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Wine & Crafts Festival returns from 2-year COVID break into a Spring heatwave

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On a steamy Saturday, May 21st, Front Royal welcomed the annual Chamber of Commerce sponsored Wine & Craft Festival back after a two-year absence due to COVID-19 pandemic precautions.

An impressive array of booths highlighting that two-pronged theme stretched up and down East Main and Chester Streets in the town’s Historic Downtown Business District to the delight of a throng of hearty “winers” and arts and crafts fans of all ages.

A live musical accompaniment was kicked off by Leesburg-based Jumptown, with frontman Michael Gauvreau leading the band through an impressive array of Soul, Rhythm & Blues, and Blues tunes that kept the crowd on its collective “good foot.” Mandatory Fun would be a later musical theme.

Leesburg’s Jumptown, with singer Michael Gauvreau, below, launched the day’s live music. Royal Examiner Photos by Roger Bianchini

And if you didn’t want to risk mixing wine with the Weather Alert heat soaring into the mid-90s, there were also a variety of concessions and cooling liquids of the non-alcoholic variety available as well. So, if you missed it, or even if you didn’t but want a little reminder of the good time you had in the comfort of your air-conditioned abode, relax and take a visual tour of the Wine & Crafts Festival 2022 below.

There were other options than wine for the non-whiners, we mean winers.

Of course the wine booths stayed busy as it was the Wine & Crafts Festival

That’s some nice art you have there – some patrons of the arts chat with the artist, seated with a furry friend.

Uh oh, ‘Dye Happy’ almost gave this reporter a flashback – to the 1960s and tie-dye power as a Woodstock generation fashion statement.

And a stroll up Chester Street from the Gazebo area …

And as we head up East Main St. we are reminded to stop into Town Hall to participate in the opportunity to give citizen input to an update of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan and residents’ visions for the town’s future.

.

Uh oh, I’m having another flashback – this one to the 1860s and the American Civil War.

Maybe the Town should have put a wine booth in front of Town Hall to attract that citizen feedback – Let me have another glass and I’ll tell you what I think about the future.

 

The ice patrol to various booths with perishables was very important as the mid-spring heat wave pushed temperatures well into the 90s.

 

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