By Lori Newman | Editor the Umpqua Post

Eight bands and 25 art/craft vendors are coming

It’s been in the planning stages for several months, and this weekend, it’s here: the “wine, beer, seafood and music festival” known as Confluence 2010.

The entire event takes place at the old W.F. Jewett School building in Gardiner. Although organizers say there’s plenty of free parking at and near the school, because alcohol will be sold on-site, shuttle buses will be making the rounds of stops in Winchester Bay, Reedsport and Gardiner all during the festival.

The weekend kicks off with Friday’s Wine Tasters’ Dinner at 6 p.m. Friday, a four-course meal catered by Bedrock’s Catering Services.

The menu includes Italian sausage-stuffed mushrooms with crostini, green salads topped with hazelnuts and cranberries, Dungeness Chicken Florentine with wild rice pilaf, and bread pudding laced with croissants and a creamy custard with dark chocolate sauce.

Each course will be accompanied by an appropriate wine from Henry Estates Winery near Umpqua. The Worn Out Frets, a two-man band from Coos Bay, will provide the evening’s music.

The venue opens to the public from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, with bands playing, arts and crafts for sale and, of course, many Oregon wines and micro-brewed beers to taste and purchase.

One of Saturday’s highlights in the Rogue Room will be an ice-carving demonstration by Chris Foltz, a chef with the Oregon Coast Culinary Institute at Southwestern Oregon Comm-unity College. Foltz is set to compete with more than 100 other ice sculptors at the 2010 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska, later this month.

Demonstrations by artists, crafters and chefs are also on tap during Saturday afternoon and evening.

On Sunday afternoon, the Rogue Room will feature chowder tastings during the Reedsport and Winchester Bay Community Chowder Cook-Off. Winners will go on to compete in Florence at September’s 2010 Coastal Chowder, Blues and Brews Contest.