Vintage Illinois 2022
September 17-18! Join us in Utica, Illinois for the state's largest wine festival.

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FAQs/TipsWineries

Here are some helpful tips for the Vintage Illinois Wine Festival.

 

TICKETS

YOUR TICKET IS GOOD FOR BOTH DAYS OF THE FESTIVAL. If you do decide to attend both days, please keep your wristband on your arm AND return with your event glass. Event glasses will not be re-issued.

BUY YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCE: Advance ticket holders save money, as ticket prices increase by $10 if purchased at the gate on the day of the event.

BRING YOUR DRIVERS LICENSE OR STATE ID: All wine tasting guests MUST be prepared to show photo identification to verify your legal age. No exceptions.

DESIGNATED DRIVER/NON-DRINKER GUESTS: We congratulate all guests that make a decision ahead of time to include a designated driver in their group. We also welcome non-drinkers. DD/ND guests will need to purchase an entry ticket (just $20 if done in advance), and will be required to wear a designated wristband to gain entry onto the event grounds at Carey Memorial Park.

CHILDREN: While children are allowed into the festival area, this is an adult event, and no child or family activities are planned. Parents may wish to make alternative arrangements for their children’s care during the event. All children 5 and up need to purchase admission tickets.

PETS: Vintage Illinois is a service-dog-only event. We love our cats, dogs and other critters as much as you do, but this event is for humans.  Our own winery dogs are sitting this one out, too! If you do bring your service-dog, make sure it is wearing an animal working harness, remains leashed, do not leave it unattended, and please, please, please use a potty bag.

TICKET REFUNDS: All ticket sales are final, and we don’t offer exchanges or refunds. We’ve all learned a thing or two about risk since life as we knew it changed because of COVID-19. Event organizers, wineries and market vendors are all taking a risk, hoping for great weather and record-setting attendance. If you find yourself unable to attend we encourage you to sell or gift your ticket to another wine, music or food lover.

 

VENUE AND WEATHER

This is an outdoor event located in a flat, grassy area at Carey Memorial Park in Utica. Guests should be prepared for all weather possibilities (remember, we are in Illinois, where we can experience all 4 seasons in a single day). Dress accordingly. Don’t forget your sunscreen, bug spray and anything else you might need to be comfortable for the day!  Vintage Illinois is a rain or shine event. However, in the case of unsafe conditions – lightning, tornado, earthquake, tsunamis, hurricanes, zombie apocalypse, etc., the event grounds will close until conditions are safe to re-open. *Please check our Facebook page for updates during the event*

 

ENTRY PROCESS

ENTRY PROCESS: Please line up in the correct place: we will have designated areas for VIP Gold and Silver ticket holders, Bronze ticket holders, and those still needing to purchase a ticket. The gate will open for VIP Gold and Silver ticket holders one hour ahead of the scheduled start time each day. All attendees MUST go through our security and check in process before gaining entry to the grounds, and this takes time. Please be considerate during the wait. Prepared attendees make the process go faster, so have your ID and tickets ready to view.

A NOTE ABOUT SECURITY: Outside alcohol is not allowed.  Please leave your big, people-sized coolers at home. Smaller coolers and cooler bags that contain unopened water bottles and light snacks are allowed.  Please use plastic storage containers and leave your chef knife set at home. Because the geographic footprint of this event is so large, we do encourage guests to bring a cart or wagon to help with movement of your personal items throughout the day. All items, including large purses, backpacks, wagons, etc… are subject to search. Weapons of any kind are not permitted.

FOOD AND BEVERAGES: Like we said above, outside alcoholic beverages are not allowed. You may bring food into the festival to enjoy; in fact, we encourage this. Snacks are always helpful when you’re enjoying #IllinoisWine. Hydration is also important. You may not bring in outside grills under any circumstance.  We have three food vendors on site, and our new location in Utica gives attendees access to local restaurants as well. The entire Village is walkable. All coolers and bags are checked for outside alcohol by security prior to entering or re-entering the festival grounds. All bottled water MUST be sealed.

 

SEATING

NOTE: Our 2023 event layout map includes some exciting extra space! There is now a large gate into the baseball diamond so that we can use the entire outfield! Several of our wineries will serve from this space, and we have an exciting new LED display included in that area as well.

SEATING: The festival has a very limited number of seating options, so we encourage you to bring lawn chairs, blankets or something to sit on for the day. Other items, such as portable shelters for shade (SMALL pop-up tents) and small tables are allowed. That said, your set-up MUST be considerate of other attendees, wineries and the festival grounds. 

EVENT ORGANIZERS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR PERSONAL ITEMS. No personal items may be left on the event property overnight (for those of you planning to attend the event on both Saturday and Sunday).

 

TASTINGS AND PURCHASES

TASTINGS: Properly banded attendees will receive a 1-ounce pour in exchange for each tasting ticket. Wineries will only pour into your event glass, so please don’t ask them to pour into anything different. Your event glass cannot be inside a wine sleeve at the time of your purchase. Tasting tickets may also be used to purchase a glass of wine from any of the wineries. Additional tasting tickets are 4/$5 and are available for purchase at our retail merchandise booth and Booth #18.

DUMPING (OR SPITTING) IS TOTALLY ACCEPTABLE. You’ll be tasting a lot of wine at Vintage (at least we hope so).. NEVER feel obligated to finish what’s in your glass. There will be a jar or bucket provided to dispose of any wine that you do not wish to finish. It is perfectly acceptable to pour out (or spit) wine at a tasting. Many tasters do this to avoid overindulging – not to indicate that they don’t care for the wine!

PURCHASES: You may purchase glasses and bottles of wine for on-site consumption. Attendees are encouraged to drink responsibly, stay hydrated and utilize designated drivers to get home safely. 

While extra wine purchases to take home are not a requirement, we think it says something great about you if you show a little love to our Vintage Illinois wineries. September is harvest time, and being away from the winery for even a day is a huge undertaking for our members. They have planned for this weekend all year long, making sure that their attendance at Vintage won’t have a negative impact on wines they are making now for next year and beyond. 

Many of the wineries will offer case discounts, and we encourage attendees to take advantage of those promotions. We can provide “day care” for your purchases at Booth #18. Stop by and visit with our event volunteers to learn more

 

SMOKING IS ALLOWED IN DESIGNATED AREAS ONLY

FAQs

Q1: Are dogs allowed at Vintage Illinois?

This is usually our top question. Vintage Illinois is a service-dog friendly event. We love our cats, dogs and other critters as much as you do, but this event is for humans. We are leaving our winery dogs at home, too! If you do bring your service-dog, make sure it is wearing an animal working harness, remains leashed, do not leave it unattended, make sure you have a water bowl and please, please, please use a potty bag.

Q2. Do I need a ticket to sit on the grass and enjoy the music?

Yes, you will need a ticket to come on to the grounds of the festival. Everyone needs to pay their fair share. If you don’t plan on sampling wine you will need to purchase the designated driver/non-drinker ticket. More info on this below.

Q3. Is there a designated driver or non-wine taster ticket?

We congratulate all guests that make a decision ahead of time to include a designated driver in their group. We also welcome non-drinkers. DD/ND guests will need to purchase an entry ticket (just $20 if done in advance), and will be required to wear a designated wristband to gain entry onto the event grounds at Carey Memorial Park.

Q4. Is Vintage Illinois a kid-friendly event?

While children are allowed into the event areas, we remind guests that this is an adult event, and no child or family activities are planned. Parents may wish to make alternative arrangements for their children’s care during the event. Non-drinking guests age 5 and older will need to purchase a Designated Driver/Non-Drinker entry ticket and will be required to wear a designated wristband to gain entry onto the event grounds at Carey memorial Park.

Q5. I can no longer attend the festival, can I get a refund?

All ticket sales are final, and we don’t offer exchanges or refunds. We’ve all learned a thing or two about risk since life as we knew it changed because of COVID-19. Event organizers, wineries and market vendors are all taking a risk, hoping for great weather and record-setting attendance. If you find yourself unable to attend we encourage you to sell or gift your ticket to another wine, music or food lover.

Q6. Is this a rain or shine event?

This is an outdoor event located in a flat, grassy area at Carey Memorial Park in Utica. Guests should be prepared for all weather possibilities (remember, we are in Illinois, where we can experience all 4 seasons in a single day). Dress accordingly. Don’t forget your sunscreen, bug spray and anything else you might need to be comfortable for the day!  Vintage Illinois is a rain or shine event. However, in the case of unsafe conditions – lightning, tornadoes, earthquake, tsunamis, hurricanes, zombie apocalypse, etc., the event grounds will close until conditions are safe to re-open. 

*Please check our Facebook page (@IllinoisWine for updates during the event*

Q7. Will food be available?

Of course, we will have three different food trucks inside the event venue and all of the local restaurants are also within walking distance of the event.

Q8. Can I bring my own wine?

Can you believe we STILL get asked this question?!? Unfortunately, the answer this year is the same as in the past: you can’t bring any alcoholic beverages with you onto the event grounds. It is illegal and we have to abide by Illinois State Law, which is complicated, 350 printed pages to be exact, and you can read all about it at: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs5.asp?”ActID=1404&ChapterID=26

Q9. Is there an event glass this year?

Yes, each wine taster will receive a complimentary 12 oz acrylic travel tumbler at check-in. Our eco-friendly stemless glasses are made from a crystal-clear blend of liquid polymer that’s BPA-free, shatterproof and super-sustainable, making for drinkware that’s all party and no foul! In this day and age, glass glasses and big festivals don’t mix.

Q10. Can I bring an umbrella or tent for shade?

The festival has a very limited number of seating options, so we encourage you to bring lawn chairs, blankets or something to sit on for the day. Other items, such as portable shelters (pop-up tents) and small tables are allowed. That said, your set-up MUST be considerate of other attendees. EVENT ORGANIZERS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR PERSONAL ITEMS. No personal items may be left on the event property overnight (for those of you planning to attend the event on both Saturday and Sunday).

Q11 Could we bring a picnic basket with food and wine?

Well, let us put it to you this way….you may bring the picnic basket of course. But we do ask you to consider leaving a little room in there for food items you will buy at the event. Our event vendors and local businesses are planning to serve you, and are ALL working VERY hard to help make this a first-class event. We prohibit any outside beverages (with the exception of unopened water bottles) from entering the festival site. Picnic baskets, coolers and bags are subject to search. Please support the festival vendors and local business community as much as possible.

Q12. Can I bring my cooler?

Please leave your big, people-sized coolers at home. Smaller coolers and cooler bags that contain unopened water bottles and snacks are allowed. Please use plastic containers and leave the chef knife sets at home. Because the geographic footprint of this event is so large, we do encourage guests to bring a cart or wagon to help with movement of your personal items throughout the day. A cooler on wheels would be great, just remember to leave some room for items you purchase at Vintage Illinois! All items, including large purses, backpacks, wagons, etc… are subject to search. Also – just a reminder here – weapons of any kind are not permitted.

Q13. There are a lot of wineries. Can I get more tasting tickets?

Absolutely! We welcome your purchase of additional tasting tickets at the check-in tent or the Illinois Wine retail booth.

Q14. Will the wineries and other vendors accept credit cards?

Most wineries and vendors are equipped to accept credit cards, but remember cash is king! Big events like this can drain mobile device resources and slow down the sales process, so please bring your cash just in case. If you get to Vintage and need more cash you will find several ATM machines around the downtown area. 

Q15. Why are there drink tickets?

Because there are laws, we are licensed and have to stay in compliance to keep it that way. It’s complicated, 350 printed pages to be exact. Each drink ticket can be exchanged for a 1 oz sample.

Q16. Where do we park? 

Scroll to the middle of our Directions page for a map of the parking areas.

Q17. Where are each of the wineries located? What about the restrooms? Where is the festival entrance located?

Scroll to the bottom of our Directions page for a complete map of the festival grounds.