From April 3rd to 7th, wine and craft beer lovers can take part in the 4th annual Riverside Wine & Craft Beer Fest, to delight in tasting new and established Ontario wines and locally brewed craft beers, while getting to know Riverside shops, eateries and community spaces better. It’s essentially an Ontario wine and craft beer tour – right here in Riverside!
This year’s festival is hosted by the Riverside BIA, co-sponsored by Team Sheppard RE/MAX Hullmark and Jason Friesen Mortgage, and supported by festival partners Eastbound Brewing Co., Toronto Food Tours, the Ralph Thornton Community Centre and All Wrapped Up Events.
The festival’s end of week signature celebration is the FREE community EXPO hosted at the Ralph Thornton Community Centre* (765 Queen Street East, 2nd & 3rd floor) on Saturday, April 7th from 2pm to 5pm. The EXPO is your chance to taste and order select Ontario wines straight from award winning PEC (Prince Edward County) and NWR (Niagara Wine Region) wineries, plus meet & greet with and get a taste of local Riverside breweries! But there’s so much more to see and do at the EXPO, here’s a look at the activities on tap:
What’s Happening on the 2nd Floor:
Experience complimentary tastings with Ontario wineries including Three Dog Winery, Black Prince Winery, 13th Street Winery, The Grange of Prince Edward, Broken Stone Winery, plus local Riverside breweries Eastbound Brewing Co and Saulter Street Brewery
Enjoy Live music by the Stuart Brignell Acoustic Trio, comprised of seasoned players hailing from the Riverside and Beaches neighbourhoods!
Stuart Brignell Acoustic Trio at Open house at Jam Factory. Photos by Diego Moura photography
Bid on Silent Auction items from Riverside Businesses and Partners including White Lily Diner, Saulter St Brewery, Eastbound Brewing Co, The Peasant Table, il ponte, La Carnita, Prohibition, Tabule, Toronto Food Tours, Chi Junky Yoga & Wellness, and Sausage Party!
Get tasty $5 bites from our local pop-up food vendors including il ponte Cucina Italiana and Kaboom Chicken!
Kimchee RiceBalls from Kaboom Chicken
Check out original art works on the walls by local artists from the Artists’ Network, including Nancy Bennett, Penny Griffin, and Leo Baduria.
What’s Happening On the 3rd Floor:
Enjoy Cooking Demos featuring wine and craft beer by Toronto Food Tours and local Riverside chefs at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm.
Get Educated with Talks by craft beer and Ontario wine experts at 2:30pm, 3:30pm and 4:30pm:
- 2:30pm: Brewers Talk & Tasting by Eastbound Brewery and Saulter St Brewery.
- 3:30pm: Winemakers Talk by Three Dog Winery Owner John Squair.
- 4:30pm: Beer and cheese pairing talk with Prud’homme Master Sommelier Matt Sieradzki. While many people believe that wine and cheese are the perfect pairing, they have yet to try beer and cheese! Certified Prud’homme Master Sommelier and Beer Educator Matt will take you through various selections of cheese and craft beer and will show you just how great this pairing can be.
Prud’homme Master Sommelier Matt Sieradzki
Make sure to check out all the details of Riverside Wine & Craft Beer Fest (Apr 3rd-7th) and RSVP!
While entry to this amazing event is free, there is a suggested donation at the door of $5-$10 in support of Ralph Thornton Community Centre’s children’s programming.
*DISCLAIMER: Due to a delay in the Ralph Thornton Centre’s Elevator Modernization Project, the 2nd and 3rd Floors will only be accessible by stairs. We apologize for this, and if you have any questions please contact the Ralph Thornton Community Centre at (416) 392-6810