For a brief moment, the holiday season’s unofficial kickoff—that is to say, Thanksgiving—is upon us.
But where is the holiday season’s official kickoff? It’s November’s annual Mulled Wine Fest, which is going down at Brooklyn Winery on November 17.
The fest marks the beginning of the holiday season proper, and has become a tradition in its own right. With tickets sold out each year, it certainly seems to have caught on. And there are plenty of reasons why: mulled wine is delicious! We’re talking about red wine that’s been heated up with apples, cinnamon sticks, orange slices and other delicious things.
Ticket-holders will be treated to a day full of mulled wine tastings, complimentary samples of spiced foods and desserts (also made with lots of mulled wine), and live music (the Jaya Jagtiani Quartet) throughout the day.
The air is crisp, the time for warm spiced drinks has come. It’s time to get a glass of mulled wine and feel the holiday spirit.
This Saturday Mulled Wine Fest will be held in Denver from noon-9 p.m. at Mile High Station in the West Rail Line Parking Lot. For those who don’t know what mulled wine is, it’s a drink that originated in Northern Europe and is made with red wine and a variety of spices. According to History.com , the first recorded mention of mulled wine was by Marcus Gavius Apicius in the 1st century A.D., and since then it has been a popular drink during the winter season.
Turns out there are quite a few places in Colorado you can get some mulled wine, so if you’re not able to make it to November’s festival, don’t worry! Here are some restaurants and bars that are offering mulled wine during this season:
The Fort: This restaurant located in Downtown Denver serves up gourmet comfort food alongside different wines and beers that change with the seasons. They also serve up a classic mulled wine during the winter!
The Corner Office: This downtown Denver restaurant offers fresh American cuisine and specializes in craft cocktails,
With the approaching holiday season and its accompanying onslaught of seasonal events, it’s a good time to reflect upon which ones are worth your while.
One event that has traditionally been a hot ticket is November’s Mulled Wine Fest, which this year falls on Saturday, November 16. The event brings together wine and mixologists from all over the city, as well as a wealth of other vendors like food trucks and artisans.**
Tickets for the Mulled Wine Fest are available through Ticketweb (here), but are usually gone by the time tickets go on sale in early October.**
As if we needed another reason to love Boston–the city is a party animal! It seems that the only thing this little town can’t do is sleep. While other cities may rest, it’s business as usual in Beantown. You see, Bostonians simply don’t have time to sleep–there’s too much fun to be had! And one of the most popular ways for us to blow off steam is through our festivals.
This fall and winter are no exception; there’s something for almost every kind of lover out there. Beer lovers in particular have plenty of options: Oktoberfest at the Garden is sure to be a hit; Sam Adams’ Octoberfest
Mulled Wine Fest tickets are available for purchase from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art (925 Camp St.), where the drinks also will be served as part of a VIP package. Two-day passes are $40 in advance or $50 day of the event, and individual tickets for specific events are $10-$15.
In addition to the wine tastings, there will be live music and entertainment with local groups during the weekend festival that’s set for Friday through Sunday, Nov. 11-13.
The lineup includes:
Nov. 11: The Soul Rebels Brass Band; John Mooney & Bluesiana (3-5 p.m.)
Nov. 12: Big Sam’s Funky Nation (6-8 p.m.) and Curalima Dance Company (9 p.m.-midnight)
Nov. 13: The California Honeydrops (noon-2 p.m.) and Savoy Family Cajun Band (3-5 p.m.)
Note: The complete schedule is available here
The official event runs November 21-23 at various locations throughout the city, but the unofficial kickoff will be November 20 in the afternoon at Klyde Warren Park.
The fun takes place from 2 to 10 pm and includes a heated tent and “mulled wine gourd” races. This is an event for the whole family to enjoy together; it’s free and open to everyone. The Dallas Observer named us one of the best holiday events to take part in last year, and we’re excited to be doing it again this year!
What Do I Need to Know If I’m Interested?
Get tickets here. There are plenty of opportunities to get your hands on some tickets (more info below), but if you want to guarantee yourself a ticket, get ’em online or in person at Barcadia (2639 Elm Street, Dallas) starting Friday, November 1st at 5 pm. Tickets are $10 each. The mulled wine gourd races will take place at 2 pm, so you’ll need a ticket for that, too — even if you’re not planning on staying for the rest of the festival.
The first three hundred people who purchase tickets online will receive a limited edition glass, so make sure to print your confirmation page
So how can you get a ticket?
First, you have to hope that the lottery runs again. This year it will happen on Friday, November 18. If you want to play, sign up for the mailing list at mwf.org . Same as last year: if you win, you’ll know about a week before the event.
The other option is to find someone who is willing to sell you a ticket. This year, there are people selling tickets online and on Facebook . I’ve seen plenty of ads for “extra” tickets, as well as some for full tables. The only downside of buying from someone is that your total cost will include whatever markup they put on the price of a ticket (a lot!), and it might be more expensive than just buying one yourself in the lottery. But if you want to go bad enough, that’s what you’ll have to do.
But there’s another way: hook up with your local homebrew club. Many of them are selling tickets or giving them away through drawings and contests. Homebrew clubs often get a few tickets from the MWF board as part of their membership benefits; if yours didn’t, then ask them how they got their hands on them — chances are good they’re willing to share.
I’ve signed up for an email newsletter about the event, but I’m afraid it’s only for members of the Knights of Columbus, who are putting it on. And I don’t think they’ll let me join just to get a ticket. So I’m turning to you all. How can I get my hands on some tickets?
Please leave your ideas in the comments below. Any help you guys can offer would be really appreciated, because I’d really like to go!
And Autostraddle readers- please tell your friends who aren’t part of the Knights of Columbus that they should sign up for the email newsletter too, so they have a chance at getting tickets.
