Kalahari's Chef Bob On The 21 And Over Food And (Not Just) Wine Festival Coming To Sandusky

Lake Erie Shores and Islands has turned into one of my favorite corners of the country. There is legitimate walleye water out of Port Clinton, Cedar Point sitting on its own peninsula in Sandusky, ferries running out to Put-in-Bay, and more than twenty wineries strung along the shoreline. That covers most of what I want out of a long weekend. The one thing I never expected to add to that list was that Kalahari (an indoor waterpark resort) is actually making efforts to reach out and engage adults as well. While they have some adults-only options all year long, on Saturday, August 29, Kalahari Sandusky is running a 21-and-over food and wine festival, and Heather and I will be there with a glass in hand.

The festival is not new to Kalahari, but it is new to Ohio. It has been running at the company's Texas and Pennsylvania properties for several years, and Sandusky gets its first one this month. The host property is Ohio's largest indoor waterpark at 173,000 square feet, sitting in the same town as Cedar Point, wrapped in a resort that also carries a full-service spa, an outdoor pool complex and a convention center big enough to hold a festival of this size indoors.

We caught up with Chef Bob, executive chef at Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in Sandusky, about why a waterpark resort decides to hand the adults an event of their own, what the ticket actually buys, and what a group is supposed to do with the rest of the weekend.

Why A Family Waterpark Built A 21 And Over Event

Kalahari's identity from the outside is the indoor waterpark, and that reads as families. So when you decided to build a 21 and over food and wine festival around it, what was the thinking?

This is Sandusky's inaugural event and it was brought here after the success seen at our other two properties in Texas and Pennsylvania. For this event we wanted to create a space for the adults to have fun, too. We're still family-friendly, of course, but the Food & (Not Just) Wine Festival creates an atmosphere for mom, dad, grandma, grandpa - anyone 21+ older - to sample all that Kalahari's culinary scene has to offer.

When Kalahari looked at those Texas and Pennsylvania runs, what did you learn about adult guests that made you think this was worth doing in Sandusky? Was there demand you weren't capturing, or was it more about showing families that adults have a reason to come here too?

It was a great opportunity for both reasons you mentioned. Yes, we have seen the demand for more adult-oriented fun, and this came at the perfect time to show our guests that adults have a reason to come here, too. We want everyone to experience Kalahari - whether that's in the waterpark or at the festival.

What A Weekend Here Looks Like For Adults

You touched on mom, dad, grandma, grandpa. But what about the couple who books a weekend here with no kids in tow, or the group of guys who want to use Kalahari as a base camp for a Lake Erie trip? What does a weekend here look like for adults traveling without a family group?

Well, for the Food & (Not Just) Wine Festival we have a special offer on an overnight stay that's perfect for couples or a group of friends. That's our Sip & Stay package, which is 20% OFF our Best Available Rate, and that includes (2) General Admission tickets to the festival on Saturday, August 29th, and also includes Waterpark Admission to the Indoor and Outdoor Waterparks.

Spend the day enjoying the festival with live entertainment while you sample food from our signature dining outlets, such as B-Lux Grille & Bar, and enjoy a drink from more than 50+ beverage vendors who are both national and regional. After the festival, we encourage you to book a Spa appointment or spend the rest of the evening lounging at the outdoor waterpark in our 15,000 sq. foot pool.

A regular day could look the same. Spa Kalahari has plenty of services to offer between massages and facials, plus a sauna and Halotherapy Salt Room. Hit the arcade for some competitive fun, hang out at the Mud Hut Swim Up Bar, lounge in the Lazy River, and then hit your favorite outlet in the lobby for lunch and dinner. There's a lot to do for adults without the family group.

That covers the downtime. If a group books Kalahari as their home base but wants to get out and explore, what are you recommending off property?

Locally, we have fishing charters, multiple golf courses, axe throwing downtown at Noble Axes, a shooting range down the road at Lake Erie Arms, and plenty of nature walks through the Erie County Metro Parks to sight-see or birdwatch.

The Case For Staying Put All Weekend

The Mud Hut Swim-Up Bar and the 15,000 square foot outdoor pool sound like a solid home base. What would you tell a group of four or five guys who want to build a full long weekend around here?

For off-property fun, we recommend anyone reach out to our friends at Shores & Islands for a rundown of the area. But if you're staying at Kalahari, there's plenty to do to pack a full day in of fun. We have attractions, like our newest slide, Dawn Breaker, to ride over and over again, alongside other fan favorites such as Cheetah Racers and Tanzanian Twister. There's another great slide tower located in the outdoor park with more slides to ride with the guys. Make it a friendly competition kind of night in the arcade after you've dried off and maybe watch a game with a burger and a pint at B-Lux.

All Under One Roof

Let me push once more on Lake Erie itself. A charter boat for walleye, the ferry over to Put-in-Bay, a few hours at Cedar Point before heading back to the resort for the evening. What would you personally put on that shortlist?

We're an all-under-one-roof resort.

Stars, Stripes And Spurs At A Lake Erie Resort

The festival has a theme this year, Stars, Stripes and Spurs, with cowboy attire encouraged. How does that translate on the ground, and what are you doing to make it a real experience rather than a dress code suggestion?

It's America 250 and we're leaning into it with our theme this year! We'll have decorations all around the convention center to immerse our guests for the time that they're here. Featuring live music, bull riding, photo ops, square dancing, and so much more entertainment on theme that guests will never think for a moment that this is just a dress code. Even our team is getting into the swing of things! We want our guests to join the excitement alongside us.

What The General Admission Ticket Covers

For someone deciding between general admission at $95 and the VIP experience at $150, what does the upgrade get them on the day?

Unfortunately, VIP is sold out! General Admission however gets you access to everything (outside of early arrival and a VIP brunch). Just pay once to gain entry and access to all the samples of food & drink, as well as chef demos, to enjoy the entire afternoon.

How To Spend Four Hours At The Festival

For someone booking a ticket today, what should they know about making the most of those four hours between noon and 4pm?

We recommend checking out the menu online and the list of our vendors to plan out their experience. We'll have three major Chef Demos featuring brands such as Jack Daniels, Sandeman, and Sierra Nevada. Those are must see events! There will also be two main showrooms packed full of vendors between food, drink, and retail. We also recommend our guests in attendance check out the Silent Auction as it benefits our partnership with Charity: Water to bring clean water to Africa. You can also make the most of your time by booking an overnight stay to enjoy the entire evening after the event ends.

Staying At Kalahari Sandusky Is About More Than Just The Water Park!

While I appreciate that the folks at Kalahari want you to stay on property, the reality is that the Shores and Islands region is packed with the things that make this stretch of Ohio worth the drive. There is an awesome Lake Erie fishing trip waiting out of Port Clinton, coaster nerds will love visiting Cedar Point, and the perch and walleye on local menus are worth planning a meal around. In fact their event itself is a fantastic opportunity to showcase some of the local breweries and wineries in the area as well.

If you want to make a weekend of it, the Sip and Stay package pairs 20 percent off the room with two general admission tickets under promo code FNJW26, and that one closes on August 26. We can't wait to report back on all the tasty treats from the event, and hopefully we'll see you there as well!