NAPLES — They came for grapes, but they also came for grape doughnuts and grape cider and grape barbecue and wine slushies and, of course, grape pies.
Thousands of people came to the Ontario County village of Naples on Saturday for the annual two-day Naples Grape Festival, including Justin Nyquist of Massachusetts, who wore a purple jacket, purple vest, purple hat, purple shirt and purple tie, with a grape pin to drive home the message.
So, what's his point, besides solidifying himself as the leading candidate for grape ambassador of the Finger Lakes?
"Respect the grape," Nyquist said.
One day left of Naples Grape Festival
Folks who missed the festival on Saturday have time to respect the grape from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Visitors can enjoy tastings and bottle sales from the producers
of wines, craft beers, cider, and distilleries at the Brahm Moore Beverage Garden on the grounds of the Naples Memorial Town Hall, 135 N. Main St. The cost is $20 but you get a monogrammed festival wine glass as part of admission.
Arts and crafts vendors of all sorts can be found on the grounds of the town hall and Naples High School, 136 N. Main St. The streets are lined with them as well. Live music is also scheduled.
A traffic reminder for Naples Grape Festival
State Route 21 in the town of South Bristol is closed to all traffic between Griesa Hill Road and state Route 64. This closure directly affects motorists who routinely use state Route 21 when traveling to Naples from the north.
Drivers from the north may instead use County Road 36 or County Road 33.
Travelers from the northwest may travel south on Interstate 390 and exit in the Wayland area or use state Route 15/15A. Travelers from the northeast may use state Route 245.
County Road 12 remains an available route; however, motorists should be aware that this is the posted detour for the state Route 21 closure. Increased traffic is anticipated on this roadway throughout the festival weekend.
Additional information regarding festival parking, traffic patterns and access is available through the Naples Grape Festival at https://naplesgrapefest.org/parking.php.
Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. He can be reached at mmurphy@messengerpostmedia.com. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Popular Naples Grape Festival draws big crowds. See the photos
