Festival of the Vine returns to kick off the fall.

“We’re fortunate we’re able to do it,” said Laura Rush, communications manager with the Geneva Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau.

The Festival of the Vine will be from 4-10 p.m. Sept. 10, 12-10 p.m. Sept. 11 and 12-4:30 p.m. Sept. 12 in downtown Geneva.

The annual festival celebrates the end of summer harvest with food, wine and music. Food and beverage tickets cost $1 each. Wine costs between 6-16 tickets and food costs between 2-12 tickets.

People can avoid the lines and purchase tickets online this year — minimum 50 tickets for online purchasing. Cash and credit will be used at the event.

Seventeen of Geneva’s restaurants will be found in the Flavor Fare tent at State and Fourth streets. That’s where people can sample foods like Bahn Mi egg rolls from

Copper Fox, grilled steak tacos from Altiro Latin Fusion and lobster mac and cheese from Inglenook Pantry Inc.

“We have five new restaurants that have not participated in the past,” she said. “We’re going to offer a couple of beer options this year. People always ask for it and we figured, well, hops grow on a vine.”

Local brewery Penrose Brewing will sell two beers and two hard seltzers, she said.

Over at the wine tent, 18 wines will be sold by the glass for people to enjoy.

There will be almost nonstop entertainment this year as well, with entertainers almost every hour and a half on the stage.

Entertainment includes The Dennis O’Brien Band from 5 to 7 p.m. and The Noize from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sept. 10.

On Sept. 11, there will be an observation of the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks at 12:45 p.m. with the national anthem being performed by Andrea Schmidt with accompaniment by Paul and Jay, who then take the stage from 1 to 3 p.m.

Drew Clausen performs from 3:30 to 5 p.m., The PriSSillas perform from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and Planet Groove headlines the stage from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

On Sept. 12, Jim Duncan and Tim Logsdon perform from 12 to 2 p.m. followed by The Shades from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

The craft show will return with more than 80 crafters scheduled to attend, peddling everything from soy candles and seasonal signs to homemade wreaths and doll clothes.

“People really like the Festival of the Vine craft show,” Rush said. “It’s very successful.”

It will wrap around the court house at Third and Campbell streets. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 11 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 12.

For kids, there will be free balloon animals Sept. 11 and free face painting. Sept. 12 from 12 to 3 p.m. both days. The library will offer free all-ages bingo from 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 11.

Free trolley rides will be available to run fest-goers between festival sites from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 11-12. Free horse-drawn carriage rides will be offered from 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 11-12. A French market will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 12.

People tell Rush they like the variety the Festival of the Vine offers and the chance to try new foods and wines, she said.

“I think a lot of people like being able to try a lot of different restaurants in one location, especially ones they’ve never tried before or even heard of,” she said. “In fact, one of the restaurants we have is literally opening right before the Festival of the Vine.

“I see a lot of girlfriends coming out and getting a glass of wine. People like being outside. And then you’ve got free, live entertainment, which I think people are dying for also because there hasn’t been entertainment in over a year.”

She urges people to stop by the Festival of the Vine even it’s just for a caramel apple from Graham’s Fine Chocolates and Ice Cream.

“It’s a special event that doesn’t happen at any other time of the year.”

Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Beacon-News.