Four school buses rolled between local wineries and breweries this weekend as the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce held its third consecutive winery and brewery tour, pairing a day of local tastings with a pitch for small-business support across the town. Stops included Altamont Vineyard Winery, Indian Ladder Farms Cidery and Brewery, and The Appel Inn Gathering Space, where eight local businesses set up to meet the crowd.
Four school buses carried attendees between the stops, NEWS10 ABC reported. Sandra Dollard, executive director of the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce, said riders enjoy games on the bus and that the trips between destinations pass quickly, according to the station’s report.
Eight local businesses set up at The Appel Inn, including Broken Loop, New Scotland Spirits and Bountiful Bread. In NEWS10’s account, Laurie Beckmann, owner of The Appel Inn, described the event as a way to highlight small businesses and noted that Guilderland brings commercial and rural areas together, with breweries, wineries and open countryside.
A Growing Tradition Rooted in Tourism Funding
This year's tour builds on a tradition that began two years earlier. The Guilderland Chamber announced its inaugural Brewery & Winery Tour for Sunday, October 27, 2024, according to the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce. That first outing ran two buses simultaneously along separate routes, each stopping at four locations, with tickets priced at $20 and including a commemorative beverage glass.
The event is part of the Chamber's broader tourism initiative, made possible through American Rescue Plan Act funding from Albany County, as reported by CBS6 Albany. That outlet described the tour as designed to spotlight the destinations, small businesses and experiences that make Guilderland, Altamont and the surrounding communities a growing draw for visitors. This year's edition also added a Vendor Square at The Appel Inn Gathering Space, showcasing businesses and organizations tied to tourism, food, beverage and visitor services.
What the Tourism Funding and Statewide Data Show
The Guilderland Chamber says Albany County’s ARPA grant funds for the Four Seasons of Guilderland initiative were specifically designated to promote arts, culture and tourism, according to the Chamber. That broader tourism context does not establish the economic effect of this tour. Empire State Development’s 2023 New York State Tourism Economic Impact Report says visitors spent $88 billion across New York’s economy that year; the statewide figure does not measure spending or economic effects from the Guilderland event.
From Eight Stops on Two Routes to a Bigger Lineup
Participating locations this year included Allied Brewing Company, Altamont Vineyard & Winery, Back Barn Brewing Company, Helderberg Mountain Brewing Company, Indian Ladder Farms Cidery & Brewery, Meadowdale Farm Winery and Northern Barrell, per CBS6's account. That roster marks a shift from 2024, when the inaugural tour split visitors across eight breweries and wineries along two separate routes, each starting at Mixed Breed Brewing before branching off to stops like Helderberg Mountain Brewing Company, Meadowdale Farm Winery, Helderberg Meadworks and Allied Brewing Company.
The 2024 tour was also billed as the second of four events in the Chamber's Seasons of Guilderland passport initiative, according to the Daily Gazette. That year's stops included Altamont Vineyard & Winery, Helderberg Meadworks and Indian Ladder Farms Cidery & Brewery, among five others.
Proceeds Aimed at Local Entrepreneurs
The tour is organized under the Guilderland Chamber Education and Growth Foundation, whose mission is to strengthen the community through education, economic development, tourism promotion and small business support, per the Chamber's account. Proceeds from the event will help provide grants, resources and opportunities meant to encourage entrepreneurship and continued investment in the region, the organization said.
NEWS10 also reported that Dollard said local businesses support schools, after-school activities, sports and the local fire department, and that sales tax generated by those businesses matters to the community. She said she hopes the tour helps people notice the area's natural beauty and discover businesses they might not otherwise have experienced. The Guilderland Chamber of Commerce wrote on X that it “PROUDLY hosted this event today,” a brief nod to a tour now in its third year of ferrying visitors between local tasting rooms.
