Guests at the third annual Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Festival will be treated to gastronomic goodies and swing dancing under the stars at the Spanish Village Patio in Balboa Park tomorrow, June 4, starting at 6:30 p.m. “This year, we have moved to a slightly larger location in the Spanish Village area, which is very charming, artistic and quite romantic in the evening,” said San Diego Women’s History Museum executive director Ashley Gardner. The $25 ticket ($50 for VIPs) allows guests to choose six wines and six foods to taste from among dozens of wineries, chocolatiers and cheese makers. The Sue Palmer Trio will perform music from the 1930s to 1960s, including swing dance, Gardner said. “We have some wonderful wineries from up and down the West Coast, and we have local chocolatiers who come with all different kinds of chocolate items, and we have different cheese items, so those things go together. Then you put it in the mix with Sue Palmer and her music and her following, and then Balboa Park under the stars … it’s a nice combination,” Gardner said. The event is organized by the San Diego Women’s History Museum and Educational Center (WHMEC), and Gardner said that due to sponsorships, donations and volunteer hours, the group will be able to put approximately 95 percent of proceeds from the event into museum programming. The center, located at 2323 Broadway St. in the Golden Hill neighborhood, is one of only five women’s history museums in the nation. It was first established in 1983 in the home of founder Mary B. Maschal, who collected artifacts and literature relating to women’s historical achievements throughout her life. Today, WHMEC operates a variety of programs to promote women and their role in history, including a women’s author series, gallery-style shows that feature female artists, education and outreach to local schools, libraries and organizations, a vintage clothing presentation and the annual Suffrage Parade and Ball, celebrating the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote. The museum also maintains a library of more than 5,000 books written by and for women, primarily from the late 19th and 20th century, according to the center’s website. In addition, staff and volunteers at WHMEC have created a traveling exhibition of 8-foot pillars featuring 22 prominent women in history. The exhibit, “Women Who Dare,” has been installed at seven libraries this year, Gardner said. For more information about the event, or to purchase tickets, visit www.womensmuseumsd.org.
