Our annual Earth Day Food & Wine Weekend is jam packed with … well … a lot of food and wine! That’s not all we’ve got planned, however. Here’s a look at five non-edible delights on tap.
ONE: Owls and Falcons and Hawks, Oh My!
Raptors — aka birds such as owls, falcons and hawks — are often an important part of sustainable farming practices because they’re so darn good at catchin’ varmints. We’ve asked some of our raptor wranglers (okay, the technical term is falconers) from Airstrike Bird Control to bring a couple of these amazing birds to the festival, and if you’ve never seen one of these stunning beauties up close and personal, you’re in for a real treat.
TWO: Visit a “Wine Farm”
The dictionary definition of “viticulture” is “the cultivation or culture of grapes especially for wine making,” but most viticulturists we know just call themselves farmers. After all, grapes have to put their pants on one vine at a time, just like every other plant. On Friday’s Farm to Fork event, you’ll get to visit the “farm” at JUSTIN Vineyards& Winery and tour the SIP Certified estate vineyards that produce world-class Bordeaux blends such as ISOSCELES and JUSTIFICATION.
THREE: It Takes a Village
Sustainability doesn’t begin and end with food and wine. At our festival we also celebrate all the other industries and businesses trying to make our world a better place. You can check out a slew of earth-friendly exhibitors including olive oil skin products, all cotton clothing, solar energy systems, drought tolerate landscapers, and even worm farmers. Yes, worm farmers will be there – we’re not going to let them wriggle out of it!
FOUR: Soulful, Foot Stompin’ Music
This year’s event will feature the soulful, energetic and heartfelt sounds of the Damon Castillo Band. A perennial local favorite that calls the Central Coast home, this band has opened for the Temptations, played with the San Luis Symphony, and been featured as a special guest on the E Family Album … as in the family of legendary percussionists Pete Escovedo and Sheila E.
FIVE: Zero Waste
And last, but certainly not least … well, sort of least because we go all out to make sure our main event has the least possible impact of the earth in terms of trash and energy consumption. We generate less than 2 pounds of trash for the entire Saturday event, our sound stage is solar powered, our food waste is composted and we even offer the option of luxury coaches to transport our guests round trip from various locations around the county. Though we’re very proud of what we DO have at the event, we might even be a little prouder of what we DON’T!
Earth Day Food & Wine Weekend Tickets Available
April is around the corner and we are ready to kick off an amazing season of festivals on the Central Coast with the Earth Day Food & Wine Weekend. Add these five reasons to the list of tantalizing food and wine, music, and fun and you’ve got yourself a weekend planned just like that! For tickets and more information visit www.earthdayfoodandwine.com or call 805.466.2288.
The Earth Day Food & Wine Weekend is a benefit event that supports farmworker education and sustainable ag research conducted by the Vineyard Team, a 501c(3) non-profit organization. The Vineyard Team is a collaboration of growers, wineries, consultants, researchers, and natural resource professionals dedicated to promoting sustainable winegrowing on California’s Central Coast.
