Beachaven Vineyards & Winery brings grape stomping fun to Harvestfest | PHOTOS

CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Beachaven Vineyards & Winery is hosting Harvestfest, a five-day event featuring live music, local food trucks, family-friendly contests, and one of the most anticipated activities of the weekend: grape-stomping.

The grape-stomping drew a large crowd on Saturday as visitors lined up to experience a tradition that dates back centuries. Before modern winemaking methods, grapes were often crushed by foot to release their juices for fermentation.

“It was an awesome experience. I’ve always wanted to do it. … It was on my bucket list,” said participant Ivette Lillard. Her friend, Deanna Cote, agreed: “It was a great experience.”

“We thought it’d just be a really fun thing for the community. We had a little bit of extra grapes, so why not give back and let people have that experience,” said Jeffrey Meisel, who handels sales and production at Beachaven. He added that the winery is considering bringing the activity back next year due to its popularity.

Harvestfest continues Saturday with Relay Games from 5-6:30 p.m., then live music from Kenny Sharp and Brown Liquor Music Band. On Sunday, the Full Circle jazz band will peform from 2-5 p.m., and HarvestFest concludes on Labor Day with a performance by Jay Ammo, 3-6 p.m.

| MORE: For more Clarksville things to do, check out the Summer Fun Guide, Farmers Markets and the Clarksville Events calendar.