LANSING, Ill. (May 8, 2021) – More businesses were serving alcohol than usual on Ridge Road Saturday afternoon as part of Wine Walk 2021. Started in 2019 and cancelled last year, the walk brought out over 80 participants to visit local businesses and try various wines along the way.
Organized and run by the Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce, the wine walk started at Fox Pointe around noon when participants received a lanyard to identify themselves at participating businesses. They also received a list of businesses and addresses to visit. Later in the afternoon, the crowd wrapped up the walk at the Chamber of Commerce office.
Each business participating received wine from the Chamber of Commerce to hand out to participants. The event serves not only as a fun event for walkers, but as a way for local businesses to get more exposure and market their businesses.
The full list of businesses and organizations involved in Wine Walk 2021 were:
Music Mines (3238 Ridge Road)
Gayety’s Chocolate (3304-3306 Ridge Road)
Nobile Shoes (3313 Ridge Road)
L&M Jewelers (3338 Ridge Road)
CJ’s 2 in 1 Enterprise (18525 Torrence Avenue)
Lansing Junior Woman’s Club
Every Good Gift (3516 Ridge Road)
Dream Vacations (3423 Ridge Road)
Ridge Animal Clinic (3667 Ridge Road)
South Suburban College (15800 State Street, South Holland)
Water’s Edge (18418 Wentworth Avenue)
Pour on Roy (18155 Roy Street, Suite 2)
Wine Walk 2021: In photos
Led by Chamber Director Amy Todd (in black), Chamber members helped participants prepare for Wine Walk 2021 at Fox Pointe. Over 80 people took part in the event and each received a goodie bag to start the day. (Photo: Josh Bootsma)Maria Valencia (front row, in blue) invited her bunco group to the wine walk. (Photo: Melanie Jongsma)Joy Jones (left) and her husband Connel own CJ’s 2 in 1 Enterprise in Lansing. The couple also helps produce and distribute Christian books for children. Some of the books were on display on their table, alongside the bottles of Fleur Bordeaux Blanc 2018 and Promesses de France Rouge 2019. (Photo: Melanie Jongsma)Sisters Kim (behind table, in black) and Chris (in blue) Foster served wine walkers at Dream Vacations, which is owned by Kim Foster. (Photo: Josh Bootsma)Paris Leshae (left) and her mother Themesha Simpson have lived in Lansing for over 12 years and like to participate in community events. The pair got to visit a few businesses they’d never been to before on Saturday. (Photo: Josh Bootsma)Music Mines owner La Kisha Franklin (orange hat) welcomes (from left) Sarah Knapp, Laura Ferrell, and Allison O’Boyle with wine samplings and information about her business. (Photo: Melanie Jongsma)Lansing resident Kim Wilson (in red) loves wine and has participated in several wine walks up north, but this was her first Lansing Wine Walk. She was joined by her stepdaughter Nyasha Wilson, who drove up from Texas for Mothers Day. Shown here at L&M Jewelers, Kim said she liked the idea of using the wine walk to get to know some Lansing businesses. “You never know what’s in your back yard!” she said. (Photo: Melanie Jongsma)“This is a good way to try a bunch of different wines and see if you like them,” said Angela Kerins (left). Kerins and her aunt Sandy Sabados have done a few wine walks before but both were excited to meet up and do one in their hometown of Lansing. The pair especially liked the Bodegas Cristo de la Vega wines offered at L&M Jewelers. (Photo: Josh Bootsma)The Lansing Junior Woman’s Club was out in full force Saturday afternoon. The group had a tent near the Fireman’s Memorial at the Ridge Road/Henry Street intersection. (Photo: Josh Bootsma)
Josh is Managing Editor at The Lansing Journal and believes in the power and purpose of community news. He covers any local topics—from village government to theatre, from business openings to migratory birds.
