GrapeFest turns 40 Thursday: plan Texas wines, tastings and grape stomping first

The festival is officially billed as the 40th Annual GrapeFest, presented by Bank of The West. That anniversary gives the weekend a stronger reason to plan rather than simply wander in for a drink.

GrapeFest describes itself as A Texas Wine Experience and the Largest Wine Festival in the Southwest. It is built around Texas winemaking heritage, but it also includes international flavors, food offerings, entertainment and activities for all ages.

That means the best visit is not only about tasting wine. It is about choosing which version of the festival you want to experience.

Texas wine is the center of the festival’s identity. GrapeFest is promoted as Grapevine’s toast to Texas wine culture, and the setting on Historic Main Street gives the event a strong local feel.

If wine is your main reason for going, build the day around tasting opportunities first and use food, music and shopping as supporting stops.

That approach keeps the festival from becoming just another crowded street event. The wine should lead the plan.

The People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic is described by the festival as a cornerstone event. It gives guests the chance to sample and vote for their favorite Texas wines.

This is the tasting to prioritize if you want the clearest connection to Texas producers and regional wine culture. Instead of simply drinking a glass, visitors become part of the selection process.

Plan this early if it is your main reason for attending, because signature tastings are the experiences people tend to remember most.

The Liberty Park Plaza International Wine Experience adds a different angle by letting visitors explore varietals from across the globe.

This is useful if you want to compare Texas wines with international styles or if you are visiting with people who want a broader tasting experience.

A good plan is to start with Texas wine, then use the international experience as contrast. That gives the day a clearer tasting arc.

GrapeStomp is the hands-on tradition that turns the festival from tasting into participation. It is the experience to plan if you want something more memorable than walking from booth to booth.

The appeal is simple: it is physical, playful and tied directly to the grape harvest image people associate with wine culture.

If you are visiting as a group or family, GrapeStomp is one of the easiest activities to make the day feel shared rather than only sampled.

The festival also highlights the Champagne Cork Shoot-Off, a playful contest where attendees can test their aim for a prize.

It is the kind of activity that works well between tastings because it adds movement, humor and a break from standing in tasting lines.

If your group includes both wine enthusiasts and people who mainly want the festival atmosphere, this is one of the events that can keep everyone involved.

GrapeFest includes live music across multiple stages, along with local chefs and vendors bringing food offerings to the festival.

That matters because wine tasting is better when the day is paced. Build in food stops, water breaks and music breaks instead of trying to move from tasting to tasting without pause.

A good rule is to anchor the day with one major wine experience, one hands-on activity and one longer food or music break.

Although wine is the festival’s center, GrapeFest also promotes kid-friendly rides, games and activities.

That makes the weekend easier for mixed groups. Adults can plan tasting experiences, while families can also include activities that make the day enjoyable for children.

If you are visiting with kids, decide the family-friendly stops first so the day does not become only a tasting schedule.

Start with the wine experience you most want: People’s Choice if Texas wines are your focus, or the international tasting if you want broader variety.

Then add GrapeStomp or the Champagne Cork Shoot-Off as your hands-on activity. Use food vendors and live music to break up the day and keep the festival comfortable.

If you are staying in Grapevine, consider pairing the festival with the city’s Urban Wine Trail, restaurants, galleries or shopping districts.

GrapeFest turns 40 this Thursday with a four-day celebration of Texas wine culture, tastings, international pours, food, music and activities on Historic Main Street in Grapevine.

The experiences to plan first are the People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic, the International Wine Experience and GrapeStomp. Those are the parts that make the festival feel specific, memorable and worth more than a casual walk-through.

Arrive with one tasting priority, one hands-on activity and enough time to enjoy the food and music around them.