Singer/guitarist Lindsey Flannery has been among the more popular live acts in Columbus in the past year or so at events such as at summer’s Hogstock celebration.
Organizers of Developmental Services Inc.’s 15th Annual D-Vine Wine and Beer Fest hope her pop-rock tunes will flow as smoothly as the spirits during her live entertainment on Feb. 18 at Mill Race Center, 900 Lindsey St. in Columbus. The gathering from 1 to 5 p.m. is being presented on a slightly smaller scale this year with tickets maxing at about 300, according to Megan Rawlings, DSI’s coordinator of marketing and development.
About 75 tickets have been sold so far for the 21-and-older fundraiser.
Rawlings acknowledged that last year’s event was not quite as large as some previous fests.
“We were just coming out of some of the struggle of the pandemic,” she said.
She added that a number of area nonprofit fundraisers still have not fully recovered their previous crowds or financial totals they recorded before the pandemic.
In some past years, the D-Vine event has raised as much as $22,000 and attracted nearly 900 people over several hours at The Commons, a larger venue than Mill Race Center.
The upcoming gathering will feature eight vendors: 450 North Bewing Company, Simmons Winery, Best Vineyards, Winzerwald Winery, Upland Brewing Company, Cedar Creek Winery, Ertel Cellars Winery, and Holtkamp Winery and Vineyards.
This year’s event also continues a feature added last year — a silent auction that includes items such as an overnight stay at Belterra Casino Resort in Florence, and two tickets to Perfect North Slopes.
A Party Chef food truck will provide snacks including pretzels, brats and sandwiches.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Advance tickets may be purchased at dsiservices.org or by visiting the DSI office at 2920 10th St., Columbus. VIP tickets are $50 and must be purchased in advance. Each VIP ticket includes early entry to the event, complimentary appetizers, raffle tickets and a goody bag.
The event originally began as a winter affair at Factory 12 Event Loft with an exclusive focus on wineries. It then moved to the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds before needing the larger space at The Commons. Organizers originally selected a late-winter date because of a seeming shortage of indoor events then.
DSI is a nonprofit agency established in 1975 serving children and adults with disabilities in 54 Indiana counties.
It provides early intervention, residential living options, job training and placement, community connections, after-hour activities, computer literacy, cooking classes, health and wellness and more to help individuals live more independently.
