Festival blends wine, auctions with scenic view
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
POLSON — About 200 wine fanciers enjoyed the beautiful views from the Polson Motorcoach Resort for the 26th annual Soroptimist Wine Festival on Aug. 16.
From 7 to 10 p.m., guests could choose from 36 different wines, fill their plates at the buffet and enjoy KC and the Valley Cats and their mellow jazz.
The buffet featured dishes from seven to nine area restaurants and some prepared by the Soroptimists themselves. Tables were set up on the west lawn of the Polson Motorcoach Resort so attendees could watch twilight creep down the Missions and across Flathead Lake.
The Soroptimist Wine Festival has become a hallmark event for Polson, one that people look forward to attending, according to Soroptimist President Melinda Leas. Co-chairs for the Soroptimist Wine Festival were Dorothy Ashcroft and Cheryl Thomas.
In addition to live and silent auctions, this year the Soroptimists tried something new, a champagne tasting. For the price of a $20 ticket festival goers could participate in Bubbles and Bling, which meant they could sample four different champagnes plus be entered in a glitzy prize drawing, one for a female and one for a male.
John Cowan, Polson, said he’s been attending the wine festival on and off for about 15 years and always enjoys the event. His late wife was a Soroptimist, Cowan explained.
Other guests commented that silent auction items weren’t seeing a lot of robust bidding, but it was early in the evening.
The money raised at the wine festival goes for Soroptimist scholarships, Leas said. The women’s opportunity award, for instance, goes to a woman who is the head of her household and is returning to school for her bachelor’s degree. Another scholarship is the vocational-technical, for either a female or a male, going into a certificate program. Still another scholarship goes to a young woman, ages 13 to 17, who volunteers in her community.
With the money going to good cause, Leas also said, “We (the Soroptimists) are so happy about the weather, and it’s a new location for us. It’s nice to have the scenic view.”
