Hennessey United’s board voted to accept credit cards at the gate during the ninth annual Wine & Chocolate Festival.

The festival is planned 1-6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at Memorial Park in Hennessey.

United continues to team with the Oklahoma Grape Industry Council for the state’s annual wine event, and more than 20 wineries are expected again this year.

Advance tickets may be purchased online: Hennessey Wine & Chocolate Festival, or at the gate for $20 per person.

Advance tickets are $15 at Vernost Wine Co., Hennessey, and Hennessey Town Hall.

They will be sold only until the end of the day Sept. 20.

Chocolate tickets are $5 each at the gate.

14 Wineries

Already Signed Up

“So far we have 14 wineries signed up,” Wes Hardin, wine chairman, said at United’s Aug. 15 board meeting at the Eat It Up Banquet Hall.

Booth reservations are available by contacting Hardin: 405-853-0115 or whardin1127@yahoo.com.

It was reported at last month’s meeting that Hennessey’s volunteer firefighters planned to accept credit cards for their ribeye steak sandwiches during the festival.

Fire chief Bert Gritz had said they had to turn some people away last year because they had no cash.

Firefighters will charge $10 for the steak sandwich, chips and drink this year due to costs, as opposed to $8 for the past few years.

Hardin also said he’d been unable to contact the golf cart company about renting their over-size carts to take festival-goers to and from nearby parking lots.

Kaden Mitchell said he is checking to make sure they have help in setting up tables and canopies.

Permits/Insurance

Treasurer Tammy Henderson was tasked with getting checks for necessary event permits, and insurance costs on the group’s portable stage/sound equipment, picnic tables, eight-foot tables and canopies estimated to be worth $50,000.

Members discussed that many of those items are used at no cost by church and other groups, and most-recently at Community State Bank’s anniversary event.

Rodeo Arena Signage

Stacy Cline asked about signage for the weekend rodeo.

Vice President Barb Walter said she’d asked for the town to take care of street signs the week before, but no action was taken. She said the town board had discussed it a year ago, but someone apparently dropped the ball.

Both Cline and Jack Quirk said they need larger signage too.

Quirk said they need something that can be put at the stoplight for events, and he would check on costs.

There was also talk about putting a banner across Main Street as was done years ago for Pat Hennessey Celebrations.

Someone said that wasn’t allowed.

Hardin said he’s been to El Reno recently and they had one.

It was suggested that someone contact the state highway department about the matter.

Leadership

Class

Walter, director of the United’s 2019 Leadership Hennessey program, thanked her team for getting a good start on the first day.

Team members are Cathy Howard, Teresa Oliver, Stacy Cline, Mariana Gonzalez and Mitchell.

She said there are 31 seniors in this year’s class which is much more manageable than the 55 last year.

All of this year’s students must be in the civics class that morning. Many of this year’s seniors are also morning vo-tech students, which accounts for the lower numbers, she said.

Walter said this year’s students will again tour the Red Dirt Wind Farm, Kingfisher County Courthouse and state Capitol House and Senate chambers.

Added tours include the nearby school dome, the Oklahoma City Memorial and Museum, and adding the State Court of Criminal Appeals to the capitol tour.

Walter said she’d completed an online form for Enel Green Power about last year’s class. Enel partners with United on the Leadership project.

Board members present at the meeting were Scott Hajek, Hardin, Howard, Henderson, Oliver, Cline, Mitchell and Walter. Guests there were town board member Richard Simunek, Angela Bruner, and Gonzalez. Absent was board president Dagan Hardin.

The board’s next meeting date was changed to Tuesday, Sept. 17, to finalize festival events.

Election of officers and board members will also be on that 6:30 p.m. agenda.