South African Wine Festival
South African Wine Festival
  • Home
  • Explore
  • Entertainment
  • Tickets
  • Volunteer
  • Additional Info
  • More
    • Home
    • Explore
    • Entertainment
    • Tickets
    • Volunteer
    • Additional Info
  • Home
  • Explore
  • Entertainment
  • Tickets
  • Volunteer
  • Additional Info

Quick Links

Hello
Directions to the Fest (Gum Spring, VA)Purchase ticketsSupport the missionWave Your flag

What to bring

Bring The Kids

The South African fest is family friendly!  There's never a charge to bring children, youth or teens 0-18 years old, so load up the SUV and bring them all.  We've got plenty to see, do, eat and drink and plenty of wide open space to run around.  

If your kid is 18-20, welcome to adulthood! They'll need a general admission ticket OR... encourage them to VOLUNTEER at the event.  It's fun, for a good cause, and they'll get tickets to enjoy the event on the day they don't work.

Good Dog!

Yes, it's ok to bring your dog family members to the event.  The rules are a little different from our regular winery guidelines.  There's lots of activity/people/sounds/smells and other dogs at the fest, which can make even the coolest cucumber anxious  - so it's LEASHES ON for festival weekend.  Please and thank you ❣

Make Yourself at Home

Make Yourself at Home

Make Yourself at Home

The event is outdoors, rain or shine. Here's a list of things you can bring to make yourself more comfortable:

Lawn Chairs

Picnic Blankets

Sun Screen

Bug Spray

Epi pen if you need one

Comfy shoes

Poncho/raincoat/sweatshirt

*Sunbrella or pop up tent

**Coolers

***Flags

Your friends and family!


*Sunbrellas  & tents:  Please place them so you're not blocking the view of fellow festival goers.  Ask our staff for assistance if you need it.  


**A note on coolers:  You may bring them, our people will have to check them.  Please be patient, they're required to check for things that are on the N0-No list (see list to the right)


***Flags.  At the South African Fest, it's ok to wave your own flag.  You'll be following in the footsteps of a pioneering Canuk who adorned his pop up with a giant swath of maple leaf flag at the festival years ago, a tradition that continues.  We invite you to wave your own flag at the fest, respectfully of course, whether it be red, white & blue, green, black & yellow or all the colors of the rainbow.  


What Not To Bring

Make Yourself at Home

Make Yourself at Home

  1. No Outside Alcohol - It's ABC  law. Please respect our license
  2. No Outside Food & Drink - Please support our vendors. *Exceptions for people with severe allergies or dietary needs
  3. Leave Frightened or  Frightening Fido at home- We know you love them but please don't bring pooches that might bite other guests or other dogs or who tend to BARK LOUDLY at everything that passes.  It won't be a fun event for them either...and we'd hate to have to send you home early.


A Note About Our Vendors

Our food vendors at the South African fest are all hard working, good people who make good food.  They take a big financial risk to take part, including the stupidly expensive exercise of keeping drinks cold for you all weekend.  And think about it, if it rains and attendance goes down, what are they going to do with all that food come Monday morning?  We ask that you support them, try something new, & leave your drinks and food at home.  We promise there's something for everyone - you won't be disappointed!

Copyright © 2025 South African Wine Festival - All Rights Reserved.

  • Food
  • Wine
  • Entertainment
  • The Market
  • Directions
  • Volunteer
  • Food Philosophy