Now that we’ve survived weeks of gloomy days with grey clouds and seemingly endless rain, we’re all ready to crawl out from the dark bars in which we’ve been hunkering and raise our glasses al fresco under some spring sunshine. Fortunately, the forecast looks promising for this weekend’s 19th annual Wine in the Woods.

From 11 - 6 PM on Saturday, May 21 and from 11 - 5 PM on Sunday, May 22, oenophiles can gather at Symphony Woods in Columbia to sample and purchase from over two dozen Maryland wineries — including this year’s newcomers The Urban Winery and Winecream — against a backdrop of live jazz, pop, soul, rock, swing, and reggae bands.

While picnic baskets are welcome, there will be no shortage of pairing opportunities, with dozens of restaurants, caterers, and specialty food purveyors on hand. From traditional festival fare like funnel cakes, popcorn, and fries to elaborate local eats like crab dip, pit beef and turkey, and crab cakes, as well as a wide variety of dishes with international flair like chicken teriyaki, cajun shrimp, creole fish, gyros, falafel, curry chicken, and oxtail stew, there will be an abundance of options for lining bellies before, during, and after sipping (or swilling - no judgment here).

In addition to wine and music, there will be a long list of local artisans on hand selling a plethora of handmade products like multiple types of jewelry, photography, and home goods. For those feeling artistic (and who doesn’t after a glass or two of vino?), there will also be painting classes held every 20 minutes until 5:30 on Saturday and 4:30 on Sunday.

Daily wine tasting seminars will also be available (courtesy of Taster’s Guild) at noon, 1, 2, and 3 each day, with a focus on the basics of wine tasting, whites, reds, dessert wines, respectively. Pick up your tickets here — prices vary between Saturday and Sunday, because the latter is a slightly abbreviated day.

Live a distance from Columbia and can’t convince anyone to attend a wine festival without also taking part in sipping some wine? Good news - we were excited to see a Rally Bus option, making the festival safely accessible for anyone. 

Event Date: 05/21,05/22
Event Time: 11AM-6PM
Location: Symphony Woods
Price: $27-32 in advance; $35-40 at the gate
Type: Wine
Website: http://www.missiontix.com/page/searchResults/?venue=Symphony%20Woods