COLUMBIA, Md. — May marks the return of an annual tradition for Howard County.
Wine in the Woods will make its comeback on May 21 after a brief hiatus because of the pandemic.
“We’re very excited,” Howard County Recreation and Parks spokesperson Anna Hunter said. “This year we’re welcoming beer vendors, so there’s even more to enjoy.”
But with the preparation and celebration also comes a warning.
“Someone emailed us alerting the department that someone was targeting vendors,” Hunter said.
Howard County is directing the public to be aware of a post circulating on social media targeting vendors.
“Parties unaffiliated with the upcoming Wine in the Woods event are posting on vendor pages and messaging individuals online asking for large sums of money in exchange for a spot as a vendor,” Hunter said.
The post has major red flags.
First is the email account.
“We don’t use a GMAIL account,” Hunter said. “These posts and direct messages should be ignored. Additionally, any correspondence would come from Recreation & Parks' official channels/email addresses.”
Recreation and Parks also said they aren’t soliciting for any new vendors.
“We’re full,” Hunter said. “The application deadline was in January and vendors who were vetted and picked have already been alerted.”
There’s also concern about fake tickets.
“I bought mine when they first went online,” festival-goer Nicky Taylor said. “It’s very easy if you go through the event’s website.”
As easy as it is, some people may look for tickets elsewhere.
“I talked my friend out of buying tickets from a woman online,” Hunter said. “They went back and forth. The seller sent her links to PayPal and Cash App, claiming the tickets would be sent in the mail.”
Luckily, Taylor’s friend didn’t send any money.
“We’re still slated to go but with tickets bought through the event,” she said. “It’s sad and really pathetic that people want to scam people, especially when we haven’t been able to gather for so long.”
Howard County says tickets for Wine in the Woods are still available. You can purchase tickets through the Wine in the Woods website here.
The event runs May 21-22.
