The 2020 Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer & Food festival was postponed in light of COVID-19.
The festival was scheduled for Nov. 19-21, but due to the organizer’s inability to confirm commitments from its large number of volunteers and industry specialists, the 13th annual celebration will have to wait until 2021.
“As producers of this event, our primary concern is always to maintain the highest standards of excellence for our partners, sponsors, exhibitors, volunteers and guests,” said Henri Boucher, festival producer. “We rely on thousands of volunteers and product specialists like pourers, servers, inventory managers, presenters and others, and it takes months to coordinate with these individuals and institutions to operate the event.”
For more than a decade, downtown Grand Rapids and DeVos Place hosted a display of food, beverage and culinary experiences from around the globe, earning it a place among Forbes’ Best Fall Wine Festivals In North America You Don’t Want to Miss in 2019.
ShowSpan and festival co-producer, the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority, said they are hoping Nov. 18-20, 2021, will be the year to showcase the food and beverage event West Michigan has come to expect.
“We thank and appreciate all of the ongoing support from our sponsors, distributors, exhibitors, industry leaders, volunteers and guests as we worked through this tough yet necessary decision,” said Dawn Baker, festival manager. “We guarantee this event will be back in the future as an unparalleled tasting experience and culinary celebration.”
“The Wine, Beer & Food Festival has become an annual tradition in Grand Rapids,” said Steve Heacock, chairman of the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority. “We look forward to continuing that tradition next year when we are able to host the event at the level that the West Michigan community has come to enjoy year after year.”
For continued updates about the event, follow @GRWineFestival on social media or visit GRWineFestival.com.
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