmuscadinefestival.com.