By Gina Horan
Blues, Rock and Blueberries Return to Whispering Oaks Winery
The Honey Bee & Wine Fest returned Sunday to Whispering Oaks Winery, marking the fifth year of the spring concert event that celebrates the start of blueberry season.
Held on the winery grounds along State Road 475 in Oxford, the afternoon brought together live music, wine and a relaxed crowd spread across the lawn and pavilion for a full lineup of blues and rock. Many got up to dance as the afternoon progressed.
Headlining the festival was Texas Twister, a high-energy tribute band that channeled the sounds of ZZ Top and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Also performing was Alex Lopez & The Xpress and Memphis Lightning. The internationally touring band featured guitar virtuoso Lightning Thiboutot and Grammy-nominated bassist Big Red.
Whispering Oaks owner and wine producer Darryl Siemer is a big blues fan, so bringing these talented groups to the festival was a big win on every level.
“We love being considered one of the top live music venues in the area,” he says. “We work with some amazing people getting amazing bands and they play original music as well as tribute songs. It’s probably one of the most fun things that we do here.”
Together, the music, wine homemade brisket and early spring weather made for a laid-back afternoon.
Whispering Oaks Winery
10934 S Hwy 475, Oxford
352.748.0449
whisperingoakswinery.com
Photos by Gina Horan
Gina moved to Central Florida in August 2021 from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has a degree in linguistics and worked as a fashion editor, photo stylist lifestyle columnist and food writer for the Knight Ridder Newspaper Group. She also covered and photographed music festivals, fashion shows and sports throughout Northern California. In 2000, she joined KSAN radio as a morning show co-host and produced the news and sports content there for four years. She later covered travel, events and the restaurant scene for KRON-Bay TV. A veteran bartender, Gina has worked in hospitality on and off since high school. She has been with Akers Media since 2022 and hosts the Healthy Living Central Florida podcast. Her passions include travel, road trips, baseball, history books and podcasts, tasting menus and arriving in a new city without a map or guidebook.
