As summer turns into fall, Waltz Vineyards prepares to celebrate one of the most important times of the year, the harvest. The family-owned Manheim-based winery will host its annual Harvest Festival on Sunday, Sept. 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the vineyard, 1599 Old Line Road. A rain date is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 28.

The festival, now in its second year, will bring together wine lovers, families and community members for an afternoon filled with food, music and hands-on vineyard fun. Guests will have the chance to take part in a time-honored tradition: grape stomping.

"Our Harvest Festival celebrates the year's harvest and the culmination of all our hard work in the vineyard," said Lexe Waltz, marketing and events manager at Waltz Vineyards. "We love sharing this special time of year by bringing our community together to enjoy grape stomping and a celebratory toast to the harvest season."

In addition to grape stomping, the event will feature food trucks offering gourmet charcuterie, kettle corn and other festival favorites. Live music will be provided by PopScotch, a high-energy band known for playing popular pop, rock, and funk dance hits.

Unlike some wine-related events, the Harvest Festival is open to people of all ages. Waltz emphasized that the afternoon is designed to be family friendly.

"Hosting this event during the harvest creates an authentic experience where (guests) can take part in the festivities," Waltz said. "Another highlight is sharing the harvest and winemaking process with our guests, who get to explore our equipment and chat directly with the winemakers."

Waltz Vineyards began after sixth-generation Lancaster County farmer Jim Waltz and his wife, Kimberly, looked for ways to use the site and produce a product that they could share with people across the world. Their backgrounds in agriculture, family business and marketing set them up for success as they transitioned from a traditional farm that produced tobacco, corn, soybeans and wheat into an award-winning vineyard. Although the farm still produces some traditional crops, its focus is the vineyard. In 2000, the Waltzes handcrafted their first wine in their garage, and over the years, they have perfected the art of making wines created from hand-picked fruit.

Waltz invites anyone who is interested in learning more about the grape harvest to come out for an afternoon of entertaining and informative activities.

"Expect a fun, educational community event," she said. "And good wine, of course!"

For more information, visit http://www.waltzvineyards.com.