About Us

In 2009, Rotary members Scott Danner and Roland Davis swapped their club’s spaghetti dinner for a bold idea: stage a wine tasting on the Chesapeake City Park lawn and send every dollar to charity. One tent, a few local vineyards, and a small crowd later, the Chesapeake Wine Festival was born.

Sixteen years on, their experiment has matured into the region’s signature daytime tasting event. Scott remains an active voice on the planning team, working alongside Director of Operations Domenick Fini and an all-volunteer Rotary crew to keep the festival fresh and impact-driven. The recipe stays simple:

• Purpose over profit. Ticket revenue moves straight into Rotary Community Charities, fueling youth programs, mobile health initiatives, and neighborhood projects across Hampton Roads.
• Hospitality with heart. Vendors pour generous samples, musicians set an easy groove from the main stage, and guests relax on wide-open park grounds with room to wander, laugh, and reconnect.
• Growth that gives back. From a handful of supporters to thousands of returning fans, the festival has now donated more than $2.5 million, proof that an afternoon of tasting can ripple far beyond the glass.

Join us on Saturday, October 10, 2026, and see how sixteen years of community spirit continues to raise both funds and glasses.