By Natalie Salvatore
For the Opelika
Observer

Opelika Main Street will host the 26th annual On the Tracks: A Cheese and Wine Event on Oct. 18 from 6 to 9 p.m. in downtown Opelika.
Once guests purchase their tickets, they are given a map that includes multiple different stops in various businesses throughout downtown. On this wine and cheese trail, guests can taste various food and drinks throughout the night.
“This year, it will be bigger and better than ever,” said Opelika Main Street’s Executive Director Ken Ward. “We have a lot of new stops that are going to be a part of the trail this year, so there will be new places that people are going to get to visit.”
Ward said there are numerous types of wine from many different vineyards available to try. This high-quality, well-curated wine is curated by the local wine bar, Ampersand, which has one of the largest wine-by-the-glass selections in the country.
“This is an opportunity to not only enjoy some great wine, but to also visit some of the many businesses downtown that you might not otherwise go to beforehand,” Ward said.
General admission tickets are on sale now and will be $25 until Oct. 4. After that, tickets go up to $30. Guests can also purchase a ticket at the event for $35.
There is also a VIP ticket option that includes a food voucher for a free meal, along with the wine and cheese trail. This ticket, which is $42 from now until the day of the event, also gives guests special VIP access to amenities such as snacks, tables and non-alcoholic beverages. VIP tickets are available for $47 at the gate if not purchased beforehand.
Ward said this yearly event has quite an impact on the downtown community. With more than 1,000 people there at night in past years, it really brings the community together.
“We get a lot of out-of-town visitors that come to this event, and it’s a great economic driver for our community for local small businesses to get big exposure to a large crowd,” Ward said.
Along with wine and food, there will be live music and food trucks out on the streets throughout the event. Ward encourages people to buy their tickets early and online, as they have sold out many times in the past.
“We encourage people to come on out, make a night of it, come enjoy the wine and then afterwards have some dinner at our great restaurants,” Ward said.
To buy tickets or to learn more, visit their website, www.onthetracks.org.