First Wine & Whiskey Festival coming to Station Street on Labor Day weekend

Seven Southside businesses are partnering to bring the first Wine & Whiskey Festival to Station Street on Labor Day weekend.

Through a collaboration between Westbound Bar, Regan's Place, Chattanooga Choo Choo, Stir, Terminal Brewhouse, Songbirds and Backstage Bar, festivalgoers will be able to sample wines from around the world as well as an extensive offering of whiskeys on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 31 and Sept. 1.

Wine-tastings and whiskey sips will be offered both evenings followed by after-parties. As guests hang out on Station Street, they can enjoy outdoor concerts each night by Songbirds' artists. Saturday's acts will be Electric Avenue and Joey Winslett Band. Sunday's music is by Neon Moon with support from The White Liars.

"Electric Avenue puts on a heck of a show, and Neon Moon has sold out Songbirds the last three times they were there," says Duane Carleo, owner of Westbound Bar and Regan's Place.

Station Street will be rocking Saturday and Sunday nights when the first Wine &Whiskey Festival is held. Musical acts from Songbirds will perform, there will be wine-tastings and whiskey sips, TVs to keep up with football games and after-parties in Station Street venues. / Duane Carleo Contributed Photo

Planning for this festival began about 10 weeks ago after Carleo sent a text out to the other business owners asking if they'd be interested in a Labor Day weekend event.

"I'm from Knoxville, and we used to do these giant pub crawls with 3,500 people four times a year," he says of this festival's inspiration.

Gates will open at 7 p.m. each night, with tastings from 7 to 10 p.m. The outdoor concerts will start at 7:45 p.m each night. The event will be held rain or shine.

Football fans don't have to worry about missing college football games. There will be two TVs set up to watch Oregon vs. Auburn on Saturday, Houston vs. Oklahoma on Sunday.

A general-admission ticket includes admission to the outdoor concert, one punch card for up to 15 samples of wine or whiskey and admission to the after- parties at Regan's Place, Westbound Bar, Backstage Bar and Songbirds.

Food will be available for purchase at Stir, Terminal Brewhouse, Backstage Bar, Songbirds and Westbound Bar.

Carleo says after-parties in Station Street venues are planned for folks who don't want to drink, but still want to party.

"Comedy Catch has Sing It or Wing It doing karaoke there on Saturday and, on Sunday night, the Cruizin Keys Dueling Pianos from Nashville are coming. Westbound is a country bar with a lot of line-dancing there on Friday and Saturday nights. Regan's is a retro dance bar playing a lot of '80s and '90s music - like the music you'd hear at a wedding reception. A lot of Bon Jovi, I mean a LOT," he describes.

Ticket prices start at $30 for advance one-day purchase, $45 one-day ticket the day of event; $89 VIP advance ticket for one night or $149 advance VIP two-day ticket.

VIP tickets include admission, VIP viewing of the concerts from Songbirds North patio, access to Songbirds Guitar Museum after 9 p.m., three extra tastings on the punch card and a small buffet.

Festivalgoers who do not want to participate in the samplings can purchase concert/after-party tickets only. They are $10 for one day in advance, $15 for one day at the gate.

A portion of ticket sales will benefit the Songbirds Foundation. Everyone must be at least 21 years of age and present valid photo identification to attend this event.

Carleo encourages interested folks to get tickets in advance - not just for the discounted price, but because event-day tickets will only be sold if any remain, and at this point it looks like a sell-out is ensured.

For tickets or information: eventbrite.com/e/station-street-wine- whiskey-festival-tickets- 66827748595.