In a departure from the past, the annual Riverbank Cheese and Wine Festival is being hosted as a one-day event this year. Normally, it covers an entire weekend, but is being offered just on one day for 2024.

Date for the festival is Saturday, Oct. 12 and it is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in downtown Riverbank.

There will be the traditional wine and cheese tasting expo for those 21 and older, a variety of food vendors, live musical entertainment, a section for arts and crafts vendors and a classic car show.

Plans are being put into place for the festival, now less than two months away.

A mainstay in the community for years, the Cheese and Wine draws visitors from throughout the region as well as the Bay Area, Sacramento and more to enjoy the day.

This year’s festival is being presented by the City of Riverbank Parks and Recreation Department.

An add on for this year, Parks and Rec officials have released details of the Sip and Stroll, scheduled to take place just a little later in the evening, following the conclusion of the Cheese and Wine celebration.

The Sip and Stroll will occur downtown, on Santa Fe Street, between Third and Fourth streets between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Oct. 12, with the serving of alcohol stopping at 9 p.m. Participants in this event must be 21 years of age or older.

For more information about the Cheese and Wine or the Sip and Stroll, call 209-863-7156, or e-mail jmontanez@riverbank.org.

News Editor Marg Jackson contributed to this report.