On Nov. 13 the San Marcos Main Street Program hosted the third annual Wine and Wassail Walk.
Samantha Armbruster, Main Street Program manager, said the event took place in downtown San Marcos in an effort to introduce residents to a part of the city many have never experienced.
“We want people who haven’t been downtown in a while to come down and see what has changed and see what hasn’t changed,” Armbruster said.
The Wine and Wassail Walk highlighted fifteen shops where participants were allowed to stop for wine and hors d’oeuvres while also shopping around.
“We pick out some official stops that we have curated for the wine,” Armbruster said. “Those are fifteen and then we have additional shops that just open offering food and other things.”
Participants had the opportunity to take part in a horse-drawn carriage tour of downtown while enjoying a live performance from Keith Kelso.
Armbruster said the event also featured a kissing alley filled with different activities.
“We have some holiday art and some other things going on in there,” Armbruster said. “Just a little extra fun.”
Amelia Jones, San Marcos resident, said her favorite part of the night was the opportunity to spend time with close friends.
“This is great for a ladies night,” Jones said. “We get to shop and drink wine at the same time, while getting to explore our city. It’s a great deal.”
Diana Lancaster, San Marcos resident, said the event proved to be the perfect opportunity to holiday shop for her friends and family.
“I actually am really enjoying discovering these shops,” Lancaster said. “I’ve picked up a lot of things that will make great Christmas presents, and they aren’t things I could have gotten somewhere else.”
Lancaster said she has had the opportunity to visit and see parts of downtown San Marcos she wasn’t previously aware of.
“It was cool getting to see all the different shopping offers we have,” Lancaster said. “It’s interesting because you may drive through here but when you think about it when do you really ever stop through.”
Armbruster said the Wine and Wassail Walk was also a way to give back to the community by providing participants a chance to donate to local flood relief funds.
“We have had so much tragedy with the flood,” Armbruster said. “We are incorporating a flood relief effort and donation opportunity through the wine walk to give the community a chance to give back and help in any way they can.”
Joyce Esperanza, San Marcos resident, said she was happy to see the events focus on the community.
“We get the chance to experience multiple wines, enjoy live entertainment, and go in and out of these shops while also giving back to the city we’re so happy to be a part of,” Esperanza said.
Denya Hanson, San Marcos resident, said the efforts to provide a fun and affordable event for locals were evident.
“It’s not something you always get the chance to do,” Hanson said. “I think we’re very lucky to live in a city that provides such wonderful events for its residents.”
Armbruster said she has seen growing success for the event since it began three years ago, including an increase in ticket sales.
“We just wanted to re-introduce our downtown,” Armbruster said. “It has definitely been a growing success, and every time we host it we always hear our visitors say, ‘Oh, we didn’t know this shop was down here,’ and that’s exactly what we want.”