Red River Revel’s biggest fundraiser

A toast to the Red River Revel, perhaps the biggest arts festival in the region! Festival Plaza in downtown Shreveport is home to the celebration of artwork, music and food every fall. But it takes money to put on such a lavish event. That’s where Cork comes in.

The 19th edition of Cork will be held from 2-5 p.m. April 5 at Festival Plaza. Tickets are $100.

The annual event showcases over 100 wines for patrons to sample, along with delicious sample bites of food from local restaurants, live music and a raffle, all of which benefit the Red River Revel.

“This is the largest fundraiser for us,” said Revel executive director Logan Lewis. “For the public, I would call it the social event of the spring.

“The executive director who started it, Kip Holloway, it’s no secret that he was a big fan of wine.” He and his friends would have “Wine Wednesdays,” Lewis said with a chuckle. But “the event itself for the public is an opportunity to try different (wines) that are available on the market, but maybe you just don’t want to buy a whole bottle to try. And we do have a store on site. So people are able to taste lots of different varieties of wine. And then if they find something they really like, they can get it right there on site.” The wine available for tasting at Cork can be purchased at a special pop-up package store by Thrifty Liquor.

“I really feel like the combination of food, wine and social atmosphere is kind of what makes it special. A lot of people keep coming back every year.”

Lewis said there will be every kind of variety of wine at Cork, most of which is available locally. “We have sweets, all types of reds, all types of whites, sparkling, blended wines …”

But there’s more to Cork than imbibing.

Haley Brooke and De’Lontrel Thomas will return to provide live music at the event this year.

You might even come away with a prize.

“We’ve always have a raffle,” Lewis said, usually eight or 10 different packages. “This year, we’re really focusing on three.” One is a 50/50 raffle, in which the winner receives half of the evening’s proceeds. One still being finalized is a package of Shreveport experiences, including gift cards, access and tickets to local events. The third raffle prize is called the Golden Parking Pass. “It’s exactly what it sounds like,” Lewis said. “It’s a parking pass at the Revel right next to the main gate. That includes all-access passes for two people and $200 of Revel food and beverage credit.”

Why does Lewis think Cork is so successful?

Lewis said some people religiously buy a table for 10 people, “and it’s an event they look forward to. … I think that’s one of the reasons why it is successful. There’s a lot of interest in it and a lot of history behind it.” Also, the wine distributors return every year to participate.

But, of course, Cork’s chief purpose is to keep the Revel running smoothly every year. “The thing about the Red River Revel that I think is really important,” Lewis said, “and, really, one of its biggest strengths, is that at its foundation through the years, the board and past directors have built streams of income that are very diverse. So we’re not overly reliant on any one thing, and that’s a really strong position for a non-profit to be in.”