The 3-day Memorial Day weekend generally marks the unofficial start of summer. Once again this year we’ll be kicking off the season in a big way, with the 2nd Annual Rush River Folk Festival!

Thanks to music promoter, David Jones, of Davey J & the Jones Tones fame, and his many musical contacts, we were able to pull together six established music acts that will bring a tasty mix of original and vintage folk music to our valley.

On Saturday, May 23, 2015, starting at 1 pm in the afternoon and continuing until sunset, you can enjoy a full day of live performances by established musicians offering a grand mix of sounds and styles of folk music.

Regional folk sensation Heatherlyn returns to center stage to headline the 2015 event. Many will remember her amazing performance at last year’s event! A singer and guitarist from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Heatherlyn is a virtuoso artist who completed her third community-supported CD this past March. The DC features her new songs “All Beings Be Blessed” and “One Heart”, both sure to be hits! Her recent full-length CD, Storydwelling, received excellent reviews and is true to her musical persona, “soulful, rooted, rockin’, guitar-playing singer-song artist, poet and storydwelling traveler.” Heatherlyn’s songs will ring true to any audience as she shares deep parts of her own story to inspire all of us. Check out this preview video to see just why we’re so excited to have her taking part in the festival again!

Also performing is Little Wing, featuring the vocal power of Faith Ulwelling and her accompanist Tim Caswell from Left Wing Bourbon. Yata (originals and folk), Larry Past and Al Julson (folk and acoustic rock), and Kari Tauring (Nordic roots music) along with Davey J (original roots music, blues, and Americana), round out the lineup of performing acts.

Yes, a full eight hours of live outdoor music will be the perfect way to start the long Memorial Day weekend. Bring your lawn chairs or blanket and settle in for an afternoon of music, wine and food. There’s no admission charge; just come and savor the amazing sounds and a glass of wine or a beer on the edge of the beautiful Rush River. If the mood strikes, stay for an Italian dinner under the Pavilion, or order a brick oven pizza to-go and enjoy it on the grounds. Heck, make a weekend of it; you’ll find we have some amazing lodging options here on the West Coast of Wisconsin!

As always, the latest in event updates and announcements can be found on our Facebook page.

We love our open air Pavilion here at Vino in the Valley; there’s nothing like enjoying a great meal and a glass of wine while taking in the spectacular views! But our dining arrangements make our guests vulnerable to quickly changing weather conditions. Wind, rain and unseasonably cool temps sometimes put a damper on our guests’ dining experiences, even though we did our best to make everyone comfortable, and they never seemed to let the weather ruin their great time!

Still, we’ve always been on the lookout for just the right solution, and we found it with Open Air Solutions and their Motion Vinyls. New for our 2015 season, we’ll be able to maintain our open air atmosphere, while also offering sun, wind and weather protection for our guests.

With the push of a button we can enclose our eating area should inclement weather roll in. We can also enclose the Pavilion for our Christmas at Vino in the Valley weekends, and keep our guests toasty warm, while still offering a clear view of the winter scenery! We’re so happy with our decision that we partnered with Open Air Solutions on a television commercial. Consider this your first glimpse of our new Pavilion accessory!

We think the commercial turned out pretty great, but you know what seems to be getting all the attention? You guessed it; the blooper reel! If you thought I would be a natural behind the camera I had you all fooled! But not to be outdone, Jeff from Open Air Solutions, made a few mistakes himself. Go ahead, laugh along with us…

We’re pretty excited about our Motion Vinyls from Open Air Solutions. Jeff and his team were extremely efficient with the installation, and the quality of my panels and their work is amazing. I can’t wait to show them off to our guests this season and invite you all to come see them for yourselves!

As many of our longtime friends and customers will recall, we kicked off last season’s opening with a Facebook contest. The grand prize was a dinner for two in our vineyard and an overnight stay at Maiden Rock, WI’s, beautiful Journey Inn. The prize was awarded to Chris and Natalie McClory and they were a delightful couple who thoroughly enjoyed their overnight stay in the area. Since then, we’re continuously asked if we would ever do a similar prize giveaway again.

Your wish is our command! Earlier this week we launched another contest on our Facebook page. Grand prize… you guessed it! A private dinner package at Vino in the Valley! The drawing will take place when our Facebook page hits 15,000 followers. You’ll want to hurry and get your entry in; only about 500 “likes” to go before we select our winner!

Picture it… A private dinner for two in our vineyard (complete with valley views and full V.I.P. treatment). You and your date will enjoy your choice of appetizer, fresh brick oven bread, your choice of entrees, and to finish off the meal, you’ll be served one of our delectable desserts. Where’s the wine, you ask? Don’t worry; we’ll be including a bottle of vino (your choice from our wine list), as well.

Before dinner, your V.I.P. treatment will begin with a private tour of our grounds. See the confluence of Lost Creek and the Rush River, hear the story of the great flood of 2010, and if you’re lucky, you might even spot a fly fisherman in mid-cast.

Enjoy a leisurely evening with us, and when your visit concludes there will be a bed waiting for you at Journey Inn Bed & Breakfast, located about 15 minutes away near Maiden Rock, WI. Designed as an earth-friendly, soul-pleasing building on 66 acres of prairie, hilly woodland and a spring-fed creek, Journey Inn is a destination that inspires and restores. We couldn’t think of a better way to wrap up your special night!

The experience will take place on Thursday, June 25, 2015, and we hope it inspires you to stay for a long and relaxing weekend on the West Coast of Wisconsin. Good luck, and regardless of whether you’re the winner, we look forward to seeing you at Vino in the Valley this season!

This prize package could be yours! We’ll be giving it away to one lucky winner by random drawing from among our page followers when our page hits 15,000 fans! Register, and learn how you can earn extra entries, HERE.

It is with great pride that I announce that we have been named 2015 Large Business of the Year by the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce! The award was presented to my staff and me at the Chamber’s Annual Awards Banquet on Thursday, February 19.

I have the best team and it is all of them working together that creates such a wonderful experience for our guests. It’s because of them and our many loyal customers, that our business continues to grow. What a special tribute to all of you!

When the management team and I accepted the award that evening we accepted on behalf of our hardworking staff, fabulous customers and supportive business community. We share this award with you; you’re the ones who make Vino in the Valley what it is today.

We look forward to kicking off our 2015 season on Thursday, May 7. We invite you to visit and celebrate with a toast!

Larry

If you’re experiencing a little cabin fever grab your girlfriends and join us for “Girlfriend’s Day Out” on Saturday, February 21, 2015 at Sargent’s Nursery in Red Wing, MN. Enjoy complimentary wine tastings and be sure to take advantage of our gift certificate special! Buy $100 worth of gift certificates and get $20 free! Offer only available at this event.

For more information on this event, click here.