The way Jamie Summerlin sees it, Valentine’s Day is a pretty elemental thing.
After all, the community organizer asks, what’s more elemental than fine wine, rich chocolate and — heck, just because we’re West Virginians — some (legally made) moonshine?
You and your special Valentine can experience all of the above Saturday at Mylan Park, in advance of the holiday.
That’s when the second annual WV Chocolate Wine & Shine Festival commences at Hazel and J.W. Ruby Community Center, in the expanse of the park on Chaplin Hill Road.
Billed as “A Sweet Taste of the Mountains,” the gathering features all of the above, and more, for people and couples aged 21 and up.
“It’s really a showcase of some of the best West Virginia has to offer,” said Summerlin, whose Guidon Creative event-planning firm put the thing together.
“We’ve got chocolatiers, specialty foods, confectionaries,” he said. “We’ve got artisan craftsmen represented, with some really great wineries and legal moonshine distilleries.”
That means great samples, he said — the wine and moonshine are more about sampling, than full-on drinking, he said — along with fun games, a photo booth, a live DJ, giveaways, chocolate fountains and the festival’s famous “Chair Massage Experience.”
“It’s something different,” he said. “And it’s a great date.”
That’s how he got the idea.
In romantic fashion befitting Valentine’s Day, he and his wife were out on an evening in Pittsburgh a few years ago when they happened upon a similar event that would be the inspiration for Saturday’s festival.
“I said, ‘We can make this work. We can put a West Virginia spin on it.’”
Putting a West Virginia spin on it is how the Mountain State native made his name in the region.
That, he did by putting one foot in front of the other — literally.
Summerlin served a hitch in the U.S. Marines during the time of the Gulf War, and he wanted to do something for his fellow veterans and their battlefield wounds, which aren’t always visible.
So he ran across the country, 3,452 miles from Oregon to Delaware in 100 days, to raise money and awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project.
There were other like-minded charities on his list, also — all helping soldiers, still hobbled, emotionally and physically, by their combat experience.
In Morgantown, he did the same as an administrator, then board member, of Operation Welcome Home, which helps veterans, especially combat veterans, transition back to civilian life.
From there, he branched to event planning, with an eye to marketing tourism and community causes in the Mountain State, such as the Morgantown Marathon, a grueling 26-mile course through the University City that puts ultra-runners from across the country and the world on a challenging, knee-groaning trek.
In contrast, Saturday’s happening at Mylan Park is just plain fun, he said.
The general admission price is $40, with sessions from 12:45-3:45 p.m. and 6-9 p.m., which includes beverage tastings, food samples, games, and giveaways.
Tickets are $75 for the VIP sessions, which run noon-3:45 p.m. and 5:15-9 p.m., with additional perks such as premium giveaways and a concierge area where you can check the items you purchase along the way.
Out of COVID considerations, attendance will be limited, Summerlin said, with 1,250 tickets per session available for general admission and 250 for the VIP slot.
That’s well below the capacity of the community center, he said.
“The whole day has staggered attendance and we’re not going to be packing people in,” Summerlin said, which allows for social distancing.
He’s also encouraging attendees to arrange for ride shares, designated drivers and the like, just be absolutely safe and responsible.
Visit http://chocolatewineshine.com/ to learn more.
This will be the second go-around for the festival. Like Cupid’s arrow, Summerlin also aimed for Valentine’s Day for the inaugural one last year — but the coronavirus set the trajectory.
While he had to settle for spring, the 2021 edition was still well-attended, he said.
Plus, people kept talking about it.
“We’re excited. We’ve got a lot of out-of-state interest this year. This is a special place, and we want to show it off.”
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