For 31 years, the Ojai Wine Festival has served as the primary non-profit fundraising effort of the Rotary Club of Ojai-West and its numerous philanthropic endeavors that serve to enhance lives both locally and internationally.  To date, the festival has raised over one million dollars for the Rotary Club of Ojai-West Foundation.  This year, the 31^st annual Ojai Wine Festival will be taking place Sunday, June 11, from noon-4 p.m. on the shores of picturesque Lake Casitas. 

To celebrate their 31^st year, event organizers have added several exciting features to enhance the wine and beer tasting festival: 

• An exceptional collection of over 60 wineries from regions across California.  Attendees will be able to taste selections from all of the state’s unique wine regions in one beautiful location. 
• An expanded beer garden with over 30 national and regional craft beers including Founders Brewing Company from Grand Rapids, MI, 10 Barrel Brewing from Bend, OR, and Elysian Brewing Company from Seattle, WA.  Golden Road Brewing from Los Angeles joins the team of regional selections, which also includes local favorites Firestone Walker and Tap It Brewing from San Luis Obispo. 
• An extensive  and expanded VIP tasting experience featuring early event entry, exclusive wines, and a selection of premium hors d’oeuvres provided by Ojai’s finest caterers and restaurants. 
• Local band, Area 51 performing all day at the lakeside dance floor. 
• Collectable Ojai Wine Festival fine crystal wine glass with each event entry, and complimentary on-site wine glass engraving.       
• A free interactive Ojai Wine Festival mobile app will connect event attendees to announcements and facilitate complete on-site wine purchases. 

Proceeds from the signature Southern California fine wine and craft beer event directly support the international and local charitable efforts of the Rotary Club of Ojai-West.  In addition to its now 31-year commitment to the global eradication of Polio, the club is working to design and build rain catchment panels and water storage tanks to improve accessibility to clean water in some of the most underserved areas of Guatemala.  In Nicaragua, efforts are centered around the prevention of ocular and respiratory problems caused by smoke inhalation through the installation of new stoves and adequate venting systems in homes. 

“Being healthy is something that most Americans take for granted. I take pride in knowing the Ojai Wine Festival is giving the gift of health to others who need relief,” says Angela May, Executive Director of Ojai Wine Festival. “By purchasing a ticket to the event, people take part in improving someone’s life; providing them with a better future by giving them something as simple as clean water, a clean burning stove, or a vaccination to protect them from a deadly disease.”  100 percent of the proceeds from the festival go back to these vital projects supported by the Rotary Club of Ojai-West Foundation. 

For additional information on the Ojai Wine Festival and the impactful causes it supports, or to purchase tickets, please visit www.Ojaiwinefestival.com. 

About Ojai Wine Festival

In 1987, the Rotary Club of Ojai-West launched a small wine-tasting event to bring fine wine and craft beer together for Ojai Valley Residents.  Now in its 30^th year, the Ojai Wine Festival has grown into a regionally recognized signature fundraising event that attracts over 4,000 people from Northern, Central, and Southern California.  All proceeds directly support various international charitable causes including the Polio Eradication Project, the Guatemala Water Project, and the Nicaragua Stove project, as well as local projects like the Rotary Floating Classroom, Libbey Bowl Shade project, and Ojai’s historic and beloved summer band concerts in Libbey Park.   

Spread along the shoreline of picturesque Lake Casitas, the Ojai Wine Festival has evolved into one of Southern California’s premier beverage tasting experiences.  Every year, over 60 wineries and a selection of breweries participate, along with a selection of local restaurants, caterers, and fine arts and crafts vendors.  The atmosphere is enhanced by a steady stream of live music and complimentary boat rides on the Rotary Floating Classroom.  Guests can shop for one of a kind gifts, or bid on bottles of fine wine, private tasting parties, VIP winery tours, and other luxury items at the annual Silent Auction. 

To learn more visit, http://ojaiwinefestival.com/.