CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Virginia wineries are finding that a good glass of wine is only part of the experience. Across the Monticello Wine Trail, wineries are increasingly giving visitors other reasons to stay and return, adding live music, food, dancing, themed celebrations and outdoor activities to the traditional tasting-room experience.

Halloween offers a timely example. With the holiday falling on a Saturday this year, wineries are turning the weekend into more than a chance to pour seasonal wines, creating events designed to attract families during the day and adults in the evening and giving visitors another reason to make a winery part of their Halloween plans.

At Eastwood Farm and Winery, Halloween activities will span the day, starting with family-friendly activities and shifting into an evening of dancing, costumes and live music.

From noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Eastwood will offer face painting, children’s crafts, candy and other activities. Proceeds from face painting will benefit Mahogany and Friends, a group focused on youth financial literacy.

Then, at 4 p.m., Swing Cville will offer a swing dance lesson before Zuzu’s Hot 5 takes the stage from 5 to 8 p.m. The evening will also feature a costume parade.

Hannah Velie, general manager and co-owner of Eastwood Farm and Winery, said the swing dancing is designed to be welcoming, even for people who have never tried it.

“A complete beginner can definitely jump in,” Velie said.

Guests do not need to bring a dance partner. Velie said experienced dancers are often happy to teach newcomers, and participants have the opportunity to dance with several different partners. She added the event is designed to give people a reason to get out and participate rather than simply attend as spectators.

“It’s nice to have an activity we can come out and be in costume and get moving and dancing. It definitely gets people much more comfortable with getting up and dancing,” Velie told Cville Right Now.

The event also reflects the larger role wineries can play as gathering places, she said.

“A lot of the wineries and these sorts of spaces do end up being a third space for a lot of these holidays and for different events,” Velie said. “Any excuse to celebrate, we have to take.”

Tracey Love, executive director of the Monticello Wine Trail, said she gets a behind-the-scenes look at the events being planned by wineries across the region.

“I think that the events that wineries are coming up with are super creative,” Love told Cville Right Now.

The Monticello Wine Trail represents more than 40 wineries in the Monticello American Viticultural Area, which includes Charlottesville and portions of Albemarle, Greene, Nelson and Fluvanna counties.

Love said the variety of events gives visitors options beyond a traditional tasting.

“I think it really gives people the option to sort of choose their own adventure,” she said.

Many wineries also have outdoor spaces where visitors can enjoy the fall scenery while choosing between a glass of wine, a flight or a guided tasting. Love said wineries are offering an increasingly wide range of activities, from hiking and yoga to live music, dancing and seasonal events.

“There are enough events to choose from that we actually have a virtual tool on the website so that you can see which wineries are in proximity,” Love told Cville Right Now. “But I mean, I would just search for something that is of interest to you and try to make a couple stops out of it and make the most of the day.”

“I think people are really seeking unique opportunities,” Love told Cville Right Now.

That variety will be on display throughout Halloween weekend.

Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard will host its Nocturne II Halloween Ball from 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday, while Glass House Winery will hold a Halloween party featuring costumes, live music and food.

Other wineries are adding live music to their Saturday plans, including Blenheim Vineyards, Afton Mountain Vineyards, Knights Gambit Vineyard and Keswick Vineyards.

For wineries, the events offer another way to connect with visitors. For guests, they provide a chance to experience Virginia wine country as more than a stop for a glass of wine, and perhaps as a place to spend an entire day or evening.