Ashland Tango Grape-Escape
Thu-Sun, Aug 7-10, 2008

Please Note!!! This is a past event.

Click here for the 2009 Grape-Escape

Ashland Tango Grape Escape Evaulation Survey

Topics on this page (click to go directly there).Wiesinger Winery

This summer fall in Love....With Ashland, Oregon:

What could be better than a weekend of Tango with your favorite partner?

Sharing a dance amidst the rolling hills and grapevines of Southern Oregon's finest Wineries.

Join us for a weekend of Dancing & Reverie.....August 7-10, 2008

Make Ashland your destination this summer for a Bacchus-esque three day weekend of tango & wine tasting in our romantic, picturesque vineyards, situated just minutes from downtown.

Schedule, Prices, Registration & Map of Venues: [back to Top]

Ashland (pop 22,000): [back to Top]

Located in the Rogue River valley at the foot of the Siskiyou and Cascade mountain range and home of the well known Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland is populated with quaint shops, fabulous restaurants, superb hotels, and romantic B&Bs. Nearby Jacksonville (pop. 2200) is home to the Britt Festival, featuring world class entertainment. Nestled in rolling hillsides of evergreens, vineyards, and fruit orchards, this old gold mining town is home to the renowned Britt Festival, and is the entrance to the Applegate Valley Wine Country. It's one of the few towns to be designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Grape Escape Weekend Features: [back to Top]Southern Oregon Vineyard

  • Three outdoor Alt/Trad. Milongas @ local wineries
  • Sunday Morning Pool Party Milonga @ Clay's
  • Tango Parade & Free Music Jam w/ Homer
  • 3 of the Northwest's most sought after instructors
  • 10 Different classes from beginners to advanced
  • 2 free supervised practicas
  • 4 Outstanding world-class DJs
  • Sat/Sun Evening traditional milongas
  • Saturday evening Performances
  • Guided Nature Hikes through Lithia Park

You're invited...... [back to Top]

to discover the exceptional wines and beautiful estates of Southern Oregon. Sample great wines and locally grown specialty foods while you enjoy a tanda with your new best friends. This year's vineyard tours will feature three family owned wineries nestled atop the scenic hills of the rogue valley with the Cascade-Siskiyou Mountain range as a backdrop. Kick-off the weekend Friday afternoon with an Alternative/Traditional Milonga DJ'd by Homer at Paschal Winery & Vineyard overlooking a world famous pear orchard and bucolic farmlands. Followed by Friday evening's Traditional Sunset Milonga at Trium Winery. This winery founded by growers is dedicated to producing only the finest vintages from its three vineyards and is sperched high atop a beautiful vista overlooking the rogue valley. Saturday afternoon's wine & tango excursion features Wiesinger's Winery of Ashland. This family owned winery specializes in limited productions of Syrah, Cabernet, Sauvignon and Proprietary blends. Situated atop a hill at the base of the Siskiyou-Cascade range this winery overlooks all of the Rogue Valley and islocated just minutes from downtown and Mt. Ashland. Sunday's festivities include a free Tango Music Jam with Homer followed by a Wine-a-Palooza Milonga. Dance the afternoon away while you mingle with Ashland's finest purveyors oHomer & Christinaf wines, specialty foods and locally grown produce.

Instructors and DJ's: [back to Top]Robert Hauk

 

Information for First-Time Attendees: [back to Top]

  • Wine & Tango Tour : Complimentary Shuttle Service will be provided to and from the wineries. Check schedule for departure times & locations. Be advised; some of the dance surfaces at the local wineries maybe uneven and hard. Please bring dance sneakers. Pre-registration for the Wine Tour is advised and the first 60 registrants will recieve Clay's Secret Tango Decoder Ring, free!
  • Registration: Pre-registration is strongly encouraged due to the limited number of wine glasses, cupcakes and sunscreen available. If you pre-registered, and plan on arriving Thursday, there will be a pre-registration packet, in your name, waiting for you at the door of the door of the community center. If you pre-register and plan on arriving Friday, your packet will be at the door of the Winery. If you are not pre-registered, All Classes, Milongas and Winery Tours may be paid for at the door by filling out a special registration form and presenting it along with payment of cash or check. To allow for adequate registration time, Saturday morning please arrive 45 minutes prior to class start time. Sunday morning's registration hours will be limited to 12-1pm at the community center.
  • Milongas: If you are not taking classes but just going to milongas, you do not need to register and you can pay at the door of each milonga by cash or check.
  • Maps: All classes and non-Wine Tour milongas are within a few blocks walking distance. There will be two seperate maps available for the festival. Both maps can be printed/downloaded from this webpage. However, if you pre-register both Maps will be in your pre-registration packet. Additional Maps will be available at all venues including the Wine Tour Milongas.

Getting to Ashland: [back to Top]

  • Nearest commercial airport (serviced by United, Horizon, Delta, and America West) is the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport (RVI) in Medford, OR, 12 miles north of Ashland. Other nearby cities which you could fly to and then drive through beautiful scenic mountains are:
  • Redding, OR--2 hours south
  • Eugene, OR--3 hours north
  • Sacramento, CA--4.5 hours south
  • Reno, NV--5 hours southeast
  • Portland, OR--5 hours north
  • San Francisco, CA--6 hours south

For additional information about travel, transportation, weather, maps, restaurants, hotels, B&B, vacation homes, shops, and other attractions, visit the Oregon Shakespeare Festival web site.

Hotels and B&B's: [back to Top]

Three great resources for finding accomodations in Ashland are Orbitz, Ashland's Bed & Breakfast Network and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Website. In addition you might try:

  • As You Like It Guest-room. Cute, spacious and clean. Owner provides fresh baked biscotti, Dagoba chocolate, organic coffee and teas, and a warm comfortable bed with lovely sheets. (541) 488-0499
  • Ashland Hostel. 150 N Main. 5-minute walk to downtown. Dorm rooms available $28/person. (541) 482-9217
  • Ashland Motel. Outdoor pool. Close to grocery store. 1145 Siskiyou Blvd. 1.5 miles (drive or walk) to downtown.
  • Cederwood Inn Motel. 1801 Siskiyou Blvd. 1.5 miles (drive or walk) to downtown. Ask for Tango Fest Rate. (541) 488-2000.
  • Columbia Hotel. 262 1/2 East Main St. Located in the heart of downtown Ashland, this is a small friendly hotel with traditional European style of innkeeping . (541) 482-3726.
  • EconoLodge of Ashland, 50 Lowe Road. Just off I-5 and about 10-minute drive to downtown and/or wineries. Free WiFi and breakfast. $71/double. (541) 482-4700
  • La Quinta Inn & Suits, 434 S Valley View Road. Just off I-5 and about 10-minute drive to downtown and/or wineries. Free WiFi and breakfast. $132/Double. Ask for Tango Fest Rate. (541) 482-6932.
  • Lotus Springs Guest Loft. Newly renovated loft 15 minute walk from downtown with 2 bedrooms, full bath, living room, breakfast bar, dining area and a fully-equipped kitchen. Sleeps 6 people. Two day minimum. (541) 488-5253
  • the Peerless Hotel, 243 4th St. Luxurious guest rooms with antique furnishings and hand painted motifs in restored 1900's boarding house. Located a few blocks from festival headquarters. (541) 482-1082.
  • SchoolHouse Retreat and Cultural Center in Talent. 10 minute drive from Ashland. Five bedrooms and small dance floor for practicing. $110 single, $135 double includes continental breakfast. Two day minimum. email or phone (541) 535-6350.

Local Residence Lodging [back to Top]

The following two blogs have been created to help guests and residences connect:

Please go to the appropriate blog to see if there are offers or requests that meet your needs. Also, you can post your own request or offer by following the instructions given there.

Carpooling for Ashland Tango Festivals: [back to Top]

If you are looking to connect with other drivers or riders to attend any of the upcoming Ashland Tango Festival, please visit the Carpooling for Ashland Tango Festivals Blog. To post your request or offer a ride on this blog, send an email to ashlandcarpooling@gmail.com with all the pertinent information (city, dates, number of passangers, contact info, etc) and it will be posted there.

Festival Venues: (Ashland Map and Wine Tour Map): [back to Top]

Private lessons: [back to Top]

If you would like a private lesson with one of the instructors, you must first contact the instuctor yourself (click on their name above to obtain contact information) and set up an agreeable price and time that does not conflict with the workshop classes.