For almost half a century, the Riverbank Cheese and Wine Festival has brought folks to downtown Riverbank to savor some delicious cheeses and fine wines and they continued that tradition this year with multiple local wineries bringing their best offerings to share. Collier Creek, Lucca, Michael David and many more local wineries brought multiple varietals to pour for the wine tasting crowd. Tastings were hosted at the Riverbank Community Center.
Now in its 49th year, wine wasn’t the only thing that the Saturday, Oct. 10 festival had to offer. From the car show with everything from classic lowriders to regal sedans, fans of all ages could appreciate the custom paint jobs and the attention to detail that these classic cars exhibited. Throughout the street, food vendors had multiple options from savory skewers to hand made tortillas filled with carne asada to kettle corn and cotton candy to entice the festival goers.
On the entertainment side, No Way Back, a classic rock band, opened the festival and played some favorites from John Mellencamp and The Rolling Stones while the day continued with acts including Ballet Folklorico Viva Mexico, which featured Folklorico Dancers performing dances that highlighted history and heritage. With Bertha Reyes and Mary Conley-Alpers at the Riverbank Museum on hand to sell vintage Cheese and Wine Glasses and souvenirs from past festivals, along with various booths along the streets that had everything from permanent jewelry to gemstones to exotic plants, finding affordable and unique gifts was easy. Those attending also seemed to be enjoying the opportunity to investigate the variety of wares offered.
In honor of their 30th anniversary in business, Holistic Life Institute of Learning provided free massage and reflexology sessions along with sound baths and resources to folks that stopped by to tour their facility. Jan Noble, practitioner, educator, author and founder of the Holistic Life Institute of Learning shared her gratitude for the continued support of her team, which includes her students as well as the support of local communities including Oakdale, Modesto and Riverbank, which have all served as locations for the Holistic Life Institute for Learning.
Members of the Riverbank Parks and Recreation Department team were kept busy throughout the day on Saturday, making sure festival attendees were treated to a relaxing, enjoyable day.
Next year will mark the ‘golden anniversary’ of the festival, as the Cheese and Wine will observe its 50th year. And though it has evolved throughout the years, the 50th Cheese and Wine Festival will most likely remind people that coming together to honor traditions and celebrate family and friends while enjoying some fabulous food, music, and carefully curated wines from the Valley is something to be cherished year after year.
