After canceling the event last year due to COVID-19, Winefest is ready to reopen its gates and raise a glass to 30 years.

Colorado Association for Viticulture and Enology, or CAVE, is officially set to host the 30th anniversary of Colorado Mountain Winefest from September 18-19, 2021 in Palisade. CAVE is a member-based, trade non-profit organization that exists to support wine growers throughout Colorado.

“This year, we will have 35 wineries over a two-day event, 15 or so vendors and eight sponsors,” says Cassidee Shull, executive director of CAVE. “In a normal year, we had 63 wineries, about 35 vendors, and at our height, about 6,600 attendees in the park. This year, since we have made that pivot and are breaking the event in half and pulling down our capacity, we will have 2,300 attendees each day.”

Shull disclosed how excited she is for everyone to be back together celebrating and how diligently the team has been working with the health department and board to ensure the event will be as safe as possible — their number one priority. Shull shared that after a very trying year, it will be almost emotional to see how far the organization and festival has come.

“We have an amazing group of folks who are hugely loyal to Colorado wine and the brand of Colorado Winefest. I just know there is so much excitement to come together in the park this coming September,” she says.

In addition to the wineries and vendors from across the state, there will also be live music and many other activities throughout the park.

CAVE produces two Colorado wine events: Colorado Mountain Winefest and VinCO, a four-day conference and trade show in January that partners with Western Colorado Horticultural Society. When things are slower for the wine industry in the winter, VinCO brings people together to discuss the previous growing season and get a jump start on what lies ahead. The funds raised from Winefest go directly back into the industry by paying for everything conference-related, which impacts the quality of wine in Colorado.

If you are unable to score tickets to this year’s Winefest, or you want to kick off the event early, Colorado Wine Week, also hosted by CAVE, will be September 9-12 with activities ranging from food and wine pairings, to live music and food trucks; no tickets are needed.

Whether you’re looking to immerse yourself in the Colorado wine industry, or you just want to enjoy a weekend of events surrounded by others, be sure to check out this year’s Colorado Mountain Winefest.

For more information about the event and organization go to coloradowinefest.com or winecolorado.org.

Originally published in the Fall 2021 issue of Spoke+Blossom

Colorado Mountain Winefest Celebrates 30 Years