Texas Wine Garden at King William Fair

This year, Texas wine will make a major appearance at The King William Fair during Fiesta San Antonio. The family friendly event in the historic King William District will host a Texas Wine Garden, filled with wines from nearby wineries. The Texas Wine Garden is a new addition this year.

The wine lineup for the inaugural year represents wineries from throughout the Texas wine industry. They will showcase specific wines for tastings.

• Lost Draw Cellars: Arroyo Blanco, Kindred, Rose, and Blush
• Old Man Scary Cellars: Sangiovese, Valevento, Button Blush, and Prima Volta
• Bending Branch Winery: Branch Texas Red and Branch Texas White
• Majek Vineyard: Cardinal’s Crown Dry Red, Cardinal’s Kiss Sweet Red, Blanc Du Bois Sparkling White, and Dry White
• Pedernales Cellars: 2015 Viognier and Tempranillo
• Compass Rose Cellars: Chenin Blanc, Iron Spike Reserve Madera, Grenache, and Cabernet Franc

Guests can enjoy wine by the glass and by bottle. In addition, tastings are available. Tasting wristbands will cost $20 and can be purchased at the ticket booth near the entrance of the wine garden. Each wristband gets eight tastings, and one tasting equals two samples.

The Texas Wine Garden will be located at Julia’s Veranda. In addition to the wine tastings, guests can purchase food from nearby vendors (tickets are required and are $1 each). While enjoying the wine, guests can listen to a variety of musical acts, primarily Americana and Texas styles.

In addition to the Texas wine and live music, guests can visit art and crafts vendors, taste a variety of local cuisine, and just enjoy the ambience. There are five stages for live music, including the one adjacent to the wine garden. And for the kids, fun can be found in the Kids Kingdom play area. The highlight of the fair is the parade. A variety of local organizations and businesses take part in a more relaxed and funky parade winding through the area. You can see the map of the fair here.

Fiesta San Antonio is an annual tradition going back to a parade in honor of the Battle at San Jacinto. The first parade took place in 1891. The King William Fair has been a long-time part of the festivities. The King William Association had the first fair in 1968. This event is steeped in tradition, as it raises money for preservation, community improvements, scholarships, and the arts.

The event takes place in the historic King William District, south of the Alamo on the edge of downtown. The area boasts a number of historic buildings, acting as backdrop for the fair. In addition to being a neighborhood, many small businesses are found throughout the area, including bed and breakfasts, art galleries, restaurants, and the famous Blue Star Art Complex.

The King William Fair is Saturday, April 29 (at the end of Fiesta) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (the parade starts the event). Adult admission is $10 and children under 12 are free. Advance tickets are available on their website. Once inside, tickets can be purchased for $1 a piece; food, beverages, and kids’ events will require tickets. You can follow them on Facebook for updates. Come and celebrate Fiesta and support Texas wine.