Dates/Times:
Advance Ticket Holders will be let in at 10:30 both days--pouring does not start until 11am.
Location Symphony Woods
5950 Symphony Woods Road
Columbia, MD 21044 [map]www.wineinthewoods.com
Sponsors Howard County Recreation & Parks and Maryland Wineries Association
Setting Outdoors in a wooded park surrounding Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Sampling Protocol Ticketless sampling
3/8-oz pourers (MWA has available for sale at event)
5-oz full glass pour
Tasting glass size: 6-oz glass
Premium Pours Wineries may charge $1/sample for up to 50% off products offered for sample, and conspicuously display fees to customers. Wineries may not convert a wine to a premium pour mid-festival, or charge for unqualified wines.
Wine donations As part of MWA's agreement with the sponsor, each winery must provide 6-8 bottles of wine for use in the VIP tent. MWA will collect the wine Saturday morning.
The certificate must indicate that you have general and liquor liability (General = $1mil per occurrence).
Certificate Holder:
Howard County, MD c/o Howard County Recreation & Parks
7120 Oakland Mills Road
Columbia, MD 21046
List the following as Additional Insureds:
Email a copy of your Certificate of Insurance to Janna Howley < janna@cultivateandcraft.com >
CERTIFICATES OF INSURANCE ARE DUE BY FRIDAY, MARCH 1ST
Rentals: MWA rents tables and linens for wineries upon request and bills them post-festival.
Howard County rents the pavilion tents then bills MWA for the overall cost of all tents. MWA will divide the bill to determine a per table fee.
Flooring Fee: Any wineries that are located in the GA area will be required to have flooring. Pricing will be $2.60/square foot.
Set-Up Schedule: You'll be able to enter the site early Friday, Saturday & Sunday mornings to set up. Tents are being erected beginning Monday so everything will be in place by Friday. Please be EXTREMELY careful maneuvering vehicles around the site. Howard County staff will help guide you to ensure you reach your spot without any hiccups.
Setup times:
Friday, May 17• 7am-4pm
Saturday, May 18 • 7am-9:30am
Sunday, May 19• 7am-9:30am
NOTE: Trucks/trailers may not be left overnight on the site Friday due to a major concert at Merriweather. If you absolutely need to leave a large vehicle in the area, they recommend either Century Plaza or Sterrett Place, then driving back on site Saturday morning to your assigned parking lot. Contact our Howard County liaison Adam Wienckowski (410-340-2315 / awienckowski@howardcountymd.gov) if you need accommodations.
Electricity: Electricity is available in each tent.
Ice: Ice is available on-site for a fee. Ice will no longer be delivered; there will be ice available near the winery areas. PLEASE NOTE: the total ice cost is evenly split across all participating wineries.
Miscellaneous:
Load out on Sunday: Please have your truck/van driver ready in your truck/van as early as 5:20pm, to expedite vehicle entry back onto festival grounds. However, PLEASE be patient, as it could take a while to clear the grounds of festival patrons for safe vehicle re-entry.
Sincerely,
Adam Wienckowski, Co-Chair – O-410.313.4714, C-410.340.2315 or awienckowski@howardcountymd.gov
Each winery is afforded up to 40 volunteer passes each day for use by legitimate volunteers only. Submit volunteer lists to Janna Howley (janna@growandfortify.com) by Thursday evening, May 16th.
Each morning of the festival, wineries should walk to Volunteer Check-In to receive the appropriate number of glasses for volunteers. Volunteers will need to check-in with wineries to get their glass, hopefully equating to fewer no-shows!
Volunteers and Other Staff: Parking is allowed & encouraged in the covered parking garages between Symphony Woods and The Mall (adjacent to Little Patuxent Pkwy). There is no parking in the Columbia Mall parking lots. Please be sure to tell your volunteers the check-in tent is off Little Patuxent Pkwy (same location as last year). If your staff or volunteers park in the main lot they will have to walk around the festival to check-in and then back to their assigned tent. Please turn in your list of volunteers each morning to our Volunteer Tent to receive their wine glasses and complimentary tickets.
All Wineries on site are required to provide wine for the Wine Education tent.