Art Fair, Winefest Runs Smoothly; Crowds Down

The crowds were down at the Downtown Washington Fine Art Fair and Winefest this past weekend, but organizers say the event ran smoothly and vendors were pleased.

The all-Missouri winetasting event took place May 18-20 in Washington’s historic downtown area.

In addition to the winetasting, 28 Midwestern artists had their work on display and for sale, and there was live music and a food court.

All of the activities took place on and around the Main and Elm parking lot.

“I think we were competing with both local high school graduations and graduation parties which hurt us, but overall we’re very happy with how it all went,” said Aimee Frey, event coordinator for Downtown Washington Inc., festival sponsor.

“Our crowds Saturday were very good and Saturday night was very, very big so we’re very happy with that,” Frey added. “We were down a little Friday, but Sunday is where we really saw a drop and when the thunder started that really kept people away.”

Frey said the artists and wineries were still very happy with the turnout overall and the event itself.

“We got some really good feedback from the artists and they were very happy with sales. People really seemed to be buying,” she said. “The wineries also left pleased. I think everyone who came had a really good time and that’s what it’s all about.”

A new event this year, Missouri Food and Wine 101 classes, also were a big hit, Frey said.

This event featured four different food and wine pairing sessions where participants can learn while they sip and eat.

“We sold out all of the sessions and participants really enjoyed it,” she said. “We’re already talking about how we can improve on that for next year, as well as other changes.”