Albion merchants bringing back wine walk, look to do eagle mural
Photos by Tom Rivers: This photo from March 7, 2020 is from the last Albion Sip N’ Stroll. About 350 people attended the event, about a week before the Covid-19 lockdown. The photo shows Jennifer Mateo and her husband Erik Mateo trying wines from Leonard Oakes Estate Winery in Medina. Sarah Geer served the wine at Red Check Rustic in the Pratt Opera House building. Geer was joined by her husband Peter in serving the wine for Leonard Oakes.
ALBION – The Albion Merchants Association is looking forward to the return of the Sip N’ Stroll wine walk. The event will be March 12 and has an expanded route from the downtown to include Dubby’s Tailgate on Platt Street and the Arnold Gregory Office Complex on South Main Street.
There will also be a limo bus taking people to the locations. That is sponsored by The Drink Shoppe and Susie’s Boat-tique.
The Sip N’ Stroll will include wineries, distilleries and breweries. The Merchants had the biggest Sip N’ Stroll two years ago with 350 participants. They have 500 souvenir wine glasses made for the March 12 event from 4 to 7 p.m.
The tickets are available on line (click here) or at The Coffee Joint, Arnold’s Auto Parts/NAPA Auto Parts, Bloom’s Flower Shop, Dubby’s Tailgate and The Downtown Browsery.
The Merchants are also working on doing another mural. They did one in 2020 showcasing Albion as the home of the Santa Claus School. That mural is on the north side of the Lake Country Pennysaver building.
Justin Suarez of “Aerosol Kingdom” made the Santa School mural and the Merchants want to have him paint a Purple Eagle themed mural on the side of Arnold’s Auto Parts on West Bank Street. There is a GoFundMe (click here) set up to raise money for the project.
The Merchants also are planning a return of the food truck rodeo. It will be in July instead of June. Last year about 400 people attended the food truck rodeo which helped the void of the Starwberry Festival which was cancelled. That event will be back June 10-11.
The group also is expecting a return of the fall festival and Hometown Christmas.
The group’s officers this year include President Natasha Wasuck of The Lockstone and Tinsel, Vice President Rebecca Alexander of Dubby’s Wood Fired and Dubby’s Tailgate, Secretary Tara Thom of Town and Country Quilter, and Treasurer Anita Finley of Oak Orchard Canoe Kayak Experts.
Wasuck also has reached out to the Canal Corp. about having a retired tugboat set up on display near the canal.
This photo from June 2018 shows the Tugboat DeWitt Clinton in Albion. The vessel hasn’t been operational for about three years. The Albion Merchants Association would like to have a retired tugboat on display on land in Albion.
