Grape and Wine Festival up in the air

The Niagara Grape and Wine Festival is holding out hope that its biggest event will go ahead in the fall, as it cancels a new spring festival and takes its summer festival online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Executive director Dorian Anderson said the latest they can hold off on a decision for the Sept. 12-27 festival is July — 10 weeks before the scheduled start.

They’re cautiously optimistic. “We’re keeping our fingers crossed that maybe this goes away quickly and everybody’s feeling happy and healthy and wants to celebrate that way,” she said. “We’re going to try and keep that spirit going as long as we can, and when it comes to July when we really need to make that decision we’re going to make it then.”

If the festival, which has been running since 1951, does go ahead in September, it may not have the same format as previous years.

Anderson said that might mean smaller events rather than 15,000 people in Montebello Park. It will depend on what health organizations and the government says, but also how comfortable people feel about gatherings after social distancing measures are lifted.

“We’re going to wait and see how that rolls out and what that’s going to look like,” she said. “Chances are it will be a different fall festival from what people are used to, but it’s fun and important so we want to make sure we’re celebrating in some way.”

The economic impact of the festival is significant. Anderson said the September event alone — which includes entertainment in Montebello Park and the grande parade — generates $6.5 million directly into the St. Catharines economy.

The festival runs four events, including the festival in September and the Niagara Icewine Festival each January. A new Niagara Spring Sparkles Festival set to debut in March was postponed to a yet-to-be determined date at the end of the year. The Niagara Homegrown Festival in June, though, is expected to be reborn as an online “Homegrown at Home Festival” with digital events that involve food and wine.

“As soon as we feel like it’s safe and people are ready to get out and have some fun, we are going to be back in action, but until then we’ll do some fun stuff online,” Anderson said.

The pandemic has not only changed festival plans but forced the not-for-profit organization to lay off three of its four full-time staff, along with a marketing and creative agency on retainer and a consultant.