The Vineyard at Hershey

598 Schoolhouse Rd, Middletown, PA 17057, USA

Address:	598 Schoolhouse Rd, Middletown, PA 17057, USA
Phone:	+1 717-944-1569
Site:	vineyardathershey.com
Rating:	4.1
Working:	11AM–6PM 11AM–6PM 11AM–6PM 11AM–6PM 11AM–8PM 11AM–8PM 11AM–6PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 6

Debi Keim

Great music! Great wine! Great friends! I was really looking forward to a great time. When I arrived, the band was playing music and it was fantastic!! All set to have an enjoyable evening, right? Unfortunately, for the next several hours, people kept pouring in with no place to go. It was ridiculous, people were rude/frustrated and consequently disrespectful to others. Initially, I just chalked it up to patrons lack of planning (next time come earlier) however, I soon realized that it was due to the venue. WAY too many tickets sold!!! EXTREMELY poor planning (or NO planning) in managing crowds and lines for drinks and bathrooms. Seriously, people were just urinating wherever they could. Some people actually urinated on themselves while waiting to get to the bathroom - humiliating!! And where was security? Oh thats right I did see a few "security" guys, who were doing NOTHING to enforce the long list of rules that we were all made aware of many times upon entry. The people sitting near me were waiting for others who had been stuck in traffic trying to get in for 1.5 hours. When they were finally able to park and walk a mile to get in they didnt even have to purchase a ticket. While that is nice for them, it was a real slap in the face to those of us that had already purchased our tickets AND were reminded SEVERAL times while we stood in line that we could not go back to our vehicles and return without having to purchase another ticket. Are you kidding me??? My advice... Increase the price of your tickets (the music was totally worth it) and put a cap on the number sold. Your GREED and lack of planning turned what couldve been a fantastic EVENT into a very frustrating evening. Oh, and did I mention that it took us over an hour to get out of the parking area??? Yep, we were there very close to the beginning of the the advertised time that the gates were to open but you decided to open the gates earlier - thanks for that (sarcasm). Despite us getting there in a timely manner why the hell did we have to wait so long (over an hour) to exit the parking area when we were leaving??? NEVER again!!!

Jay Tap

The weather, music and company were all good. Aside from that it was an exercise in poor planning on the part of the business. From the lack of traffic control at a main intersection leading into the event to actually getting into the event it was completely unorganized. I read the rules before entering as far as no outside alcohol or even bottles of water which I understood. I still brought in 4 bottles of water but otherwise obeyed the rules. I shouldnt have for several reasons: No one bothered to check us anyway which is unacceptable in this day and age. I dont mind waiting in a line for a security check, its nice to see, actually. We couldve walked right in with a case of beer and a small army of angry hobos and no one wouldve been the wiser. There were not enough stations to buy beer/wine or even water. The stations that were there were totally unorganized and placed in areas that made it difficult to form any type of line and was grossly understaffed. That also goes for the placement of the bathrooms. No one even bothered to refill the water inside the remote hand washing stations or collect the trash. It was clearly an attitude of packing as many paying people inside while ignoring the necessary details to make sure the event continued to run smoothly. Those dedicated folks who did work inside the event were fighting a losing battle so I applaud them for their efforts. The event started in the afternoon. It appears the main planning for this event took place that morning. Next year Ill buy a bottle of Mad Dog 20/20, go to a McDonalds that has a Playplace and listen to the music on my iPhone.

Eric Kazda

On a 100° day, water was confiscated upon entry and no water stations provided. Water sold for $2 per bottle. Guest were allowed to bring in ice and could visit bathrooms to take water from sinks. Additionally, some beers were clearly not filtered correctly and filled with hop residue. -- 2nd UPDATE: The call from ownership was clearly lip service based on reviews of their most recent event. It would seem that very little has been done to address these issues. Ive updated my star rating. -- 1st UPDATE: One of the partners at The Vineyard at Hershey called me personally to discuss these issues. He was very cordial and we enjoyed a candid conversation about ways that events could be improved in the future to provide better customer service and information if issues like this arise. He explained that there have been very real issues with guests smuggling in vodka disguised as water and these instances have forced the "no outside beverages" rule. I was informed that there are water fountains on the premises that can be used by guests that have concerns (one person in our party was diabetic and was very worried about having water). Also, as I mentioned below, water coolers with ice are allowed and these water fountains can be utilized if there are any health concerns. I applaud him for picking up the phone and having a hard discussion with an upset customer. Ive retained my original post for transparency.

Doug Keim

The only goal is to make money at the expense of paying customers. Too many tickets sold for the Spin Doctors, Gin Blossoms and Blues Traveler concert. Very limited space to park and then you need to schlep your stuff for a very long walk. A total cluster..... Rude patrons, very little security to handle such a large crowd. Lots of people drunk and hopefully did not drive home. People would take things right off your table or step on you or your things. Extremely long lines for everything. Bands were great but will never return or purchase from the Vineyard again. Still feeling the effects of second hand smoke....cigars, cigarettes and pot. Heard lots of people got in for free, ticking off those of us that paid....If your expecting an enjoyable time, dont waste your money and find a better organized event. Hyped beer was mediocre at best. Could have been an incredible event if it was managed by people with experience hosting large events. Hope the profits go back into providing a better customer experience.

Ann Geesey

I have been going to concerts and events for more than 40 years and the Everclear concert at the Hershey Vineyards was the worst event I have ever attended! To prohibit people from bringing fluids into the venue and having them sit directly in the hot sun on a 90 degree day with the only way to get water is to stand in ridiculously long times and pay $2 per bottle is criminal! Gouging people and making them stand in terminally long lines for water with no other options will not be forgotten nor forgiven! You are very lucky no one got seriously ill (that i heard). The one good thing that came out of the total lack of organization was that the lines for beer and cheap wine were so long (30 to 45 minutes plus) that it was hard for people to get drunk! The food trucks even ran out of food and you ran out of water. Dont have such a large scale event if you cant handle the logistics! Never ever again! Wont let me do 0 stars!

Annemarie Potteiger

If I could rate with a zero, I would. Clearly they sold too many tickets to the event. Sat 2 hours in traffic waiting to get in. I have a handicap placard and I was directed to that parking. Turns out the parking spaces were much further away from the event than the other spaces. Once through the gates, waited close to an hour to use a restroom. Food and drink lines were so long, I didnt even bother. Turned around and left. I will say it was very kind of a young man to drive me to my parking spot in a golf cart. I dont know if I could have hiked through that field again. Total waste of my money. Will never go back.