Vendors and visitors from around Texas and out-of-state gathered in Downtown Bryan to enjoy some treats, sip some wine and listen to a variety of music last weekend.
The Downtown Bryan Association and the City of Bryan held its annual Texas Reds Steak and Grape Festival. According to the its website, the festival featured 25 popular Texas wineries and a steak competition, as well as craft beer vendors and artisans.
School psychology graduate student Emily Lund came to Texas Reds with a group to enjoy some wine and learn about local wineries. Lund said there is a different feeling going to a wine festival versus going to a restaurant and ordering a glass of wine.
“There’s a sense of community,” Lund said. “These are local wines, so it’s cool to see what’s nearby.”
Although Lund said this was only her second festival, she said she is familiar with wine-tasting and seeks familiar wines when she shops.
“I like seeing some of the smaller brands. It makes me excited to see some of the labels that I’ve tried in the store,” Lund said.
An event featured at Texas Reds was the Bryan Noon Lions Club’s Grape Stomp Competition. According to the Lions website, Grape Stomp has been part of the festival since it began in 2007.
The teams consisted of two people, and according to the Lions, the competition had the ability to facilitate 116 heats of grape stomping.
30 Lions Club members were running the event and around 12 A&M students volunteered as well, according to Lions Club member Bernie Acre.
According to the organization, one hundred percent of the Grape Stomp Competition’s proceeds went to over 17 different non-profits, including the Brazos Food Bank, Lions KidSight USA, Bryan Independent School District and more.
“Everything goes back into the community,” Acre said.
Although labeled as a wine festival, Texas Reds also featured local beer vendors.
Ryan Campbell, a sales representative for New Republic Brewing, displayed one of his beers, “Ale Mary,” which was in cooperation with St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Northgate in commemoration of its 100th anniversary.
“The pro-tip of the day is come to the beer tent,” Campbell said. “On a hot day like this, everyone wants the beer.”
As the oldest brewing company in Bryan-College Station, New Republic Brewing customers get excited for the company to appear at festivals, according to Campbell.
“You can’t look past Texas Reds,” Campbell said. “It’s almost like a playoff game, in football terms. It’s a big deal.”