No event on the spring festival schedule screams “debauchery” like Beale Street Wine Race. Usually the last Sunday in April, the wine race was moved forward a couple of weeks this year so as not to conflict with the Easter holiday.
The fun starts around 1 PM at the intersection of Beale and Rufus Thomas. There will be a parade, the Queen of the Vine beauty pageant, a grape stomping contest, and wine relays. Many area bars and restaurants enter teams. Not sure who all is doing Queen of the Vine this year – the only contestant I know for sure is Amanda Panda from Bardog.
Pictured at left is the most popular drink at Wine Race, the Call-a-Cab from Wet Willie’s. Delicious but not recommended if you have to drive home, this drink consists of four ingredients: Ice, cherry Kool-Aid, strawberry Kool-Aid, and 190 PGA. Drink one of these, and you’ll be feeling really good, as it contains nearly as much alcohol as a six-pack of beer. Drink two and you’ll likely be the featured entertainment for the afternoon (as one of our group learned last year).
It’s free and open to the public, so come on down and participate in the debauchery. I’ll be down there about 12:30, after quick stops at the Majestic and the Saucer.