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Blues and Wine Festival at beautiful Natirar Park in Peapack-Gladstone (Somerset County), Sunday, May 30th

Garden State Wine Growers Association is running a Blues and Wine Festival at Natirar Park in Peapack Gladstone noon - 5 p.m. on May 29 and 30. I'd like to get a group together to go on the 30th. See http://www.newjerseywines.com/ and their Facebook page for more information. Anyone interested? Tickets are available through the wine growers association web site.

Note: This is for folks who would like to go on the 30th, and is an offshoot of Karen 's discussion for people who chose to go on Saturday.

Directions to Natirar
2 Main Street, Peapack, New Jersey

From Route 78 West
Follow Route 78 west to Route 287 North (Exit 29)
Take Route 287 North to Exit 22B (Route 202/206 North Bedminster/Netcong).
Take Route 202/206 North to the split and bear right to stay on Route 202.
Take Route 202 to the first light (Willies Tavern will be directly across the street).
At the light, make a right onto Main Street (still Route 202).
Take Main Street approximately ½ mile across the North Branch River to the first light.
Make a left at the light onto Peapack Road (Route 512).
Take Peapack Road approximately 1 mile to the main entrance.
Cross the railroad bridge.
The entrance is immediately after the two brick pillars and white cottage on the right.
Turn right into the driveway and bear left at the Natirar park sign.
Parking is in one of the three gravel parking areas near the barn complex.

From Route 78 East
Follow Route 78 East to Route 287 North (Exit 30)
Take Route 287 North to Exit 22B (Route 202/206 North Bedminster/Netcong).
Take Route 202/206 North to the split and bear right to stay on Route 202.
Follow directions above.

From Route 287
Route 287 South to Exit 22 OR Route 287 South to Exit 22. Both exits are marked Routes 202/206 North Bedminster/
Netcong. At the fork, bear right to stay on Route 202 North. Take Route 202 to the first light make a right. Continue on Route 202. At the next light, make a left onto Peapack Road. Take Peapack Road to the main entrance on the right.

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Permalink Reply by Anup on May 29, 2010 at 8:40am

From the website:

WINE GROWERS BRING ANNUAL BLUES & WINE WEEKEND
TO IDYLLIC NATIRAR PARK IN SCENIC SOMERSET MAY 29-30
May 29 & 30, 2010 (rain date May 31) - Noon to 5:00 pm
at Natirar Park, Somerset County, New Jersey

The Garden State Wine Growers Association will hold its annual Blues & Wine Weekend Saturday and Sunday, May 29 and 30 at Natirar Park -a 411-acre preserve set in the scenic hills of Somerset County.

This year’s festival brings together a weekend celebration of 23 New Jersey wineries, hundreds of award winning wines, live blues, artisan vendors, gourmet food and kids activities. Special treat will be the appearances of top blues bands on each day of the festival. Saturday, the Billy Hector Band will perform. Hector has twice received the Best Guitarist Award from music critic Bob Makin of the East Coast Rocker and recently took home 3 Asbury Park Music Awards for "Best Guitarist", "Best Blues Band" and the "Living Legend Award". Billy and his band shared billing with Bonnie Raitt at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "Tribute to Muddy Waters". Early on in his career, Hector identified himself as a versatile player with a smooth and a dynamic style all his own. He began playing in The Shots, The Stone Pony's R & B house band.

Sunday, The Tom Larsen Band will be performing. Larsen has been a major player on the East Coast music scene for the last twenty-five years. Originally a solo performer, Larsen specialized in the acoustic blues of the 1920’s and 1930’s covering such artists as Robert Johnson and Blind Willie McTell. Tom’s expanding love of blues music soon moved him to add the electric styling of Muddy Waters, Guitar Slim and B.B. King. Tom is especially noted for his intricate, clean slide guitar playing and for his ability to play harmonica and guitar simultaneously.

The park where they will be performing is a verdant setting that showcases many aspects of the area’s rich architectural, cultural, historic and archaeological heritage. Festival participants can blend their wine and their blues with a two-mile walk along Natirar’s picturesque loop trail that passes along the scenic North Branch river corridor, through wooded areas and across open fields.

The 23 wineries at the festival will be featuring 57 wines that won gold, silver or bronze awards in the recent International Finger Lakes Wine Competition. Wineries participating at the Blues & Wine Weekend include Alba Vineyard of Milford, Amalthea Cellars of Atco, Auburn Road Vineyards of Pilesgrove, Bellview Winery of Landisville, Cape May Winery & Vineyard of Cape May, Chestnut Run Farm of Pilesgrove, Coda Rossa of Franklinville, Cream Ridge Winery of Cream Ridge, DiMatteo Vineyards of Hammonton, DiBella Winery LLC of Woolwich Township, Four JG's Orchards and Vineyards LLC of Colts Neck, Four Sisters Winery at Matarazzo Farms in Belvidere, Heritage Vineyards of Mullica Hill, Hopewell Valley Vineyards of Pennington, Plagido's Winery of Hammonton, Renault Winery of Egg Harbor, Silver Decoy Winery of Robbinsville, Sharrott Estate Winery of Blue Anchor, Tomasello Winery of Hammonton, Unionville Vineyards of Ringoes, Valenzano Winery of Shamong, Ventimiglia Vineyards of Wantage and Wagonhouse Winery of Mullica Hill.

Festival hours for both days are noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person at the gate. Advance tickets can be purchased only at the association web site for $18 a person. A discount price of $16 per person is available for bus groups and group sales of 15 or more. Large groups and bus groups can call the Association “Wine Line” at 609-588-0085 for more information.

The Blues & Wine Weekend is one of five festivals held during the summer and fall by the Garden State Wine Growers Association.