Wine Festival at Kurtz's Beach 2026: Pasadena MD Guide

The 11th Annual Wine Festival at Kurtz's Beach takes place Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 5:30 PM at 2070 Kurtz Avenue, Pasadena, MD 21122, on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. General admission is $45 if purchased before October 6 ($50 after). Your ticket includes a souvenir wine tasting glass and unlimited sampling from over 100 wines. Last pour at 5:00 PM. Parking is free. Proceeds benefit the Tate Cancer Center at UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Wine Festival at Kurtz's Beach — Details

What to Expect at the Wine Festival

Over 100 wines from dozens of regional wineries poured at stations throughout the festival grounds. Your souvenir glass is your passport — walk the grounds, sample freely, discover new favorites. The lineup typically includes Maryland wineries alongside regional producers, covering the full range from dry reds to sweet whites to rosés and sparkling wines. Kurtz's Beach sits on the Chesapeake Bay shoreline in Pasadena, and on a mid-October afternoon the combination of Bay views, fall foliage, and wine creates an atmosphere that no convention center or parking lot festival can match. The venue is a private beach and event space that's hosted weddings, festivals, and community events for decades. Several food trucks provide the cuisine, live bands perform throughout the day, and artisan vendors add shopping alongside the wine.

The Cancer Center Connection

The Wine Festival at Kurtz's Beach has supported the Tate Cancer Center at UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center for its entire 11-year history. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the festival's timing is deliberate. Every ticket purchase directly supports comprehensive cancer care close to home for the Anne Arundel County community. This gives every pour a purpose beyond the wine itself.

How to Get to Kurtz's Beach

The Designated Driver Question

A wine festival with unlimited sampling from 100+ wines over six and a half hours creates the obvious problem: someone in the group has to not drink. At an event specifically designed around wine tasting, that person is missing the entire point. For groups of 4 or more, a chauffeured car service eliminates the dilemma. Everyone samples. Everyone discovers new wines. Everyone rides home safely. The driver drops the group at Kurtz's Beach, handles the waiting, and drives everyone home when the last pour closes at 5:00 PM.

The math is particularly clean. The $45 ticket already includes unlimited sampling and a souvenir glass. Free parking removes one cost. The vehicle cost split across 6 to 8 people is the only real logistic expense — and it buys a full afternoon of Bay-view wine tasting without anyone watching the clock or counting sips. For a group making it an occasion, the ride itself becomes part of the experience.

Making It an Anne Arundel County Day

Pasadena's location creates natural pairing options. Before the festival: breakfast or brunch in Severna Park (15 minutes north) or Glen Burnie. After the festival: dinner in Annapolis (20 minutes south) — the waterfront has dozens of restaurants, and arriving for a 6:00 PM dinner after a 5:30 PM festival close is a natural transition. Pasadena's Bay-side location means the festival itself is a Chesapeake experience — groups from Baltimore, Columbia, or DC are spending the day on the water, a change of scenery most DMV events can't offer.

Where Groups Travel From for the Wine Festival

Severna Park and Glen Burnie (~10 mi) are the immediate local market — a short drive, but the wine-tasting format means a vehicle is practical even for this distance when everyone wants to sample freely. Baltimore (~20 mi) — I-97 South puts you there in under 30 minutes; Baltimore groups treat this as a Saturday afternoon outing, and the Bay setting provides a waterfront experience that Baltimore's own harbor can't replicate in this intimate format. Annapolis (~15 mi) — close, scenic, and a natural pairing with waterfront dining after the festival; arriving for a 6:00 PM Annapolis dinner after the 5:30 PM close is a seamless transition. Columbia/Ellicott City (~25 mi) — central Maryland groups for whom Pasadena is a new destination, with the Chesapeake Bay setting adding appeal beyond the wine itself. Washington DC (~40 mi) — the furthest origin, but Bay views, unlimited sampling from 100+ wines, and the charitable cause justify the drive. A group vehicle from DC makes it a complete day trip.

The Chesapeake Bay Setting

Kurtz's Beach faces the Chesapeake Bay. On a mid-October afternoon, the water catches the autumn light, the trees along the shoreline are turning, and the combination of Bay views and wine creates something that parking-lot festivals and convention-center tastings can't touch. The venue is a private beach and event space that's been hosting community events for decades — maintained grounds, genuine waterfront access, and managed capacity that keeps the experience comfortable rather than crowded. For visitors from Baltimore, Columbia, or DC, the drive to Pasadena puts you on the water for the day — a change of scenery that most DMV events simply can't offer. The wine is the reason to go, but the setting is what makes people come back every year. For groups arriving by vehicle, the driver can stage on-site in the free lot while the group samples — no meter feeding, no garage fees, no time pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions — Wine Festival at Kurtz's Beach