The fledging Downtown Business Alliance of Manteca’s inaugural event accomplished a number of goals including getting newcomers to get a taste of downtown.

The sold-out Beer, Wine & Spooky Spirits Stroll brought 200 people downtown Friday between 6:30 and 8 p.m. Among the tasters were a number of newcomers to the community with a healthy dose of new residents who moved to Manteca from west of the Altamont Pass and one couple from as far away as New Jersey.

The Friday evening wine stroll was followed up Saturday by the 22nd annual Downtown Safe Halloween that brought more than 1,000 trick or treaters and their parents downtown. Businesses downtown have been involved with that event from its inception with initial help to organize it from the now defunct Manteca Convention & Visitors Bureau, then the Manteca Interact teen service club, and more recently the Manteca Parks & Recreation Department.

Merchants Friday evening have several varieties of wine as well as beer and finger foods for participants that paid $25 each. Proceeds will be used to arrange for other downtown activities.

Some wore Halloween costumes including Donna Shannon who came dressed in all white as an “Angel” accented with her natural snow while hair.

 The participants were asked not to walk outside the stores with any wine in their glasses.  Police officers on foot were making sure the ABC rules were being followed so the alliance would not be fined.

The check-in locations were in the parking lots of the law office of Eddie Torres and at the Manteca Bedquarters.  In addition to receiving their individual wine glasses they were given wrist bands to identify them to the participating merchants.  

There were two non-alcoholic locations: Janis Music and Nested Owl near the intersection of Maple and Yosemite avenues.

Several tasters noted they hadn’t been in the downtown before and new finds they would definitely visit a second time included Tipton’s Stationery and Gifts as well as the Hats and Boots BBQ – both on Yosemite Avenue. Hats & Boots went on serving dinners as the wine crowd entered their front door.

Others serving wines and some serving beer included: Redi-Mark, Tipton’s Stationery and Gifts, Studio 150, Rust Salon, Marks Tire & Auto Care, Manteca Bed Quarters, Leonard Photography, J&J Printing, Frank’s Downtown Café,  Flying Crow Tattoo, Hats and Boots, Eddie Torres Law Office, Dan’s Barber Shop, Cuties Clothing Company, Compass Real Estate, Chic Hair Studio, Besitos, Ben Cantu’s 4 Mayor, Anna’s Asian Palace, Bill Hills BBQ, Ace of Vapes, AAA Antiques and the 133 Club.

The Ripon Chamber of Commerce Wine Stroll is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 6, in downtown Ripon from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are available for $35 online at riponchamber.org or at the chamber office o Stockton Avenue.

To contact Glenn Kahl, email gkahl@mantecabulletin.com.