Does
sun, wine, great food, blue skies, clean air, crystal clear
water, music, and a beautiful lakefront location sound like
the way you would want to spend your weekend? Then come join
us at the Lake Arrowhead Rotary's 40th Annual Art & Wine
Festival to be held June 21 & 22, 2008 at Tavern Bay in
Lake Arrowhead from 10am to 5pm each day. Last year's event
was a smashing success with our artists and guests and this
year is shaping up to be even better!
About 80 fine artists will highlight
this year's juried event with works ranging from acrylics
to oil paintings to woodworking (click
here to view last years winners). Many of the artists
that were here last year are returning plus there will be
many new artists to the festival. In addition, there will
be an artist Paint Off, where participating artists will complete
a work during the festival to be auctioned off on the last
day of the event.
Wine lovers will find this event a delight
for the palate and their wine 
cellars.
Wine will be available for tasting or by the bottle from a
wide selection of vintners. If wine is not your thing, then
come and raise a beer or two. Yes, the festival also offers
a variety of brews for the beer connoisseur. New
this year will be a VIP (Very Important Palate) wine tasting
area. Guests can relax in a VIP shaded beach front patio while
being served exclusive wines for the discriminating palate
and enjoying the wonderful musical entertainment. Also new
this year will be the introduction of a very exquisite annual
limited-edition collectible Art & Wine glass that may
be purchased separately. VIP guests will receive a special
40th anniversary limited-edition glass with every VIP admission.
This
year's event will include a number of performances during
the weekend event. Many of the entertainers from last year
have already indicated they would love to return this
year, including the Rim High School Jazz Band, the N. R. Key
String Quartet and Fortissimo Strings. There will also be
wine tasting classes and wine tasting contests offered 
periodically
throughout the weekend. Mr. Twister will return along with
some new entertainment for the kids. Some absolutely wonderful
items will be auctioned off during the weekend, including
one week of hotel accommodations anywhere in the world that
Wyndham or RCI has a resort.
But that is not all. The food 
offerings
continue to be expanded upon. Almost every food vendor from
last year will be returning, providing delicious cheeses,
assorted fresh fruit plates, tri-tip and hot pastrami sandwiches,
cookies, kettle corn, Italian ice and naturally our own Rotary
dogs. But that is not all! There is more in the works!
What better way to spend a weekend pleasing
your senses than viewing the works of about 80 talented artists,
tasting some wine and cheese or beer and a Rotary dog while
listening to the sounds of a string quartet or jazz ensemble
carry with the breeze. The festival is open concurrent with
the weekend evening free concert on Saturday at the Lake Arrowhead
Village. A sampling of our wines will be available at the
concert on June 21 in a booth by Center Stage. Come share
in the entertainment offered by both events with free boat
shuttles with paid admission to the festival
Advance
Festival tickets will be only $4 and include admission
to both days, a commemorative wine glass, entry into our admission
opportunity drawing, free parking and the boat shuttle. A
VIP ticket includes everything above, plus seating in the
VIP patio and a VIP limited-edition 40th anniversary wine
glass. Tickets may be purchased at www.lakearrowheadrotary.net
now and selected local merchants from Crestline to Big Bear
beginning in April. ALA members need only show their membership
card to gain entrance, but will need to purchase an admission
ticket if they wish to partake of the wine tasting.
