Arizona Hops & Vines sister act Shannon Zouzoulas and Megan Haller are creating what they are dubbing a mini Coachella music festival at their third annual Bad Decisions Campout this weekend.
The sisters are converting the sizeable parking lot behind their Sonoita vineyards into a staging area complete with a professional stage to host a music festival Saturday โ the kickoff of their wine, bacon, beer and meteor showers campout event.
It gets started at noon Saturday and โ if you camp out, which hundreds of folks have done in the past two years โ ends at 10 a.m. Sunday at the vineyard, 3450 Arizona 82, in the heart of Sonoitaโs wine country.
With all thatโs going on, Bad Decisions no longer suffices to be simply labeled โan event.โ Itโs a bona fide festival.
- The eats:
- Bacon from Mamaโs Hawaiian Bar-B-Cue, chocolate, Cheetos, cupcakes, food trucks and sโmores. Thereโs also the galsโ wine โ the sparkly, frisky Fluffer is a fan favorite and theyโll also be pouring Amanda, their first estate wine โ and beer by Tempeโs Four Peaks Brewing Co.
- The beats:
- Tucson bands/artists
- Drew Cooper
- , The Electric Blankets, Wild Bill and The Chaos, Sundusters, Acorn Bcorn, The Long Wait, The Pork Torta, The County Line and a few guests will turn that back parking lot into a smaller version of Indioโs Empire Polo Club, home of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. OK, a really mini, mini version, but with eight-plus acts on the bill, you might feel that dizzying effect you get after a day at Coachella. Or that could be the wine.
- And speaking of wine:
- With your paid admission you get 10 tasting tickets and a cute little souvenir glass. The sisters will be pouring six of their wines: The Fluffer, a crisp and fruity Muscat; Insรณlito, described by Haller as a unique white Mourvedre with essence of orange; Verena, a zesty Malvasia and Symphony blend; Everlasting, a dry, Sangiovese rosรฉ with hints of raspberry and strawberry; The Rational, a light, Tuscan-style red; and their first estate wine, Amanda, a bold Cabernet.
- Letโs not forget the fun:
- You wonโt find the fans at Coachella knee deep in a kickball tournament, but thatโs among the โbad decisionsโ to choose from for kids and adults. For the kiddos: Hops & Vines wine-country famous Sober Shack Kids Camp with arts, crafts, movies and a bounce house. For the adults: belly dancers, late night DJs, the Dance Your Pants Off Competition and Boner Jam 2015 (the trombone battle).
- A shower for all ages:
- The main attraction will be the Perseid Meteor Shower, which can let loose 60 to 100 meteors an hour at its peak. The Perseids streak across the nighttime sky every early August, peaking in the wee hours of Aug. 12. They are bright, fast and breathtaking โ Mother Natureโs way of expelling the debris left behind by the Swift-Tuttle comet. If you look close enough, youโll see a falling star or two.
- At the end of the day, a good decision:
- Zouzoulas and Hallerโs bad decisions are for a good cause. A big chunk of the proceeds will go to the Arizona Rangers, a volunteer, law enforcement auxiliary. The rest will help the sisters buy grapes and equipment for the fall harvest.
