Mount Pleasant's Uncorked Festival Brings a Free Family Day to Caldwell Park Saturday
The chamber's fall food and wine festival on Oct. 24 is free to enter, with live music, kids' activities, local food and $10 tasting wristbands for adults 21 and up.
Caldwell Park in Mount Pleasant will fill up Saturday with local food, live music and Texas wineries, and families can walk in without paying a cent.
The Mount Pleasant-Titus County Chamber of Commerce holds its fall Uncorked Food & Wine Festival on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Caldwell Park, which sits a short walk from downtown. The chamber's event page lists free entry for everyone.
The chamber calls Uncorked an annual fall event that brings together Texas wineries, local restaurants and boutique shopping. Photos from past festivals are posted on the chamber's Facebook page, which is linked from the event page.
What it costs
The only paid item listed is a wine-tasting wristband at $10 per person. Wristbands are for adults 21 and over, and the chamber says guests will be asked to show ID at the wristband booth. Folks who don't drink can still enjoy the food, music, shopping and children's activities without spending a dime at the gate.
Music on the hour
Three acts are on the schedule. Mayson Garner plays at noon, Matthew McDaniel at 2 p.m. and Lola Kinsey at 4 p.m.
The chamber's page does not list opening and closing times for the festival itself. Anyone planning around a schedule should call the chamber at (903) 572-8567 before heading out.
Jefferson Avenue in downtown Mount Pleasant, 2015. Photo: Michael Barera / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
For the kids
The chamber bills the day as family-friendly. Listed activities include a sports game inflatable, a large Lego-themed bounce house with a slide, face painting and canvas painting.
Who is cooking
Food vendors listed so far are Rancho Seco Steakhouse, Pupusas Castro, The Mariscal Girls Lemonade, Quick Sip Dirty Sodas, El Bajio and Small Town Treats. Craft vendors will also sell handmade goods.
Ten wine vendors are listed: Slash-O-Meadery, Wall Street Winery, Canyon River Winery, Fay J Winery, Cicada Ridge Vineyard, Los Pinos Ranch Vineyard, Maydelle Country Wines, Un Sueno Vineyard, Five Trees Winery and Texas Southwind Vineyard & Winery.
Why it matters
A small town shows what it values in how it spends a Saturday. A free day in a city park, where a family can share a plate of pupusas and hear a local singer, still counts for something.
Events like this also keep dollars close to home. Local restaurants, Texas wineries and small vendors get a full day in front of their neighbors. And a festival a short walk from downtown gives people a reason to stop in the shops on the way.
Vendors who want a booth, and sponsors who want to help, can email [email protected]. The chamber office is at 303 W. 1st Street.
Early voting is also underway this week across Texas. If you plan to cast a ballot before Saturday, you can stop at the polls on the way and make a day of it.
Related on Dock Line: Midland's Rebuilt Quail Course Gets a Ribbon Cutting Thursday and Opens to the Public Oct. 30; Early Voting Starts Monday. Here Is What Is on Every Texas Ballot.
