Summer Wines Popular at Manassas Festival

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MANASSAS, Va. — The lawn at the Manassas Museum filled quickly Sunday with people eager to taste samples from 20 different wineries, and to hear live jazz from musical groups like Kitty and the Fat Cats and Marcus Johnson.

The city’s annual Wine and Jazz Festival was held under mostly cloudy skies from noon until 7 p.m., but lack of sunshine and a few raindrops didn’t keep people away from this annual Father’s Day tradition.

Myra MacGregor, and her husband Alan, sat on the lawn, wine glasses in hand, enjoying the summer breeze and live music.

“The festival this year is in a much better spot than it was last year [at the nearby Harris Pavilion in Old Town Manassas] because there’s much more room to sit and relax,” said Myra, while sipping on wine from Virginia’s Savoy Lee Winery.

The line to get into the event streamed from the festival’s entrance on Prince William Street back to the city’s parking garage on Battle Street. Once inside the roped off lawn, tasters had the option of purchasing a $25 ticket good for tasting wines at all booths, and tickets for non-tasters were sold for $10 each.

“We really like that we can come, buy one ticket, and that’s good for tasting all the wines at each winery’s booth,” said Callie Burkis, of Centreville.

Jim Creamer, of Fairfax, came to the festival to celebrate Father’s Day.

“It’s a great way to celebrate,” said Creamer.

Wineries with booths at the festival, like the Bull Run Winery in Fairfax County, spent the afternoon pouring at a feverish pace.

“Our blueberry wine is doing every well here today,” said Maryclaire Masterson, who works at the winery. “It’s a nice, chilled wine to have on a summer day.”

Not doing very well was the vendors who were set up on the opposite side of the lawn, away from the hustle and bustle of the winery booths. Those selling everything from handmade jewelry and beads, to replacement windows, said foot traffic was slow for them and more could have been done to integrate the vendors into the festival.

“There’s too much space between us the people,” said Reza Haeri, who sells “Leaf Fitter” guards that fits over gutters. “I’ve had three people come by here today.”

The Wine and Jazz Festival is coordinated by Historic Manassas, Inc., a non-profit organization that oversees multiple events aimed drawing visitors to Manassas’ Old Town neighborhood. The organization also hosts the city’s Railway Heritage Festival in June, and annual Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in December.