Grape festival back in the day

The city and the Chamber of Commerce held a Grape Harvest Festival last month with a pumpkin race on center stage. It was a fun and successful family event but it made me wonder -- will the grape festival ever be without grapes? This year, the chamber nixed the amateur winemaking contest to the chagrin of some home winemakers. And now that the chamber has let go of its leader, what will the event be like in the future?

Nobody knows for sure. But wouldn't it be nice if we held a throw-back festival? Back in the 1960s, more than 10,000 people would attend the three-day festival at the Regina Winery. Here is a Progress-Bulletin article I found from Sept. 1, 1966.

Grape-Stomping Champion To Be Named at Festival

ETIWANDA -- Sixteen contestants will vie for the Cucamonga "grape stomping" championship Sunday at 2 p.m.

The annual Cucamonga Wine and Grape Festival celebrating start of the wine grape harvest will be held under sponsorship of the Cucamonga Growers and Vintners Association at the Regina Winery in Etiwanda over Labor Day Weekend.

The winery will be open at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday and will remain open for tours, tasting and entertainment until 6 p.m. each day of the festival. On Saturday, the association will sponsor a barrel race in which contestants will roll wine barrels to compete for cash prizes, with the winner receiving a $100 prize.

The program for Sunday will feature the grape stomping contest. Entrants, restricted to women over 18 years old, will compete for $600 in prizes for crushing the most juice. Special contestants will be two queen candidates from the Los Angeles County Fair. All other contestants will be chosen from the audience Sunday afternoon.

On Monday, the feature of the afternoon's entertainment will be a "champagne derby." In this event contestants will be required to carry two filled champagne glasses and a bottle on a tray over a 220-foot course. First contestant to cross the finish line without spilling any of the champagne will walk off with a $100 prize.

Strolling troubadours will entertain all three days during the festival. The Swinging Stars square dancers will entertain Sunday from 5 to 6 p.m.

Admission is free and the public is invited to help celebrate beginning of the harvest of nearly 20,000 acres of wine grapes in the Cucamonga district.

Regina Winery is on Base Line Road west of Etiwanda Avenue in Etiwanda.

Doesn't that sound fun? What gal over 18 years old would not enter a grape stomping contest for a chance to win $600 in prizes?

I asked the 2007 winner, my colleague Canan Tasci, what she won.

"Bragging rights! Hello?!"