Inaugural Beer & Wine Festival Set To Take Place

By Brian M. Johnson, The Bristol Press

September 7, 2021

The St. Francis de Sales Knights of Columbus invite the community to join them for their inaugural Beer & Wine Festival Sept. 10 and 11 on the grounds of St. Anthony Church, with proceeds benefitting local and global charities.

The festival will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Sept. 10 and 11 outside of the church at 111 School St. It will include six wineries and six breweries, several of which are local. In addition, there will be four food trucks and live Jazz music performed by local musician Richard Theriault as part of a four-piece band.

Proceeds will support Knights of Columbus International’s Wheelchair Mission, which raises funds to purchase wheelchairs for the disabled, as well as Connecticut pregnancy care centers that are supported by the Catholic Church.

The festival will also include a raffle. Winners will be declared at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11 at the end of the festival. First place will win $1,000, second place will win $750 and third place will win $500.

Grand Knight Michael Shea with the St. Francis de Sales Knights of Columbus said that this council was founded and chartered in 2019 and has since grown to 15 Knights. The council, he said, has been active within the church parish and is now seeking to re-engage with the community. The festival, he said, is the council’s way of giving back.

“Marvin Friedman, the owner of Maple End Package Store, has been coordinating all of the vendors, several of which are local, for the occasion,” said Shea. “In addition to supporting two worthy causes, we hope that this festival will help to get our local businesses back on their feet after covid.”

Shea encouraged the community to join The St. Francis de Sales Knights of Columbus for a fun time at the festival, which he said will be in a “safe, user-friendly venue.”

“This is our first run for this festival and if it goes well, hopefully we can duplicate it next year,” he said.

Tickets are $20 per person per evening. For more information, visit facebook.com/KOC0009.

Brian M. Johnson can be reached at 860-973-1806 or bjohnson@bristolpress.com.