When a wine-related event returns to Ottawa, don’t expect it to be the 2 Rivers Wine and Jazz Festival. Mayor Dan Aussem doesn’t think a festival would be approved by state regulators until the pandemic’s over. But City Hall is considering a contract with the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance for a wine market this year. He believes it will be called Ottawa Uncorked and says it should be good for local businesses, especially restaurants.
Unfortunately for people who bought tickets to last year’s festival that got cancelled, there doesn’t appear to be any hope of getting their money back. Lou Dog Events LLC, the private company that was to put it on, ended up in a bind with most of its other events cancelled last year. It appears to be out of business, listed with the Illinois Secretary of State as involuntarily dissolved, and no information available about its current operations.