The Maryland Wine Festival

The very first Maryland Wine Festival was held in 1984 at the Shriver Homestead in Union Mills with eight (8) wineries and approximately 4,500 to 5,000 visitors in attendance. It was a one-day festival that quickly outgrew the property. Thus, The Maryland Wine Festival® was moved to the Carroll County Farm Museum, and it became a two-day affair. Through those 29 years, visitor population has grown to over 20,000 yearly with a grand total to date of well over 832,700 visitors. 1984 was also the year that the Association of Maryland Wineries was organized. From the initial year of 1984 to 1985, this festival went from eight wineries to ten wineries. 1988 saw 13 wineries in attendance. Each year thereafter one or more wineries came on board. In 2008, winery attendance jumped to 23 wineries. Then in 2009, 32 wineries attended The Maryland Wine Festival®. Now, the festival Festival consistently hosts wines from over 30 Maryland Wineries Association’s member wineries.