Grapevine's 40th annual GrapeFest needs volunteers, and spots are open to anyone 13 and older.

The Grapevine Convention and Visitors Bureau is recruiting helpers for the four-day wine festival, which runs Thursday, Sept. 17, through Sunday, Sept. 20, on Historic Main Street.

Roles include greeting guests, assisting with wine experiences, taking photos and working behind the scenes, according to the bureau's event listing. Shift times vary by session.

Volunteers can choose their own sessions and sign up through the bureau's VolunteerLocal portal. Everyone who registers gets a free T-shirt.

GrapeFest bills itself as the largest wine festival in the Southwest. The event draws more than 225,000 visitors over four days, according to a Grapevine CVB press release.

When the first GrapeFest was held in 1987, 700 people attended and just six Texas wineries poured at the inaugural People's Choice Wine Tasting Classic. This year's theme is "Connecting Wine Traditions, One Glass at a Time."

Merrill Bonarrigo, co-founder of Messina Hof winery on Grapevine's Main Street, told 360 West Magazine in a Sept. 4 feature that GrapeFest remains central to the state's wine scene. "I think GrapeFest is the single best event showcasing Texas wines … It introduces new consumers to the wines each year and refreshes the experience," Bonarrigo said.

The festival features the People's Choice Wine Tasting Classic with 40 Texas wineries and more than 100 wines.

Other attractions include an International Wine Experience, a GrapeStomp, a champagne cork shoot-off, an Italian car show, four stages of live music, a Kidzone and a Carnival & Midway.

Festival hours are:

• Thursday, Sept. 17: 11 a.m.–10 p.m. (free admission all day)
• Friday, Sept. 18: 11 a.m.–11 p.m. (free admission until 5 p.m.)
• Saturday, Sept. 19: 11 a.m.–11 p.m.
• Sunday, Sept. 20: 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

Daily admission is $12 for adults, $6 for seniors 62 and older, $6 for children ages 6–12 and free for children under 5. A four-day weekend pass costs $25.

Free parking and shuttle service are available at the Grapevine Convention Center at 1209 S. Main St. and the Gaylord Texan Lot R. Attendees can also ride Trinity Metro TEXRail or the DART Silver Line.

Volunteer registration is open on the Grapevine CVB's VolunteerLocal page.

Upcoming in Northeast Tarrant

• Tuesday, Sept. 15: Grapevine Public Library hosts a free talk with author Veronica Roth.
• Sept. 17–20: GrapeFest on Historic Main Street, Grapevine.