Organizers can’t promise wall-to-wall TV screens at Memorial Park to watch Saturday’s OU/Texas kickoff, said Hennessey United’s Wine & Chocolate Festival Chairman Dagan Hardin.

“However, our gates will be open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. And rumors have it that our firefighters say they’ll have the biggest screen there,” Hardin said.

“We’ll see.” Secret judges will select first, second and third place winners in the wine competition for the Curtis Turner Memorial Awards.

$20 Tickets, Bring Your ID The costs are the same at the door: $20 per person for wine and chocolate (includes a wine glass), or $5 for chocolate only.

Also, it’s $20 for advance tickets available at The Wellness Mercantile at the stoplight corner, then north two stores to Vernost Wine Co. Online tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite.com.

IDs are required. Police will check them at the gate. No ID, no wristband, organizers say.

Look Who’s Coming Vendors For Wine

Lovers – B&G Meadery, Stonewall; Settlers Brewing Co., Enid; Wildhorse Canyon Farms Winery, Luther; Shakespeare Wine Co., Chickasha; Native Spirits Winery, Norman; Put A Cork In It Winery & Gift Shop, OKC Bricktown; Stubborn Bull Wine, Hennessey; Turner Me On Wines, Hennessey, and Vernost Wine Co., Hennessey.

Chocolate Lovers – Sweet & Sassy Treats, Okeene; S.O.B. Stoppers, South of Bison; Main Street Merchantile & Cookie Co., Hennessey; Hoodoo Roosters, Oklahoma City; Cookie’s Sweet Bites & Bakery, Enid; Eat It Up, Hennessey; Power Fuel Protein Balls, Lacey; Southern Song Bird Merc and Boutique, Crescent, and Family Fostering Service, Enid.

Steak Sandwich Lovers – Volunteer Firefighters will grill up steaks for sandwiches at the same price as last year, $10, includes chips and water. Look for smoke in the southwest corner of the park for the HFD’s usual fund-raiser spot.

Photo Booth Funnies – Ask for directions at admission.

Free Parking/Shuttles

Free shuttles will be available. There’s expected to be plenty of Main Street and offsite parking. The Hennessey Police Department will also provide free rides home inside the town limits.

Contact Info

Festival Chairman Dagan Hardin and contact for wine vendors: (405853-0191 or ddtwodrum@yahoo.com).

Chocolate Chairman Kim Gritz (580-628-0198 leave number or text only, and she will get back to you).

Other United Board of Directors are: President Stacy Cline, Vice President Teresa Oliver, Secretary Cathy Howard, Treasurer Tammy Lott-Hopkins, Mayor Clif Vogt, Scott Hajek, Kaden Mitchell, Renee Curry, Barb Walter and, most recently, Brooklyn Harris, HHS student board member.

This is United’s biggest fundraiser, and its12th year.

The non-profit was started in 2000, then had its first Wine & Chocolate Festival in 2011, but skipped a festival year due to the first year of COVID-19.