Cooler temperatures than the recent 100+ degree weather in the Central Valley welcomed an enthusiastic crowd to the 47th annual edition of the Cheese & Wine Festival in downtown Riverbank on Saturday, Oct. 12.
Hundreds of festival goers flocked to the streets of Riverbank on their way to the Cheese & Wine tasting held in the Community Center in three sessions through the afternoon.
On the streets, food trucks, booths and popup tents offered a wide variety of beverages and food, from hot dogs and brats, to BBQ ribs, pizza, and a range of ethnic dishes to satisfy anyone’s taste. Other booths featured all types of products, and arts and crafts for sale, as well, with still more on hand providing information about their organization.
The trucks and booths were on both sides of Third Street between Santa Fe and Topeka, in front of City Hall North and Plaza del Rio Park, and on both sides of Santa Fe going east, from Fourth through Seventh streets.
On the west end of Santa Fe Street, between Second and Third, custom and classic cars and hot rods were available for enthusiasts to enjoy, with some even placed around the corner on Third, to Stanislaus Street.
There were two different outdoor stages in place for the festival, the Main Stage at Third and Santa Fe, and the La Viña Stage at Fifth and Santa Fe.
On the main stage a series of five rock groups performed on Saturday, between 11 a.m. and the last band starting at 4:30 p.m. It was sponsored by Black Oak Casino Resort. On the La Viña Stage, performers included Dancing Horses at noon, Los Tres de Modesto at 2 p.m., Grupo H.M. at 3:30 p.m. and Onda starting at 5 p.m. It was sponsored by Ontel Security Services.
There was an area of bounce house style activities for kids, and the Parks and Recreation Department provided a children’s area in front of the Teen Center with different things to do rotating hourly through the afternoon. It seemed that these activities were located, and scheduled, to be convenient to parents who might be participating in the Cheese & Wine tasting going on next door in the Community Center.
The tasting area had samples of local wines available from booths around the perimeter of the room, with standing tables in the middle of the room. On a long table near the kitchen, a large spread of a variety of cheeses was available for sampling. The three Cheese & Wine tasting sessions were scheduled for noon to 1:30 p.m., 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
In addition to the stage sponsors, other festival supporters included J.B. Anderson Land Use Planners, Oak Valley Community Bank, Modesto Irrigation District (MID), Chicken Ranch Casino Resort, F&M Bank and Riverwalk In Riverbank, a proposed development project.
