90 Artists Expected To Be A Part Of Art, Wine and Chocolate Festival

This Saturday, the 7th Annual will be at the Suisun City waterfront, and it’s expected to be the biggest yet. With more than 90 artists and artisans, local wineries, chocolate candy and desserts, gourmet vendors, two live bands and a chocolate bake-off there is more than enough to keep you busy.

“It is going to be a big show, and, in my opinion, it’s really a feather in the cap of Suisun,” said Brenda Mossa, event coordinator.

Mossa says she expects up to 5,000 people to attend the event. Artists, artisans and other vendors featured will come from as far as Washington state, though some are Suisun City residents.

Tara Sherill lives in Suisun City and will be selling her specialty cupcakes filled with wines such as Chardonnay, Merlot and strawberry champagne. Her daughter, Brandy White, will also be there showing some of her abstract photography.

“We are really gathering a whole cadre of very fine artists,” said Mossa. “Several of the artists in the show are gallery artists. So I’m very proud of this show and Suisun should be proud of it as well.”

Artwork is all handcrafted and will also include pottery, carved wooden pieces, soaps, body lotions, hair accessories, birdhouses, acrylic and water color paintings, glass art, pet clothing and more. Mossa said the large turnout of participating artists came from so many being interested in the handcrafted-only idea.

“The idea that we were doing handcrafted things in Suisun, that appealed to lot of artists,” said Mossa. “They don’t want to do be in shows where things are imported or with a whole bunch of retail items.”

The festival’s other theme, chocolate, can also be found in a variety of forms: plants, sunflowers, cosmopolitan drinks, chocolate-cherry bark, and fudge. Vendors sharing their delicacies include Harry and David of Vacaville, Vintage Sweet Shoppe of Napa, Dove Chocolate Discoveries, and Cocoa Diva Chocolate Bar of Oakland.  Vendors will also be serving lunch items such as barbeque and Asian barbeque.

Even the bake-off planned will be chocolate themed. Various amateur bakers put their name in for the competition that will be judged by local baking professionals. The Fairfield Suisun Rotary Club will oversee the event and donate proceeds to a nonprofit fighting the eradication of polio.

Mossa said the event is a great way to let people, from near or far, know what Suisun City has to offer.

 “We’re bringing them down to Suisun because we want them to know what a great little spot Suisun is and they’ll come back to the restaurants, they’ll come back to the activities that are around here,” she said.