MARINA PARK was filled with visitors and residents Saturday during the 27th annual Leland Wine and Food Festival. By Corey L. Frost Enterprise intern

Reds and whites flowed into glasses. Food sizzled on the grill and music filled the air as those in attendance sought lively conversation, sampled local dishes and drank deeply.

Dionysus would have reveled in the festivities.

The spirit of the Grecian god of wine echoed throughout Marina Park, Saturday as visitors and residents came together for the 27th annual Leland Wine and Food Festival.

“We loved it,” said Rita Nicholson, who resides in Anderson, Ind. “We’ve never been before. There’s a lot of people, but it’s beautiful.”

Early morning rain moved out, revealing a clear blue sky and setting the stage for the festival that attracted people from across the state and country.

KERRY KRCEK mans the grill for The Redheads in Lake Leelanau, preparing Greek spinach pies. “It was picture perfect,” Ann Arbor’s Alma Blackburn said. “The only way it could have been better is if there wasn’t any construction going on.”

The yellow loaders remained still though, and festival-goers seemed to pay very little attention to the ongoing improvements.

Instead, they lined up for a chance to sample wines from local vineyards such as Peninsula Cellars, Good Harbor Vineyards and Chateau Fontaine. They also grabbed plates of prepared food from vendors representing Pleva’s Meats, the Bluebird Restaurant, and The Redheads, among others.

Even as temperatures began to rise in the afternoon sun, the atmosphere remained upbeat. The only noise that challenged the Tim Wire and Ron Getz Quintet’s cover of “I Shot the Sheriff” was the amplified laughter coming from beneath the large, white tents.

“The festival is fantastic,” Kerry Krcek said, while grilling Greek spinach pies for The Redheads in Lake Leelanau. “I think it’s great that there’s so many local vendors in one place.

“It’s getting more competitive, but it’s excellent opportunity for businesses to showcase some of the things that make our area unique.”