Tailgate Returns to the Naramata Bench This September
There are some events that become part of a place’s story.
For years, Tailgate was one of those legendary Naramata traditions. It wasn’t a polished wine festival or a formal tasting event. It was simply local wineries pulling in, dropping their tailgates and pouring wine straight from the back of their vehicles while neighbours, visitors and winemakers gathered to celebrate another harvest on the Naramata Bench.
This September, after a 7 year hiatus, that tradition returns.
On Sunday, September 13, from 1-5pm the Naramata Bench Wineries Association, in partnership with Discover Naramata, is bringing Tailgate back to Manitou Beach Park for one unforgettable afternoon celebrating harvest, community and the people behind the wines.
More Than a Wine Festival
Tailgate has always been about the experience and the people.
More than 15 Naramata Bench wineries will literally drive into the park, park side by side, drop their tailgates and pour their wines from the backs of their vehicles, just as they did more than two decades ago.
It’s a chance to meet the owners, winemakers, vineyard crews and winery teams who spend the growing season nurturing grapes and crafting each vintage. Conversations happen naturally, glasses are filled generously and everyone shares in the excitement that harvest brings to the Bench.
It’s the kind of event that could only happen in a close-knit community like Naramata.
Harvest Season Is Pure Magic
September is one of the most beautiful times to visit the Naramata Bench.
The vineyards begin their seasonal transformation, orchards are heavy with late summer fruit, and the energy shifts as harvest gets underway. It’s a time when visitors can experience the rhythm of wine country as locals know it.
Tailgate captures that feeling perfectly.
Spend the afternoon wandering through Manitou Beach Park with your tasting glass in hand, enjoying live music, lakeside views, delicious food from local food trucks and conversations with the people who make the Naramata Bench one of Canada’s most celebrated wine regions.
What’s Included
Each Tailgate ticket includes:
- A commemorative wine tasting cup
- Six wine tasting tokens
- A $10 food voucher redeemable at any onsite food truck
- Live music throughout the afternoon
- Local artisan and vendor booths
- Access to one of the Naramata Bench’s most beloved harvest traditions
- Optional ($10) transportation to and from the event from Penticton
Additional tasting tokens and food will also be available for purchase during the event.
Make It a Late Summer Escape
Why rush home?
Tailgate makes the perfect centrepiece for a late summer getaway. Book a weekend stay and spend your time exploring the wineries, farm stands, restaurants, hiking and cycling trails, beaches and scenic viewpoints along the Naramata Bench & Naramata Village.
Harvest season is one of the most rewarding times to experience the community, with warm days, crisp evenings and plenty happening throughout the village and along the Bench.
Get Your Tickets
Early Bird tickets are already more than 70% sold, so don’t wait too long.
Early Bird pricing is $59.99, or $79.99 with round-trip transportation included. Regular tickets will be $69.99, or $89.99 with transportation.
Tailgate takes place Sunday, September 13, 2026, from 1:00–5:00 PM at Manitou Beach Park in Naramata.
Visit naramatabench.com to purchase tickets and learn more. This is a 19+ event.
Whether you’re reliving the Tailgate you remember or discovering it for the very first time, this is your invitation to celebrate harvest the Naramata way – with great wine, great people and the kind of community spirit that’s natural part of the fabric of the Naramata Bench.