Courtesy of City of Grove City
It’s the most wonderful season of the year: festival season. For those who love a good meal, a boozy drink and the open air, Grove City is a great place to be in the summer.
The Heart of Grove City hosts a full slate of food and drink festivals including Wine and Arts Festival, Tacos and Tequila Festival, Food Truck Festival and Shop Hop, and the Craft Distillers Festival (formerly named The Heart of Grove City Bourbon Tasting).
Executive Director Andy Furr says these events are key to joining Grove City residents together. The festivals help to promote local business while highlighting what the area has to offer.
“Whether they just moved to Grove City or have been here awhile, we want to make sure we showcase what we have,” he says. “That makes it important for the vibrancy of our downtown to make sure that we can, as we call it, put feet on the street.”
Wine and Arts Festival
Courtesy of City of Grove City
The 11th annual Wine and Arts Festival is set to be the biggest yet with up to 24 wineries participating. To accommodate that growth, this year will also see the festival moving locations from its previous venue on Broadway to Park Street. This year’s event takes place Friday, June 17 and Saturday, June 18 in downtown Grove City.
This festival draws in wine connoisseurs from all over Ohio. In addition to wine and other drinks, festival visitors come back each year for the arts vendors and the local restaurants and food trucks. When the inspiration strikes, the festival also offers opportunities for visitors to create some art of their own.
The festival is a feast for the ears as well as the stomach, typically playing host to a number of Ohio acts performing rock, blues, country and more. Previously booked performers include Peter Conrad, Joey and Jessica, Blue Spectrum, The Boondogglers, and American Vinyl.
Wineries at last year’s festival included Heart of Grove City’s own Plum Run Winery, Buckeye Winery, Bunker’s Mill Winery and CLE Urban Winery.
Tacos and Tequila
A newer event on the Grove City scene, Tacos and Tequila festival returns for its second year on Saturday, July 16.
Its first iteration of the annual festival debuted in 2021 with a mix of food trucks and high-end tequila tastings.
Like the Wine and Arts Festival, Tacos and Tequila will take place onat Park Street, the same location as last year. Returning visitors can expect more tacos and more tequila this year, as additional food trucks are set to participate. Up to 30 different types of tequila are expected on the menu, though trying a shot of everything isn’t recommended.
Last year’s tequila offerings included 1800 Tequila Milenio, 123 Organic Reposado Tequila Dos, Aman Tequila Reposado and Grand Leyenda Organic Anejo Tequila.
Though Tacos and Tequila is just in its sophomore year, Furr says it presents a unique and fun atmosphere for visitors and Grove City residents.
“My favorite part is just seeing the people happy and enjoying themselves,” he says. “We have unique events. They help attract people.”
Food Truck Festival and Shop Hop
Unlike Grove City’s single-weekend food and drink festivals, the Food Truck Festival and Shop Hop recurs on select Fridays from May through October. On these nights, its energizing atmosphere spreads through Grove City’s Town Center as community members gather for food and shopping.
The Food Truck Festival and Shop Hop occurs from 4-9 p.m. on the following dates:
May 6, May 20, June 3, July 1, July 15, Aug. 5, Aug. 19, Sept. 2, Sept. 16, Sept. 30, Oct. 14 and Oct. 28.
These events coincide with the Summer Sizzle Concert Series hosted by the Grove City Parks and Recreation Department. In addition to food trucks and shopping, these nights feature live music staged on the corner of Arbutus Avenue and Park Street.
Grove City truly comes alive during the festival season, and it encourages a deeper connection among visitors and residents and the community. Tae Spell, owner of the Circleville-based Taesty’s Food Truck, participated in 2021 and says the festival allowed him to catch up with old friends and extended family.
“We like that we’re close to home, so we’re able to reach out to those that’ve been around since we started as well as being able to meet people,” Spell says.
Expect a broad range of food and refreshments to choose from throughout the series. Furr says the festival already has 10-12 food trucks signed up to participate each night.
Craft Distillers Festival
A familiar experience returning under a new name, the Craft Distillers Festival is set to continue the bourbon tasting tradition on Saturday, Aug. 13. The name of the festival has been changed to signify its expansion from simply featuring bourbon to including other types of alcohol.
In part due to bourbon shortages in the past two years, Furr says, the festival will evolve to showcase vodka, gin and other types of distilled spirits.
“We want to put the focus on our fantastic craft distillers because they’re utilizing sustainability techniques and our local farmers to get their wheat, their rye and their corn,” Furr says. “Not only are they supporting our local economy and farmers, but they’re creating some great products.”
Doug McLaughlin, co-owner and master distiller at M&O Spirits, which has previously participated in the Bourbon Tasting event, says it’s a great way for visitors to discover their new favorite beverages.
“I love meeting people that have never tried our product before and just to get the look on their face when they taste it,” McLaughlin says. “They’re expecting not to like it, and when they really enjoy it, it’s very satisfying to turn people into fans of our products.”
Maisie Fitzmaurice is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
