Lodi Grape Festival Grounds — Attraction in Lodi

I'm unable to comment on the exhibits and food for this year's festival since they didn't allow us in for free even though we were in line before 5 p.m. on Friday. As usual, they allowed free entry into the festival between 12 and 5 p.m. on Friday. And as usual, we left the house in Lodi at about 4:30 to ensure we'd get there by 5. When we walked up to the gate the lines were HUGE. I've been coming to the festival for over 15 years and have never seen such large lines to enter the festival. So anyways, we got into line at the back-gate a few minutes before 5. As we got close to the entrance about 10 minutes later, the staff announced that they were going to begin charging for entry.

Instead of checking to see who were in line at 5 o'clock, the supervisor at the back gate arbitrarily set a cut-off point in the line about 10 minutes later. We were at the front of the cut-off point. I explained that I was in line before 5 but that didn't do any good. I'm not sure how they handled the cut-off at the front gate since people were in one big mass around the entrance rather than in a line like they had at the back-gate. I'm not sure why they it seemed to be taking extra time to check people at the gate this year. Perhaps they were intentionally trying to delay folks so that they would have to pay? Anyways, I'm didn't feel they were being fair with how they handled the cut-off for the free entry period. I decided not to pay for entry so they'll be out the money I would have spent for food and rides for myself and my family. I've been boycotting the State Fair for over 20 years because some of the carnies had cheated me on a game. I'll definitely be considering boycotting the Grape Festival...

This is overall a good festival once you get inside, but there is little to do with grapes except the exhibits in their Ag building. No cooking demonstrations or grapes for sale. But PLENTY of kiddie rides. But this is pretty typical of "food" festivals in the San Joaquin Valley, which tend to cater to poor and less educated people with LOTS of kids.

The main problems with this event occur OUTSIDE the entry gates:

They charge $10, cash only, for parking, despite having absolutely NO information on their website about parking at all.

They have their on-site ticket purchase booths inside the security checkpoint area rather than outside, so that people who have already bought their tickets have to wait for people who are purchasing them on-site, to enter. This is dumb; the main reason for purchasing your tickets ahead of time is to be able to enter the grounds more quickly and efficiently, and above all NOT have to wait in line behind people still needing to buy their tickets. (Every other fair/festival that I have attended puts their on-site ticket purchase booths outside the security checkpoint, to avoid...

It's truly not what it use to be. No more parades, the grape displays get smaller and fewer every year, and even the amount of vendors appears to have gone down. The prices of food are over the top due mostly I'm sure because of the amount of space rent the festival charges them, and even the entertainment has gone down. Compared to what it use to be years ago it doesn't even come close anymore. I think they need to find a new director and the Lodi City Council needs to step it up and bring back the way it use to be. I was told the reason they stopped the parades was due to the cost of insurance but come on Lodi this is a once a year event and if it continues on it's current path it won't be long when the Lodi Grape and Wine Festival will also be one a think of the past. As I mentioned the city council could and should do a lot better job as what other event has been around in Lodi this long? Step it up or it will become a thing...