City Notes: Tel Aviv, Jerusalem lift a glass to wine festivals

CENTER The White City and the capital will both say “L'haim!” as they celebrate their respective annual festivals of wine this month. In Tel Aviv, the Salute Wine Festival will take place on September 7 and 8 from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Hatahana old station compound. Dozens of booths will feature more than 120 varieties of wine from Israel and around the world. Event-goers will be able to enjoy live music performances along with additional booths selling cheeses, olive oils, chocolates, pastries and more. Entrance to the festival is permitted to those aged 18 and older. Early online ticket purchase costs NIS 50, while standard entrance costs NIS 80. Attendance at the Tel Aviv event won't, however, interfere with a dueling wine festival in Jerusalem, as oenophiles will be able to attend one in the capital's Israel Museum from September 5 to 8. The museum's 13th annual wine festival will feature dozens of large and boutique local wineries. The popular end-of-summer festival, held in the museum's beautiful garden, will also feature music and offer food stands to clear the palate and fill the stomach amid the expanse of wine tastings. The festival will take place from September 5 to 7 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and on September 8 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Entrance to the festival in Jerusalem costs NIS 95. Activists plan volunteer Shefayim Beach clean The social activism volunteer group OneDay has organized an environmental cleaning project today at Shefayim Beach near Herzliya. The group is encouraging young people to come to the seashore between 10:45 a.m. and 2 p.m. to partake in the effort. The organizers said they planned the event because reports of garbage and waste littering the coast have persisted for years. The group added that the initiative seeks to rid the environs of the accumulation of rubbish in order to reduce harm caused to the environment and sea life. A picnic lunch has been organized for the enjoyment of the participants in the beach clean. SOUTH Eilat sways to sounds of Red Sea Jazz The international Red Sea Jazz Festival marked three decades of celebrated musical achievements this week in Eilat. The annual festival in the country's southernmost city this year featured 30 musical productions celebrating the intricate tapestry of Israeli jazz. The festival's 30-year tribute featured popular Israeli favorites, including Avi Lebovich & the Orchestra, the Yalla Ballin Quartet, Shai Maestro Trio, Kutiman Orchestra, Tatran, Eyal Vilner Big Band and Yemen Blues. Headliners also included the Chick Corea Trio, featuring Avishai Cohen and Marcus Gilmore, and the globally recognized Balkan Beat Box. “The Red Sea Jazz Festival is a cornerstone in the development and prosperity of Israeli jazz,” said the festival's artistic director, Eli Degibri. “We are proud to present internationally acclaimed Israeli jazz artists alongside local leading musicians whose music reflects profound jazz influences that have inspired a great many Israeli jazz musicians.” NORTH Next-generation musicians in Galilee Hundreds of professional, amateur and youth musicians took part last weekend in a three-day classical music festival at the Galilee's Open Museum in the Tefen Industrial Park. The event was designed to allow up-and-coming musicians to collaborate and learn from experienced artists in the field. The festival included master classes and concerts that the talented young music students played in alongside seasoned professionals. “It is important that musicians who work at an international level meet with the next generation of professional musicians, who will be part of Israeli and international orchestras,” said the festival's artistic director, percussionist and conductor Chen Zimbalista. Leading musicians who attended the festival included Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra members Noam Buchman (principal flutist), principal violist Amos Boazson, and principal violinist Janna Gandelman. Others included the Haifa Symphony's principal oboist Shira Ben-Yehoshua, renowned cellist and conductor Dmitry Yablonsky, the Sinfonietta Beersheba's principal French horn player Roman Kot, along with cellist and conductor Adiel Schmidt, composer Koby Lilian and double bass player Ma'ayan Beider-Jacobssohn. Police invite public to northern stations Police on Monday held an open house at stations in Tiberias, Shfaram and Afula. Dozens of children and their parents attended the event, aiming to strengthen ties between law enforcement authorities and the public. Along with demonstrations by police from different units, there were displays by police canine and cavalry units. Authorities also gave presentations explaining their duties along with biometric fingerprinting and forensic procedures. Guests were allowed to mount motorcycles belonging to police and maritime police and to examine technology systems employed by police.

City Notes: Tel Aviv, Jerusalem lift a glass to wine festivals

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