"We didn't want to force something that no longer fit," Leslie Jingluski, executive director of the Lancaster by the Bay Chamber of Commerce, told the Rappahannock Record in July 2025. She was explaining why the Chamber had retired Taste by the Bay. According to that report, the event had outgrown its original home at The Tides Inn, and the Inn had extensive renovations planned. So the Chamber started a new event on the water at the far end of Windmill Point.
On Saturday, November 21, that new event, Taste on the Point, holds its second year at Windmill Point Marina. The tasting itself happens out on the point, but the day starts in White Stone. The shuttle leaves from the town's fire department, parking at the marina is tight, and organizers tell guests to bring cash for the food trucks and artisan tent. Planning for November 21 means planning around town.
From Carter's Creek to the End of Windmill Point
For years the Chamber's signature tasting was held at The Tides Inn on Carter's Creek in Irvington. A resort has its own parking, its own kitchen and its own lawn. Windmill Point is a different kind of site. The marina is a working facility, branded as Windmill Point Yachting & Fishing Center, with slips, a pool and a Tiki Bar. The Rappahannock Record reported that the first event in 2025 was set for the marina and Westland Beach.
The timing lined up closely. The Rivah Guide reports that the restored Westland Beach opened in November 2025, after about $5 million in county investment in beach and dune restoration, dredging and shoreline resilience work. The first Taste on the Point was held on November 22, 2025. So the Chamber's new festival and the county's restored beach opened to the public in the same month, at the same end of the peninsula.
The Day Starts at the Firehouse
The event's parking page says shuttles will run from the White Stone Volunteer Fire Department from 10 a.m. and continue throughout the event, with Lancaster County Public Schools listed as the shuttle partner. Here's the published schedule in order:
- 10 a.m. First shuttles leave the White Stone Volunteer Fire Department.
- 11 a.m. General admission opens at Windmill Point Marina, according to Middle Neck News and the official event site.
- Noon to 4 p.m. Tidewater Drive plays, per the festival's music page.
- 4 p.m. The festival closes.
- 5 p.m. Last shuttle back to White Stone.
Some third-party calendars list a noon start. Ingleside Vineyards' event page is one of them. The Chamber's own materials say 11 a.m.
Parking at the marina costs extra. Additional on-site parking passes are $50 each, and only a limited number are available. Organizers "strongly encourage carpooling and drop-offs." The parking page also says to plan ahead "to avoid frustration and delays." The last shuttle leaves an hour after the music ends, so the trip back from the point sets the end of the day.
What Year Two Changed
In August, Jingluski told Middle Neck News that organizers had made several changes based on feedback from the inaugural event:
- A quieter tasting and shopping area set aside for the wine vendors.
- A dance floor twice the size of last year's.
- Tidewater Drive returns as headliner. The nine-piece party band played the first year, and Middle Neck News describes its set as modern hits, Motown, R&B and classic rock.
- All of last year's wine, beer and food vendors are coming back.
- A large tent keeps the event going rain or shine.
Bon Secours Rappahannock General Hospital is the presenting sponsor. Ingleside Vineyards lists the festival on its calendar as an off-site event at Windmill Point Marina. The Chamber has not posted a full 2026 list of wineries, breweries or food trucks. Since every 2025 vendor is returning, last year's lineup is the best guide.
Bring Cash, and Bring a Gift List
The ticket covers the tasting. According to the festival site, it includes a tasting glass and access to the participating wineries. Middle Neck News adds craft beer and cider tastings. On the beer side, the site says you can "buy your favorite IPA" in addition to tasting.
The other two parts of the day are where you'll need cash:
- Food. The site lists six to seven local food trucks and says to "bring cash to sample one—or try them all!"
- Shopping. The Artisan Vendor Tent has more than 20 local artisans, and the site again says to bring cash, adding "Don't forget your holiday shopping list!"
The festival falls on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and the Chamber pitches the artisan tent for holiday shopping. With cash recommended for both the trucks and the tent, it helps to stop at a machine in White Stone on the way to the shuttle.
The cookbook table is another small local link. In November 2025, the Rappahannock Record reported that the Island Church's Bay Blessings cookbook would be for sale at the first Taste on the Point. The Chamber hasn't said whether it will be back this year.
If You Don't Have a Ticket Yet
Tickets are sold online only, at tasteonthepoint.com. They went on sale August 14, and the Chamber warned at the time that the 2025 event had sold out fast. In late October, the Chamber's homepage said the event was "almost sold out." Check the official site before counting on a seat. Jingluski also warned Middle Neck News readers about scams, noting that people offered tickets in social-media comments before any were on sale. She said tasteonthepoint.com is the only official source.
If you aren't going, November 21 is still an ordinary Saturday along Rappahannock Drive, with more traffic heading toward the point late in the morning. Two shops in town list Saturday hours that overlap the festival:
- The Pink Lemon, 577 Rappahannock Drive, lists Saturday hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Pointe Provisions, 520 Rappahannock Drive, lists Thursday through Saturday hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Neither shop dates its posted hours, so check before you go. For anyone who spends the 21st at the festival, the same stretch has a quieter option later in the month. Adrift, at 572 Rappahannock Drive, has a Cocktail and Craft Adventure Club event on Sunday, November 29, from 3 to 5 p.m., booked through its Tock page.
Westland Beach has been open since last November. Its 450-foot pier, public parking and restrooms are part of the county's Windmill Point campus. If you want to see the point without the crowd, any other November weekend works.
If you're thinking about property on this side of the Rappahannock and want someone who knows the water, the shoreline and how these weekends affect daily life, Beth Groner is glad to talk it through. Schedule a personalized market consultation with Beth.
