Wineries of Indiana

August 9, 2008

Start: 11:45 am - End: 11:55 pm

Easley's "Taste of Downtown" Gears Up

For Collector Cars, Good Food And Great Wine

Free Street Festival Moves Into Fifth Year with Cool Cars and Cooler Hours

Indianapolis-- The Easley Winery's popular, free street festival, "Taste of Downtown," moves to new hours this year in recognition that a noon-time August festival can be too hot to be cool.

The Fifth Annual Taste of Downtown returns to College Avenue on Saturday, August 9^th, now beginning at 4 pm and continuing until 10 pm.

Major emphasis this year falls on a collector car show, which replaces some of the vendor booths of past festivals. Car Show Coordinator David McManus said that about 50 cars are expected for the event, ranging from a 1927 Ford Model A to a 1967 Shelby Cobra. "We'll have makes represented including Ferrari, Pantera, Porsche, Ford and more," McManus notes. Long time race driver and raconteur Steve "Yogi" Behr will be an "Honored Guest." Behr is a former Porsche factory race driver, motorcycle road racing champion and winner of the 1973 "Cannonball" race from New York to California , driving a borrowed Cadillac.

More than 10 restaurants will be featured at the 2008 Taste of Downtown, including Scholars' Inn; J. Gumbos; The Villa; Da Blue Lagoon; Dick's Bodacious BBQ; Circle City Pizza; O'Malia's Grill; and Bugg's Temple . All food items, in sample portions, will be priced under $5.

Music acts include "Tastes Like Chicken," 4-6 PM; Toy Factory, 6-8 PM; and The Tides, from 8 -10PM.

Various street exhibits will feature work by area artists and promotional give-aways by local businesses.

People attending the Taste of Downtown are asked to bring a canned food item for donation to the Gleaner's Food Bank.

Sponsors of the event are: Emmis Communications; NUVO Newsweekly; Urban Times; UpDownTown; Printing Partners; RJE Business Interiors; Flanner and Buchanan; Quality Paint and Glass; Bill Lawrence Paint Company; DesignAire and Printing Partners

Easley's Taste of Downtown takes place on College Avenue , between Ohio and New York streets and in surrounding parking lots. Free neighborhood parking is available nearby.

Free tours of the winery are conducted every half hour after 4 PM.

The Easley Winery is Indiana 's oldest family winery, winners of numerous prestigious awards for their Cabernet and other wines, and makers of the very popular Reggae party wines. Their vineyards are mainly on the Ohio River and all of their wines originate with on site grape pressings, 90% of their grapes come from within 200 miles of the downtown Indianapolis winery.

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Contact: Meredith Easley 317-636-4516 or cell 317-538-2505

Note: A Taste of Taste will be held on Monument Circle from 11 AM to 1 PM, August 7 in front of Emmis Communications, and will feature various activities plus free food samples from Da Blue Lagoon and Circle City Pizza.