Summer vacation may be over for most, but harvest time is just getting into full swing. And this weekend, you can sample the season’s bounty to your heart’s content at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, where the Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest will be making its 13th annual appearance.
Touted as “a celebration of the gourmet lifestyle in the Hudson Valley,” the event features wine- (and also beer-) tasting from some of the best wineries and craft breweries from all across New York State. Regional restaurants, food trucks and gourmet specialty food and ingredient vendors from all over the East Coast will be on hand, as well as celebrity chefs doing cooking demonstrations. Because the Fest is a New York State-registered farm market, you can purchase wine by the bottle to take home.
Priced at $40 for a single day and $75 for the full weekend, a Tasting Ticket includes admission, a tasting glass and all the wine that you care to taste. Regular tickets, which cost $22 per day and $37 for the weekend and are perfect for your designated driver, include admission, free water or soda and a souvenir glass upon exiting the event. Children age 12 and under get in free. You can obtain advance tickets online at www.hudsonvalleywinefest.com.
Restaurant sampling, beer sampling and food concessions are not included in the price of admission. Restaurant sampling tickets are sold separately at $1 each ticket, with samples priced between one and five tickets. Food trucks accept cash only.
The Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 6 and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 7 at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds on Route 9 in Rhinebeck. For more information call (845) 658-7181 or visit the website.
Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest, Saturday, September 6, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, September 7, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., $75/$40/$37/$22, Dutchess County Fairgrounds, 6550 Spring Brook Avenue (Route 9), Rhinebeck; (845) 658-7181, www.hudsonvalleywinefest.com.
Join the family! 
