The annual Art and Wine Festival event at Main Street Kent returned this year with fresh entertainment and a new commemorative wine glass.
Heather Malarcik, executive director of Main Street Kent, said the festival initially began in 2006 and is its biggest fundraiser of the year.
“It’s a full day of entertainment and it’s free to attend,” Malarcik said. “Every year we do a different lineup of entertainment and food, and the wineries change a little bit as well. We always have a different selection committee for the artists, so we have a good variety every year.”
13 wine vendors across the state brought products representing the best of their distilleries.
Two of the popular vendors of the day were Cherry Road Winery from Massillon and The Winery at Versailles from Versailles, Ohio.
Attendees like Dev Petwal and Karin Kour enjoyed Cherry Road’s strawberry flavor.
“We got the strawberry wine, so it’s sweet,” Petwal said. “It’s pretty good, [Kour] approves.”
Judy Robertson, one of the family owners of Cherry Road, was influenced to come to the festival by fellow vendor West Main Street Winery, and this year was their fourth year at the festival.
“It’s just a great vibe,” Robertson said. “The art festival is fabulous, and … there’s a real camaraderie with the wineries that are here.”
Kent native and frequent festival-goer Greg Boaz, his friends and family enjoyed The Winery at Versailles’ best sellers of the day.
“I had a Wildberry [Rain] sweet wine, and she got the Rodeo Red, which was also very good as a sweet wine as well,” Boaz said. “She might actually buy a bottle of it here in a moment.”
The Winery at Versailles offered 12 flavors in addition to their Wildberry Rain and Rodeo Red.
Like Cherry Road Winery, The Winery at Versailles is a returning one, with this year’s festival marking their third year as a vendor.
“We live so far away from here, so people don’t really get a chance to taste our wines in this area,” said Lisa Durnye, retail employee at The Winery of Versailles. “We usually sell out every year.”
This event provides an opportunity for visitors to explore downtown Kent’s shops and restaurants while enjoying a range of cultural experiences.
According to Main Street Kent, 60 art vendors and their creations showed up at the festival.
Mary Clark, the owner of Tiny Cloud Ceramics, showcased her unique, homemade pottery designs at the festival.
“I do underglaze paintings on stuff and I incorporate a little bit of a technique called sgraffito, where you carve away that underglaze to make vines and stuff,” Clark said.
Her most popular items included delicate painted strawberry ceramics and humorous mugs that she sells at local events.
Local crafter Gabbi Turner of The Homemade Honey Bun attended the festival for the second time. Turner specializes in crocheting creative and crafty plushies.
Turner said she made wine glasses and black squirrels exclusively for Kent’s festival.
Anastacia Grenig, an attendee of the festival, shared her excitement for the event, noting her favorite wine was sampling a blackberry white wine. She also said she purchased a mushroom doll for her daughter.
“I’ve enjoyed getting to listen to the music and just walk around and see all the different, unique artists that there are,” Grenig said.
Many attendees felt the festival created a strong sense of community.
“Kent is doing a great job of organizing these events that keep the community engaged,” Petwal said. “I hope you take a sip and enjoy life.”
Nikki Gasiewski is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
Claire Duber is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
