Have you been down and out about the lack of events going on this summer due to COVID-19? Many of us are, but all hope is not lost! The Geneva National Resort and Club is hosting a food and wine festival July 30 through August 1. For residents living in Gerstad Builders Bailey Estates Community, Lake Geneva is only a ten minute drive.

All the other Gerstad communities are only about 30 minutes away. As a result, everyone can enjoy this fun festival. However, some residents may not feel comfortable with venturing too far out of their homes during a pandemic, so we’re providing a list of activities at the food and wine festival that can be done in your own neighborhood. 

Thursday

The events at the food and wine festival and fun, simple, and easily adaptable to a home or neighborhood environment. The festival kicks off on Thursday, July 30 with an outdoor barbeque, wine, and live music. This is great inspiration to host a similar event with your small social group. Gather friends in someone’s backyard and have everyone bring a side dish or food for grilling. Instead of just having an ordinary barbeque, for example, have guests bring a bottle of their favorite wine. The host can create safe wine tasting stations with a description of the wine is featured at each location.

Prior to the event, have guests send a list of five songs to play during the cookout. That way, when someone’s song comes on it’s a source of excitement for the whole group! Consider having songs follow a particular theme such as songs from certain decades. If you’re really itching to hear some live music, have a karaoke night! It’s all in good fun with friends there to laugh with you. 

Friday

On Friday, events include morning yoga and mimosas. Morning yoga is a great reason to invite friends to your backyard and enjoy the sunshine while getting a good stretch. Other events include; crisp white wines and charcuterie board. Charcuterie boards consist of a variety of cheeses, meats, fruits and nuts. Delicious! Homespun pizzas paired with Caymus cabernets will be served too. Those who are not interested in yoga can spend the afternoon golfing. Alternatively, now is the time to put that putting green to use if you have a practice one! Don’t forget to alternate host homes so no one is feeling overwhelmed! 

The food is where the real creativity and fun takes place! To replicate the charcuterie board event, ask your friends to each bring a different meat and cheese so that tasting palettes are diversified. Similarly, you can ask friends to bring toppings for their personal favorite pizzas so that everyone has the chance to try something new!

Put a spin on Friday’s events by rotating houses. Each house could have an “around the world” theme. For instance; one home’s theme can be France and serve French wines, meats, and cheeses; another Italy with pizza and Italian wines; and finally Spain with traditional Spanish desserts and wines. This is a great opportunity to learn about a new culture’s food and experiment with different flavors that you may have not previously considered. Plus, this is a great way to meet new neighbors.

Saturday

On Saturday, events include poolside yoga and guitar music, golf, New Zealand wines, lessons on Pinot Noir, and a grand 80-wine tasting session! These events are similar to previous ones, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with them. Have each friend bring a bottle of wine from a specific geographic region. Perhaps all of you sample a particular type of wine (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio) from different parts of the world. The idea is for there to be the same type of a particular wine, but from different countries so they can be tasted side by side. The friend who is responsible for bringing a wine from a particular country could bring a traditional food from that country for some extra cultural exploration and fun.

The events we’ve outlined are a great way to get to know your neighbors and bring some lively traditions to your neighborhood!

Gerstad has the models and the resources to ensure that your home is everything you need it to be and more. Contact us at 815-385-4495 or visit our website. For information on the process for setting up your virtual, socially distant tour today, click here!