Council Reviews Game Plan To Market Cheese And Wine

At a March meeting earlier this year, members of the Riverbank City Council authorized a new contract with SMA Entertainment to coordinate the event. Stephen Alexander of SMA made a presentation to the council at its recent meeting, outlining his plans and fielding questions from council members. The council has expressed its desire to see an improvement over the disappointing results of last year’s festival.

After giving the council a rundown of his organization’s experience with past festivals, concerts and other community events in the area, Alexander then ran down some demographics for area population, both in Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. Alexander told the council his marketing plans included social media, radio and TV, email, flyers, posters and banners. He said they should see some of the print material appearing in September.

He also said elements of the free celebration would include a car show, food and product vendors, a carnival, and lots of live music, along with DJs. Tickets for the VIP wine and beer tasting are available online, at http://www.riverbankcheeseandwine.com. Alexander said early bird discount tasting tickets are available there for $30, but they will be $40 at the event.

He said that this year’s VIP Tasting Experience will feature a wide array of locally produced cheeses, wines that showcase the Central Valley’s most outstanding grapes, and several newly imported varietals to the region. All are being individually chosen to highlight the best and most delicious tastes of the region, Alexander said.

The ticket will include admission to the VIP Tasting Area, a collectible wine glass, live entertainment plus a raffle entry. Tasting times are noon and 3 p.m., for three-hour sessions, both on Saturday and on Sunday.

Another issue discussed by the council included the planned downtown area to hold the festival.

Originally planned to stretch from Seventh to Fourth streets on Santa Fe, council member Leanne Jones-Cruz questioned why the festival was not coming further down Santa Fe, into the central downtown area.

Alexander told her, that, at this point, a few months out, the vendors signed up would only fill that area. He did note, that, as more vendors joined in, the area could be extended. He said that the tasting and cheese area would be in the Community Center, located between Seventh and Sixth streets. He said that original plans to use the Antigua Event Center, on the corner of Second and Santa Fe streets, were abandoned because Antigua already had an event booked for that weekend.