Stepping on the annual vine invites people to crush the grapes and dress up

Mackinaw (HEART OF ILLINOIS ABC) – ‘I Love Lucy’ and wine fans are invited to Mackinaw Valley Vineyards for the Annual Wine and Harvest Festival.

In honor of the famous ‘I Love Lucy’ scene, teams of two are invited to jump into a giant trash can to dance and crush as many grapes as possible. Teams compete for prizes ranging from candy to gift certificates.

Organizers said the event was just for fun and the finely ground wine was not turned into wine.

“I always tell people it’s not clean fun, but it’s a lot of fun, because you get in the barrel and you stomp,” says Owner Diane Hanan. “I think it’s reminiscent of the episode on Lucy’s show. People are curious about it, and we have people coming from all over to do it. They say it’s on their bucket list.”

Along with the wine party, there are challenges similar to Lucille Ball. Live music by local band ‘The Mystery Machine’, and food prepared by chefs from all over Mackinaw.