It’s about the food, wine at Geneva festival
The annual Festival of the Vine in downtown Geneva is Robin Butler’s favorite weekend of the year. But unlike most participants, Butler doesn’t spend time sampling food, drinking wine or perusing the arts and crafts displays.
Instead, she happily serves customers who stop by the 318 Coffeehouse booth.
“I’ve done this every year for the last 10 years. I love it because the community gets a chance to see a little bit of everything — the downtown businesses, the businesses on Randall Road,” she said. “It’s very, very long hours, but it’s worth it.”
Up to 75,000 people are expected to attend the festival, said Laura Bush, communications manager for the Geneva Chamber of Commerce. Together, 22 local eateries participated, including three from the Geneva Commons shopping center on Randall Road.
Among them was Tom & Eddie’s, which opened late last year. “Since we were new to this community, we picked this as our first festival in Geneva,” said marketing representative Cherle Link. “We picked it because of the venue, and because people can really take a look at the different restaurants.”
The food selection this year seemed better than in the past, said Geneva resident Joe Hutko, who came with his wife and their three children. “We come every year; we enjoy it. It’s a good way to spend the day — or the evening,” Hutko said.
Others came from much farther away, like best friends Krystal Rodriguez of Round Lake and Erin Heidecke of Grayslake. Also with them was Rodriguez’s boyfriend, plus Heidecke’s parents and aunt. “We all love wine. It’s all about the love for the vino,” Rodriguez said.
Everyone has their own taste in wine, but some are unnecessarily fixated on the price, said Mary Beth Flynn, policy director for SavWay Fine Wines & Spirits, which coordinated the 17-wine selection for the festival. “Some people want a $50 price tag, but there are lots of fantastic selections for under $10,” she said.
The festival continues Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Fourth and State streets in Geneva. For more information, visit genevachamber.com and click on festivals and events.