The 26th Annual Wine Festival at the Dilworthtown Inn borrowed lyrics from the musical “Annie” – with a slight revision: “The sun will come out … in an hour.”
At least that’s what forecasters repeatedly insisted. But on Sunday, Oct. 15, Mother Nature defied predictions that the clouds would soon subside. They never did, but people were having too much fun to care.
For many attendees, the festival has become a favorite fall ritual. It follows the weekend of Chester County Day, another beloved October tradition that benefits Chester County Hospital. Proceeds from the festival go to the hospital’s Abramson Cancer Program and Neighborhood Health.
Rachel McElhenney, accompanied by family and friends, said she has attended for 13 years. “This is a wonderful fundraiser,” she said. “We always have a great time.”
Those sentiments were shared by Kristin Guinan, who also enjoys attending with a group. “I used to work for the Dilworthtown Inn, and I love them,” she said. “I think I’ve only missed one year.” For 2017, Guinan’s assemblage of 10 included a couple of newcomers: her sister-in-law, Meghan Guinan, and Meghan's husband, Jim Guinan, both of whom are likely to become repeat visitors.
For Pamela Scott, the 2017 Wine Festival represented a homecoming of sorts. A longtime surgeon affiliated with Chester County Hospital, Scott retired about a year and a half ago and said she hadn’t been to the festival for several years. “The scale is grander than what I remember,” she said, surveying the vast array of offerings. “I’m seeing a lot of old friends, which is fun.”
Once inside the grounds of the historic Dilworthtown Inn, festival goers had numerous options. Chief among them was sampling libations. In addition to dozens of wines that ranged from local to international vintages, choices included half a dozen craft beer samples and even some spirits.
Thomas Gavin, director of development for Chester County Hospital, said this year’s festival “featured the most wines we've ever had, great new food pairings, new breweries in our craft beer garden and our first Pennsylvania distillery, Manatawny Creek.”
Gavin, who’s been involved with the festival for 23 of its 26 years, said overall numbers haven’t been tallied yet, but he expects fantastic results. Sales of VIP tickets, which included a champagne brunch, special wines, a custom wine glass, gourmet food, and reserved seating, exceeded the total for previous years, he said.
“A deep and sincere thanks goes out to all of those community members who came out today to support patients and help us ‘crush cancer,’” he said, referencing the fundraiser’s motto.
Eager to do that, many ticket-holders perfected an impressive balancing act. With a glass resting in one hand, they managed to browse through a selection of artisan vendors, choose culinary offerings from a variety of food trucks, covet an array of performance cars, bid on a host of enticing silent auction items, or dance to the music of the Vince Brown Band.
Ryan Gerstel, sales promotions coordinator for the Conshohocken Brewing Company, said his first experience with the festival was a positive one. “It’s been great. People love our beer,” he said. “ It’s a classy event; everyone’s very upbeat.”
One of those enthusiastic customers was Rourke Dillon of West Chester. “This beer’s awesome,” he told Gerstel.
Dillon said he’s been coming for 13 years, and his friend, Kristin Salvatore of Sparta, N.J., has attended five or six years. Dillon summed up the experience this way: “Mondays are fun after the Wine Festival!”
The Brandywine and Greystone branches of the Women’s Auxiliary to Chester County Hospital jointly organize the Wine Festival. Organizers said it wouldn’t happen without the generosity of the Dilworthtown Inn, numerous sponsors, and about 300 valued volunteers.
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