Very cool, historic Masonic symbols can be found all around the “haunted” Landmark Event Center.

REMINDER: Today – Sunday, March 3 – is the FINAL day of the 9th Annual Poverty Bay Wine Festival at the historic (and some say, “haunted”) Landmark Event Center in Des Moines.

Tickets are available for $30 at the door, and include 10 tasting tokens for 25 Northwest premiere wineries, various local cuisines, live musical entertainment, a car show (MINI Coopers today!), as well as the fantastic causes this event supports for the community through the Des Moines Rotary Club.

Today’s entertainment – upstairs in the grand ballroom – will include:

  • 12:30 p.m.: Chad McCullough Trio
  • 2:30 p.m.: Pearl Django

If you come, be sure to find The Waterland Blog’s table on the main floor near the fireplace, where Publisher/Editor Scott Schaefer will be hanging out, blogging live and promoting the upcoming film “The Maury Island Incident.”

Another huge reason to attend this event is that it is being held in the Landmark on The Sound Event Center, a grand, historic building that once served as the Masonic Retirement Center of Washington. Built in 1926, this majestic, six-story, castle-like building is so cool that you can get lost just walking around admiring it. The Landmark on the Sound Event is the perfect place to host a wine festival, but it is also a magical place to celebrate a wedding, Golden Anniversary, Senior Prom or a company party. The staff at the Landmark are happy to offer several grand rooms and portions of the grounds of the beautiful campus for special occasion use. The auditorium, commercial kitchen, living room, banquet hall, library, rose garden, front lawn, and picnic grounds are available for daily rentals. Areas can be rented out individually, or can be combined for larger events. They also have meeting room space available for groups as small as 8 in their cozy library to as many as 200 in theater seating in the auditorium. With its beautiful grounds, stunning views of the Puget Sound and ornate architecture, it truly is the Castle on the Hill.

Oh, and did we mention that there’s a ghost named “George” who lives on the 5th floor?

The Rotary Club of Des Moines has held the Poverty Bay Wine Festival in this historic site for the last five years. When asked about why the Landmark on the Sound Event Center has partnered with the Rotary Club of Des Moines, Amber Fish, Marketing & Event Sales Manager for the Landmark, stated:

“The Poverty Bay Wine Festival has a well-earned reputation as a premiere community event that focuses on great wine, music, food, and company while benefiting the charitable activities of the Rotary Club of Des Moines. Landmark on the Sound Event Center is honored to be able to host the Wine Festival once again; our historic venue lends the perfect setting for the three day festival and we look forward to sharing a toast with our neighbors and guests that attend.”

For more information on the Poverty Bay Wine Festival, please visit www.dmrotary.org.

Here’s our time lapse video from the main room of the 2011 fest:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_IP5nRPA7c[/youtube]