The 24th annual Dogwood Fine Arts Festival kicks off next month with a much anticipated returning act.

This year’s festivities begin with a special “wine and song” celebration, which takes place on at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 8, inside the Southwestern Michigan College’s Dale A. Lyons Building. Tickets to the event cost $25, and visitors must be 21 years or older with a photo ID to enter the venue.

Festival organizers are bringing back a wine tasting event after a five-year hiatus, albeit with a number of twists, said Festival Secretary Bobbie Jo Hartline. Held inside the festival offices to kickoff of the festival’s 20th anniversary, the tasting was a tremendous success, and has since become one of the most requested events for them to bring back in subsequent years, Hartline said.

“We thought about waiting until the 25th anniversary to bring it back, but there’s so much going on that’s new this year we decided to celebrate that,” she said.

Moving to a much larger venue, this iteration of the event will feature a different selection of southwestern Michigan wineries, as well as the added bonus of live entertainment.

Vintners and representatives from White Pine Winery of St. Joseph, 12 Corners of Benton Harbor, Tempo Vino Winery of Kalamazoo, and Warner Vineyards of Paw Paw will be lining the halls of the building during the evening, offering tastes of their array of wines to patrons. Organizers will also offer visitors a selection of savory hors d’oeuvres to dine on.

“No matter what the appetizer or hors d’oeuvre is, there will be a match for it from one of the wineries,” Hartline said.

The Dogwood Chorale, led by SMC Choir Director David Carew, will treat guests to a special concert that evening, entitled “Horizons of my Heart.” Following the entertainment, the wineries will switch out their products for sweet wines to accompany the selection of desserts provided by Chef Jordan Anderson with the Baker’s Rhapsody.

Visitors will also have a chance to peruse some of the works of the college’s permanent art collection, which will be on display inside the SMC art gallery, also located inside the Lyons Building.

“It’s the best of everything, right on site, in one spot,” Hartline said.

Many people have already expressed interest in attending since tickets for the event went on sale, Hartline said.

With so many activities rolled into one event, organizers feel this is a great way for residents and visitors to kick off the over weeklong celebration of the fine arts, which runs from May 8-17.

“There’s going to be good food, good wine, good music and good art,” Hartline said. “And that’s just the beginning, day one of 10. We’ll start and end with a bang.”

This event is collaboration between the Dogwood Festival and Southwestern Michigan College and is sponsored by Harding’s Friendly Markets. For more information, about this and other Dogwood Festival events call (269) 782-1115, (866) 490-2847 or visit www.dogwoodfinearts.org.