Sparks Vineyard and Winery of Sparks, OK, is having an Anniversary Open House 2012 for it’s 11th birthday! Join in the celebration Saturday, May 19, 2012, from 11 am to 5 pm at the winery.
The celebration would be a great time to see the winery and enjoy the complimentary wine tasting or to make a return trip to Sparks Vineyard and stock up on your favorite wines like Deep Fork Red, a “grown-up” grape juice and chocolate’s best friend. Try this sweet red and many other wines.
Live music by Tulsa’s Rod Saunders, classical guitar & pop mix will be held from noon to 3 pm. Meals are available for purchase during the event as well as wine slushies! Sparks Vineyard and Winery features a veranda overlooking the vineyard. Come enjoy a day in the counrty wine tasting!
Congratulations to our Agritourism venues who won the coveted Redbud Awards during National Tourism Week, May 7-11, 2012.
Outstanding Agritourism Attraction
Country Cottage Primitives and Lavender Farm, Shawnee
Best Website Redbud Award
Summerside Vineyards, Winery & Meadery, Vinita
Outstanding Temporary Exhibit Redbud Award
Chisholm Trail Heritage Center, Duncan
Outstanding New Attraction
Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
Outstanding Media Coverage: Broadcast – Merit Award
Oklahoma Horizon TV
OK Horizon featured the October 2011 Agritourism Rolling Workshop on its video
The annual RedBud Awards recognize attractions, CVBs, ad agencies, Chambers of Commerce, event managers, and regional marketing organizations. The Awards recognized the latest, greatest, and most unique marketing strategies from across the state of Oklahoma.
Held since the 1940s as a way to promote the strawberries grown in the area, the annual Strawberry Festival in Stilwell has become one of Oklahoma’s most-loved hometown festivals. Stilwell is the “Strawberry Capital of the World.” Enjoy festival activities such as games, live entertainment and free strawberries and ice cream. The 65th annual festival will also feature a 5K Run for the Berries, carnival rides (Wed – Sat at the County Fairgrounds), plenty of vendor booths and the Strawberry Festival Rodeo, held Friday and Saturday evenings at the rodeo grounds located two miles north of Stilwell on Highway 59N.
Don’t miss the popular Strawberry Festival Parade featuring floats, marching bands, horses and more. The festival runs from 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday, May 12, 2012. The parade will be immediately followed by the crowning of this year’s Strawberry Festival Queen. Stick around for a strawberry auction, midway games, arts and crafts, vendor booths and a wide variety of fair food. Recognized as a nationally-celebrated event, Stilwell’s Strawberry Festival prides itself on family-friendly entertainment for all ages. Celebrate the annual strawberry harvest and small-town pride with live gospel and country music on the main entertainment stage, a strawberry recipe and baked goods contest and plenty of fresh, ripe strawberries.
Visit http://www.strawberrycapital.com/ for additional information.
Wildflowers are in full bloom around the state. Here a blazing version of the state flower, Indian Paintbrush, graces southeast Oklahoma this week! Don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers every now and then.
For anyone interested in vineyard establishment and operation, there will be an Oklahoma Vineyard Field Day on May 19, 2012 beginning at 9 am. The event is being hosted by the Oklahoma Grape Industry Council (OGIC) at Canadian River Winery in Slaughterville, (south of Norman on U.S. 77), which is among the largest vineyards in Oklahoma with more than seven acres of vinifera and hybrid grapes used for making Oklahoma wines.
The Vineyard Field Day expected to last from 9:00 am 2:00 pm will offer seminars on vineyard site selection, vineyard establishment, and in vineyard practices presented by Dr. Keith Striegler of Flint Ridge Winegrowing Services of Fayetteville, AR. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Food Science from the University of Arkansas, and his Ph.D. in Horticulture from Michigan State University.
Additionally Dr. Damon Smith of Oklahoma State University Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Department will present information on Black Rot, a fungal disease that affects most grape species. He will specifically discuss the Oklahoma Mesonet Black Rot Advisor, an on-line Mesonet tool used in Oklahoma, Napa Valley, and many other grape growing regions for monitoring the times when spray of grape vines is necessary to prevent Black Rot.
Pre-registration is required. Lunch will be provided for a $5 donation. To register, call Canadian River Winery at (405) 872-5565 or e-mail info@ogic.info.
