With live music, craft brews, locally produced wines and plenty of hors d’oeuvres, it was a contented crowd that enjoyed the annual downtown Wine and Brew Stroll on Saturday evening in Escalon.

Hosted by the Escalon Chamber of Commerce – with primary sponsor Mendoza Ag Services – the Sept. 21 event brought hundreds out to sip and stroll under the early autumn sky. Temperatures dropped down from the high of 90 degrees during the day and a breeze picked up as the attendees began rolling in.

Chamber Vice President Jessica Wylie was extremely pleased with the turnout and the overall event.

“I think it’s because of the amount of different things we have,” she said of what draws the crowd in on a late summer-early fall evening. “We have 34 different stations this year so that’s a lot of beer and wine and food; so it was a lot of variety this year and I think that’s what people like, they like to try some things and walk around.”

There were 400 tickets sold, and Wylie said many were sold in the last few days leading up to the event, after people checked the weather forecast and decided it would be a good way to enjoy a Saturday night.

For those that wanted to spend a little extra, they could purchase $65 VIP tickets, up from the $45 regular price.

“It’s air conditioned, there’s special wine, a McManis wine in there, and then a special beer, it’s an Oktoberfest beer,” Wylie explained of the draw that helped sell out the ‘VIP’ experience at The Shop on Main Street for the stroll.

Last year, the VIP area provided some protection from rain that fell during the event; this year the air conditioning provided a bit of relief, although the heat was not much of a deterrent for those strolling the downtown area.

Offering the live music was Sweet Mama Rachel and the Homemade Jam Band.

“This is our biggest fundraiser,” explained Wylie. “This is how we fund all the things we do for the businesses, the Christmas on Main, we fund it with this fundraiser. I think this was a great turnout, I’ really happy with everybody and everything.”

Wylie also praised the team at the Chamber that worked to pull it all together and thanked the many businesses that also took part, hosting tasting and pouring stations.

Also, the Chamber will put on its next event on Sunday, Oct. 6, the Harvest on Main; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“It’s very Farmer’s Market-esque because we have vendors now,” Wylie said of the harvest festivities. “We get the pumpkins donated from Van Groningen, we do the carving and the decorating, we have the costume contest, so it’s a fun day.”