OCEAN CITY — Wine on the Beach, the beloved annual summer festival celebrating the regional industry, will be returning to the Ocean City Inlet this weekend.
Set for Sept. 8-9, the festival will feature unique artisans and crafters, popular Delmarva food specialties and flip flop favorites performing on the oceanfront stage.
Picnicking in the sand, with bottles of wines and a group of friends and family, has always been a major attraction of this festival. Listening to music, dancing and singing are two natural extensions of the merriment. Also, there will be a wide array of crafters.
This year, perennial favorites Bird Dog and the Road Kings will bring back the band’s rockabilly rolling to the beach festival both days. Bird Dog and the Road Kings will be followed Friday by Misspent Youth, a popular party rock band that energizes docks and piers throughout Maryland and the mid-Atlantic.
On Saturday, Sept. 9, classic rock band Tranzfusion will provide the stage entertainment after Bird Dog performs for the second day.
Opening the festival and setting the stage for all the fun will be Larry Lay, who performed for 25 years as resident pianist/singer in the Middleton Tavern Piano Bar in Annapolis.
“No better way to get any party started than singing with Larry Lay,” said Middletown Tavern Piano Bar manager Chris Nokes of the entertainer who plays everything from old standards to modern pop. “The wine helps, but it’s certainly not necessary to get into the spirit with Larry Lay.”
Nokes said the intent each year is to bring new musical acts and wine offerings to Ocean City, and Wine Fest organizers are looking forward to providing both over the weekend of Sept. 8-9.
“We are delighted with our music lineup for this year’s Wine on the Beach,” Nokes said. “We offer an array of music styles and tastes, with something for everyone to enjoy as they picnic on the beach.”
For more event details, visit www.winefest.com.