It was a sellout … and a crowd of roughly 500 gathered in downtown Escalon on Saturday night, Sept. 24 to enjoy the Chamber of Commerce Wine and Brew Stroll.
With 400 tickets sold for a successful event last year, there were 500 sold for the 2022 edition, and all those sold, as people seized the opportunity to get out and mingle.
The stroll venue stretched from First to Fourth streets along Main, adjacent to the Main Street Park, with some food vendors, lots of hors d’oeuvres served up by local businesses, and the wide variety of wine and beer that was being poured.
Open to those 21 and over only, there was also live music, performed on stage by Sweet Mama Rachel and the Homemade Jam Band.
Angelica Castro of Escalon was among those in the crowd enjoying the evening.
“I was talking to some old friends I went to school with,” she said, adding that they decided to use the ‘stroll’ as a way to reconnect and have a reunion of sorts. “It’s fun, there’s more people, more socializing.”
Chamber officials said they were thrilled with the turnout and are already planning for next year, thinking of ways to make the stroll bigger and better.
Some booths had savory bites, some had sweet treats, there was also a food truck, run by Ray Guevara – often stationed at Lumberyard Cellars on First Street – and many of the shops along Main Street also kept their doors open late to welcome in potential customers.
Tacos de Nieve, operated by Renee Snow, was serving up its traditional fare of tacos and quesadillas, Dave and Lorina Cajias of Lorina’s Edible Garden were offering sangria and Stuyt Dairy had cheese samples for strollers to enjoy as well. Those were just a few of the options for those attending the stroll.
Running from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the crowd showed up early and many stayed throughout the event, embracing the cooler evening weather after daytime temperatures reached the mid-90s on Saturday.
The Wine and Brew Stroll has become one of the most popular events hosted by the Chamber; the next big event will be the annual Christmas on Main, which also brings plenty of people to the downtown area for a parade, music and lots of activities in December.
